Chapter 28 Severe Insomnia 3

After surgery, He Qiuting’s body was weak, his immunity plummeted, and coupled with mental tension and lack of proper rest, developing urticaria was entirely within his expectations.

His constitution was such that sometimes overexerting himself by staying up late would cause rashes, making his whole body itch.

Li Feng prescribed him medication, saying verbatim, Take the medicine, sleep, and it’ll go away.

But the problem was, He Qiuting couldn’t sleep at all now.

He felt his skin burning, his face and ears growing increasingly hot, and his heart unbearably restless.

After binding with the System, discomfort was amplified tenfold, including the itch of urticaria.

The sensation was like countless insects crawling through his blood vessels, burrowing relentlessly into his nerves, gnawing bite by bite at his nerve endings, building nests within his flesh.

Patches of uneven rash appeared on his body, hot and itchy. He Qiuting couldn’t resist scratching, but after just a couple of swipes, a force controlled his wrist.

Don’t scratch. Lu Shun frowned slightly, pressing his hand aside, and said quietly, The more you scratch, the more it spreads. Endure it a little.

Usually, Lu Shun’s palms were always warm, but at this moment, He Qiuting actually felt a trace of long-missed coolness.

His tense body relaxed slightly, but within seconds the itching returned—unbearable, uncontrollable, the intolerable sensation shooting straight to the top of his head, even making his scalp itch momentarily.

He Qiuting broke free from Lu Shun’s grip and scratched his neck, instantly leaving another raised red mark.

Don’t scratch, He Qiuting. Lu Shun watched him like a parent supervising a child, staring at him with a headache. If you don’t touch it, sleep through it, and it’ll fade by tomorrow morning.

It’s too hot, I can’t stand it. He Qiuting’s breathing grew slightly erratic as he moved his hand down, unable to resist scratching his collarbone again.

His pale skin gradually flushed with color, his neck crimson as if about to bleed.

Lu Shun looked at him with heartache, then turned and walked into the bathroom after a moment.

The sound of running water echoed, and soon Lu Shun returned with a towel soaked in cold water, pressing it firmly against the back of He Qiuting’s neck without another word.

He Qiuting shuddered at the sudden chill and reached to take the towel, but Lu Shun pressed down on his shoulder.

Don’t move.

Lu Shun’s gaze fixed on the red rashes on his skin, his expression focused, his tone calm. Take off your clothes.

After a pause, he added, Wiping down will make you more comfortable.

He Qiuting glanced at Lu Shun, seeming to hesitate for a moment before lowering his head and slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Lu Shun didn’t rush him, simply watching as he undid each button one by one until the shirt was completely removed, revealing large areas of flushed skin.

He Qiuting’s chest and back were entirely red.

No wonder he was itching so badly.

Lu Shun frowned, keeping his eyes strictly on task as he wiped He Qiuting’s reddened back with the cold towel, passing over the rashes of all sizes.

The more Lu Shun looked, the more his heart ached. He lowered his gaze, his voice neither warm nor cold. Just tell me, just tell me if this isn’t suffering. If you’d taken even a little better care of your body, it wouldn’t have come to this.

He Qiuting turned sideways, pressing his hand over the damp towel along with Lu Shun’s hand, and said, Let me do it myself.

Lu Shun tilted his head at the words, feeling displeased but keeping a light tone, Are we being so formal, President He?

He released his grip and handed the damp towel to He Qiuting, watching as He Qiuting slowly wiped himself down.

Not formal. He Qiuting’s voice was raspy after surgery, still unclear as he murmured, You need to rest and eat something.

Hmm? What did you say? Lu Shun hadn’t caught it.

He Qiuting lifted his head, calmly meeting his gaze, eyelashes trembling slightly, You’ve been watching over me these past two days, barely getting any sleep.

It’s nothing. Lu Shun brushed it off, raising his eyebrows, This is nothing.

Taking care of He Qiuting brought him genuine joy—he never found it the slightest bit burdensome.

He Qiuting stared at the dark circles under Lu Shun’s eyes, a hidden flicker of emotion passing through his indifferent gaze as he said softly, I haven’t seen you rest much or eat properly. Lu Shun, I’m not made of paper, and you’re not made of iron.

I have eaten, and I have rested. I’m not stupid, He Qiuting. Lu Shun explained with a laugh, his happiness faintly visible and completely unconcealed, What’s this? Is President He concerned about me?

He Qiuting couldn’t respond to that. He set down the towel, silently put on his clothes, and lay back on the bed.

Go rest. I’m fine now.

He Qiuting strained to maintain composure, enduring the pain and clarity in his head while suppressing the urge to scratch his body, offering Lu Shun a faint smile.

Mm. Lu Shun acknowledged, I’ll be in the outer room. Call me anytime you need anything.

As he spoke, he pressed the call button into He Qiuting’s hand and added, If you need water or have to use the bathroom at night, don’t push yourself—press this, and I’ll help you.

Lu Shun’s voice carried a subtle warmth, so tender it felt surreal, softening He Qiuting’s heart in response.

Mm. He Qiuting murmured softly.

He watched Lu Shun leave the room, his mind blank for a few seconds before sinking into hesitation.

Could one person truly be this unconditionally good to him?

Once this thought emerged, it lodged itself like a sharp thorn precisely into his most sensitive and vulnerable nerve.

Unremovable.

He Qiuting was all too familiar with this feeling.

At some point, whenever someone showed him kindness, he would instinctively calculate the cost, terrified he couldn’t bear it.

He Qiuting knew his psyche was flawed—he was someone who suppressed emotions to the extreme, closed off from himself, incapable of offering others any emotional value.

Very few people loved him, and no one had taught him how to love in return.

He was selfish, cold-blooded, timid, and weak, never daring to expose his yearning for affection in front of others. Year after year, he maintained an icy facade, his words and demeanor always detached, until even he was nearly fooled.

He believed he didn’t need love and was convinced he didn’t deserve it—until he and Lu Shun came together with a let’s try attitude.

Lu Shun was a person of intense emotions.

Interacting with him, He Qiuting felt like a drenched stray kitten cautiously approaching the warmth of a human’s palm—even the slightest bit could make him cling for a long time.

He Qiuting had once relied on Lu Shun.

But one day, he discovered that those tender affections were mixed with interests and bargaining chips, realizing that Lu Shun’s proclaimed love was merely a means to tame him.

Lu Shun kissed him in bed, simultaneously planting traps in sweet nothings, testing boundaries through physical advances, while smilingly negotiating terms, ultimately crushing all his dignity with the triumphant demeanor of a victor…

He Qiuting closed his eyes deeply, feeling he must learn his lesson and not repeat the same mistakes.

Time to sleep.

He Qiuting turned over, pulling the blanket over his head, forcing himself to sleep, but his mind remained unusually clear, with incessant noise clamoring without pause.

Thump, thump, thump.

It was the sound of his heartbeat—chaotic and rapid, each beat tugging at his nerves, intertwined with sharp tinnitus.

Though the surrounding lights had long been extinguished, He Qiuting still felt everything was too bright. Even the faintest sliver of light in his vision became impossible to ignore at this moment.

Too glaring.

It was driving him mad.

Tossing and turning sleeplessly, each time he was on the verge of falling asleep, his chest would suddenly constrict, as if he were being dragged out of a dream by a chokehold.

His oxygen-deprived lungs convulsed uncontrollably. Pale-faced, he opened his mouth but couldn’t draw air, waking up suffocated.

His head ached, his stomach ached, his back ached—every limb throbbed with pain.

Drenched in cold sweat, He Qiuting’s fragile nerves were overwhelmed, his resolve collapsing along with them.

He began to feel afraid, though he didn’t know of what—just a vague sense of being utterly unsafe.

A death-like fear enveloped him along with the surrounding darkness. He Qiuting slowly turned to his side, curling up, pressing his thumb against his throat, trembling as he gasped, emitting suppressed moans.

The room distorted, the walls seemed to collapse, and a giant crack appeared in the world. He Qiuting felt himself standing at the edge of that fissure, one step away from plunging into the abyss…

Click—

Someone flipped a switch, and glaring light surged from all directions, illuminating the figure in the darkness.

2:30 AM.

He Qiuting had no strength left.

His mind was painfully alert—he could even imagine the expression on Lu Shun’s face at this moment—yet he lacked even the energy to open his eyes.

Soaked in sweat, he curled up, hugging himself, shaking and convulsing uncontrollably. Then he heard a voice descending from above, landing right before him, close enough to touch.

He Qiuting, having a nightmare…?

Can’t sleep?

He Qiuting didn’t answer or open his eyes, merely shrinking his shoulders slightly.

Click—

The light turned off, plunging the surroundings back into darkness.

Silence lingered in the air for a few seconds. Just as He Qiuting thought Lu Shun had left the room, he suddenly felt the mattress dip with a slight rebound.

Someone lifted the blanket.

Before He Qiuting could react, he felt a powerful body gently press against him from behind, carrying a slight chill as it tenderly drew him into an embrace.

Lu Shun’s arm wrapped around his waist, palm resting precisely over his slightly undulating abdomen, fingers tracing faint circles. The hem of his pajamas rode up, leaving bare skin pressed together.

Sleep now.

Lu Shun’s voice came, soft as a whisper. I’m holding you. Don’t be afraid, Qiuting.

Their body temperatures silently merged into one.

He Qiuting’s body gradually relaxed from its tense state. He could feel Lu Shun’s powerful heartbeat through his skin, thumping against his back—one beat after another, slowly synchronizing with his own pulse until they became indistinguishable.

The System seemed to have triggered a special function.

A trace of drowsiness finally washed over He Qiuting as the discomfort in his body faded layer by layer. Just before he drifted into sleep,

a soft sensation suddenly touched the nape of his neck.

Lu Shun’s lips gently pressed against it, delivering a fleeting kiss.

Almost as if murmuring to himself, he whispered words not meant for anyone to hear,

Believe in me one more time.

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