Chapter 52

“Only after checking will you be able to set your mind at ease, right?” Shen Su said, lowering her eyes as she guided Lu Yan’s hand to touch the scent blocker.

Shen Su’s gland was highly sensitive. As Lu Yan touched it, a tingling, numbing sensation rippled out from her gland, causing her fingertips to tremble uncontrollably.

Lu Yan’s cheeks turned crimson, though it was unclear whether it was from the fever or the intimacy just now. Noticing that Shen Su seemed to be trembling, she withdrew her hand and curled her fingers. “I know it was just a dream, but I was still terrified.”

Shen Su turned around and reached out to brush her hand across Lu Yan’s cheek. “Is it because you have a fever? Don’t overthink things…” Sick people are always fragile—not just physically, but emotionally as well.

Lu Yan grabbed Shen Su’s wrist and leaned in close. The two were pressed so tightly together that they were mere millimeters away from kissing. Just when Shen Su thought Lu Yan was finally going to pierce through the window paper and confess, Lu Yan tilted her head and rested it on Shen Su’s shoulder. “I must really have a fever. My head hurts so much.”

Shen Su let out a soft sigh and gently patted Lu Yan’s back. “I’ll go find a thermometer for you.”

Lu Yan gave an “mm,” but her arms remained wrapped around Shen Su’s waist. Left with no choice, Shen Su simply scooped Lu Yan up.

With her feet off the ground, Lu Yan had to wrap her legs around Shen Su’s waist—a posture that was as ambiguous as it could possibly get. She only dared to act like this when her mind wasn’t entirely clear.

Shen Su carried Lu Yan back to the bedroom, carefully laid her on bailiantales.comthe bed, and tucked her in tightly under the quilt.

“Yan Yan, do you want me to call in sick for you?” Shen Su asked.

“Okay.” Lu Yan hid half her head beneath the covers, leaving only her somewhat dazed eyes exposed. Her voice sounded slightly raspy.

Shen Su measured Lu Yan’s temperature first. Sure enough, she had a fever—37.9°C.

“It’s not too bad, the fever isn’t high…” Lu Yan muttered fuzzily. “Sugar, don’t worry about me. I can manage on my own. Go to work, don’t let me delay you.”

While disinfecting the thermometer with an alcohol cotton ball, Shen Su replied, “I didn’t just call in sick for you just now; I called in sick for myself, too.”

Lu Yan couldn’t stop her lips from curling upward. But because half her face was hidden beneath the quilt, Shen Su couldn’t see it. She coughed twice and said softly, “I’m really fine…”

Shen Su bent down to place the thermometer back into its box on the nightstand. “Stop talking nonsense. I’ve already taken the day off. Put some clothes on, we’re going to the hospital.”

Lu Yan reached out to grab Shen Su’s wrist, looking thoroughly pitiful. “I don’t want to go to the hospital…”

“But I’m not a doctor, and I can’t prescribe medicine for you. Even if the fever isn’t high, you still need to see [read the original at bailiantales.com]a doctor promptly so the condition doesn’t worsen,” Shen Su said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Lu Yan released Shen Su’s hand and buried her entire head under the covers. “I really don’t want to go. I hate going to the hospital.”

“Alright, let’s take some cold medicine first. If the fever hasn’t broken by this afternoon, we’ll go to the hospital then, okay?” Shen Su patted Lu Yan gently through the quilt.

After a moment, Lu Yan replied, “Okay.”

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Shen Su stood up, preparing to make some breakfast.

Lu Yan poked her head out of the covers and watched Shen Su’s receding back, murmuring, “I don’t feel like eating…” Sick people usually lose their appetite, so Shen Su wasn’t surprised by her answer.

“Then I’ll make you something light.” Shen Su stepped out of the bedroom, boiled a kettle of water, and mixed a packet of cold medicine granules.

Lu Yan took the cup and drank it all at once without a single frown—a complete contrast to her resistance toward going to the hospital.

“Drink more water.” Shen Su poured a cup of warm water and set it on the nightstand. “The water is still a bit hot right now, drink it in a bit. I’ll go make something to eat first.”

“Okay,” Lu Yan nodded obediently.

Shen Su walked into the kitchen and pondered for a moment. A sick person would recover faster by eating nutritious food, but anything too greasy would be impossible to swallow. Ultimately, she chose to cook porridge, adding several highly nutritious ingredients.

Midway through, Shen Su received a call from her mother checking in on her. “Susu, why did you take a day off today?”

“She’s sick, so I stayed behind to take care of her.” Shen Su glanced at the time and turned the stove down to a simmer.

Hearing this, Shen Mother understood instantly. “Then you must take very good care of her.”

Shen Su gave an “mm” and chatted with her mother a bit more. After hanging up, she returned to the bedroom to check on Lu Yan, only to find her taking tiny sips of water; the water level had barely moved.

“Don’t want to drink water?” Shen Su sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze drifting toward Lu Yan’s lips, momentarily spacing out. The Lu Yan of the previous life didn’t like drinking water either.

While Shen Su was in a daze, Lu Yan took in her expression completely, and her eyes instantly dimmed. Who on earth is that person? Who is Shen Su thinking of when she looks at me? She couldn’t help but think to herself: Is this retribution? He who uses a substitute is destined to be treated as one.

Lu Yan downed the cup of warm water in one breath, saying in a spiteful tone, “I love water! Drinking water is my absolute favorite thing!”

“That’s good.” Shen Su poured her another cup. “Drink slowly. [Read on BaiLianTales]If you don’t want to drink anymore, just leave it on the nightstand. If you’re tired, get some sleep.”

Lu Yan pressed her lips to the rim of the cup and gave an “mm.” She didn’t set the cup down and crawl back under the covers until Shen Su walked out of the room.

Once the porridge was ready, Shen Su let it cool for a moment before bringing it into Lu Yan’s room and placing it on the nightstand. Glancing at the cup of water that had barely been touched, she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile. She really was as stubborn as ever.

Just as she was hesitating over whether to wake her up, Lu Yan poked her head out of the covers on her own, her eyes shining as she stared at the bowl. “It smells so good!”

Shen Su smiled warmly. “Fresh vegetable and pork rib porridge.” It had both meat and vegetables for balanced nutrition.

As Lu Yan sat up, Shen Su picked up the small bed-tray table from the floor, set it over the bed, and placed the porridge and utensils in front of her.

“Has Sugar eaten yet?” Lu Yan picked up her spoon and stirred the hot porridge, the rising steam slowly blurring her vision.

“Not yet. You eat first.” Shen Su sat right beside Lu Yan, looking at her with a beaming smile.

“It’s fine, I feel much better now. Sugar, go eat first, you’ve been busy for so long…” Lu Yan blushed slightly with embarrassment.

“But I don’t really like eating alone. How about I bring my bowl over and eat with you?” With that, Shen Su quickly trotted back to the kitchen, served herself a unauthorized copybowl of porridge, and sat cross-legged at the side of the bed table.

“Let’s measure your temperature again after we finish eating,” Shen Su said while eating.

Lu Yan nodded. “Okay. I feel like it’s not a big issue, my head doesn’t feel as dizzy anymore.”

“That’s good.” Shen Su nodded, then began to talk absolute nonsense. “By the way, my mother called me earlier to ask why I took the day off, and I told her…” Shen Su paused, giving Lu Yan a meaningful look. “I said my girlfriend was sick, and only then did she agree to let me take the day off.”

“Ah…” Lu Yan’s lips parted slightly, caught between surprise and delight. She feigned an awkward expression. “Then… do you need me to do anything?”

“Are you free next weekend?” Shen Su took a sip of porridge and continued, “Is it convenient to have a meal with my parents?”

“Of course I’m free!” Even if she weren’t, Lu Yan would make herself free. She thought about it and asked, “Is there anything I need to pay attention to? What do your parents like?”

Shen Su smiled and said, “Since I’m asking for your help, I’ll definitely prepare the gifts myself. You just need to be a good girl and wait for me at home.”

“But we’re friends. It’s only normal to prepare a gift when meeting a friend’s parents, right?” Lu Yan blinked. “So, are we going to pretend to be a couple then?”

“Yes,” Shen Su nodded.

Lu Yan curled her lips into a brilliant smile. “Then I’ll be sure to ask my non-single colleagues for advice on how couples interact!” She hoped she could turn the fake act into reality. Though the hope was slim, what if?

“Actually, you don’t need to ask anyone.” Shen Su finished her last bite of porridge. “Deliberately putting on an act actually makes it easier to arouse suspicion. Just follow your heart.”

“Okay, then I won’t ask.” Lu Yan spoke obediently, continuing to sip her porridge in tiny mouthfuls like a little kitten lapping milk.

Thinking of cats, Shen Su’s gaze sharpened, and she called out to the System in her mind.

Shen Su: Is that tabby cat the bug?

System: Thank you for providing a clue, dear! We will submit this right away, and there will be feedback very soon!

Shen Su: I don’t believe a word you say. You’ve been claiming it’s under maintenance for so long without a shred of news, and I had to find it myself…

Likely out of guilt, the System slipped away without farting a single word.

After they finished breakfast, Shen read the original at bailiantales.com Su cleared away the bowls and utensils. Lu Yan lay back down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Raise your arm, hold it tight.” Shen Su placed the thermometer under Lu Yan’s armpit, then picked up her phone to set a timer. After waiting five minutes, she pulled it out and took a look—it was 0.1°C lower than before.

Shen Su frowned slightly. “Should we head to the hospital after all?”

Lu Yan shrunk back under the covers, murmuring, “How could a fever break that quickly…?”

“But didn’t someone just tell me she felt much better?” Seeing that Lu Yan truly did not want to go to the hospital, Shen Su didn’t force her. “Then get some sleep first. Call me if you need anything, I’ll be right next door.”

“Okay.” Lu Yan closed her eyes obediently.

Seeing this, Shen Su quietly left the bedroom and returned to her own room. She sat at her computer desk, handled a few emails, and then began to space out. Just then, a beep sounded in her mind.

System: Congratulations, host! With your assistance, we have successfully located the bug—it is indeed that tabby cat! In addition, regarding the compensation package, it contains three items: a System Upgrade Program, a Lifetime Experience Card, and a One Hundred Ways to Die Gift Pack.

Shen Su: Explain. What are these three things?

System: The first one will trigger after the mission for this world is completed. At that time, the System will upgrade, and you will have even more golden fingers, dear!

Shen Su: Fine. What about the next one?

System: After completing the mission in this world, you can choose any world to use this card. Once used, the passage of time in that world will not affect you, host.

Shen Su: Meaning I can stay in that world until I’m old, and I’ll still be a young person when I come out?

System: Yes!

Shen Su nodded; this one actually sounded somewhat reliable. As for that System Upgrade Program, she wasn’t counting on it—she just hoped it wouldn’t create any new bugs.

System: The third one, as the name suggests, means the host no longer needs to stress over a method of death. This System will arrange a method for you! Completely painless, and the outside world won’t be able to find a single flaw.

Shen Su: Useless.

“Meow~” Mao Mao poked her head out from the doorway, looking adorable enough to make anyone want to scoop her up and kiss her. But the moment Shen Su remembered that this cat could make Lu Yan recover her memories, she felt a bit conflicted. Having raised her across two worlds, she couldn’t just give her away, and besides, the cat was originally rescued by Lu Yan, so she didn’t have the right to decide either.

“What should I do?” Shen Su beckoned to the kitten.

Mao Mao trotted over to Shen Su, rubbed against her wrist, and then flopped onto the floor, rolling over to expose her cute belly.

Shen Su scratched the kitten’s chin. “I really don’t know what to do with you.” She thought to herself that she needed to hurry up and finish the mission; hopefully, things on Sheng Ze’s side would move a bit faster.

A week later, news of the Sheng couple’s deaths arrived. Sheng Ze seized power with the speed of a lightning bolt. Shen Su and Lu Yan took the opportunity to appeal, submitting the critical evidence provided by Sheng Ze.

At the same time, the System issued a notification that the “Sheng Suyu” threat had been completely eliminated.

With her greatest threat resolved, Shen Su relaxed completely. She went to pay Sheng Suyu one final visit.