In the office, the doctor from the hospital was administering an IV drip for him.
Yet Jiang Xu was still working.
The recent collaboration with the Mei Family was nearing its final stage, so there was an especially large amount of work to be handled.
Even with his head feeling heavy and his throat as if he had swallowed razor blades, he continued to fight on the front line.
After the doctor finished with Jiang Xu, he cautioned, âMr. Jiang, the flu is quite serious lately. Youâve got the flu, and itâs important to rest more to recover quickly.â
Jiang Xu nodded, his voice hoarse, âThank you, doctor.â
Jiang Xu pressed the button on his desk phone to call his secretary in to escort the doctor out.
He had only been working for a few minutes when An Nuonuo called.
Jiang Xu took a sip of monk fruit water to soothe his throat before answering, âWhatâs up, my treasure? Shouldnât you be filming at this time?â
âJust finished filming, I was resting and called you⦠Brother Xu, whatâs wrong with your throat?â An Nuonuo immediately became anxious.
See, those who want to find you will message you back even during their breaks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
And those who donât want to deal with you wonât reply no matter how many messages you send.
Not wanting An Nuonuo to worry over a mere flu, Jiang Xu said, âItâs nothing, just stayed up too late working, and then ate too much fried food which made me heaty.â
âOh,â An Nuonuo was relieved, âthen you should rest well. Remember to drink more chrysanthemum tea at home.
The flu is very serious recently, lots of people in the crew have fallen ill.â
Jiang Xu replied with a smile, âOkay, I got it.â
âWonât talk more now, I need to continue filming. We can chat more tonight.â
âMhm, bye.â
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Xu continued working.
He hadnât been working for more than a few minutes when he felt his head getting heavy, and eventually, he couldnât hold out any longer and fell asleep with his head on the desk.
When Jiang Xu woke up again, he was at home.
Covered with a blanket.
His head was splitting, and his body felt as if it had been beaten up by ten people, sore and weak.
âHow did I get home?â Jiang Xu struggled to sit up.
He then saw the door open, and An Nuonuo came in holding a bowl of congee.
When she saw Jiang Xu getting up, she hurriedly set the congee on the bedside table and asked with concern, âBrother Xu, how are you feeling now?â
âWhy did you come back?â Jiang Xu was stunned, âShouldnât you be filming at this time?â
The plot was at its most critical point now, and An Nuonuo was the busiest.
Jiang Xu didnât visit the crew that often; whenever he did, it was only to reshoot some scenes.
Most of the scenes were acted out by An Nuonuo against the air.
âYou didnât tell me you were sick, thatâs too much,â said An Nuonuo, pouting, her large eyes clearly filled with annoyance.
âI didnât want to worry you or distract you,â Jiang Xu said with a wry smile. âBesides, itâs just the flu, itâll pass in a day or two.â
âAnd you still donât think you did anything wrong!â An Nuonuo raised her hand as if to hit Jiang Xu.
But seeing him in his weakened state, she couldnât bring herself to do it, and she put her hand down.
She picked up the lean meat congee, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and fed it to Jiang Xuâs mouth: âI called this afternoon and got no answer, so I knew something was wrong.
Thankfully, I asked Avi to check on you at the office, and that was when I found out you had fainted.
Do you know your fever was nearly forty degrees then?
If I hadnât asked someone to see you, you might have become brain-damaged from the feverâopen your mouth.â
At this point, An Nuonuo was visibly shaken.
Knowing he was at fault, Jiang Xu didnât dare to say more, and obediently opened his mouth, enjoying the tender care of his fiancée.
After a while, when An Nuonuo seemed not to be angry anymore, Jiang Xu said with a chuckle, âThis congee is really delicious, sweet, and full of love.â
An Nuonuo tried to keep a straight face.
But she wasnât suited for that expression; instead of looking serious, she appeared adorably clueless.
Jiang Xu couldnât help but reach out his hand and gently pinch her cheek.
Even though he had no appetite at all, he still finished all the congee.
Then An Nuonuo went to get some warm water and his medication.
âI donât want to take medicine,â Jiang Xu shook his head.
Perhaps because he was sick, he was now acting coquettishly in front of An Nuonuo.
âTaking medicine will make you better faster,â An Nuonuo thought Jiang Xu was so cute right now, like a little child.
So, she spoke softly, much like one would cajole a child.
âIâll take it, but on one condition,â Jiang Xu chuckled, âYou feed it to me, with your mouth.â
An Nuonuoâs face blushed.
She knew Jiang Xu was doing it on purpose.
But for the sake of his health, she agreed.
After taking the medicine, Jiang Xu fell into a drowsy sleep again.
An Nuonuo touched Jiang Xuâs forehead, which was no longer as hot as before, and then left to eat.
After eating, she stayed by Jiang Xuâs side and went nowhere else.
Jiang Xu slept deeply, completely out of touch with the world.
When he woke up again, it was already the next day.
He had slept for about sixteen or seventeen hours.
The exhaustion and pain in his body had vanished, and his throat didnât hurt as much. He felt his energy and spirit fully restored.
Turning his head, he saw his sweetheart sleeping beside him, curled up.
The young girl looked adorable and foolish in her sleep.
Her brows were knit with a touch of worry.
She must have been concerned about his health.
Jiang Xu stretched out his hand and gently stroked her brows a few times as if to smooth away that thread of worry.
âHmmâ¦â
To his surprise, such a slight movement awakened An Nuonuo.
âBrother Xu, are you feeling better?â
Her eyes not completely open yet, she asked about Jiang Xuâs condition instinctively.
âIâm fully recovered,â Jiang Xu pinched her cheek, âThanks to your care. Just donât catch it yourself.â
âAre you really okay?â An Nuonuo asked uncertainly.
âReally, donât worry,â Jiang Xu said with a mischievous smile, âIf you donât believe me, we can test it out.â
An Nuonuo immediately sensed Jiang Xu was up to no good.
Though she was a bit shy, she was also happy.
Because this meant Jiang Xu had truly recovered.
âIâll make you breakfast. What would you like to eat?â
An Nuonuo quickly got out of bed.
Even if she was longing for Jiang Xuâs warm embrace, he had just recovered, so she needed to exercise restraint for a few days.
âWell, I feel like eating rice noodle rolls,â Jiang Xu said.
âOkay, wait for me a bit, Iâll go make it.â
An Nuonuo ran out barefoot.
Jiang Xu reminded her, âBe careful, Iâm not that hungry.â
âGot it.â
Jiang Xu shook his head, having such a fairy-like girl at home was truly blissful.
He picked up his phone from the bedside table.
After sleeping so long, his phone was flooded with 99+ notifications.
He checked each one, replying where necessary.
Suddenly, Jiang Xu saw a message from Mei Jiji.
His gaze sharply focused.
Cicada Shedding Its Skin had been completed; it was time for the final gambit!