“Madam Xu?” Lin Xi took a closer look at her phone. It was an unknown number, but she recognized Xu Wantang’s voice.

“It’s me. Sorry for calling so late,” Xu Wantang said apologetically. “I just wanted to check on Xiao Xu. Is he still running a fever?”

“I just took his temperature—38.2°C. He’s still very hot.” Lin Xi held the phone in one hand while continuing to stir-fry with the other.

“That’s not too bad,” Xu Wantang sighed in relief. “Xiao Xu has always been terrified of needles and medicine. Making him go to the hospital is like sending him to an execution ground.”

“Oh!” Lin Xi wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“The fact that you got him to take those bitter pills is amazing,” Xu Wantang said, her voice turning excited. “How did you coax him into it?”

“Huh?” Lin Xi had no idea Song Xu was afraid of medicine, and she certainly hadn’t “coaxed” him. Her voice dropped to a tiny, guilty whisper. “I didn’t coax him. I… I forced it down his throat.”

Silence fell on the other end of the line. After what felt like an eternity, Xu Wantang finally spoke. “Then… just force it down his throat one more time.”

Lin Xi hung up and went back to making the noodles.

The Song Family Ancestral Home

After putting down her phone, Xu Wantang sat on the edge of the bed in a daze.

Song Qingshi emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Seeing that Xu Wantang’s hair was still wet, he frowned. “Honey, why haven’t you dried your hair yet?”

Xu Wantang glanced at him. “You do it for me.”

Song Qingshi swept her up in his arms, carried her to the vanity, and sat her in the chair before picking up the hairdryer.

As she enjoyed her husband’s service, Xu Wantang’s mind remained preoccupied.

“Honey, what are you thinking about?” Song Qingshi asked, feeling a bit neglected.

Xu Wantang looked at him through the mirror. “Did you know there’s a girl living in Xiao Xu’s apartment?”

“What?” Song Qingshi’s eyes narrowed. “How old is he? If he’s started keeping a mistress already, I’ll beat him to death!”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Xu Wantang glared at him. “The girl is a helper Xiao Xu hired.”

So she was a helper. Song Qingshi’s expression softened slightly. “I thought he said he didn’t need one? He refused all the ones we tried to arrange for him, so why did he find one himself?”

“The girl is quite pretty, and she’s a student,” Xu Wantang added.

Song Qingshi paused. “Is she a helper, or a canary?”

“That’s not the point.” Xu Wantang turned around to face him directly. “This girl, Lin Xi… she looks remarkably like someone.”

“Like who?” Song Qingshi asked, puzzled.

Xu Wantang’s eyes twinkled. “I’m not telling you yet.”

Song Qingshi sighed helplessly. “What kind of mischief are you up to now?”

“When have I ever been mischievous?” Xu Wantang shot him a look. “I only do things that benefit everyone involved.”

“Right, right. You’re always right.” Song Qingshi put down the hairdryer and picked her up again. “Now, let’s go do something that benefits both of us.”

By the time Lin Xi finished cleaning the kitchen, it was already the middle of the night. It was nearing her bedtime, and she was starting to yawn.

She prepared the medicine and headed back to her room.

Song Xu’s temperature remained high. His face was flushed red, making him look a bit less cold than usual and significantly cuter—especially with that row of purple “stars” on his forehead. It was a hilarious sight.

Seeing his face, Lin Xi couldn’t help but let her lips curl upward.

“President Song, time for your medicine.” Lin Xi held two fever pills to his lips.

Song Xu’s eyelids flickered, and he silently turned his head away, distancing himself from the pills.

Lin Xi moved her hand back to his mouth. “It’s just two pills. One sip of water, tilt your head back, and they’re gone.”

Song Xu turned his head to the other side.

Lin Xi’s patience snapped. She dropped the pills into a spoon, dissolved them with a bit of water, and then pinched Song Xu’s nose shut.

Startled, Song Xu snapped his eyes open and stared at her in shock. “Lin Xi, you—”

The moment he opened his mouth, a spoonful of bitter medicinal dregs was poured in. His features twisted together from the sheer bitterness.

“Lin Xi! How dare you—” Song Xu wanted to spit it out, but it was already down his throat.

Lin Xi released his nose and shoved a piece of candy into his mouth. “There. Now it’s not bitter. I’ve never seen someone make such a fuss over taking medicine.”

Song Xu sat there with the candy in his mouth, his chin trembling. He was absolutely livid.

Lin Xi let out another yawn, spread some sheets over the sofa, and lay down. “President Song, it’s late. I’m going to sleep. If you feel unwell, just call me.”

With that, she turned off the lights, leaving only a dim nightlight.

Exhausted from the day’s chaos, Lin Xi felt perfectly safe with the “weak and paralyzed” Song Xu on the bed. She drifted into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Song Xu could hear that she was sleeping soundly.

The fever medicine took effect quickly. After breaking into a heavy sweat, he felt himself coming back to life. He threw off the covers and got out of bed to find some water. Lin Xi was out cold on the sofa and heard nothing.

Song Xu walked over to the sofa, crouched down, and gently stroked her face. He leaned down and stole a soft kiss.

Lin Xi didn’t react at all.

He carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. The moment she hit the mattress, she rolled over, her hand searching for a pillow. She grabbed one, hugged it to her chest, and continued sleeping.

Song Xu stood by the bed until she was sound asleep, then quietly climbed in. He gently slipped the pillow from her arms and replaced it with his own body.

Lin Xi was used to cuddling something while she slept. When her arms felt empty, she let out a small, dissatisfied hum, and a second later, she was hugging Song Xu.

Song Xu pulled her close, and the two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms.

At dawn, Lin Xi’s biological clock woke her up.

She felt unusually warm, and her breathing felt a bit constricted. She opened her eyes to see a man’s chest. Her hand was resting on his waist, and one of her legs was pinned between his.

Lin Xi slowly looked up and met Song Xu’s gaze.

“Ah!” “Ah!”

The two of them cried out at the same time.

Lin Xi scrambled out of his arms in a panic. “What happened? How did I end up in the bed?”

Song Xu looked at her with pure disdain. “Are you playing dumb? You must be trying to take advantage of me, climbing into my bed in the middle of the night.”

“That’s impossible!” Lin Xi stood by the bed and pointed at the sofa. The sheets were still there; she had clearly gone to sleep on the sofa last night.

Song Xu leaned back against the headboard and snorted. “Why is it impossible? Do you think I carried you here? I didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed last night.”

Lin Xi’s face was twisted in confusion. She couldn’t figure out how she had moved from the sofa to the bed. Did she sleepwalk? Her grandmother had never mentioned anything about that.

Song Xu had been holding it in all night, and his bladder was screaming. He threw back the covers and got out of bed, walking past Lin Xi and into the bathroom.

A minute later, a hysterical roar echoed from the bathroom.

“LIN XI!”