Chapter 27: Running a Fever

Kong Lingxin had just hung up the phone with Lu Fang when Meng Zexiao called. His voice was chilling as he delivered a single command: "Get down here and go to sleep immediately!"

Holding the phone, Kong Lingxin felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. What kind of man was this, who even insisted on micromanaging another person's sleep? She mused that she only needed to endure until Meng Haoquan’s sixtieth birthday; once the Kong family business was restored, she would be free to do as she pleased—to settle old scores and exact her revenge.

Bolstered by this thought, she performed a few martial arts stretches to loosen her muscles before heading out of the study, ready to share a bed with the wolf.

Returning to the room, she found Meng Zexiao already bathed and reclining on the bed, reading. After giving him a cursory glance, she picked up her pajamas and retreated into the bathroom. Only after ensuring the door was firmly shut and secure did she feel comfortable enough to undress and bathe.

People say that bathing is a time for relaxation, but for Kong Lingxin, it was a moment of constant anxiety. She kept glancing at the door, haunted by the fear that Meng Zexiao might suddenly barge in with malicious intent. Thinking about having to share a bed with him later, she lingered for nearly an hour, silently praying that he would be fast asleep by the time she emerged.

But things rarely went as planned. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, Meng Zexiao gave her a cold glare and remarked, "Took you long enough! You must have scrubbed your skin off!"

Ignoring him, she busied herself with trivial tasks until, under his watchful gaze, she finally walked to the bed, lay down, and promptly switched off the light.

The room fell into a suffocating silence, where they could hear each other's breathing. Kong Lingxin lay on the very edge of the mattress, back turned to him, at risk of falling off at any moment. Even with the distance between them, she felt a chill running down her spine in the sweltering heat of the night. Was the central air conditioning set too low? She pulled the thin silk quilt tightly around herself.

Every time Meng Zexiao shifted to put his book away, her nerves tightened. How was she supposed to sleep like this? She felt utterly miserable.

Meng Zexiao tossed his book onto the nightstand with a frustrated thud and crawled into the covers with an aggressive flourish.

About half an hour later, she heard his steady, rhythmic breathing. He had actually fallen asleep without incident!

The calm following the storm only made Kong Lingxin more suspicious. Perhaps it really was Meng Zexiao investigating her; he might have his doubts but lacked concrete evidence, so he couldn't be bothered to act yet. He was likely waiting for the truth to surface before dealing with her all at once.

*When the soldiers come, meet them with a general; when the water rises, block it with earth,* she told herself, silently steeling her resolve. *Whatever comes, will come. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.*

By the time the clock struck the early hours of the morning, she could no longer fight the exhaustion and drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the curtains kept the sunlight at bay. It was already eight o'clock when she awoke, and her first instinct was to check if her pajamas were still intact. She cursed herself for sleeping so soundly—what if he had taken advantage of her while she was unconscious?

Finding herself undisturbed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Turning over, she saw Meng Zexiao just waking up. As he tried to sit up, he let out a soft groan, likely having bumped his shoulder wound.

Kong Lingxin hesitated before asking, "Is your shoulder alright?"

"I'm not dead yet," he replied.

Seeing that sour look on his face completely ruined her mood for the morning. Since that was his attitude, she had every reason to ignore him and go about her morning routine with a clear conscience.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Meng Zexiao still lying in bed, his face deathly pale, with beads of sweat rolling off his forehead onto the pillow. She reached out to touch his brow.

He had a fever! Perhaps his wound was infected.

Without a second thought, she pulled him up. "Get up! We’re going to the hospital; you have a fever!"

Meng Zexiao shoved her away without mercy. "Get lost! Don't touch me!"

Caught off guard, Kong Lingxin fell to the floor. Fortunately, the carpet was soft, so she wasn't hurt. She sat there, glaring at him, feeling a surge of anger—*Fine, burn to death then! It would save me the trouble of getting revenge!*

But no, if he burned his brain out now, the Meng family would certainly never let her off the hook, and there would be no hope of them investing to save Changyue Real Estate.

Swallowing her resentment, she stood up and walked back to his side. "If you really refuse to go to the hospital, then take some medicine at home. If the fever doesn't come down, you really should go to the hospital."

Meng Zexiao remained silent, and she took that as consent. She opened the small medicine kit she had brought into the room, found some fever reducers, broke two tablets, and brought over a glass of water. Tapping his shoulder gently, she said, "Here, take your medicine."

He shoved her hand away again, and the pills fell to the floor.

"You!" Kong Lingxin was incensed. This young master was truly impossible to serve!

She stood up and glared at him. "Young Master, what exactly do you want? You won't go to the hospital, and you won't take your medicine!"

Likely annoyed by her nagging, he grabbed her pillow and threw it at her. It wasn't thrown with much force. Catching it, she grew even angrier. "Fine, fine! Do as you please! If you want to die, there’s nothing I can do about it!"

She threw the pillow back onto the bed and walked to the window to pull back the curtains. The glaring sunlight flooded the room.

Squinting against the harsh light, she saw a car parked outside the villa gate. A woman stepped out and began arguing with the guard. Even from a hundred meters away, Kong Lingxin recognized her as Peng Nan, the so-called family doctor. So she did have a car after all; she just hadn't driven it the last two times, probably waiting for Meng Zexiao to drive her home. This woman was truly calculating.

Sister Qi must have followed her instructions last night and told the guards not to let Peng Nan in without their summons. *Good job, Sister Qi,* she thought. *Well done.*

But if she didn't let Peng Nan treat him and Meng Zexiao’s health suffered, the blame would fall on her.

Thinking of this, she looked back at the man on the bed. His handsome face was half-hidden in the shadows and half-lit by the sun, his forehead slick with sweat.

Kong Lingxin walked back to his side once more. "Since you won't take medicine," she said, "then we'll just have to use physical cooling methods!"