Shi Chen had the housekeeper prepare a small bowl of ginger broth. Gu An held the insulated cup in both hands and finished it quickly.
A little while later, the housekeeper brought out the seafood congee.
Shi Chen was famished too, and had asked for his own portion. He ladled two bowls, then took a small extra bowl and divided one of the large portions into two halves.
He had Gu An start on the first half — slowly — and by the time that was done, the second half would be at just the right temperature. Then Shi Chen helped himself to his own bowl without ceremony.
The same dish, and yet — the ingredients in the Gu household's kitchen were in an entirely different category from the roadside stalls Shi Chen was used to. Every component was top quality, the dried scallops alone the finest and largest available. It was congee, but the flavour of the sea ran through every mouthful, deeply savoury and sweet.
Gu An had clearly been hungry for some time. Despite the temperature, he worked through the first half quickly and moved on to the second.
Shi Chen didn't interfere, focused on his own second bowl. But when Gu An finished the whole portion and looked up at Shi Chen with unmistakable longing — eyes asking very plainly for another serving — Shi Chen shook his head.
"You just had the ginger broth and then a full bowl. That's enough."
More wasn't always better for a child's stomach. And Gu An in particular had been premature — his health had always required careful management.
Gu An pressed his lips together, eyes dropping slowly. He looked the very picture of quiet suffering.
Shi Chen was unimpressed. He polished off his own bowl without remorse and promptly told the housekeeper to clear the table.
This scene fell under Butler Li’s eyes, but it only made him especially worried. The child had not even been allowed a bowl of porridge. Why did it feel as if things had become even worse than before?
Shi Chen carried Gu An back to his room, took off his coat and trousers, leaving only the underclothes he was wearing, then covered him with the blanket.
“All right. After eating, it’s time for a nap. Children need at least one hour of afternoon sleep.” Shi Chen tucked both his hands under the blanket as well, then stared at him with a faintly threatening look. “You’re not allowed to kick off the blanket, okay? You got caught in the rain this morning. If you kick off the blanket, you’ll catch a cold very easily.”
Gu An blinked his eyes and obediently nodded.
Only then did Shi Chen smile in satisfaction. His gaze unconsciously swept over the wardrobe he had rummaged through that morning, and he decided to ask Butler Li to buy more clothes for the little cub. With only those few pieces, how could they possibly be enough for a child to wear?
Once he had decided, he immediately took action.
After Shi Chen left, Gu An slowly opened his eyes again. He was clearly very tired now, but no matter what, he could not fall asleep.
Daddy still had not let him eat until he was full, but… he felt that this Daddy, who had not let him eat his fill, was completely different from before. The Daddy from before made him afraid. The Daddy now made him feel so warm, just like his embrace.
Gu An stretched out his tiny fingers and counted how many times Daddy had held him today… once in the courtyard, once during the bath, once during the meal…
As he counted, Gu An’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Before long, he had fallen completely asleep, but his mouth was still faintly murmuring, “Just now, once…”
The little cub still did not escape the fate of catching a cold. He kicked off the blanket during his nap, and by the time Shi Chen discovered it, it was already too late.
Shi Chen found children’s cold medicine at home and checked the date. There were still three months before it expired. He hurriedly mixed a packet of cold medicine granules for the little cub and had him drink it, but by evening, his whole body was growing hotter and hotter. Shi Chen measured his temperature with a thermometer and, good heavens, thirty-nine point two degrees Celsius!
Shi Chen had no choice but to search the house for children’s fever-reducing medicine, but after looking through everything twice, he still could not find any.
“Butler Li, can we have someone go to the pharmacy and buy two bottles of Children’s Motrin now?” Shi Chen asked anxiously, holding the little cub, whose whole body was burning hot.
Butler Li was even more worried. “Young Sir, it’s already ten-thirty. Most of the pharmacies outside are closed. How about I contact Doctor Chen? Doctor Chen will definitely have fever-reducing medicine.”
“Doctor Chen? Where is he?”
“He should be on duty at the hospital right now. I’ll…”
Shi Chen simply picked up the little cub. “Prepare the car. Let’s go to the hospital.”
Rather than having someone bring the medicine from the hospital, it was better to take the little cub there directly and conveniently get him a full-body checkup tomorrow.
Who knew whether the original owner had caused the little cub any unseen harm over the past few years?
Butler Li was stunned at first, but his ability to execute orders was very quick. Shi Chen had not even waited two minutes in the living room before Butler Li had already had someone prepare the car.
Shi Chen climbed into the back seat with Gu An in his arms.
Butler Li was still standing outside. Shi Chen growled, “Get in the car too. I don’t even know which hospital.”
Butler Li let out an “ah,” and by the time he reacted, he had already climbed into the front passenger seat and given the driver the hospital address.
Shi Chen held the little cub. Because of the fever, the little cub’s fair, tender cheeks were flushed red from the heat. His eyelids were very heavy, and he looked listless.
Shi Chen knew he was not asleep, so he spoke to him in a low voice. “It’s all right. We’ll be at the hospital soon, and then you’ll be fine. Little An’an, don’t be afraid.”
Gu An quietly looked at Shi Chen.
In the night, Daddy’s face looked especially unreal. He stretched out his hand and tightly clutched Shi Chen’s collar. In a soft, weak voice, he whispered, “An’an isn’t afraid.”
Shi Chen smiled and stroked his forehead. “An’an, sleep for a while first. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”
“Okay.”
Gu An pressed his lips together and slowly closed his eyes, but the hand clutching Shi Chen’s collar never loosened. That tiny hand seemed to be holding onto the warmth of this moment.
Doctor Chen worked at a high-end private hospital, and it just so happened that he was on duty today. When he received Butler Li’s call saying they were coming to the hospital, he was especially surprised.
“Has something happened to Mr. Shi?” Doctor Chen asked politely.
Butler Li raised his head and looked at the man in the rearview mirror who was stroking the young master’s head. He covered the phone’s microphone and said softly, “No. It’s my family’s young master.”
“Your family’s young master?” Doctor Chen had not expected that. “What happened to the young master?”
“He has a fever. Could you take a look at our young master first when we arrive?”
Doctor Chen gave a soft “oh.” His well-defined fingers held a watercolor pen stained with ink, and there was a teasing note in his tone. “When the young master was sick last time, didn’t he say all medicine is partly poison? Why is he letting you bring the young master to the hospital this time?”
“It’s a long story. Please don’t ask for now.”
Even Butler Li himself felt that today had passed like a dream. In the morning, the young master had accidentally spilled water at the stairway. Shi Chen had stepped on it, fallen, and before fainting, he had even ordered the young master to stand as punishment. But after waking up, he had inexplicably treated the young master especially well. Now that the young master was sick, he also seemed very concerned about him.
In short, even Butler Li himself did not know which one was the real Shi Chen. Perhaps that fall had knocked a second personality out of him.
Doctor Chen had been the Gu family’s private doctor for so many years, so he still had that much tact. He was not interested in gossip either. He simply responded lightly and told Butler Li to bring the young master to his office later.
Butler Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, Doctor Chen did not continue asking. If he had asked any further, Butler Li truly would have wanted Doctor Chen to take a look at him too.
Very soon, they arrived at the high-end private hospital where Doctor Chen worked. After Butler Li got out of the car, he instinctively moved to take the young master, but Shi Chen had already taken the little cub into his arms first and slowly shifted out of the car.
“Which floor is Doctor Chen’s office on?” Shi Chen asked.
Butler Li hurriedly said, “The eighth floor.”
“Got it.”
Shi Chen carried the little cub into the elevator. Butler Li felt uneasy and still followed them.
There were not many patients in the private hospital at night. Doctor Chen had other doctors on duty take over the emergency patients, while he waited in his office.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Doctor Chen said, “Come in.”
The office door was pushed open.
“Butler Li…” Doctor Chen opened his mouth instinctively, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze.
The man walking in front was the patient he had only dealt with that morning. They had known each other for several years, but he truly could not bring himself to like this man. He was troublesome and malicious, showed not the slightest care for his own child, and his public reputation online was also particularly bad.
Yet unexpectedly, the man who had made the child stand as punishment that morning was now describing Gu An’s condition to him with practiced familiarity.
“Little An’an got caught in the rain and wind this morning. In the afternoon, he kicked off the blanket during his nap. When he woke up, he had a cold. Around nine tonight, he developed a fever. Before coming here, I measured it with a forehead thermometer. Thirty-nine point two degrees Celsius.”
Doctor Chen glanced at him suspiciously.
If he had not just met him that morning, he would have thought Shi Chen had been replaced by someone else.
But Doctor Chen quickly collected his expression and began examining Gu An. It was just that Shi Chen was acting far too abnormally, so he wondered whether Shi Chen had done something to Gu An and was only this nervous because of that. Otherwise, how could the man who previously had not even wanted to give Gu An medicine personally bring him to the hospital?
But his guess seemed to be wrong. At least in the areas he could check with his hands, apart from the fever, there was nothing else unusual. In the end, he prescribed medicine.
Shi Chen, however, asked whether they could stay at the hospital for one night and have Gu An undergo a full-body checkup tomorrow.
Doctor Chen agreed calmly.
Doctor Chen arranged a VIP suite for Gu An. There were two beds inside, one of which was for the accompanying caregiver. After the little cub took the fever-reducing medicine, he fell into a drowsy sleep.
Butler Li watched the young master’s complexion. Although he had taken medicine, his little face was still flushed, and his breathing was heavy.
Shi Chen moved the blanket from the other bed over.
Butler Li immediately stepped forward to take over. “How can I let you do this? I’ll do it.”
Shi Chen did not refuse and handed the blanket to Butler Li. “After you’ve made the bed, you and the driver can go back first. I’ll stay here and take care of him.”
“Ah?” Butler Li’s hands paused while making the bed.
Shi Chen looked over.
Butler Li awkwardly explained, “Young Sir, how about I stay and take care of the young master? There are many viruses in hospitals. I’m afraid you…”
“What’s the problem? I’m in perfectly good health now. Taking care of the little cub for one night is nothing.” Shi Chen did not take it seriously at all and completely failed to hear the implication in Butler Li’s words.
Butler Li looked at the young master worriedly, but he could not disobey the young sir’s wishes, so he could only agree. One night should not matter. He would just come early tomorrow morning.
