Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Although she had already taken a warm bath and drank the ginger soup that Si Yiyan had made for her, Wen Xinya still fell ill, nonetheless.
She began running a fever at three o’clock in the morning. Due to the fact that the two shared the same bed, he soon discovered that her temperature was unusually high. Hence, he hurriedly called for the doctor to come and treat her.
The doctor deduced that Wen Xinya had merely caught a cold and would be fine after being put on the drip for two days. However, Wen Xinya hated injections and continuously pleaded for him to let her escape the drip. Si Yiyan had no choice but to request for the doctor to prescribe her with some oral medication instead. He then sent the doctor away.
After feeding her the medicine, Si Yiyan wrung a warm towel dry and wiped her down to help her dissipate the heat in her body. She was in a daze and dozed off soon enough, feeling weak and feeble.
However, she could vaguely feel Si Yiyan wiping her forehead with a warm towel and checking her temperature every now and then, wiping the exposed sweat droplets off her skin.
She suddenly felt that her temperature was no longer as warm as before, and also felt much more clear-headed. She finally slept.
Wen Xinya woke up again the next morning. She placed a hand on her forehead to find that her fever had already broken.
A warm and fuzzy feeling filled her heart when she recalled the meticulous care and affection Si Yiyan had given her last night. She had never been taken care of to such a great extent before.
Wen Xinya was wearing Si Yiyan’s pajamas which were oversized for her. She put on the slippers and exited the room, only to discover that Si Yiyan was not in the living room. She scanned the living room and finally found him in the kitchen again.
He was dressed in purple, a royal and elegant color, which made him appear prestigious and mysterious. It matched his aura to a T, making him look extremely charming.
He was stirring the porridge in the pot while talking on the phone. “The grains have all been husked and there’s a fragrant aroma coming from the porridge. I’ve tasted it and the consistency is right too. Is it time for garnishing?”
Si Yiyan picked up a porcelain bowl and filled it with the porridge before topping it off with some red bean paste and osmanthus honey that he had prepared beforehand. He then tried a small spoonful to see if the taste was right. A fragrant aroma filled his mouth. Although it tasted delicious, he did not have a sweet tooth and did not know if it was the right taste.
Wen Xinya recalled the words that she had said to him while playing cute last night. She did not expect him to have taken her seriously and made her porridge. The air was filled with the unique aroma of glutinous rice, accompanied with red bean paste and osmanthus honey. She was incredibly touched by his sweet gesture.
Wen Xinya walked towards him stealthily and hugged him from behind. Pressing her tiny face against his lean and toned back, she said in joy, “I didn’t expect that Ninth Young Master Xiasi would be such a great cook too! You’re truly a well-rounded man who’s met all three criteria of a good man.”
“I’ve only achieved two, actually,” Si Yiyan said, allowing her to continue hugging him while he stirred the porridge in the pot, for fear that it would turn soggy and overcooked.
“Which two?” Wen Xinya asked curiously, yearning to know his viewpoint.
Si Yiyan smiled and said, “I’m a great shopper and a great cook!”
Wen Xinya chuckled and asked, “What about the one that you couldn’t achieve?”
“The one I couldn’t achieve yet…” Si Yiyan drawled teasingly with a tinge of flirtatiousness. He turned around and wrapped his arms around her before whispering into her ear, “Is being good in bed!”
“Hooligan!” Wen Xinya exclaimed, pushing him away playfully. She turned red with shyness, like a flower that had just bloomed. She looked extremely beautiful.
“Once you grow up I’ll achieve the third criterion. Only then can I be a well-rounded man,” Si Yiyan said, gently kissing her pale lips. He then licked them affectionately.
His kiss moistened her dry and cracked lips. Turning as red as a tomato, Wen Xinya remarked, “You’re so lecherous.”
Si Yiyan lowered his voice and spoke in an alluring manner, “Women’s satisfaction in bed matters the most to men… it matters a lot to me too!”
Wen Xinya glared at Si Yiyan, her face red and hot.
Noticing that she seemed to be infuriated, he decided to stop teasing her, especially since she was still ill. He stared at her pale and haggard face which had a tinge of rosiness. Placing a hand on her forehead gently, he said, “Your fever has already subsided. The doctor said that you’ll be fine once the fever is gone.”
Upon sight of the frown disappearing from his forehead, Wen Xinya’s lips curled into a smile, as tender as the petals of cherry blossoms.
Si Yiyan asked softly, “Do you still feel any discomfort? Does your head still hurt? You said that your throat was dry and painful yesterday, do you feel better now?”
Recalling the sight of Wen Xinya squatting alone outside the door of Jiayuan Club in the biting cold, his heart wrenched in pain. He regretted hesitating instead of rushing down to see her. As long as I can keep my cool, I can achieve anything while remaining composed , he thought.
Shaking her head, Wen Xinya answered, “I just feel a little sluggish and lethargic. Apart from the lack of energy, I don’t feel any other discomfort!”
Feeling much more relieved, Si Yiyan said, “You’re definitely going to feel lethargic after running a fever and being dehydrated. You’ll be fine after some food and rest.”
Wen Xinya pouted her lips before grinning widely from ear to ear.
Si Yiyan asked, “The doctor said that you must get more rest. Why are you up so early? Why don’t you sleep in?”
Staring at Si Yiyan pitifully like a child asking for candy, she said, “I’m too hungry to sleep. I haven’t had anything to eat since last night.”
Due to how worried she was about Si Yiyan, she did not eat much during the gathering with Zhou Tianyu and the rest of her friends. After being brought to Jiayuan Club, all she had was a small bowl of ginger soup that was enough to fill her up at the time. However, her stomach began to rumble and she began feeling hungry after smelling the appetizing aroma of sweet porridge.
Si Yiyan smiled and said, “Go outside first. I’ve made you some sweet porridge. It’ll be ready soon.”
Wen Xinya took the chance to sneak to the kitchen, only to see that the glass pot was full of overcooked and undercooked porridge. She asked, “This…”
She knew long ago that sweet glutinous porridge was difficult to cook. She initially found it rather strange that Si Yiyan could whip up such a delicious pot of porridge after receiving instructions from someone over the fone. It turns out… he had long begun trying to cook it and had conducted several attempts at perfecting the taste. He did not lose his patience at all, despite having failed again and again.
She reckoned that he must have been cooking for several hours and that he had begun learning how to cook glutinous porridge ever since she fell ill yesterday.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she said between sobs, “I was just teasing you when I told you to make me some sweet porridge. Why are you so silly?”
