Chapter 18 (1/2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Yesterday, you called my name,” Shi Jin said gently.
Yesterday…
Jiang Jiusheng could only feel her head pounding. Feeling choked, she simply could not say his name. Seeing that her clothes were intact, she threw off the bedcover and sat up, placing her socked feet on the marble flooring.
“How did I end up here?” she asked.
Without replying, Shi Jin walked to the rug, picked up the cotton bedroom slippers and, stooping down, placed them in front of Jiang Jiusheng.
“You had a fever last night,” he said, then paused before continuing. “Your front door was locked.”
She lowered her head. Shi Jin stayed in his stooped position in front of her, his casually groomed hair short and probably soft, looking subservient and quite unlike his usual, handsomely arrogant self.
Averting her gaze, she put on the shoes and took a step back, saying, “I have caused you inconvenience.”
“No trouble at all.” A polite yet friendly tone.
Shi Jin lifted his palm and intuitively placed it against her forehead. Subconsciously, Jiang Jiusheng took a step back.
Still not removing his hand, Shi Jin stepped forward, saying, “I’m a doctor.” He had such a soothing voice, comforting like a lullaby delivered by the cello—melodious and heart-warming.
Surprised, Jiang Jiusheng stood still. Shi Jin then felt her forehead with the back of his hand for a few seconds before removing it and stepping back, not moving too far away from her. He gave an elegant little smile.
“You still have a low-grade fever. Would you like to rest a little while longer?” he asked.
Looking at his king-sized bed covered in black bed linens, Jiang Jiusheng thought that it looked stark and uninviting—a deep contrast with his personality. She shook her head. Even though Shi Jin was a doctor, she did not think it was appropriate.
Without a word, Shi Jin gave her the medicine from the bedside drawer with a glass of water.
Jiang Jiusheng took the medicine and the glass of water, realizing that the water was warm. When had Shi Jin prepared this?
Having taken the medicine, she thanked Shi Jin. “Thank you.” He replied that she was welcome.
The fever medication was a white pill, not a capsule, and was especially bitter. Jiang Jiusheng had a sweet tooth, and she frowned as she took a couple more sips of water to flush away the bitterness. It was no use. She needed a cigarette and yellow peach yogurt.
“Do not take dairy products as they will interfere with the absorption of the medicine,” Shi Jin reminded her gently.
She paid no mind to the thought. Jiang Jiusheng’s health was not her foremost concern. Although she didn’t pull all-nighters, she still drank, smoked, and over-indulged. That was probably why she had collapsed after prolonged soaking in cold water.
The bitterness lingered. She licked her lips, trying to suppress her yearning for a cigarette.
Leaning over, Shi Jin took a white-painted glass bottle from the bedside drawer and gave it to her, saying, “Try these instead.”
It was a pretty bottle, wrapped in thin, grease-proof paper, with the opening secured by a wooden cork. This small, elegant bottle was filled with white, solid items. Jiang Jiusheng took the bottle from him, poured out a tablet, and smelled it.
A milk tablet…
“It’s bitter, all right,” said Shi Jin. “You can take a few more. There are plenty in the drawer.”
Speechless, Jiang Jiusheng realized that he knew exactly what she liked. Sucking on the tablet, which was sweet but not rich, she closed her eyes and felt a soothing sensation in her gut.
As she walked out of the room, Jiang Jiusheng discovered that Shi Jin’s apartment looked very similar to hers. The room that she’d slept in was the master bedroom on the first floor, probably Shi Jin’s bedroom. So, in addition to dropping in on him unannounced, she had taken over his bedroom. Since this was a first for her, and she was at a loss for words.
Very naturally, Shi Jin went into the kitchen and returned to the living room, announcing, “Breakfast is ready. Do you want to wash up here or at your place?”