Chapter 11:

Approaching Shen Qingzhou, Lin Qiao looked up directly into his eyes. She had intended to ask the questions weighing on her mind, but instead, she noticed something was off about Shen Qingzhou.

His face was pale, not the usual refined paleness she was familiar with, but an unhealthy, sickly whiteness. Whether it was from the heat or not, there was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. His black shirt accentuated his tall, lean figure, and his tightly furrowed brows made him appear even more cold and severe.

That serious, indifferent face made her want to cruelly tease him.

“Let’s go,” Shen Qingzhou said, ignoring Lin Qiao’s scrutiny. He shut the car door and walked ahead toward the residential complex behind him. Earlier, when he had been speaking loudly, she hadn’t noticed, but now up close, she realized his voice carried a heavy nasal tone.

“Master Shen,” Lin Qiao hurried to catch up and tilted her head up to look at him, “are you catching a cold? Did you catch a chill when it rained the other day?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her swiftly, his eyes filled with complex emotions. The gaze was brief, but it left an impression she couldn’t forget.

“I’m fine,” Shen Qingzhou rasped. “I forgot my umbrella when I went out, and parked my car far away while running errands. I got caught in a little rain.”

Observing his slow speech and the pale, bloodless lips, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but feel concerned as he stubbornly insisted on showing her the apartment. She opened her mouth to suggest he rest until he recovered, but at that moment, he said, “I have a flight at four this afternoon. I don’t have much time. Hurry up.”

Lin Qiao indeed wasn’t walking fast enough. With his tall frame and long, straight legs, Shen Qingzhou took large, swift steps, making it hard for her to keep up unless she jogged.

Hearing this, she instinctively quickened her pace. After walking for a while, she suddenly grabbed his wrist, frowning as she firmly said, “There’s no rush to look at the apartment. You should deal with your matters first and come back later. Master Shen, you should see a doctor first.”

Shen Qingzhou replied indifferently, “It’s just a slight cold. It’s nothing serious. I don’t like wandering around much, and I won’t be coming back to Beijing again this time.”

Lin Qiao was slightly taken aback. Upon hearing this news, a vague sense of loss stirred within her. Ignoring the odd feeling, she insisted, “Then let’s not look at the apartment. Just give me the address, and I’ll have my dad contact them. Master Shen, you need to see a doctor first.”

Shen Qingzhou frowned, his expression showing impatience. He grasped her hand back, seemingly intending to refuse, but Lin Qiao continued, “I know you’re worried about Xiao Ning, but isn’t Mr. Du still in Qiancheng? At the very least, there’s the child’s mother. I know Master Shen wants to be a good father, but right now, you clearly have more than just a slight cold.”

As if to support her argument, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t help but cough after she finished speaking. An abnormal flush appeared on his previously pale face. He raised his hand to rub his temple, stood silently for a moment, then turned and started walking back.

Without hesitation, Lin Qiao followed him. They returned to the white Ferrari. Worried that he might head straight to the airport without seeing a doctor, she didn’t return to her own car but instead went directly to the passenger seat and got in.

Shen Qingzhou, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked at her in surprise, his dark eyes clearly showing astonishment. Lin Qiao remained unmoved as she said, “I invited you here, and now you’re sick and preoccupied with other matters. There’s no telling what might happen. It’s better for me to accompany you. If something happens to you, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

Shen Qingzhou’s lips, pale to the point of appearing colorless, pressed slightly together. He gazed at her silently for a while before turning his eyes away and starting the car.

“I’m not going to the hospital,” he stated.

Lin Qiao immediately rejected that idea, “No way. You have to go to the hospital. Even if you don’t have time for an IV drip, you need to get some medicine to take. I’m sure you haven’t taken any medicine, or you wouldn’t be this bad.”

Shen Qingzhou scoffed lightly, “I’m too busy. I don’t have time to go to the hospital or take medicine. I’ll be fine if I just endure it.”

Lin Qiao looked at him with exasperation at his obviously exhausted state. After hesitating for a moment, she still said, “Master Shen, if you don’t mind, let me drive, okay?”

Shen Qingzhou frowned at her, remaining silent, neither refusing nor agreeing, but he made no move to drive forward.

Lin Qiao unbuckled her seatbelt, got out of the car, walked to the driver’s side, opened the door, and waited beside it. Shen Qingzhou leaned against the seat, watching her for a while before slowly unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out.

Watching him walk tall toward the passenger seat, Lin Qiao took a deep breath and climbed into the luxurious driver’s seat.

After they both settled in their seats again, Lin Qiao carefully said to him, “By the way, I need to let you know first—I’ve never driven such an expensive car before, so I might be a bit nervous. Please bear with me.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t respond, not even glancing at her. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat after getting in, coughing occasionally, clearly very ill.

Sighing, Lin Qiao started the car and drove toward the hospital, but at that moment, Shen Qingzhou said, “Don’t go to the hospital. Go back to the hotel directly and buy some medicine on the way.”

Lin Qiao wanted to persuade him, but he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her. His gaze was unusually sharp and commanding, so she inexplicably closed her mouth.

He doesn’t even appreciate my trying to help him. Maybe he should just die from his illness, she grumbled inwardly, yet still changed course toward the nearest pharmacy. After buying cough medicine, fever reducers, anti-inflammatory drugs, a thermometer, and anything else that seemed relevant, she returned to the car under the envious gazes of others.

Now Lin Qiao somewhat understood why Shen Qingzhou didn’t drive this car—it was just too flashy, drawing attention wherever it went. It was fine for a man to drive, but when a woman drove it, people mostly looked at her with disdain, as if thinking, “Oh, another mistress of some high-ranking official, a disgrace to society…”

Driving Shen Qingzhou back to the hotel, Lin Qiao found him already asleep when she stopped the car and called for him to get out. She politely called him for a while, but he didn’t respond at all. She looked at her watch, realizing that if they kept dawdling, they’d miss the flight.

To avoid being blamed for missing the flight, Lin Qiao decisively patted his face. Her hand felt the heat radiating from him, but he still didn’t respond.

No way—was he asleep or had he fainted?

Carefully placing her hand on his forehead, she found it scalding hot, which completely erased any playful thoughts she had.

She immediately got out of the car, went to the passenger side, and pulled him out. The tall man heavily leaned against her, and if she hadn’t been fairly strong and had eaten well at lunch, she might have been crushed under his weight.

Ignoring the stares of the onlookers, Lin Qiao struggled to drag Shen Qingzhou into the elevator with a furrowed brow. The people inside the elevator quickly made space for them. After thanking them, she labored under his weight while waiting.

Soon, the elevator reached their floor. Lin Qiao gritted her teeth and dragged Shen Qingzhou to his room door, only to suddenly realize she didn’t have his room card.

What should she do? Should she search for it? Lin Qiao hesitated, then tried reaching into his pocket, nearly causing him to fall off her. She quickly steadied him, paused for a moment, and finally decided to bring him to her room.

They couldn’t stay outside any longer—neither he nor her small frame could handle it.

Back in her room, Lin Qiao kicked the door shut with her leg and helped him toward the bed. Shen Qingzhou must really be very ill, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so unresponsive, moving weakly as if in a drunken state, purely on instinct.

Yes, instinct, like a drunk—those two descriptions were spot-on. Otherwise, how could she explain the current situation?

Lin Qiao was trying to lay him on the bed when his weight pulled her down onto him. He was lying on the soft bed, his chest pressed against her soft body. Compared to his feverish body, her temperature was incredibly comforting. Shen Qingzhou didn’t hesitate, using his strength to pull her tightly against his chest. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his dry, pale lips unexpectedly meeting her moist ones.

“Mmm!…”

Lin Qiao gasped, her words swallowed by his lips. After all, Shen Qingzhou was a man—some things came naturally to him, even when he was sick.

Lin Qiao was pushed down beneath him, unable to push his heavy body away. His long, strong legs pinned hers tightly. His white teeth gently nibbled her lips, occasionally sucking on them, making intimate sounds. His low, husky breathing was incredibly sexy.

Lin Qiao’s arms pushed against his hard chest. Though he looked thin, his body beneath the clothes was impressively sculpted. Even through the fabric, she couldn’t help imagining how perfect his physique must be.

Struggling to breathe, Lin Qiao opened her mouth, and his tongue immediately slipped in. Her arms were pinned, leaving her no choice but to passively accept the kiss.

Gradually, she realized her mind was beginning to drift.

This wasn’t right. No, Shen Qingzhou had a son and a wife. Even though she had never seen his wife or his wedding ring, it didn’t mean he wasn’t married. She couldn’t do something that violated moral principles.

Lin Qiao suddenly regained her senses, biting him hard. Shen Qingzhou groaned and released her. She quickly stood up and turned to look at him, her mouth filled with a faint metallic taste of blood.

Shen Qingzhou wasn’t in much better shape. Most of the buttons on his shirt had come undone, revealing his expectedly lean and toned chest. Looking lower, she could see the bulge in his black trousers—a clearly erect male organ, tightly wrapped in fabric, forming a very dominant and sexy curve.

Lin Qiao turned red and quickly averted her gaze. She hurried to the table, grabbed the medicine, and started preparing water.

She needed to keep herself busy, otherwise she would get distracted. She couldn’t afford to idle.

Muttering to herself, she picked up the medicine and cup of water, her back to the bed. She didn’t notice that Shen Qingzhou, who had kept his eyes closed the whole time, had slowly opened them. He frowned at her back, tiredly lifting his hand to check his watch.

Although the plane still had some time before departure, with his current physical condition, there was no way he could make it.

Enduring the discomfort, he took out his phone from his pants pocket and sent a brief message to Du Xinling before putting it back in his pocket.

When he looked up again, Lin Qiao had already returned, holding a cup of warm water in one hand and the medicine in the other.

“…You’re awake,” she said awkwardly, hesitating for a moment before forcing herself to walk to the edge of the bed. “Take your medicine.”

She stretched out her fair hand, the capsule resting in her palm. The water in her other hand was at a moderate temperature—thoughtful and considerate.

Shen Qingzhou let out a heavy “Mm,” his voice even more alluring than usual due to his nasal congestion, making Lin Qiao’s heart flutter.

Shen Qingzhou sat up, took the cup and the medicine, drank it all in one go, and then placed the cup directly on the nightstand. Before Lin Qiao could even take the cup away, he grabbed her wrist again and pushed her back down beneath him.

Lin Qiao was startled, pushing against him in fear as she exclaimed, “Shen Qingzhou, what are you doing!”

Shen Qingzhou bent his knee, half-kneeling on the bed, and irritably unbuttoned the remaining buttons on his shirt. His dark eyes locked onto hers, his voice low, hoarse, and mocking, “Can’t you tell? I’m going to sleep with you.”

…

Lin Qiao really wanted to know, with what identity and mindset could he say those four words—”sleep with you”—so calmly and unapologetically!