She lifted the bed’s tray table, placing the plain congee on it before opening the package. The congee was still steaming hot, and its fragrant rice aroma immediately stirred Si Wen’s appetite.

"No wonder I felt so weak—I hadn’t eaten anything! But I’m feeling much better now. This won’t happen again, hehe," she chirped.

Lin Xi said nothing. She silently took out a small bowl and ladled some of the congee into it, waiting patiently for it to cool to a comfortable temperature before carefully feeding it to Si Wen.

Throughout this, Xue Yang and Xue Xing remained tacitly silent. Someone had to rein her in. Otherwise, what would they do if a situation like this happened again?

After eating about half a bowl of congee, Si Wen’s spirits visibly lifted. Feeling her energy return, she continued trying to explain herself to Lin Xi.

"I really do feel a lot better! If you don’t believe me, feel my forehead. It’s not hot anymore." As she spoke, she took Lin Xi’s hand and placed it on her own forehead to prove her point.

Lin Xi briefly touched Si Wen’s forehead and confirmed the fever was gone. Pulling her hand back, she said wearily, "I’m tired. I’m going home to sleep."

Seeing this, Si Wen quickly scooted to the edge of the bed. She patted the empty space, gave Lin Xi a flirtatious look, and invited her playfully, "Your Highness, this humble servant has already warmed your bed. Please, come and rest."

Still angry, Lin Xi ignored her. Seeing that Si Wen was truly out of danger and in a hospital with Xue Xing to look after her, she took Xue Yang’s hand and left the room without a backward glance.

Watching Lin Xi’s furious departure, Si Wen sighed softly, a little troubled. "Sigh... It looks like the Princess is really angry this time."

People’s thoughts often run contrary to their usual state when they’re sick. If asked now why she hadn’t told Lin Xi, Si Wen herself couldn’t give a clear reason.

Thankfully, Xue Xing is still here. At least the empty hospital room won’t feel too lonely.

Si Wen leaned back against the soft hospital bed, her gaze turning to the silently watchful Xue Xing. A grateful smile touched her lips.

"Xue Xing, thank you for this."

Hearing her words, a faint blush spread across Xue Xing’s handsome face, and he waved his hand shyly.

"You’re... you’re welcome..."

The moment he heard Si Wen was sick, he had dropped everything, wanting only to fly to her side and take care of her. Now that he was actually here and alone with her, however, he felt awkward and couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze.

Sensing his discomfort, Si Wen thoughtfully lay down, pulled the covers up, and closed her eyes to rest.

Despite having slept for nearly a full day and night, Si Wen still felt exhausted. She had initially planned to get up quietly after Xue Xing fell asleep. Unexpectedly, as soon as she closed her eyes, fatigue washed over her again, and she drifted back into a deep, sweet sleep.

The sound of Si Wen’s steady, rhythmic breathing gradually eased the nervous tension in Xue Xing’s heart. He tiptoed to her bedside and carefully tucked her in, making sure she wouldn’t get cold. Then, he sat quietly beside her, his gaze fixed affectionately on her sleeping face.

In her sleep, she had a completely different air about her. The usual sharpness and decisiveness were replaced by a soft tranquility. She looked like an innocent girl, radiating her own unique charm. A phrase surfaced in Xue Xing’s mind: "Still as a maiden, swift as a hare."

An idea occurred to him, and he slipped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him before calling Xue Yang.

"Brother, I only have one day off. Could you... help me get an excused absence from my teacher?"

If I don’t get an official leave of absence, my teacher will definitely call home. I don’t want my parents to know I’ve come to Yancheng.

Xue Yang didn’t say much, only asking, "Alright. How many days?"

"Tomorrow is Sunday. Could you ask for two days? I’ll report back to school on Monday evening."

I’ll spend Sunday here with Si Wen. Then on Monday afternoon, I can take a flight back and get to school that evening, perfectly avoiding Mom and Dad’s questions.

"Alright, I’ll buy you a ticket for Monday afternoon."

"Brother, I can buy it myself."

"Listen to me."

"Brother, thank you."

After hanging up, Xue Xing stood on the balcony for a long time. Winter in the north was different from the south, and he wasn’t dressed warmly enough. He hadn’t noticed earlier in his rush, but now that things had settled down, a sudden chill swept over him, making him shiver. He quickly returned to the warmth of the hospital room.

He checked Si Wen’s forehead again. No fever. Xue Xing breathed a sigh of relief and went to the other bed to sleep. However, despite the heating, he still felt cold and lay awake for some time.

About half an hour later, Xue Yang returned.

"Brother, why are you back again?" Xue Xing looked baffled.

Xue Yang handed him a bag. "I brought you some thick clothes and a blanket. It’s much colder here than in Hui City. I saw you were underdressed; don’t catch a cold."

Taking the bag from Xue Yang, Xue Xing’s eyes welled with tears. "Brother, thank you."

At that moment, his admiration for Xue Yang deepened. If it weren’t for my brother, I really wouldn’t have known what to do this time. I wonder what it was like for him, coming to Yancheng all alone back then. He must have been so lost. But now, everything has turned out okay.

Xue Yang patted his shoulder. "If there’s nothing else, get some rest. Your sister-in-law will come by tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Xue Xing nodded.

With the extra blanket from Xue Yang, Xue Xing fell asleep quickly. He slept so soundly that he didn’t even stir when the doctor came for rounds the next morning.

The doctor was accompanied by Si Mingli, who had only found out that morning that his daughter was hospitalized with a fever. He had rushed over without even eating breakfast. The rest of the Si family were also on their way to the hospital after hearing the news, though Si Wen didn’t know this yet.

Si Wen had been awake for a while but stayed quietly in bed, not wanting to disturb Xue Xing. She occasionally glanced over at him.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen him sleep.

When she heard the door open, her brows furrowed in annoyance, and she was about to complain about the noise when she saw her father. She froze.

Seeing Si Wen’s pale face, Si Mingli’s heart ached. "Xiao Wen, how do you feel now?"

Hearing his voice, Si Wen quickly put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. "Dad, keep your voice down."