Shen Ke Qin had never wished to bury herself in a hole more than she did at this moment.
If she went out now, she would undoubtedly run into Ye Jing Qiu and the others.
With her appearance and Jian Mu Bai still looking like he had just woken up in bed, who knew what misunderstandings might arise.
In an instant, Shen Ke Qin made a decision. She ran to the wardrobe and pulled it open. It was crammed with things, and too small to fit her entire body.
Under the bed?
No, the space under the bed was too open and easily discovered.
Seeing Jian Mu Bai staring at her, Shen Ke Qin felt a surge of annoyance. "What are you looking at? Hurry up and find me a place to hide! If anyone sees me in your room, I'll push you off the twelfth floor."
Jian Mu Bai didn't speak, but lifted his blanket.
Shen Ke Qin understood his meaning immediately. She took off her shoes and slipped under the covers.
Subconscious actions were the most revealing. The ingrained habit of taking off shoes before getting into bed made Shen Ke Qin oblivious to anything amiss.
Jian Mu Bai glanced at her shoes on the floor, a flicker in his dark eyes. Without changing his expression, he pulled the blanket back over them, concealing her.
The next second, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open from the outside. Ye Jing Qiu entered with several doctors.
Hearing the footsteps, Shen Ke Qin instinctively burrowed closer into Jian Mu Bai's embrace, as if that would prevent her from being discovered.
What she didn't realize was that everyone saw her shoes the moment they stepped inside.
The doctors paused, glancing instinctively at Jian Mu Bai. Jian Mu Bai made a "shushing" gesture to them, his eyes indicating the blanket.
The group understood instantly.
The person under the blanket was likely Jian Mu Bai's girlfriend. They had slept here last night and, perhaps overslept, hiding themselves to avoid being seen.
Everyone cooperated, beginning to examine Jian Mu Bai's arm.
"Mr. Jian, how are you feeling these past two days?"
"Good."
"Oh my, why are you so hot? Do you have a fever?"
The doctor immediately took out a thermometer to measure Jian Mu Bai's temperature.
Shen Ke Qin listened intently to the sounds outside. Hearing the doctor mention Jian Mu Bai had a fever, she unconsciously reached out to touch his body.
As her hand made contact, she felt Jian Mu Bai's firm abdominal muscles. The moment her hand touched him, she felt his body stiffen.
Shen Ke Qin also sensed something was wrong. Blushing, she was about to withdraw her hand when her arm bumped against something hard and hot.
What was that?
Before she could react, Jian Mu Bai suddenly grabbed her hand.
His palm was sweaty, and he was gripping her hand with considerable force.
Shen Ke Qin tried to pull away a few times but failed, and dared not move anymore.
Soon, the thermometer yielded a result: 38.8 degrees Celsius.
Jian Mu Bai did indeed have a fever.
Shen Ke Qin frowned. How could he have a fever?
Was it because he had taken off his clothes for her in the garden yesterday?
Or had she pulled his blanket off him during the night?
Shen Ke Qin admitted she was a restless sleeper, but the thought of everything that had happened last night made her head spin.
"Take a fever reducer later and see."
Jian Mu Bai nodded. "Alright."
The other doctors continued their chatter, but Ye Jing Qiu remained silent, his gaze fixed on the shoes on the floor.
If he remembered correctly, those were the shoes Shen Ke Qin had worn yesterday.
His expression turned grim. Jian Mu Bai's dark eyes cast a fleeting glance at him, and he subtly placed his other hand on the blanket.
A strong sense of possessiveness.
Ye Jing Qiu knitted his brows and lingered his gaze on the blanket for a few seconds as he left.
Jian Mu Bai spoke calmly, "Dr. Ye, is there anything else?"
Shen Ke Qin couldn't hear what was happening outside, but hearing this, her heart tightened.
Ye Jing Qiu smiled faintly. "Mr. Jian, you've been hospitalized for nearly a month. Given your physique, your injuries should have healed, and you should be discharged. Unexpectedly, not only is your wound healing slowly, but you've also developed a fever."
Before Jian Mu Bai could reply, he continued, "I hope Mr. Jian can recover and be discharged soon. Otherwise, it's not only costly but also a waste of a bed."
Jian Mu Bai nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Dr. Ye. I will."
Their eyes met, invisible sparks flying.
As Ye Jing Qiu left the ward, he thoughtfully closed the door.
Hearing the footsteps fade away, Shen Ke Qin slowly lifted the blanket and peeked out.
Seeing that everyone had gone, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. Blushing, she got out of bed without even a glance at Jian Mu Bai.
"Qin Qin..."
Hearing Jian Mu Bai's voice, she didn't even turn her head, bolting out as if pursued by a horde of monsters.
The door was left wide open. A few seconds after she left, she turned back and slammed it shut.
"Bang..."
The loud noise underscored the turmoil and shame she felt.
Jian Mu Bai suppressed his inner desires, reached up to his forehead, and sighed. It was too torturous.
...
Shen Ke Qin's face was burning with embarrassment. That scoundrel Jian Mu Bai, so shameless.
He had actually...
Hmph, what a pervert!
From now on, even if he died in front of her, she wouldn't care.
At the elevator entrance, just as she was about to get in, a voice suddenly called out to her.
"Qin Qin..."
Perhaps out of guilt, Shen Ke Qin was startled. She turned to see Ye Jing Qiu and offered an awkward laugh.
"Hi, good morning."
Ye Jing Qiu's gaze fell on her shoes. Indeed, they were the same ones from Jian Mu Bai's ward.
Her clothes were also from yesterday. She had spent the entire night in Jian Mu Bai's hospital room.
They had slept together!
The mere thought consumed Ye Jing Qiu with jealousy and possessiveness.
He had liked Shen Ke Qin since high school. She was warm and generous, not like the prim and proper daughters of wealthy families. She could ride motorcycles and play basketball, cool and spirited, making her endearing.
However, back then, Shen Ke Qin had only treated him as a friend. Furthermore, after witnessing her cut ties with a guy who confessed to her and was rejected, he had been afraid to confess.
He feared that if his confession failed, he wouldn't even be able to remain friends with her.
Now, with the bothersome Jian Mu Bai out of the picture and their chance reunion here, he wanted to pursue her.
He hadn't expected that even though Jian Mu Bai had left the Shen family, they still had some lingering connection.
Ye Jing Qiu clenched his fists tightly, a smile playing on his lips. "Why are you here so early?"
"I... hehe... actually, I didn't leave last night. Xiao Ai said she was bored, so she asked me to stay over."
"Is that so? Then why didn't I see you when I went to her room just now?"
"Oh, I went to the restroom."
Ye Jing Qiu nodded in understanding and didn't press further. "Have you had breakfast? I haven't yet. Want to grab some together?"
"No... no, I have something to do. Maybe next time."
She hadn't brushed her teeth or washed her face, looking utterly dishevelled. She just wanted to go home quickly.
Ye Jing Qiu didn't press Shen Ke Qin any further, only smiling. "Alright, it's a deal. We'll have a meal together next time!"
Shen Ke Qin agreed with a nod and then scurried away.