After Lu Zhengting finished speaking, he headed to the guest bedroom.
Shen Huaishuang stood where she was, touched by his thoughtfulness. Although she and Lu Zhengting had spent the night together, it was under the influence of drugs. To each other, they were still strangers, just beginning to learn about one another. They had entered into a "flash marriage"; if they moved in together right away, it would surely be awkward. Sleeping in separate rooms was a good idea; it gave them time to adjust.
She walked into the kitchen and noticed that Lu Zhengting had even wiped down the stove. She marveled at how efficient he was. With nothing left for her to tidy up, she went to the master bathroom to shower. The air inside was still damp from Lu Zhengting’s own shower, but it was clear he had wiped everything down—there wasn’t a single water droplet on the floor or the glass.
The bathroom featured an oversized bathtub right by the window; lying in it allowed one to take in the brilliant lights of the entire CBD. On a whim, she filled the tub and climbed in. Every pore in her body opened up in relief. The past two days had been so chaotic, and her nerves had been stretched to their limit. Now that things had finally calmed down, she felt as if the ordeal was behind her. She and Lu Zhengting were husband and wife, and from now on, she would live a proper life with him. Although there were no romantic feelings between them yet, she could tell that Lu Zhengting was, as her grandmother had said, a steady and reliable man. Life with someone like him shouldn’t be too bad.
Soaking in the warmth, Shen Huaishuang drifted off to sleep in the tub without realizing it. She eventually woke up shivering. Dazed, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and crawled into bed to continue sleeping. Unsurprisingly, the next morning, she woke up with a cold.
She sneezed one after another. As Lu Zhengting emerged from the guest bedroom, she sneezed again. She asked him sheepishly, "Lu Zhengting, do you have any cold medicine at home? I think I’ve caught a cold."
Lu Zhengting’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Seeing his reaction, Shen Huaishuang knew the answer was no. He was physically robust and likely rarely fell ill; even if he did, he probably just toughed it out without medication.
"Never mind if you don't have any. I’ll buy some at a pharmacy on my way to work. But I won't be able to make breakfast; you should pick something up for yourself on your way to work."
Lu Zhengting said, "Wait at home. I'll be back shortly." Then, he grabbed his car keys and left.
Once outside, Lu Zhengting made a phone call. "Deliver two breakfast sets to Star Dream International, something light."
After washing up and getting dressed, Shen Huaishuang leaned against the sofa, waiting for Lu Zhengting. She didn't know where he had gone, but since he told her to wait, she would. Feeling dizzy and heavy-headed, she closed her eyes, trying to ease the discomfort.
Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was Bai Yujie calling. She hung up immediately. Since they had broken up, she wanted to make a clean break. Besides, Bai Yujie was now Shen Huaiyu's fiancé, and she didn't want any further entanglement with him. But Bai Yujie wouldn't give up and called again. Shen Huaishuang hung up again. To prevent him from calling further, she blocked his number.
When Bai Yujie tried calling again, a female voice answered: "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
Bai Yujie was so angry he nearly crushed his phone. "Shen Huaishuang, you dare to block me! Well played!"
He pulled up her WeChat and tried a video call. Shen Huaishuang hung up on him again. By the time he tried to call a second time, he couldn't get through. Clearly, she had blocked him on WeChat as well. His face turned dark, and in a fit of rage, he smashed his phone against the ground, shattering it into pieces.
When Lu Zhengting unlocked the door and stepped inside, Shen Huaishuang was leaning against the sofa with her eyes closed, her brow furrowed in pain. He walked over and placed a hand on her forehead. It was burning. His brown eyes deepened. Fortunately, he had picked up an ear thermometer before leaving the pharmacy. He checked her temperature: 39.5 degrees Celsius.
He retrieved fever medication from the bag, followed the instructions to pop a pill out, and placed it into her mouth. Startled awake, Shen Huaishuang opened her eyes. "Lu Zhengting, what are you giving me?"
"Fever medicine." He handed her a cup of warm water. "Take the medicine."
Shen Huaishuang took it and obediently swallowed the pill. Just then, the doorbell rang. Lu Zhengting strode over to open it.
"President Wang, here is the breakfast you ordered."
"Thank you."
The delivery person was momentarily stunned, evidently surprised by Lu Zhengting's politeness. Before he could respond, Lu Zhengting had already closed the door, leaving the delivery person to walk away awkwardly.
Lu Zhengting opened the breakfast and placed it on the dining table. "Shen Huaishuang, come over and eat."
Being called by her full name so abruptly caught Shen Huaishuang off guard. Hearing the words "Shen Huaishuang" spoken by Lu Zhengting felt strangely different, making her heart skip a beat. She stood up, but the room swayed, and she nearly collapsed. A large hand caught her by the waist, and before she could react, he lifted her off her feet and placed her into the dining chair.
Shen Huaishuang’s already feverish face burned even hotter now. She ate the congee in silence. *Huh, this congee is actually quite good.* It was soft, savory, and melted in her mouth. Lacking an appetite, she only managed half a bowl before she couldn't eat anymore. She looked up and saw that Lu Zhengting had already finished his breakfast. He was, as always, very fast.
Shen Huaishuang pushed the pastries and side dishes toward him. "I haven't touched these. If you're not full, you can have them."
Lu Zhengting leaned over, pulled the half-finished bowl of congee toward himself, and finished the rest of the breakfast in a few bites. He then cleared the table efficiently. Shen Huaishuang watched in a daze. *He actually ate the congee I left behind. Does he not mind that I’ve already used the spoon?*
After sitting there in a daze for a while, she got up and grabbed her bag, preparing to head to work. Lu Zhengting stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
"To work."
"You’re burning up; how can you go to work? Don't cause trouble for your company. Just take a sick day and rest at home."
"But..."
"Don't worry. Your company won't collapse just because you're not there." He then took her bag away.
Shen Huaishuang felt that she truly wasn't in a state to work, so she took out her phone to call her manager and request leave. The manager cursed at her over the phone, "Shen Huaishuang, do you think this company is owned by your family? You’re asking for leave every other day. Why don't you just quit and go home to live off your parents!"
"President Wang, I really am sick."
"Shen Huaishuang, I’m telling you, I’m not approving this leave. Even if you have to crawl here, you show up for work today!"
"President Wang..."
Before she could say anything more, he hung up. Lu Zhengting’s expression darkened; he went back to the guest bedroom and made a phone call.
Shen Huaishuang was already preparing to "crawl" to work when she received a call from President Wang. His attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn.
"Shen Huaishuang, if you're sick, just stay home and rest. No need to come to the company until you're fully recovered. Your health comes first. Take your time to get well. I and all your colleagues at the company wish you a speedy recovery!"