I Might Have Fallen in Love With My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 191 - 185 Sick

Chapter 191: Chapter 185 Sick

The piercing screech of the brakes was eerily similar to the sound marking the end of a dream in the dead of night.

Yet that lone blurred silhouette remained indistinct and unrecognizable to Qingran.

With a hand, she silenced the alarm clock only to feel a fatigue that intensified rather than subsided after a night’s sleep.

The temperature in the room was somewhat low, indicating that she had forgotten to set a timer for the air conditioning again last night.

Her throat was dry and sore, like she hadn’t drank water in ages, and as she sat up in bed, her head started to throb with pain.

Qingran turned off the humidifier, its red light indicating a lack of water, and also switched off the air conditioner, enduring the discomfort as she walked to the bathroom.

Qingran thought washing her face might ease the discomfort, but after rinsing, she felt even worse, especially her head, which throbbed as if it would split open.

She knew she was catching a cold; people who seldom get sick can be greatly affected when illness suddenly strikes.

As the headache persisted, dizziness followed suit. Qingran felt light-headed and limp, unable to muster any strength throughout her body, and ultimately slumped back onto the bed.

Looking like this, she simply couldn’t attend class today. Fumbling for her cell phone on the nightstand, she thought of texting Old Wu to excuse herself.

After groping around for a while, she remembered her phone was still on the desk. Struggling to get up and retrieve it, she managed to grab the phone but soon forgot whether she actually sent a message or not.

With splitting headaches and a sore body, Qingran dozed off again amidst the discomfort.

At home, Qingran wasn’t worried.

If she didn’t come down for breakfast, Aunt Liu would soon come up to check on her. By then, she just needed Aunt Liu to help prepare some cold medicine for her to take.

Time passed, unmarked, and semi-conscious, Qingran heard knocking at her door. She intended to respond, "The door’s unlocked," but her heavy consciousness and painful throat kept her voiceless.

Then the door seemed to open, and Qingran sensed someone standing by her bed. The absence of continuous nagging indicated it wasn’t Aunt Liu who entered.

Qingran tried to lift her gaze and, sure enough, found Xie Ying’an bending over, looking at her.

The youth furrowed his brows, concern spread across his face: "Are you sick?"

As he spoke, his fingers parted Qingran’s hair and reached to touch her forehead, only to find it scorching under his fingertips.

Xie Ying’an visibly panicked. He was somewhat at a loss, pressing his cool hand against Qingran’s forehead as if hoping to lower her temperature somewhat.

On an ordinary day, holding Xie Ying’an’s cool hand was a comfortable relief, but today Qingran felt extremely uncomfortable—perhaps due to the fever, feeling cold all over.

She turned away, shrugging off Xie Ying’an’s hand from her forehead, her refusal clear.

Xie Ying’an was taken aback, glancing at his own hand before looking back at Qingran, who had turned her head away. He crouched by the bed, still wondering why Qingran suddenly became so testy, and softened his voice: "You have a fever right now, shall I take you to the hospital?"

Qingran shook her head, silently refusing.

While she didn’t loathe hospitals, she also didn’t want to visit one for a minor cold.

She turned her head back around, endured the dizziness and headache, and told Xie Ying’an: "No need for the hospital, just have Aunt Liu bring some cold medicine we have at home."

Only when she spoke did she realize her voice was hoarse beyond recognition.

Xie Ying’an’s eyes dimmed slightly, knowing he couldn’t persuade Qingran. Without saying anything further, he stood and left.

Before long, Aunt Liu arrived, bringing a cup of hot water and the prepared cold medicine.

Aunt Liu first set the medicine on the nightstand, then reached out to touch Qingran’s forehead. The burning temperature startled her, "

"Aiyo, child, how come your fever is so severe, how can just taking medicine be enough?"

Aunt Liu’s hand was warm, and placing it on Qingran’s forehead was not uncomfortable, Qingran did not reject her hand.

Aunt Liu helped Qingran sit up, continuously muttering, "How can this be, suddenly catching a cold like this? No no, the temperature is too high, Xiao Xie was right, we need to go to the hospital!"

After sitting up, Qingran reached out to rub her temples, which throbbed along with her head, and then took the cup of water Aunt Liu handed her, drinking down the entire cup in one go without even managing to take her medicine. Only then did she feel a bit more comfortable in her throat, although it still hurt, at least it didn’t feel dry anymore.

Aunt Liu took the empty cup and went outside to get another.

That’s when Qingran realized that Xie Ying’an didn’t come up with Aunt Liu this time.

He probably went to school, she thought, as it would be late to go any later.

After taking the cold medicine, Qingran fell asleep again.

Aunt Liu was somewhat worried; it wasn’t the first time Qingran caught a cold, but the fever wasn’t as severe as today. She hesitated to call Mr. Li to inform him about Qingran being sick when she saw Xie Ying’an, who had run back at the stairwell entrance.

Not knowing where the boy had been, he was drenched in sweat, his eyes focused only ahead as he ran upstairs like a gust of wind.

On any normal day, this young man carried himself with mature calmness. Having known him for so many years, Aunt Liu had never seen him like this.

"Sigh~" Aunt Liu shook her head with a wry smile, no longer worrying about calling Mr. Li, and as she walked towards the kitchen, she sighed: "Young people these days!"

Qingran, who had just taken her medicine and fallen asleep, was woken up by Xie Ying’an.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Xie Ying’an with a medicine bottle in his hand. Having just taken her medicine, she didn’t want to experience that bitterness again, and she frowned, turned her body, and turned her back to Xie Ying’an.

Her refusal was unspoken, but clear.

Xie Ying’an paused, the normally healthy Qingran never acted petulantly towards anyone.

She seemed nice to everyone, but the truth was, only one or two people could truly become her friends.

Having grown up together for so many years, Xie Ying’an had never seen her this adorable side, so adorable that he couldn’t help but let a smile curve his lips upward uncontrollably.

He placed the cup and medicine on the bedside table, moved a stool from the desk to sit by Qingran’s bed, ready for a long-lasting engagement.

"I bought some fever-reducing medicine," Xie Ying’an explained to Qingran, who had her back turned to him, the coldness usually in his voice was replaced with a rare gentleness: "Aunt Liu said the cold medicines didn’t have anything for reducing fever."

Qingran opened her eyes but still didn’t turn around.

Xie Ying’an smiled silently, continued, "If you don’t take the fever-reducer and the fever continues, you know it could potentially damage the brain..."

There were real stories of people becoming mentally impaired from fevers.

Suddenly, Qingran turned around and sat up, reaching out to Xie Ying’an: "Give me the fever-reducer."

Xie Ying’an handed her the cup and medicine, watching as Qingran took it, he visibly sighed in relief.

Cold medicines usually contain ingredients that help with sleep, and after taking the medicine, Qingran lay down to sleep again.

Xie Ying’an didn’t leave either, put away the cup, and sat by Qingran’s bed.

While Qingran slept, he took a book from the desk to read.

It had rained much of last night, and this morning the sun came out. The warm sunlight streamed in through the window, the girl on the bed was breathing steadily, half her face hidden under the thin covers as she fell into deep sleep.

Xie Ying’an’s book lay in his hands, pages left unturned for a long time. He glanced sideways at the girl on the bed, enveloped in sleep, his usually stern face gradually softened, and an extraordinary brightness filled his dark eyes.

The room was peacefully silent, only the quiet passage of time lingered.