Wife, please behave yourself.

Chapter 146 You're Too Cunning

He was calling out his own name with a strange smile on his face.

Liu Songyan, who witnessed this scene, was not sure why the other party suddenly called him. Before he could figure out the reason, he heard her murmur again.

"I like you……"

"..."

"I don't dislike you anymore..."

Shen Ruzhi spoke very softly, so softly that if Liu Songyan hadn't been sitting right next to her, he wouldn't have been able to hear her muttering at all.

As if shocked by such a statement, Liu Songyan, who had been calm, suddenly widened his eyes.

He looked to his side in surprise, noticing the girl's still smiling face.

His face was abnormally red, but his expression at that moment made him look quite content.

The look in Liu Songyan's eyes gradually became complicated. He looked away, and after a moment, he looked at her again in disbelief.

Without saying a word, he raised his hand and took the thermometer off the other person's arm.

He held it above his head for a few seconds, then looked troubled.

Seeing that the thermometer was almost at 40°C, he first gently pushed away Shen Ruzhi's face, which was leaning against him, to make sure she wouldn't fall over, before rushing to the inner room of the clinic.

When he reappeared, he followed the doctor's instructions and helped Shen Ruzhi into the inner room to lie down.

Untying the shoelaces, he took off the shoes that were on Shen Ruzhi's feet.

Looking at those feet covered in white socks, it seems that this girl named Shen Ruzhi has a particular fondness for white socks.

He lifted her and placed her at the foot of the bed, pulled the blanket over her and shook it to cover her, tucked her in, and brushed away the messy hair on her forehead to reveal her entire face.

Liu Songyan pulled out a chair and sat down, quietly watching the other person as he stood guard by the hospital bed.

Looking at Shen Ruzhi, who seemed to be fast asleep, he recalled the two sentences he had just heard.

Perhaps out of sheer curiosity, Liu Songyan waited a moment before asking the question.

"Those two sentences you just said...were those your true thoughts?"

"..."

Hearing Liu Songyan's words beside her, Shen Ruzhi slowly opened her eyes a crack.

She glanced at Liu Songyan beside her, who was asking her a question, but at that moment she had no idea what he was asking.

Seeing Shen Ruzhi's appearance, Liu Songyan couldn't help but show a helpless expression.

He's incredibly stupid to expect to talk to someone whose brain is practically fried.

"Never mind, I'll go get you a cup of hot water."

Not long after he sat down, Liu Songyan got up again.

I got a cup of hot water from the clinic and placed it by the bedside to let it cool down a bit.

Not long after, the clinic doctor came in with the medicine bottle, hung up the IV drip, and began to give Shen Ruzhi an acupuncture.

Perhaps she was delirious from the fever, because Shen Ruzhi didn't react at all when the needles were inserted. She lay obediently on the bed, as if she were asleep.

Liu Songyan noticed this.

He realized for the first time that Shen Ruzhi was quite pretty when she was quiet.

Compared to when I first met her last semester, her hair has grown much longer now, and she no longer has a more androgynous look; she looks more like a normal girl.

Looking at Shen Ruzhi, who was lying quietly on the hospital bed without moving, with her mouth slightly open as she breathed.

He had never given the other person a second glance before.

Not to mention, like now, sitting quietly by her bedside, watching her intently.

After the exams ended on Saturday, he was supposed to go to the store first to pick up his younger sister, Liu Wanqiu, and take her home.

My father's new show has entered the production stage and will be broadcast on TV next Monday.

Thinking of the scene I saw downstairs in my own building that night.

A scene of the father and Aunt An laughing and joking.

At this moment, Liu Songyan, who was guarding the bedside, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Shen Ruzhi lying quietly on the bed.

He spoke to the other person as if talking to himself.

“You’re right. As children, we shouldn’t worry about our parents so much.”

"Sometimes I really admire you. You've worked incredibly hard to beat me in this exam."

"Now look what happened, you've worked so hard you've gotten sick."

"How stupid... Vice class monitor."

"..."

Liu Songyan's voice rang out in the clinic's ward, but the girl in front of him was unable to give him any response.

His gaze toward the hospital bed softened, and unknowingly, his former prejudice against the girl slowly disappeared at this moment.

I do not know how long it has been.

When Shen Ruzhi opened her eyes again, she immediately saw Liu Songyan sitting beside her.

He was holding a book he'd somehow acquired, which he was flipping through to pass the time.

He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even notice Shen Ruzhi, who had already woken up in the hospital bed.

It wasn't until he was a little thirsty and went to get the cup from the bedside table that he saw the girl, who had already woken up.

Liu Songyan withdrew his hand from the cup, put down his book, and faced Shen Ruzhi, asking a question.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"much better……"

Compared to the dizzying feeling she had after the exam, Shen Ruzhi now feels much better.

Looking up, he saw that there was still a little more than half a bottle of IV fluid left. After staring at it for a few seconds, he spoke with a sigh.

"Only half a bottle and the effect is so good..."

"What do you mean 'half a bottle'? This is the third bottle."

Smiling as he corrected Shen Ruzhi's mistake, Liu Songyan put the book back on the bedside table.

Then he brought over the freshly poured glass of warm water and handed it to Shen Ruzhi.

Would you like some water?

"want."

Lying on the hospital bed, Shen Ruzhi silently nodded in response.

Then Liu Songyan helped him up and carefully leaned him against the headboard to avoid pulling on the needle fixed to the back of his hand due to excessive movement.

Shen Ruzhi took the warm water Liu Songyan handed her and drank it slowly.

Even after finishing the cup, I still felt a bit thirsty.

"Another drink?"

"Um……"

As if by telepathy, even though Shen Ruzhi hadn't spoken, Liu Songyan, standing by the bedside, asked the question precisely.

After Liu Songyan took the cup and left the ward, Shen Ruzhi, who was leaning against the headboard, kept her gaze fixed on him. Less than half a minute later, she saw Liu Songyan enter the room again.

He left with a disposable cup, but returned with two.

He sat down again by the hospital bed and poured the scalding hot water, which felt hot even through the cup, back and forth into the cup.

It speeds up the cooling process, and occasionally blows air into it.

Shen Ruzhi witnessed this scene.

Although she felt much better after the treatment, she still felt a little tired and blinked frequently as she looked at Liu Songyan in front of her.

Seeing the other person repeatedly tilting the two cups back and forth, Shen Ruzhi remained silent for a long time before finally asking a question.

"Is Wanqiu home alone?"

"She's at the shop. I was planning to pick her up and take her home after the exam."

"Do you want to go pick her up...?"

"Now?"

Pouring the boiling water in his hand back and forth, Liu Songyan turned his focused gaze to Shen Ruzhi in front of him.

Seeing the other person's serious expression, which didn't seem like a joke, he chuckled and spoke after a few seconds.

“If she stays in the shop, someone will watch over her, and Ning Mengyao can even provide her with lunch. I’ll pick her up after I take you home.”

"The clinic isn't far from my house, I can go back by myself after I finish the IV drip..."

"The doctor just told me that your fever was caused by a severe cold, and you need to take medication after the IV drip to completely bring down the fever."

As he began to explain, Liu Songyan looked back at the two cups in his hands.

He continued to mutter the question.

"Is your mom off today? If she is, I can just give her the medicine later."

"My mom went to the company today too..."

"That means no one's home."

He poured a small amount from his cup and then handed over the cup of water that was already drinkable.

Watching Shen Ruzhi take the cup, blow on the bottom of the cup a few times, and then put it in her mouth.

"You said yourself that the clinic isn't far from your home, it's just a short walk... so it's probably better to take you home."

Looking at Shen Ruzhi, who was holding a disposable cup and looking at him.

A smile appeared on Liu Songyan's face.

"What if I leave now and you faint in the alley?"

"I won't..."

"They said it was just in case."

Liu Songyan took back the glass that the other person had already finished drinking from, and poured another half glass for them.

Shen Ruzhi took the cup again and stopped trying to persuade him. She just looked curiously at Liu Songyan beside her.

The boy's sudden thoughtfulness made her feel flattered.

But then I felt genuinely happy.

After all, Liu Songyan's attitude towards her over the years could not be described as terrible.

She had never experienced such thoughtfulness before.

After the last IV drip was finished, Liu Songyan went to the front room to get the medicine, while Shen Ruzhi pressed the cotton ball on the back of her hand to make sure the bleeding had completely stopped before putting on her shoes and getting out of bed.

When she arrived at the front desk, she saw that Liu Songyan had already paid for her.

Outside the clinic.

The light drizzle that started not only showed no signs of abating but actually intensified.

The potholes on the road were filled with rainwater, and the two people standing outside the clinic looked up at the gloomy sky.

Liu Songyan opened his umbrella and asked Shen Ruzhi, who was standing to the side.

"Do you still need me to carry you?"

"Need not!"

The gaze that had been fixed on the sky was immediately withdrawn because of Liu Songyan's teasing remark.

When they were at school, Liu Songyan carried her on his back because Shen Ruzhi had great difficulty walking at the time.

Although her symptoms have not yet fully recovered after the IV drip, they have improved considerably.

A shy, rebuttal reached Liu Songyan's ears.

He chuckled twice and didn't continue teasing her. Instead, he slowly moved the open umbrella towards her.

This behavior was observed by Shen Ruzhi, who was keeping a close eye on things.

My already pounding heart started racing even faster at this moment.

Leave the clinic.

The sound of raindrops pattering against the open umbrella.

With a strong gust of wind blowing, the two had to quicken their pace to reach the alley entrance while keeping their umbrellas from being blown inside out.

I practically ran all the way back to my doorstep.

The two went up the stairs one after the other.

Stopping in front of her own house, Shen Ruzhi used her key to unlock the security door.

She opened the door and immediately looked at the boy behind her who was putting away his umbrella.

Watching the other person secure the umbrella, my gaze fell on his shoulder.

The school uniform of No. 16 Middle School is red and white. Liu Songyan was still wearing his summer short-sleeved school uniform, unlike Shen Ruzhi who was wearing an autumn jacket.

That's why she could clearly see the other person's wet shoulders.

Looking at the thin fabric of the clothes, the flesh color of the skin was visible through them.

Look at Liu Songyan's calm expression.

She ran all the way from the clinic, and apart from her shoes getting wet, the rest of her body was basically dry.

Liu Songyan, standing in front of him, was almost half-soaked by the rain.

It wasn't until she witnessed this scene that Shen Ruzhi suddenly realized what was happening.

Liu Songyan deliberately tilted the umbrella towards himself to prevent him from getting wet in the rain, as he was not yet fully recovered.

He barely managed to keep half of his body dry by using the limited space under the umbrella.

Looking at Liu Songyan, who had already folded his umbrella.

Looking at the silent boy in front of him.

"You're too cunning..."

The words, trembling, came from Shen Ruzhi's mouth.