A god-level beauty system? But I'm already a god-level beauty!

Baby?

Which baby?

Shen Ye was taken aback.

Is Mu Jingyan delirious with fever, mistaking him for her father, or some other role?

Honestly, he had to tease me a little before I fell asleep...

Shen Ye smiled helplessly.

The girl had fallen into a deep sleep, her breathing steady and long, her chest rising and falling slightly with each breath.

The fever reducer was probably starting to take effect; her breathing wasn't as heavy as before, and her brow had relaxed considerably.

Shen Ye held Mu Jingyan's cold hand in one hand, and took out his phone from his pocket with the other.

The screen lit up, its glaring light standing out starkly in the dimly lit ward.

He squinted, preparing to send a message to the little robot.

When I opened the chat window, my finger hovered over the input field.

Huanhuan didn't seem to bring a cell phone to school, right...?

Sigh, sometimes being too honest isn't a good thing.

Then let's find Chu Cihan and have her pass on a message.

Shen Ye switched to his chat interface with Chu Cihan.

This guy has sent him a lot of messages, asking all sorts of questions.

Chu Cihan: [Hey, what's wrong with Mu Jingyan? I saw her walking unsteadily when you took her out.]

Chu Cihan: [Where did you go? Why haven't you come back?]

Chu Cihan: [Where is he? Dead?]

Shen Ye quickly typed a reply:

[Mu Jingyan has a fever, and I'm at the hospital with her. When you're done with get out of class, go find Mu Jinghuan and tell her what's going on.]

The message was sent and received a reply from the other end within seconds.

Chu Cihan: [Hmph, you're so concerned about someone just because they're sick.]

Chu Cihan: [Okay, I understand. I'll tell her.]

Chu Cihan: [When are you coming back? Do you have class tomorrow?]

Shen Ye replied that he wasn't sure and that they would see how things went.

Chu Ci Han: [Tsk.]

They didn't send any more messages after that.

Shen Ye smiled.

Although this guy always likes to mess with him with little shows and is quick to criticize, he never hesitates when it matters.

After explaining things to Chu Cihan, Shen Ye sent Lin Chunu a message saying that he had something to do and would be home late, and that his sister should go home first.

Lin Chunuan didn't reply; she must have been focused on class and hadn't checked her phone.

Shen Ye could imagine how that girl would react after seeing the message—she would probably pout and sulk, then curse him in her mind.

After doing all that, he put his phone back in his pocket.

The ward was quiet, with only the occasional sound of nurses' footsteps echoing in the corridor.

The overhead incandescent light was a bit too bright, so Shen Ye got up and turned it off, leaving only the dim yellow nightlight by the bedside.

The warm yellow light shone on Mu Jingyan's face, making her features appear much softer.

Shen Ye sat back down in his chair, his gaze falling on the girl's sleeping face.

Her cheeks were still flushed with an unnatural redness, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, and a few strands of hair clung to her skin.

Shen Ye took out a tissue and carefully wiped away her sweat.

I moved very gently, afraid of waking her.

The tissue brushed across her forehead and temples, touching her burning skin.

Mu Jingyan wrinkled her nose in her sleep, but did not wake up.

Shen Ye threw the tissue into the trash can and quietly stood guard.

Time slipped away second by second.

The ward was so quiet that you could hear Mu Jingyan's breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Gradually, Shen Ye also found himself unable to hold on any longer.

I didn't sleep well last night, and I was up all day today, so waves of fatigue kept washing over me.

My eyelids felt heavier and heavier, as if they were weighed down by lead.

Take a short nap... it should be fine.

Shen Ye yawned, slowly slumped down, and rested his head on the edge of the bed.

One hand was still holding Mu Jingyan's hand, and she didn't let go.

Consciousness gradually faded, and finally, I sank completely into darkness.

I slept surprisingly well.

In his sleep, something was gently touching his hair.

again and again.

The fingertips glide across the top of her head with extreme gentleness, as if caressing some precious treasure.

That touch reminded Shen Ye of something from a long time ago.

He was still little then, and his mother often lulled him to sleep like this. Her warm palms covered his forehead, she hummed a lullaby softly, and stroked his hair gently.

He could always fall asleep quickly with this comforting feeling.

The images in his memory became clearer and clearer, and Shen Ye subconsciously murmured.

"Mother......"

The voice was muffled and soft, overflowing from deep within the throat.

The gesture of stroking his hair suddenly froze.

Mu Jingyan's hand hovered in mid-air, her small mouth slightly open.

She stared at Shen Ye's sleeping face, not reacting for a moment.

What did he just say?

Mother?

Is he calling her?

Mu Jingyan blinked, a strange feeling welling up from the bottom of her heart.

It was both funny and made me feel like I'd been gently poked in a certain spot in my heart.

This guy... is so sleepy he thinks he's his mom?

Mu Jingyan's gaze softened, and her hand, which had been suspended in mid-air, fell back down.

Her fingertips ran through Shen Ye's soft hair, stroking it even more gently than before.

A slight smile curved her lips as her gaze fell upon his peaceful sleeping face.

This guy usually has a carefree attitude, always grinning and joking around, and he can crack jokes in any situation.

It's rare to see it so quiet...

She looks quite well-behaved when she's asleep...

Mu Jingyan gently tapped the tip of his nose with her index finger and smiled silently.

As Shen Ye's consciousness slowly returned, he began to realize that something was wrong.

The hands that caressed him in his dream felt so real.

It has warmth, strength, and the faint sensation of fingernails occasionally brushing against the scalp.

How can a dream be so real?

Shen Ye suddenly opened his eyes and raised his head.

My vision cleared, and there before me was a gentle face.

Mu Jingyan woke up at some point and was leaning against the pillow, looking down at him.

Her cheeks were flushed, it was hard to tell whether it was from the fever or something else.

But the light in those eyes was incredibly gentle.

A faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, as if he had seen something interesting.

"Awake?" Mu Jingyan asked softly.

My voice is still a little hoarse, but it's much better than before.

"Well......"

Shen Ye was at a loss for words.

I was the one taking care of the patient, but I slept better than the patient.

He rubbed his stiff neck and asked her how long he had slept.

Mu Jingyan tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure. When I woke up, I saw you lying by the bed, so it's been about ten minutes."

Shen Ye took out his phone and glanced at it; the screen showed it was a little past ten o'clock at night.

Mu Jingyan lay down around eight o'clock.

That means both of them slept for almost two hours.

"Has the fever gone down?" Shen Ye asked.

"It's gone." Mu Jingyan nodded. "The doctor said I can go home soon, rest for a couple of days, and take my medicine on time."

Her voice was still somewhat weak, but her spirits were noticeably better.

"Oh, oh." Shen Ye nodded repeatedly.

He felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Why is Mu Jingyan staring at him and smiling?

That smile wasn't like the occasional playful or mocking one she showed; instead, it was extremely gentle, even a little...

Shen Ye couldn't help but glance at her again.

The girl maintained that smile, her gaze fixed on his face, not looking away.

In that gaze, Shen Ye was surprised to catch something unusual.

It was a gaze so warm it bordered on indulgent.

It looks exactly like the way an elder looks at a younger person.

To be precise...

maternal love.

What the hell is this?!

Shen Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

What happened while I was asleep?!