NOVPUBZhao Xuanwen tried to pry Liu Zhiyue’s hand off her clothes, but the two of them ended up in a bit of a scuffle at the bathroom doorway.
Suddenly, Liu Zhiyue froze.
His legs buckled all at once, and in the next second, he collapsed to the floor right at the bathroom entrance. Because he was gripping her clothes, Zhao Xuanwen fell along with him.
Thud.
The two of them landed in a heap. Fortunately for Zhao Xuanwen, Liu Zhiyue served as a human cushion, so she didn’t feel any pain.
She was just about to say something when she noticed his face looked even paler than before. Her mind blanked out for a second, then she quickly reached out and placed her hand on his forehead.
He was burning up.
Realizing this, Zhao Xuanwen panicked. She leaned down urgently and called out,
“Where’s your phone? I need to call your dad!”
“My… room…”
“Okay, got it!”
Hearing his answer, Zhao Xuanwen jumped up, dashed into Liu Zhiyue’s room, and found his candy bar phone on the other side of the pillow.
She flipped it open, scrolled through the contacts, and found the number labeled “Dad”. She pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone.
Thankfully, it didn’t ring long before it was picked up.
Liu Changqing’s voice came through the line.
“Zhiyue, we’re out shopping. We’ll be home soon… Oh, did Zhao Xuanwen come by?”
“Uncle, Liu Zhiyue has a fever!”
“…”
Liu Changqing went silent for a few seconds. Then it clicked—that was Zhao Xuanwen’s voice.
“He has a fever? Is it serious?”
“He collapsed… I touched his forehead just now—it’s really hot!”
“Alright. Got it. We’ll head back now.”
After that calm reply, Liu Changqing ended the call. Zhao Xuanwen set the phone back on the bedside table.
Then she rushed back to the bathroom, where Liu Zhiyue was trying to get up. She helped him up with great effort and slowly walked him back to the bedroom.
Once again, she got him settled in bed.
“Cold…”
That was the first thing Liu Zhiyue mumbled after lying down again. Zhao Xuanwen heard it clearly and froze for a second. Then she grabbed the blanket and pulled it over him tightly, wrapping him up like a burrito.
His labored breathing echoed in her ears, and seeing him in such discomfort made her worry even more.
Minute by minute, time passed.
It wasn’t long before she heard the front door open. The moment she did, she bolted from the bedroom and saw Liu Changqing stepping inside.
The first thing Liu Changqing saw when he opened the door… was Zhao Xuanwen.
Her outfit stunned him for a second—but he didn’t dwell on it. He quickly asked,
“He’s in his room?”
“Yes!”
“This kid…”
Grumbling to himself, Liu Changqing brushed past her into the room. When he saw his son wrapped up tight in bed, he instantly realized how serious the situation was.
Without saying anything else, he rushed forward, threw back the blanket, and after a bit of effort, hoisted Liu Zhiyue onto his back and darted out the door.
At that moment, An Yuanyao and Liu Xiazhi also appeared in the doorway.
Seeing Liu Zhiyue on Liu Changqing’s back, both of them panicked. An Yuanyao immediately stepped up, but before she could speak, Liu Changqing said firmly,
“I’m taking him to the hospital. You two stay home.”
And with that, without waiting for a reply, he hurried down the stairs with his son on his back.
An Yuanyao rushed to the door and stood there until they disappeared from view. Only then did she close the security door, her face filled with anxiety and worry.
Standing beside her, Liu Xiazhi looked equally anxious. She could still picture her brother’s pained expression as their dad carried him away.
A wave of fear rushed over her.
She grabbed An Yuanyao’s hand tightly, looked up at her, and asked with a quiver in her voice,
“Is… is my brother going to die?”
“…”
Her words snapped An Yuanyao back to her senses. She froze for a second, then suddenly remembered—she was the adult here. She couldn’t afford to panic right now.
She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and looked into Liu Xiazhi’s little face as she reassured her.
“It’s okay. He’s just sick. He’ll be fine soon…”
Then she turned toward Zhao Xuanwen, about to say something—only to freeze again the moment she saw what the girl was wearing.
Her face was full of surprise.
In her mind, she was thinking:
Why… is she wearing Zhiyue’s clothes?
<h34589" data-end="4608">At the Hospital
A nurse inserted an IV drip into Liu Zhiyue’s hand.
At the hospital, his body temperature had already reached 39.4°C, nearly 40°C. After taking his temperature, the doctor gave a few instructions.
For example:
“The weather's been changing lately. Be sure to stay cautious. Especially after showering at home—don’t bathe right after exercising. Wait for your body to cool down first…”
That’s when Liu Changqing realized—his son had probably started feeling off ever since getting up that morning, but he hadn’t noticed it.
And then, after coming home from exercising… he had gone straight into a shower.
In his memory, his kids rarely got sick. Both Liu Zhiyue and Liu Xiazhi had strong immune systems. Maybe that’s why, when they did get sick, it hit harder than most people.
About halfway through the IV drip, Liu Zhiyue’s condition finally improved a little. Compared to when he first arrived, he looked noticeably better.
Lying on the hospital bed, he turned to look at his dad sitting beside him.
“Dad…”
Hearing his son’s voice, Liu Changqing immediately looked over and asked,
“How do you feel now? Any better?”
“Much better…”
“That’s good.”
He let out a sigh of relief. Hearing his son say that finally allowed him to relax a little. Then he asked,
“By the way… when I was at home earlier, I saw Zhao Xuanwen wearing your clothes. What’s up with that?”
The question caught Liu Zhiyue off guard.
He hesitated for a while before muttering,
“Her clothes got wet… I was gonna tell her to wear something of Mom’s, but before I could finish, she already put on mine.”
“Oh, I see. I thought…”
Hearing his son’s explanation, Liu Changqing relaxed.
Two teenagers, alone at home together—and then he walks in to find the girl wearing his son’s clothes?
Yeah… that was concerning.
But now, with the full story, his worries melted away.
