The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"Little Shu, little brother... Little Shu, little brother..."

Ye Shu felt as if he were being drowned in a pig cage; the voice seemed to come from the surface of the water, muffled and indistinct.

He felt cold all over, but his breath was still very hot. His muscles and joints ached all over, and even lifting his hand felt difficult.

Open your eyes and slowly see the person in front of you clearly.

"Sister Zhi Qiu?"

Ye Shu's voice was a little hoarse, and only then did she realize she was thirsty.

Zhi Qiu was squatting by the sofa, looking worried. When she opened the door, she immediately saw Ye Shu curled up on the sofa, his face flushed and his breathing heavy. He rushed over without even changing his shoes.

He reached out and touched Ye Shu's forehead with the back of his hand, then gently stroked his face:

"Why is it so hot... Come on, little Shu, I'll take you to the hospital."

"Need not."

Ye Shuqiang struggled to sit up on the sofa, feeling a wave of dizziness. The dizziness was no less than the dizziness he felt after getting off the roller coaster at the amusement park that day, and it made him break out in a cold sweat.

"It's nothing... I just have a slight fever, some medicine will do the trick."

He raised his hand and touched his forehead. Perhaps because his hands were cold, the temperature of this thing did feel quite high.

Looking back now, I guess I caught a cold because I ran around without drying my hair after washing it yesterday morning. No wonder I've been sneezing since yesterday morning.

Plus, I fell asleep on the sofa yesterday. The autumn nights are chilly, and I didn't even have a blanket. No wonder I got a fever...

However, there is indeed no need to go to the hospital.

For him, the word "hospital" was hardly a good place.

I hated hospitals when I was a child because I would get injections, especially the kind that come in the buttocks.

Ye Shu always felt that the doctors who gave him injections when he was a child must have practiced spear fighting. Goodness, one injection would make his butt hurt for days. They were really ruthless.

I grew up and hated hospitals because going there meant spending money.

No matter if it's a serious illness or a minor ailment, once they enter the hospital, they take their money and run out as if they have legs.

Registration fees, outpatient fees, lab fees, medication fees... all these add up, and even the most common cold and fever will easily cost a hundred or two.

For Ye Shu, such unnecessary expenses should be avoided if possible. With that money, she could buy some medicine and get through it, so why waste money?

There's another reason he hates hospitals that he's reluctant to mention.

His mother spent almost all of the last six months of her life in the hospital ward as cancer gradually took its toll.

In those days, the hospital was no longer a place of hope, but more like a slow farewell stage. He watched his mother's life slowly fade away, and the grief and oppression, along with the entire hospital, were etched into his mind.

It's become a conditioned reflex; whenever I go to the hospital, I feel like my heart is stuffed with cotton, and I feel very uncomfortable.

Therefore, he would never go to the hospital unless absolutely necessary.

However, on the other hand, it was just a cold and fever, and there was really no need to go to the hospital. Ye Shu remembered her aunt telling her that when they were little, they didn't even need to take medicine when they had a cold or fever. They would just eat a can of yellow peaches and go out to play, and after playing for an afternoon, they would be perfectly fine.

I wonder if this "local specialty medicine" will still work in the southern part of the city.

"You still say you're fine!"

Seeing his chapped lips, flushed face, and the difficulty he had even in sitting up, Zhi Qiu felt heartbroken.

"You scared me to death, you know? I called you and your phone was off. I thought..."

Ye Shu tugged at the corners of her mouth and smiled:

"The phone... probably ran out of battery and shut down automatically. It's really okay, Sister Zhi Qiu, don't worry."

He glanced at the time and struggled to get down from the ground:

"I...I need to get something to eat, I have to go to work soon..."

"Why bother going to work!"

Zhi Qiu seemed genuinely angry this time; her usually gentle smile had turned serious. She grabbed Ye Shu's shoulder, and whether it was because she was angry or because Ye Shu was too weak, Ye Shu plopped back down.

"Is going to work more important, or is your health more important?"

Zhi Qiu looked at Ye Shu, her tone softening again, and she gently touched Ye Shu's face with a look of tenderness:

"You have such a high fever, you can barely walk, and you still want to go to work? Listen to me, you're not going today."

Ye Shu, having his face touched by her, explained:

"Sister Zhi Qiu, I'm really not that delicate. It's just a common cold and fever. I'll eat something and take some fever reducer, and I'll be fine in a little while."

"That won't work either."

Zhi Qiu's hand continued to gently stroke Ye Shu's face, as if coaxing a disobedient child:

"Listen to your sister, okay? Be a good girl and rest at home today. We won't go to work; I can take care of you. The most important thing for you right now is to go back to bed and rest."

"Sister Zhi Qiu, I..."

Seeing that Ye Shu still wanted to speak, Zhi Qiu directly covered his mouth with her hand, not giving him a chance to open his mouth at all.

"Shh..."

She leaned closer, shook her head at Ye Shu, and whispered in his ear:

"Be good, be a good girl."

Looking at Zhi Qiu's face, Ye Shu knew that he was definitely going to take the day off. He had no choice but to get into that bed.

Seeing that he seemed to have calmed down, Zhi Qiu released her hand from his mouth and took his arm.

"Come on, take it easy, let me help you back to your room."

Although Ye Shu felt a little dizzy and weak, he wasn't at the point where he needed help. He was a little embarrassed.

"I...I can walk by myself."

It's clear that Qiu doesn't think so; she's still holding onto Ye Shu's arm.

"No, don't push yourself."

Ye Shu felt like an old lady being forcibly helped across the street by elementary school students every winter and summer vacation. And if he walked even slightly faster, Zhi Qiu would immediately gently pull him back.

"Little Shu, slow down. You're still weak, so don't rush. Be careful not to fall."

Ye Shu completely gave up resisting and obediently let Zhi Qiu escort him to the bedside, where she held his head and slowly laid him down.

Zhi Qiu even helped him cover himself with the blanket and tucked in the corners, treating Ye Shu with the same attitude one would show a child:

"Lie down quietly and close your eyes to rest. I'll go make you some light breakfast, and then you can take your medicine."

She bent down, reached out and brushed Ye Shu's hair aside, and gently kissed Ye Shu's forehead:

"Don't think about anything, just get a good night's sleep, okay?"

After saying that, she straightened up, turned around and walked towards the bedroom door, closing the door behind her as she left.

The room fell silent. Ye Shu lay on the bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

He felt the temperature on his face rising, so high that he could almost feel the heat.

No... how can I not think about anything when you're like this!

He raised his hand and touched the spot on his forehead where he had just been kissed.

Now... it seems I really won't be able to sleep.