It Shouldn't Be Like This

Seeing the unnatural flush on Ye Shuang's face, as if every breath carried pain, Chen Qin gently stroked his head—noticing the suppressed discomfort from his fever.

"It's this bad? Then... let me help treat you, okay?"

Though Chen Qin wasn’t a nurse and had no experience tending to wounds, she had picked up a thing or two from videos. She soothed him with meticulous care and tenderness.

"Chen Qin?"

"Shh, don’t talk when you have a fever," Chen Qin whispered. "Just rely on me. You can even act spoiled if you want—I love everything about you, A-Ye."

After a while, once she finished disinfecting his wound, Ye Shuang seemed to drift into a deep sleep, his consciousness hazy.

"This should do it, right?" The girl glanced at Ye Shuang’s condition, relieved to see him looking calmer.

But then, recalling the string of confessions she’d just blurted out, her face visibly reddened.

"Oh my god, what did I just do?"

She pulled out a compact mirror and checked herself, noticing her lipstick had smudged and her cheeks were even redder than Ye Shuang’s fever-flushed face.

"I’m dead, I’m dead." Chen Qin couldn’t bear to imagine his reaction, even though he was still fast asleep. She hurried downstairs, rinsed her mouth briefly, then reapplied her lipstick to steady her nerves.

"Mmm..." Facing the mirror, Chen Qin shyly twirled her hair in front of her, her dewy eyes so captivating any man might lose himself in them.

She turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face, trying to cool down.

"No, no, I can’t hide in the bathroom! A-Ye still needs me!"

"Ugh... my makeup’s ruined. Why did I splash water on my face? So much for waterproof!"

In the end, Chen Qin decided to remove her makeup entirely. Her natural beauty was striking enough, though long work nights had left her complexion dull. With no time for touch-ups, she washed up quickly and returned to Ye Shuang’s side.

He was still asleep, his condition slightly improved.

"Did he take fever medicine?" Chen Qin picked up the thermometer on the table and checked it before sitting down.

A few seconds later, she pulled out her phone and cautiously opened the camera. Confirming Ye Shuang was still asleep, she leaned in closer and snapped a selfie of the two.

She then opened her photo album, saved the picture under the "Ye Shuang" folder, and hugged her phone to her chest like a treasured prize.

"Hehe."

Exhausted from lack of sleep, Chen Qin soon found herself dozing off, her head resting against the bedframe...

Time slipped by, and evening arrived.

The setting sun, drunk on twilight, painted the sky in hues of amber, its glow reflecting off the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The distant honk of car horns gradually roused Chen Qin from her slumber.

"Mmm... huh?" She blinked and looked around, realizing she was now lying in bed, tucked snugly under the covers.

Rubbing her eyes, she got up and peered over the railing to the first floor, spotting Ye Shuang seated on the sofa.

"You’re up?"

"Yeah." Ye Shuang glanced up, his gaze unreadable.

Chen Qin hurried downstairs barefoot, only now noticing how cold the floor was.

She sat beside Ye Shuang, and for a moment, neither spoke, the silence oddly comfortable.

"Why didn’t you rest longer?" Chen Qin finally asked.

"Too much lying around isn’t good," Ye Shuang replied, then paused. "And... thank you. For earlier."

Chen Qin’s face instantly burned. She averted her eyes, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I-It’s nothing, really. We’re not kids anymore."

Ye Shuang smirked. "You’re good at this kind of thing?"

"O-Of course I have experience!" Chen Qin retorted.

Ye Shuang knew her too well. He simply chuckled, and Chen Qin grumbled, "Fine, I’ve never done it before... But don’t think I did it to pressure you! I just... couldn’t stand seeing you suffer."

"A-And don’t read too much into it!"

"..." The next second, Ye Shuang kissed her.

Chen Qin’s eyes widened in shock, but the warmth of his lips against hers left no doubt—this was real.

She pushed him weakly, then stilled, surrendering to the moment.

When Ye Shuang finally pulled back, he found Chen Qin frozen, her expression dazed.

"After New Year’s," he said, "I’ll propose to Uncle Chen."

Chen Qin snapped out of it, recoiling. "No! Not like this!"

Ye Shuang frowned. "Huh?"

"I won’t accept it. I don’t want you marrying me out of some sense of obligation." She clutched her chest tightly. "No, this isn’t right. It’d feel like I’m forcing you."

"Absolutely not!"

"I may love you, but I want you to truly fall for me! Not out of duty!"

"I’ll wait. I’ll chase you, until you love me back... Even if it takes years, even if I fail... I’m not afraid!"

Her earnest expression, brighter than the stars in Ye Shuang’s eyes, shone with a radiance that seemed to pierce his heart.

Ye Shuang was speechless. He realized his words had inadvertently insulted her sincerity.

"I was rash. I understand now." He smiled.

The atmosphere grew awkward, and Chen Qin’s cheeks flushed again. She glanced around, her gaze landing on the balcony. "A-Ye, I’ve been learning to cook lately. Want to try my dishes?"

Ye Shuang knew she was changing the subject but played along. "Sure."

Chen Qin sprang up and headed to the kitchen, opening the fridge to reveal a well-stocked assortment of ingredients.

"Watch the master at work."

"Alright." Ye Shuang eyed her elegant dress. "Shouldn’t you change first?"

"No need!"

Chen Qin brushed it off, insisting on handling everything herself.

Ye Shuang, familiar with her pampered upbringing, was curious what she could possibly whip up.

A while later, when several plates of charred, unidentifiable dishes landed on the table, he wondered if he’d overestimated her.

Noticing the dismal presentation, Chen Qin stubbornly declared, "They’re delicious! They might not look like much, but my coworkers go silent after one bite!"