Sweet Kiss - Chapter 7.2

With a sudden “whoosh,” the curtains were drawn open, and the room was instantly flooded with sunlight.

Students groggily lifted their heads from their desks, their bodies upright but their minds still half-asleep.

The only one full of energy at this moment was Qi Jinyang.

He burst into the classroom carrying a bottle of strawberry milk, his wide grin completely uncontainable.

Seeing the dazed expressions around him, Qi Jinyang shook his head and slung an arm around Bai Tingzhou’s shoulder, putting on a serious act. “This won’t do, guys! If you’re studying, you have to at least look at the part! ”

Bai Tingzhou gave him a side glance, too lazy to respond.

It was Xu Mu, sitting several seats away, who couldn’t resist chiming in.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked at Qi Jinyang’s excited expression and found it baffling. “Yang-ge, did you take the wrong medicine? We have a test tomorrow, and you’re this happy? ” He even glanced outside at the sun. “Are you running a fever? It’s summer, and the AC isn’t even that cold.”

Qi Jinyang tossed an orange at him. “You’re the one who took the wrong medicine.” Then, with an air of self-satisfaction, he added, “I just accomplished something huge. You guys wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Everyone was curious, but no matter how they pressed him, Qi Jinyang refused to spill the details.

The afternoon classes, followed by evening self-study, left everyone utterly drained.

By the time school ended, the students were starving and visibly exhausted.

Bai Tingzhou checked the time—9:35 PM.

He packed up his things and headed out.

The moment he stepped out of the classroom, he bumped into someone.

Bai Tingzhou frowned and looked down.

Li Yansui: “…”

Bai Tingzhou: “…”

Without hesitation, Bai Tingzhou reached out and ruffled her hair. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the school gate?”

Li Yansui stood still, letting him mess up her hair. “I didn’t want to. It’s too cold outside.”

“Cold?” Bai Tingzhou immediately caught onto the key word.

She nodded. “A little.”

He reached out and touched her forehead—it was warm. “Catching a cold in the middle of summer… Are you an idiot?” With that, he grabbed her hand and hurried toward the school gate.

Li Yansui was completely dragged along, her head dizzy, her steps unsteady as if she were walking on clouds.

When they reached the stairwell, Bai Tingzhou suddenly stopped.

Caught off guard, Li Yansui lost her balance and bumped into his back.

“What’s wrong?” She rubbed her sore forehead and looked up at him in confusion.

He let out a silent sigh, then crouched down in front of her.

Li Yansui stared at his back for a few seconds before obediently climbing on.

By this time, the school was nearly empty. The boarding students had rushed off to the convenience store, and the day students had bolted the moment the dismissal bell rang—everyone eager to gain even an extra second of rest.

Li Yansui, however, was anything but well-behaved. As Bai Tingzhou carried her, she occasionally spoke or even hummed a tune, her warm breath tickling his neck, making him shiver involuntarily.

He carefully adjusted his grip, afraid she might slip off if he wasn’t careful.

The overhead lights cast their overlapping shadows onto the ground, a picture of quiet harmony.

“If you keep moving, I’ll—” Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly froze.

Taking advantage of the moment he was speaking, Li Yansui had leaned in and lightly kissed the small mole on the side of his neck.

Bai Tingzhou’s entire body stiffened.

After the kiss, Li Yansui gazed at Bai Tingzhou, a faint smile in her eyes. Then, she buried her face in his neck and rubbed against him.

The soft, warm sensation against his skin made Bai Tingzhou’s body heat up.

At this point, he seriously doubted whether she had a cold—she acted more like she was drunk.

His breathing grew heavier, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he tried to suppress the unfamiliar feeling creeping up his spine.

Had she passed her fever to him?

His gaze fell on the top of her head, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat.

He had no idea what was happening to him—all he knew was that Li Yansui was setting him on fire.

“Stop moving.” His voice came out hoarse, warning her. Any more of this, and things would take a wrong turn.

“Okay, okay, I won’t move. Why are you so fierce?” Li Yansui’s voice was soft and sweet, making Bai Tingzhou’s ears tingle.

Just as he thought she had finally quieted down, she suddenly spoke again.

“Hey, your body wash smells just like mine!”

Bai Tingzhou: “…”

“We bought it together. Of course, it’s the same.” He readjusted his grip on her. “Stop moving, or if you fall, I’m leaving you there.”

Hearing that, Li Yansui finally behaved, staying still on his back.

But her nose was still filled with his scent.

It was similar to hers, yet not exactly the same. In her feverish state, she struggled to tell the difference.

It reminded her of a body wash she used to love—a fresh, crisp fragrance with a hint of pear. That brand had been discontinued, and she had spent ages searching online before finally finding a close match.

Back then, she had dragged Bai Tingzhou along, making him try out countless scents with her until they found the closest one.

In the end, they had ended up with more than ten extra bottles, which they had given away.

Thinking about those past moments, Li Yansui couldn’t help but smile, sweetness blooming in her chest.

Bai Tingzhou felt her shift slightly on his back and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, she replied, “Just remembering the past… Why do I feel nostalgic all of a sudden?”

Bai Tingzhou fell silent for a moment before saying, “The present isn’t bad either, is it?” He deliberately mimicked her usual playful tone.

But even he didn’t realize the trace of sincerity in his voice.

Li Yansui’s heart rippled at his words.

“Yeah… not bad at all.”

And with that, she drifted into sleep.

Hearing her breathing even out, Bai Tingzhou pursed his lips, his gaze darkening.

A sudden fever in the middle of summer—this wasn’t just a coincidence.

But first, he needed to get her home and give her medicine. The little patient on his back was already burning up.

A walk that usually took ten minutes stretched to nearly twenty.

Because even in sleep, she wasn’t well-behaved.

When they finally reached home, Bai Tingzhou wasted no time and set her down on the **. Checking her temperature, he frowned—38.9°C.

His expression darkened.

Glancing at the peacefully sleeping Li Yansui, he turned and headed to the kitchen. He gathered fever medicine, anti-inflammatory pills, brewed a cup of ginger tea, and even stuffed some chocolate into his pocket—an oddly comical sight. If Li Yansui were awake and full of energy, she’d probably point at him and laugh.

…

After feeding her the medicine, Bai Tingzhou sat by the bed, gently propping her up. Even in her fevered state, her brows were furrowed, her sleep restless.

She mumbled something unintelligible, her expression uneasy.

Bai Tingzhou’s brows knitted together as well. His heart ached for her. He rubbed her back lightly, coaxing her.

“Sui Sui, drink this.” He softly patted her cheek.

But Li Yansui ignored him, instinctively burrowing into his stomach instead, stubbornly refusing the ginger tea.

He sighed, helpless. He laid her back down, placed a damp towel on her forehead, and stepped out briefly to fetch a glass of water.

That night, he lost count of how many times he changed the towel.

Thankfully, by the time dawn broke, her temperature had finally dropped to 37°C.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking at her sleeping face, he suddenly thought of the post she had made earlier that day.

Without thinking, he picked up his phone, snapped a picture, and posted it on his Moments.

Caption: A feverish little pear.

After hitting send, he set his phone aside.

Reaching out, he ruffled the hair of the little fool sleeping beside him, whispering, “Go away, virus. Let Sui Sui get better soon.”