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In his sleep, Ji Xiao Zhuo felt hot, so he subconsciously rolled away from the source of heat. He moved into Ji Yan’s embrace. His chubby feet landed on Ji Yan’s stomach, which made Ji Yan wake up.
Ji Yan noticed the meatball in his embrace. He was confused that the little one was in his embrace. Usually, the little one never came to his side when sleeping because he didn’t smell fragrant, and he was too warm. The little one thought that sleeping in Tang Tang’s embrace was the most comfortable.
What happened today?
Ji Yan fixed Ji Xiao Zhuo’s sleeping posture before switching on the lights. He looked towards Tang Tang and saw that her face was red. Also, her brows were wrinkled, and her lips were pale. She didn’t look well.
Alarmed, Ji Yan quickly put a hand on her forehead, and he was shocked by the temperature.
She had a fever!
Ji Yan got off the bed and went to search for fever-reducing tablets and a thermometer. Then he went beside Tang Tang and spoke by her ear, “Tang Tang! Wake up, Tang Tang!”
After calling her a few times, Tang Tang finally opened her eyes in a daze. She saw Ji Yan and asked in a hoarse whisper, “What did you call me for, husband?”
“Tang Tang, you have a fever. Come, put the thermometer under your armpit to measure your temperature.”
In her dazed state, Tang Tang didn’t want to move or reach her arm out, so she acted like a spoiled child and mumbled, “Husband, I don’t feel good. You do it for me.”
Ji Yan blanked. Then he gently undid her pyjamas since she was currently sick, and there was no point in reasoning with a sick person. However, Ji Yan didn’t dare to look anywhere. He tilted his head and put the thermometer under her armpit before going to the bathroom to get a damp towel and put it on her forehead to reduce her temperature.
Feeling the heat getting relieved, Tang Tang sighed in comfort before closing her eyes again.
After waiting for a few minutes, Ji Yan reached into her clothes to get the thermometer out. He frowned when he glanced at it. Her temperature was over 40°c. It would be disastrous if this carried on. However, it was inconvenient to find a doctor now, and it would delay reducing her fever. The best option now was to take some fever-reducing tablets and see its effects.
For some reason, a sick Tang Tang was disobedient from her usual self. She subconsciously refused to take medicine. Uncooperatively, Tang Tang kept moving her head and mumbled quietly, “Husband, I don’t want to take medicine. It’s bitter ~”
She acted more spoiled than when Ji Xiao Zhuo was ill. Her delicate voice made Ji Yan unknowingly go soft. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Then he propped Tang Tang up against him, and with one hand, he placed the medicine by her lips while his hand was holding a cup of water. He coaxed gently by her ear, “Be good, ah. You’ll feel better after taking medicine. Open your mouth.”
Maybe Ji Yan’s voice was too gentle, so after resisting a little, Tang Tang opened her mouth to take the tablet. Before she could taste the bitterness, there was water by her lips. Tang Tang subconsciously drank some water and swallowed the tablet.
Seeing her finally swallow the medicine, Ji Yan sighed in relief. When he was going to lay her down to sleep, the person in his arms grabbed his clothes and buried her face in his chest. She rubbed her face while mumbling, “Hug me, husband. I don’t feel good ~”
Did the fever make her delirious? The clear-headed Tang Tang absolutely wouldn’t act spoiled with him. She would usually be sensible and thoughtful. How come she was more sticky than Ji Xiao Zhuo when he was sick? But Ji Yan couldn’t do anything about it. He could only rest on the bed with Tang Tang sleeping in his embrace. Ji Yan patted her to sleep with one hand while changing her damp towel with the other.
Under Ji Yan’s care, Tang Tang’s temperature finally dropped by the morning. Ji Yan sighed in relief. Seeing that she was still sleeping deeply, Ji Yan put her under the blankets before going to morning training.
Once the morning training ended, Ji Yan ran towards the canteen and quickly got a portion of congee and some dumplings for take-out before rushing out again.
Before Dong Li could greet him, Ji Yan had already rushed out. Dong Li was at a loss. What’s wrong with that guy? Why was he running so fast? Normally, his expression wouldn’t even change if his bottom was burning. Was there an emergency?
When Ji Yan returned home, Tang Tang was still sleeping. He used the thermometer to measure her temperature again. The fever was gone. Then Ji Yan scooped up Ji Xiao Zhuo, who was still sleeping deeply, and carried him to the bathroom. Ji Yan washed Xiao Zhuo’s face to wake him up. This was Ji Xiao Zhuo’s second time seeing his daddy washing his face when he woke up. Xiao Zhuo immediately quivered and thought that something was not right. Nothing good happened whenever his daddy washed his face for him in the morning. What was going to happen this time?
Ji Xiao Zhuo inquired cutely, “Daddy, why are you washing my face? What did I do wrong?”
Ji Yan: “….” This stinking brat.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Daddy is taking you to the nursery earlier today. Mummy is not well. You can’t disturb mummy, understand?”
When Ji Xiao Zhuo heard this, he immediately flapped around as he wanted to be put down on the ground, “What’s wrong with mummy? I want to see mummy!”
Ji Yan patted Xiao Zhuo’s bottom, “Don’t move. You can see mummy after you wash your face and brush your teeth. But mummy is still asleep, don’t wake her up.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo became obedient. When Ji Yan finished washing Xiao Zhuo’s face, Xiao Zhuo promptly ran to the bedside to look at Tang Tang. He carefully observed to see what was wrong.
Ji Yan explained to him, “Mummy had a fever last night. She got a bit better this morning, so let her sleep and go to the nursery obediently. Daddy will bring you home in the evening, alright?”
Ji Xiao Zhuo nodded, but his eyes stayed on Tang Tang’s face. He reached out to touch Tang Tang’s forehead carefully, “Mummy got soaked yesterday, that must be why she got a fever.”
“Mummy got soaked by the rain yesterday?” Ji Yan was not aware of that.
Guiltily, Ji Xiao Zhuo nodded, “Mummy gave clothes for me and Nuo Nuo to wear, and she held the umbrella over us, so she got soaked. There was lots and lots of water on her.”
Ji Yan pursed his lips. Then he went to carry Ji Xiao Zhuo to the dining table and said, “Eat breakfast first, and then I’ll take you to the nursery. Don’t worry about mummy. She will be fine.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo pouted, “Daddy, can I not go to the nursery today? I want to stay and look after mummy.”
“No.” Ji Yan rejected without a thought. Ji Xiao Zhuo couldn’t help out with anything if he stayed. If Tang Tang woke up, she would need to cook for Xiao Zhuo. It was better if he went to school.
Ji Xiao Zhuo became extremely disappointed and lost his spirit.
There was a simulation exercise that Ji Yan had to attend today, so he couldn’t take the day off. He worriedly left a voice message on Tang Tang’s phone. Telling her to drink more water when she wakes up and remember to call him if her temperature goes up again. But after thinking about it, he couldn’t take phone calls during the simulation, so she definitely wouldn’t be able to contact him if she needed something. In the end, he called the regimental commander’s family to ask the regimental commander’s wife to look after Tang Tang.
The regimental commander’s wife immediately agreed.
With the regimental commander’s wife looking after her, Tang Tang should be ok, but Ji Yan kept feeling that something was not right. He felt somewhat fretful. This was the first time that he wished the simulation exercise would quickly finish. So during the battle simulation, Ji Yan became increasingly fierce and strict. When he gave the command to attack, he was ruthless. His opponents couldn’t even express their pain. They didn’t understand why Ji Yan was so fierce and wondered if he ate explosives this morning.
The simulation exercise was expected to take most of the day, but because of Ji Yan’s ruthless strategy, it ended in half a day. The opposing team was completely defeated.
Other people couldn’t tell what was wrong with Ji Yan, but Dong Li, who had been Ji Yan’s classmate for many years, saw the signs. He grabbed Ji Yan’s shoulder and interrogated, “Why are you in an irritable mood today? You ran off after morning training, and you were being fierce before. There’s something wrong, isn’t it?”
“Tang Tang had a fever last night, and I don’t know what her condition is like now.” Ji Yan answered while rushing to his office. He took his phone out from the drawer and saw a few missed calls from the regimental commander’s wife. His expression became tense and quickly called back.
“Sao Zi, how is Tang Tang?”
The regimental commander’s wife spoke anxiously, “Ji Yan, you finally answer your phone. Tang Tang has a fever again. Her temperature is over 40°c. I gave her some fever-reducing medicine, but it’s no use. I think she’ll need to go to the hospital for an IV drip, but she’s not waking up, and I can’t move her.”
The military housing was in a remote area. There were no hospitals or clinics. If there were any illnesses, the people here needed to travel quite far to a hospital in a small town. It was very inconvenient.
Ji Yan spoke in a taut voice, “Sao Zi, don’t worry. I’m going back now.”
After the call ended, Ji Yan rushed towards the base’s infirmary without washing the camouflage face paint off. Seeing Ji Yan being so anxious, Dong Li quickly followed from behind to see if he could help with anything.
Ji Yan simply dashed to the infirmary and explained Tang Tang’s condition to the doctor on duty. Ji Yan wanted the doctor to bring some medicine and take a look at Tang Tang. The doctor immediately took some medicine and followed Ji Yan from behind.
Tang Tang’s fever was rather serious. She was muddled from it. After the doctor examined her, he said, “Her fever was caused by catching a cold. Originally, this is not anything major, but her body’s health is too weak, so she has a weak immune system. It’s easy for the fever to relapse. She needs a drip. After that, she needs to rest properly for a few days to recuperate. Don’t let her overwork herself during this period.”
Ji Yan listened seriously and took everything to heart. When the doctor left, he thanked the regimental commander’s wife and told her to go back and rest. Then Ji Yan requested half a day off to take care of Tang Tang at home.
As Dong Li watched Ji Yan busily going back and forth, he smiled from his heart. He thought the god-like Ji Yan had finally descended to earth.
“What are you smiling at?” Ji Yan asked, confused.
Dong Li patted on his old friend’s shoulder, “I’m smiling because you’re finally enlightened. Even though it’s a bit late. You’re finally getting enlightenment in your thirties, hahaha.”
Ji Yan didn’t bother to look at him and continued wiping Tang Tang’s hands and feet with alcohol.
“Che. Ji Yan, do you know how gentle you look at the moment? What is this called? Ah, the hard steel finally melted! Tang Tang’s ability is not bad, ah, she managed to melt you.”
Ji Yan wrinkled his brows and kicked Dong Li out, “What nonsense are you saying, get out of here if there are no problems!”
“Brother, I’m analysing your heart. You need to listen carefully; otherwise, it will be regretful to waste this chance.”
“I don’t need you to analyze my heart. You can shut your mouth.”
Dong Li waved a finger, “You don’t need me to analyze. Then are you admitting that you have fallen for Tang Tang?”
Ji Yan froze. The emotion in his eyes was difficult to recognise, “Leave and shut the door properly.”
“Hey!” Seeing that Ji Yan was not answering, Dong Li poked Ji Yan and said, “Fine. Don’t admit it. I’m not bothering you anymore.”
Dong Li walked out while muttering puzzledly, “Based on how Ji Yan is like, how come he was able to find a wife? How come I’m single when I’m understanding and tactful, ah? It’s not logical, ah ~”
Ji Yan ignored Dong Li. After wiping Tang Tang’s hands and feet, Ji Yan sat beside the bed and watched Tang Tang sleep and examined her face. It might be strange, but he had never looked at her properly even once in the last four years. He was not clear on what her facial features looked like. However, now he could remember every part clearly, even the mole on her temple. It was not just that; Ji Yan appreciated her features.
To be honest, it was not like he didn’t admit Dong Li’s words. He just never thought about it. Previously, he was even prepared for a divorce. How come his feelings changed so much in such a short time?
He does not know what “like” was, but during this period, his mood was constantly affected by her. He was not like himself. He became gloomy when she was cold to him. When she was unhappy, he would give gifts. If she didn’t give him a foot bath, he would feel uncomfortable. If she misunderstood, he would immediately explain, and he would be anxious when she was sick.
His body even reacted to her.
This had never happened before in the past thirty-odd years. If he still didn’t know what was going on with himself, there was an issue with his intelligence.
As Ji Yan remembered things from the recent time, he couldn’t help but smile. He was probably the frog that was cooked slowly in warm water. Her daily three meals, foot bath, considerate care, shy glances, these may be normal things separately, but when grouped together, it was like spring rain. A seed quietly entered his heart.
Then it grew from her constant watering and care.
Ji Yan poked Tang Tang’s nose, “You’re very clever, ah. Your strategies are not bad.”
Tang Tang, who was still sleeping, wrinkled her nose. In Ji Yan’s eyes, it was very cute.
Smiling gently, Ji Yan bent over to kiss her forehead and whispered by her ear, “Quickly get better. We’ll be a genuine husband and wife.”
Still in her dreams, Tang Tang didn’t feel anything. She slept till the next morning, and when she woke up, she didn’t even know where she was.
“You’re awake?” A deep voice startled her from her blank state. She focused her sight and saw a sharp but slightly tired and handsome face.
It was Ji Yan.
“I,” Tang Tang couldn’t continue speaking after one word because her throat was extremely hoarse.
Ji Yan brought over a cup of water. He helped her sit up and lean against him before bringing the cup to her lips.
Tang Tang was surprised. She looked at him with astonishment. Her hand was trembling as it reached out to get the cup. She could drink it herself. She didn’t need to be fed.
However, Ji Yan avoided her hand, “Don’t move. I’ll help you.”
Since Tang Tang couldn’t change his mind, she could only open her mouth and drink the water. She only realised how thirsty she was after she started drinking. Without thinking about anything else, she finished drinking all the water, and her throat finally felt better.
Ji Yan placed a pillow against the headboard so Tang Tang could rest against it and explained, “You had a fever, and it kept relapsing. You have been asleep since yesterday.”
Tang Tang widened her eyes.
“Don’t leave the bed for the next few days. Don’t do any housework either. I’ll do it when I go back. You should just rest, alright?”
Under his insisting gaze, Tang Tang could only nod.
Ji Yan stroked Tang Tang’s head before turning to leave the room. He soon can back with a thermos that contained congee.
“Since you’re ill, you can’t eat greasy foods. Eat some congee first.” Ji Yan spoke as he spooned some congee and brought it to Tang Tang’s mouth.
He was feeding her again.
Tang Tang blinked. She didn’t understand why he was giving her so much care. She had hands and could eat by herself, ah. Could it be that she was receiving such treatment because she was sick? If it was because of that, then being ill was quite good.
“What are you blanking out for? Eat it while it’s hot.” Ji Yan’s reminder brought Tang Tang back to her senses. She hid her thoughts from her eyes and obediently opened her mouth. Once she ate the first spoonful, the rest followed easily. Spoonful after Spoonful, the congee was soon all gone. Tang Tang only realised how much she ate afterward.
Unable to endure it, Tang Tang rubbed her tummy. She didn’t want Ji Yan to find out that she did something so stupid. But, how could he not realise it? Ji Yan just didn’t mention it out loud. Also, he wanted her to eat more. The doctor had said her body health was too weak, and having her run every day didn’t have much effect. It seemed like she was doing it wrong. From now on, he would need to exercise with her. After adding a good diet on top of that, she should become healthier and sturdier.
Once Tang Tang finished eating, she realised that Ji Xiao Zhuo was missing and quickly asked where he was. When she heard the little one was at the nursery, she looked at the time and discovered it wasn’t early. She pushed Ji Yan, “Why are you not going to train, ah? It’s already time.”
Ji Yan’s expression didn’t change, “It’s alright. I took some time out to bring you breakfast. I’ll leave once you go back to sleep. I’ll ask the regimental commander’s wife to accompany you later.”
Tang Tang didn’t want to trouble someone else. She felt her body was alright now. However, Ji Yan was worried to leave her alone at home, so he called the regimental commander’s wife to accompany her. This made Tang Tang feel happy and troubled.
Ji Yan helped her lay down and tucked her in before touching her forehead, “Sleep more. I’ll leave when you’re asleep.”
Feeling a rush of sweetness, Tang Tang immediately shut her eyes. She thought that Ji Yan was especially gentle when she was ill. He treated her like a little darling. It seemed like she didn’t need to worry about what to do when she falls ill anymore.
Tang Tang fell asleep with that thought.
Ji Yan kissed her forehead before standing up to leave. When he passed by the nursery, he wondered if he should let Ji Xiao Zhuo know that his mummy had woken up, so Xiao Zhuo didn’t need to worry anymore.
But if Ji Yan knew the little one would be so reckless, he definitely wouldn’t have chosen to tell Xiao Zhuo.
