SBAB Chapter 44

Though it was said that she had fainted, Cheng Shiyin had merely closed her eyes. She could still perceive everything happening around her: Lin Xin’s panic and the rapidly deteriorating chaos of the environment.

A cold hand gently pressed against her forehead, bringing a soothing chill to her feverish body. At that moment, Cheng Shiyin understood the reason for her sudden fainting—she had burned herself out. It was her fault for curling up on the bed without a blanket and taking a nap. No one else was to blame.

Nearby, a worried voice muttered, “She’s so hot,” followed by an unending stream of murmurs that sounded like prayers for her well-being.

Cheng Shiyin tried to open her eyes to reassure the person, but her body refused to cooperate, sinking further into a deep, immovable slumber. All she could do was listen to the strange noises that filtered into her dreams.

Clang.
Bang.
“Ah!”
And… Beep-beep-beep?

The first few noises were self-explanatory, but what in the world was that beep-beep-beep? All Cheng Shiyin could see in her mind was a window draped in black cloth. Unable to see clearly, she lost the ability to think as well. However, when she finally opened her eyes, all the answers were laid out before her bed.

Cheng Shiyin was drenched in sweat under the blanket. Feeling unbearably hot, she furrowed her brow and forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Lin Xin’s chest—or lack thereof. Her initial thought was, Wow, Lin Xin is flat.

Next, she felt the cool sensation from her forehead, which was a godsend for her sweat-drenched body. The chill instantly woke her up, and she realized that Lin Xin had been diligently changing the damp cloth on her forehead.

Lin Xin removed the now-warm cloth, returned to her seat, and happened to lock eyes with Cheng Shiyin’s bright, fully alert gaze. In an instant, Lin Xin whipped her head away and began wiping the crust from her eyes, silently praying that Cheng Shiyin hadn’t noticed her disheveled and unkempt state.

Her smallest wish was for Cheng Shiyin to remember her as someone at least presentable, someone worth recalling.

But Cheng Shiyin was well past the groggy, half-asleep phase. She had already taken in every detail of Lin Xin’s tired face in one glance. To Cheng Shiyin, the eye crust was nothing more than a normal biological phenomenon, hardly worth mentioning. What concerned her more were the bloodshot veins crisscrossing Lin Xin’s eyes.

The reason for this grim sight wasn’t hard to deduce. Cheng Shiyin had slept through the night, while Lin Xin had not. Realizing this, Cheng Shiyin instantly understood the strange noises she had heard in her dreams.

The clang must have been Lin Xin falling off the couch in fright.

The bang was likely from Lin Xin hitting the corner of the table while searching for a thermometer. Despite a brief “Ah!”, he must have gritted his teeth and continued the search.

As for the beep-beep-beep, it was undoubtedly the ambulance siren.

Lin Xin had spent the entire night tending to her, swapping out ice-cold towels for her fevered head without a moment’s rest.

Upon fully waking, the first thing Cheng Shiyin said to Lin Xin was, “Get some sleep. I’m fine now. You need to rest.”

But unlike his usual obedient self, Lin Xin didn’t say a word. Instead, he once again tucked a thermometer under Cheng Shiyin’s arm and fixated on the timer on his phone.

Five minutes later, he checked the thermometer’s reading, confirming her temperature was normal. He then closely examined Cheng Shiyin’s healthy, rosy complexion. Finally satisfied, Lin Xin allowed himself to collapse.

He slumped onto Cheng Shiyin’s lap, and with him no longer obstructing her view, Cheng Shiyin finally realized that she wasn’t in her bedroom but in a hospital room miles away.

It dawned on her that Lin Xin hadn’t just bought her fever medication—he had carried her to the hospital.

And the beep-beep-beep? It was, of course, the sound of the ambulance that had rushed them there.

 

Cheng Shiyin’s eyes suddenly reddened as she gingerly ran her fingers through Lin Xin’s hair, which lay draped across her lap. She murmured to herself, “It’s not worth it.” Yet when she glanced down and saw Lin Xin’s naturally contented smile, even in his sleep, it felt almost blinding.

Lowering her head, Cheng Shiyin leaned in close and whispered near Lin Xin’s ear, “Thank you.” Then, lifting her head again, she gazed at his profile for a moment, rubbed her eyes, and lay back down to sleep.

She still seemed unwell; otherwise, how could she imagine that Lin Xin had somehow grown a beard from exhaustion? Or perhaps something else had happened last night, like his chin landing in a pile of coal.

This time, it was Lin Xin who woke up first. Quietly, he bought a mask, slipped it on, and returned to lie down on Cheng Shiyin’s lap.

When Cheng Shiyin woke up, she found Lin Xin looking the same as he had before she fell asleep, except now there was a mask covering his face. Thinking it must have been her fever muddling her memory, she sighed, lamenting how illness had wasted her time. Her hand unconsciously moved toward the mask, stopping just a centimeter away when Lin Xin suddenly broke into a violent cough, dodging her hand and providing a natural explanation for the mask’s presence.

Lin Xin had taken care of her but ended up catching her cold instead. This realization filled Cheng Shiyin with a deepening sense of guilt.

Lin Xin wasn’t trying to earn sympathy. He had worn the mask simply to hide the sudden growth of stubble on his face. He wasn’t clever enough to use his condition to manipulate Cheng Shiyin’s emotions, but ironically, his efforts had the unintended effect of softening her heart even more.

With Cheng Shiyin fully recovered, the two returned to their cozy home. However, quite some time passed without Cheng Shiyin seeing their dog, Bebe, eagerly wagging its tail in greeting. Turning to Lin Xin, she asked what had happened.

Lin Xin explained, “Not long after you fainted, Bebe’s owner came by, so I handed him over to her.”

Cheng Shiyin nodded, indicating she understood.

The first thing Lin Xin did after stepping inside was claim the bathroom, citing the sweat and odor clinging to him as an excuse. He had always thought that scruffy, unkempt men in TV dramas neglected their grooming because they lacked the time or energy. Now, he realized that facial hair could grow at a speed rivaling bamboo shoots.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Lin Xin took a deep breath and applied a layer of foam to his chin with some facial cleanser. He was about to attempt something he had never done before.

Yes, Lin Xin was going to shave—for the first time—using nothing but a dull eyebrow razor.

The foam on his face nearly dried on its own as Lin Xin hesitated, reluctant to start. The longer he stared at his face, the more he noticed how much he had changed. The soft, delicate features of his youth were fading, replaced by a sharper jawline. With the addition of his scruffy stubble, anyone would mistake him for a man, albeit a short one.

But no matter how much he procrastinated, the razor eventually met his chin, scraping away the foam with every stroke. He had no other choice.

In the end, Lin Xin successfully removed his stubble—but not without leaving his chin injured.

Thankfully, he had anticipated his clumsiness and prepared some bandages beforehand. Opting for ones with Mickey Mouse designs, he hoped they might add a touch of cute femininity to balance out his ruggedness.

Of course, when Cheng Shiyin noticed the wound, Lin Xin received an earful of scolding. But in exchange, he also got a tender massage as she carefully applied ointment to his chin.

All in all, it was worth it.