Chapter 70
“Then what’s the big deal? Just a common cold? Let him go get his own shots and medicine. Does he expect me to come back and take care of him? Why are you calling me over such a trivial matter? Did he whine to you or something? Trust me, he’s tough. His crazy family hasn’t managed to ruin him; a cold won’t kill him.”
Huo Youqiao, as the elder brother, should have been angry and reprimanded his younger brother for such callous words about his partner. However, he felt a strange sense of relief instead.
“You really don’t care at all?”
Huo Youcheng, slightly more restrained, replied, “I’m really busy. I don’t have time to worry about such small things. I’ll come back for Ranran’s birthday.”
A soft, sleepy voice of an unfamiliar man could be heard in the background, confirming to Huo Youqiao that his brother was with another fling.
After ending the call, Huo Youqiao instructed his secretary, Lin Xiuming, to take care of a personal matter.
Lunch was takeout again. Huo Youqiao had a simple meal, and he ordered porridge for Ye Zhi. After taking the medicine and sleeping, Ye Zhi looked better, though he still tried to decline the doctor’s visit, “There’s really no need to trouble the doctor. I feel much better and haven’t had a fever. Resting will do the trick.”
Huo Youqiao was unmoved, “It’s already arranged.”
Feeling guilty, Ye Zhi mumbled, “Actually, I’m quite healthy. I rarely get sick, and when I do, I usually recover in a few days. The medicine works quickly on me because I seldom take it.”
Huo Youqiao picked up on the key point, “Why do you rarely take medicine?” He looked at Ye Zhi, “Isn’t it normal to take medicine and get shots for a cold? Do you usually just tough it out?”
Despite his stern tone, his concern was evident, making Ye Zhi’s heart skip a beat. His voice got even softer, almost pleading, “It’s supposed to build up immunity…”
Seeing the stern look on Huo Youqiao’s face, Ye Zhi didn’t dare say more and obediently drank the porridge. When he moved to wash the dishes, Huo Youqiao had already taken them.
Ye Zhi couldn’t avoid the IV, though. The location was changed to the second-floor study to make it easier for Huo Youqiao to change the IV bag. A comfortable lounge chair from the balcony was moved inside, along with a small blanket from Huo Youqiao’s bedroom. After making Ye Zhi lie down and covering him with the blanket, Huo Youqiao handed him a book, ensuring the IV was properly set up before returning to his own work.
Despite being the decision-maker, Huo Youqiao’s video meetings mainly involved listening to reports, with occasional input from him, making the room very quiet. Ye Zhi was initially worried about being a distraction, but he gradually relaxed and got absorbed in his book, not even noticing when the IV was almost empty.
Huo Youqiao suddenly said, “Pause for a moment,” then walked over to change the IV bag, making Ye Zhi realize how absorbed he had been.
Ye Zhi’s face reddened as he softly said, “Thank you.”
Huo Youqiao glanced at him and touched his hand, unsurprisingly finding it cold. He held Ye Zhi’s hand and tucked it under the blanket, “Don’t move. Be careful of backflow.”
“Oh, okay…” Ye Zhi trembled slightly from the warmth of Huo Youqiao’s hand, his gaze darting nervously.
This pause happened three times. The third time, Huo Youqiao deftly removed the needle and applied a bandage. Seeing Ye Zhi looking drowsy, he moved the book from his lap and whispered, “If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.”
Ye Zhi was a bit dazed, “Maybe I should go downstairs…”
He worried about being a bother, but Huo Youqiao’s tone left no room for argument, “Sleep here. What if you fall downstairs?”
Ye Zhi wasn’t good at refusing, especially not to Huo Youqiao.
Another reason was that he didn’t want to leave. Even without doing anything or talking, just being in the same space as this man made him feel secure, even a bit elated.
For him, these moments were incredibly precious.
As Ye Zhi said, his resistance was quite strong. By the third day, he was almost fully recovered, feeling only a bit weak but free of other cold symptoms.
