Chapter 282: Chapter 282 - Two-Hundred and Eighty-Two: Sleep Talking

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Xi Cheng woke up with a splitting headache. He got up and reached for the cup of water at his bedside table but misjudged his strength and knocked the cup to the ground. A maid heard the sound and came in, saying, “Young Master, you’re awake!”

Xi Cheng sheepishly retracted his hand and rubbed his temples. The maid deftly cleaned up the mess and brought Xi Cheng another cup of water. Xi Cheng drank it all in one gulp before leaning against the headboard and casually asking, ‘Where’s Lin Yu?”

The maid seemed to have been waiting for Xi Cheng to ask and quickly replied,

“Miss Lin has fallen ill. She has a fever over 390C.”

Xi Cheng was still hungover and only gave a soft, “Oh.”

The maid stood by the bed, looking as if she had something to say but hesitated. Xi Cheng glanced at her wonderingly.

“Young Master,” the maid hurriedly said, “do you… want to go and see Miss Lin? She’s… quite sad.”

Xi Cheng didn’t respond, so the maid carefully continued, “Because of what happened between you and Miss Gu… Miss Lin is very upset, and Madam is also extremely angry.”

“Miss Gu? What Miss Gu?” Xi Cheng asked, perplexed.

The maid had a complicated expression. Xi Cheng threw off his blanket and got out of bed. “What Miss Gu?” he repeated with a frown. “What happened between Miss Gu and me? Which Miss Gu?”

He quickly ran through the people he knew in his mind; he didn’t remember there being any Miss Gu! Feeling anxious, the maid told him the truth. “You—you were making out with Miss Gu Man i—in the tea room. Madam and

Miss Lin caught you two in the act… and Miss Lin fainted.”

Xi Cheng was stunned. “Me? With Gu Man?”

The maid vigorously nodded. ‘Me and Gu Man… were making out?” Xi Cheng wanted to confirm once more.

The maid was so frightened by Xi Cheng’s expression that she took a few steps back before nodding firmly. “Impossible!” Xi Cheng squeezed the word through gritted teeth and rushed out the door, heading straight for Lin Yu’s room.

Lin Yu was lying on her bed, her cheeks burning red and her forehead covered with a wet towel. A family nurse was at her bedside, and when Xi Cheng slammed the door open and entered, the nurse frowned and gestured for him to be quiet before turning around to check on Lin Yu.

Sure enough, the noise had disturbed Lin Yu’s sleep. Her eyes were closed, but she cried, “Xi Cheng, I beg you! Please, don’t abandon me. Don’t leave me.

Please, I beg you. You’re the only thing I have left… the only thing I have left.”

Seeing this, Xi Cheng bit back the question on the tip of his tongue. He looked at Lin Yu on the bed, clearly dazed from the fever, and suddenly felt like he was a jerk.

The nurse hurriedly shook Lin Yu awake. “Miss Lin, Miss Lin, wake up! Wake up! Did you have a nightmare?”

Lin Yu stopped talking in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. “Here, have some water,” the nurse hastily said. “Your fever is so high; you should replenish your water stores.”

Lin Yu took a few sips of water from the straw in the nurse’s hand. When she looked up and saw Xi Cheng standing at the side, her expression immediately changed to surprise. “Xi Cheng, you’re awake! Does your head hurt? Did you drink some hangover soup?”

Xi Cheng didn’t say a word. He walked to her bedside and sat down. Breathing slightly heavily, Lin Yu gestured for the nurse to leave. After she left, Xi Cheng finally opened his mouth. ‘You… Why are you sick?”

Lin Yu was taken aback before she smiled bitterly and answered, “Everyone gets sick sometimes. It’s not a big deal; it’s just a cold. But you—drinking is bad for your health! I know you don’t like to hear me nag but think about Auntie.

You got yourself so drunk; she’s going to be angry again.”

Xi Cheng didn’t say anything. He’d come prepared to question Lin Yu and face her questions, but Lin Yu didn’t demand anything and only showed concern for him. How could he voice his questions now?

Xi Cheng rubbed his face. “Lin Yu—”

Lin Yu immediately interrupted him, “Xi Cheng.” Xi Cheng looked at Lin Yu.

Noticing the resentment in his gaze, Lin Yu lowered her eyes and said softly, “Xi Cheng, I know… you don’t like me. The only reason I’m able to stay in this house, in the Xi family, and keep our engagement is because Auntie is pressuring you. Forgive me for being a selfish person. I’m carrying the entire Lin family on my back; they’ll have no one to rely on if our engagement falls through. That’s why I chose to ignore your dislike for me.”

“After all, I knew you were my fiancé since I was young. All my fantasies about love were based on you. I’ve never had any other man in my heart aside from you. But Xi Cheng, I know very well that relationships can’t be forced.” As she finished, tears slowly fell from Lin Yu’s eyes onto the blanket, leaving two dark water stains..