The Female Lead Keeps Forcing Me to Take My Meds [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Time for a Check-Up

A slight tingling on her hand roused the girl from her hazy sleep. Something was swiftly pulled away from the back of her hand.

The room was very quiet, so the low voices were distinct.

“…I prescribed some medicine. You’ll be fine after a few days of rest. I just took her temperature; the fever is gone.”

Someone replied: “Good. I’ll make sure she remembers to take the medicine.”

The figure in white by the bed then left, and the faint smell of disinfectant retreated.

Cheng Zhishu’s vision gradually cleared from the fog as she stared at the luxuriously decorated ceiling, still processing what had happened.

She remembered waking up as usual this morning, getting ready for school, and running into Xi Congshuang at the door. Xi Congshuang had woken up early and even spoken to her.

And then… she forgot.

She forgot what she had answered and how she ended up back in bed.

Cheng Zhishu caught a glimpse of the bright daylight behind the curtains, and her heart skipped a beat. She had only one thought: “Oh no, I’m late!”

She heard the sound of wheels being pushed near her ear. Cheng Zhishu instinctively assumed it was Xiao Liu passing by with the meal cart: “Sister Liu, what time is it now?”

“It’s eleven o’clock in the morning. What’s wrong?”

Cheng Zhishu froze. That wasn’t Sister Liu’s voice. She turned to look.

By the door, a young woman in a sleeveless white dress turned her head. Her long hair reached her waist, and her fair hands were operating the wheelchair’s joystick. The small tear mole beneath her eye became more prominent as the distance between them closed.

Xi Congshuang looked gently at Cheng Zhishu, who was sitting up in bed: “You’re awake? How are you feeling? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

“I’m fine.” Cheng Zhishu vaguely recalled fainting this morning. She couldn’t believe she had closed her eyes and opened them at eleven o’clock.

The entire morning’s classes were missed, but it was still early. It shouldn’t be hard to rush back for the afternoon session.

Once that thought crossed her mind, she felt utterly restless and couldn’t sit still any longer.

She hadn’t even noticed when the rain outside had stopped; the light was bright now.

Xi Congshuang: “Dr. Qi just took out the needle for you. I pressed on it for a while, and it has stopped bleeding.”

Cheng Zhishu followed her gaze to the back of her hand, where a small bl00d mark remained. Only then did she vaguely remember why she felt so cold while sleeping—it was the IV drip’s fault.

Without thinking too much, she grasped the quilt, threw it off, and was about to get out of bed, but Xi Congshuang stopped her: “Where are you going?”

Cheng Zhishu replied without hesitation: “It’s eleven o’clock. I can still make it in time. I’m going to attend the afternoon classes.”

I hope I don’t get marked absent. I just transferred schools, and I’m already ditching class. I hope I don’t leave a bad impression on the teacher.

Xi Congshuang: “You just broke your fever. I’ve already requested a full day off for you, and the teacher agreed.”

She requested a day off?

Cheng Zhishu felt a little lost: “But… my monthly exam is next week. I can’t fall behind.”

Getting sick and taking a day off was a very normal thing. Only her birth parents would have considered it wrong. She was following the actions of a normal person, yet why did Cheng Zhishu look so troubled?

Xi Congshuang was perplexed. She remembered that when she was in school, her classmates all wished they could use sickness to take a day or half a day off to catch a breath from the heavy coursework.

So, Xi Congshuang asked: “Why are you unwilling to rest for a day? It’s just one exam; it’s not that important.”

Cheng Zhishu: “But this is my first exam since transferring… I don’t want to disappoint you…”

“…” Xi Congshuang said, “It’s fine. Actually, I don’t need you to do anything. I just want you to be happy.”

And reduce the Collapse Value so I can complete the mission and move on to the next world soon.

The smile on her lips deepened a little. Xi Congshuang heard herself say: “I won’t be disappointed in you over such a small matter.”

Cheng Zhishu’s breath hitched. She suddenly lowered her head to look at the residual mark from the IV drip on the back of her hand. The ears hidden beneath her hair gradually turned red.

If Cheng Zhishu had a mirror, she would have seen her own awkward face, twisted by her efforts to suppress her emotions, but she was very happy.

The fact that she wouldn’t disappoint Xi Congshuang made her happy.

The moment the words left her mouth, the voice belonging solely to the Red Apple rang in her ear. The stiff electronic voice surprisingly sounded more seductive.

“Congratulations! You finally grasped the essence of completing the mission. Collapse Value -10.”

“Current Collapse Value: 24.”

Xi Congshuang was stunned. The perfectly curved gentle smile froze on her face but was quickly composed.

The Red Apple circled her: “It dropped so much at once! Just fourteen more points to drop to the standard. You’re quite something.”

The System had done its research before arrival. This host was an elite, but she was more elite than expected.

Cheng Zhishu on the bed was still bowing her head shyly, presenting the top of her head to Xi Congshuang, completely unaware that she was exposing her weakness.

Xi Congshuang interrupted her own contemplation: “You haven’t eaten all morning. Are you hungry? I’ll ask Xiao Liu to bring you something to eat. Remember to take your medicine after the meal.”

With that, she turned her wheelchair and left the room.

Cheng Zhishu mumbled a belated “Okay.”

When the door closed, Cheng Zhishu instantly buried herself under the quilt. A mound rose in the middle of the bed, wiggling awkwardly in embarrassment.

Cheng Zhishu rarely did this. It was too un-Cheng Zhishu-like. Furthermore, in the past, she lived in a sunny room on the balcony that was cold in winter and hot in summer. Any movement would cause the bed to make a harsh, obvious creaking sound, which would lead to her adoptive parents scolding her for disturbing her younger brother’s studies.

Before she came from the countryside, that balcony had been used as a storage room; later, it became her bedroom.

This bed, however, was different. It was large and soft. No matter how she rolled, the Simmons mattress would cradle her body forgivingly. It made no sound from any movement that could attract scolding.

When Xiao Liu pushed the meal cart into the room, she saw the continuously wiggling mound on the bed and was startled: “Zhishu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again? Miss, Zhishu is—”

The wiggling quilt ball immediately froze, and a messy, red-faced head popped out from inside: “I’m fine! Don’t call Sister Shuang over. She just left.”

Xiao Liu nodded: “Miss should go rest. She watched over you all morning. When the doctor was giving you the IV drip, you kept complaining it was cold and trying to pull your hand under the quilt. Miss had no choice but to personally hold your hand to keep you from moving.”

“She was sitting right by your bed. When you started sweating, Miss was the one who helped wipe you down. You wouldn’t let any of us touch you, so she had to do it herself. I’ve never seen her do that for anyone…”

Cheng Zhishu: “…”

All morning, holding her hand, and even wiping her sweat.

Wiping her sweat?

A Young Miss who never lifted a finger wiped her sweat. Cheng Zhishu, oh, Cheng Zhishu, you’ve really hit the big time.

Cheng Zhishu couldn’t bear to listen to the rest. Her head feeling like it was about to smoke, she quickly got out of bed and rushed to the washroom: “I, I, I think I’ve sweated a lot. I feel awful! I’m going to wash my face!”

Xiao Liu turned around and called out: “You just recovered from a fever! Don’t wash your face with cold water!”

Cheng Zhishu replied distractedly: “Mhm, mhm, mhm.”

“And I wasn’t finished talking! You were crying back then, and no one could comfort you!” Xiao Liu muttered while setting the table, then pulled open the French window for ventilation.

“It’s because she’s young. She sleeps it off and she’s fine. If it were the Miss today, it would have been trouble.”

The washroom door was closed. The person inside couldn’t hear Xiao Liu’s muttering. She was frantically pulling off her face towel, ready to wash her face.

Cheng Zhishu collapsed the moment she saw herself in the mirror. Who was that person in the mirror, sleeping so messily, with hair sticking up and red, swollen eyes?

A near-collapsing Cheng Zhishu raised her hand to touch her eyelids. They were red, swollen, and hot. Her eyes felt dry, as if she had secretly put on a performance of Lady Meng Jiang’s tears after the Great Wall while she was sleeping, crying until her tears ran dry.

Her eyelids were too swollen to look at.

Whoosh! Cheng Zhishu turned on the faucet, soaking the towel to wash her face.

She rinsed it again, tilted her chin up, folded the towel, and placed it over her eyes to reduce the swelling.

Cheng Zhishu’s features were actually quite delicate and defined, with deep-set brows and thin eyelids. With her bangs lifted, the color of her amber-brown eyes became more noticeable. When expressionless, she often appeared cold.

Removing the towel from her eyes, Cheng Zhishu moved closer to the mirror. She stared into her own eyes for a moment, startled by the emotion in them. She couldn’t understand why her eyes were conveying a sense of joy despite being sick.

Unable to figure it out, she looked away.

In the past, the color of her eyes was often disliked. When expressionless, she often looked like she was sulking and was frequently scolded for giving people a sour look: Who are you giving that look to? I don’t owe you anything.

After fixing her hair, Cheng Zhishu was finally willing to come out.

She had completely lost face, but she still wanted to make a last-ditch effort to save some dignity.

And to be looked after by Xi Congshuang, who herself was an invalid, was truly a step backward.

“You just recovered from a fever. Don’t wash your face with cold water. I can tell you didn’t listen; your face is all white.”

Xiao Liu’s nagging voice drifted over from across the room.

On the other side of the glass balcony railing, Xi Congshuang was sitting at a wrought-iron table, staring at her computer screen. A teacup sat next to the laptop, emitting faint steam.

Xi Congshuang stopped typing and looked out at the lush treetops beyond the balcony.

Cheng Zhishu’s attempted justification rang out, though it sounded incredibly guilty: “I didn’t! I’m just naturally pale.”

Xiao Liu: “Then come over here! I’ll touch your face and I’ll know if you washed with cold or hot water.”

A brief silence followed.

Xiao Liu then said: “Why are you dodging when I try to take your temperature? Are you still denying you used cold water to wash your face?”

Cheng Zhishu’s strained, hearty laugh followed: “Sister Liu, this congee is really delicious! I can taste your skill right away.”

Xiao Liu didn’t notice Cheng Zhishu’s attempt to change the subject and was successfully distracted: “Of course! Remember to take your medicine after you finish eating. You’re young now, but you can’t be reckless just because you have a good constitution…”

On the other side of the balcony, Xi Congshuang listened quietly, thinking that Xiao Liu wouldn’t stop until she had said enough.

Perhaps due to her profession, Xiao Liu was a worrier. She worried about her parents at home and her employers outside. Once she started talking, she wouldn’t stop nagging.

With Xi Congshuang, the number one person who avoided doctors, Xiao Liu’s advice had no outlet. She simply did whatever the Young Miss told her to do.

Whether before or after the car accident, no one dared to be disrespectful in front of the Young Miss.

When dealing with the much younger Cheng Zhishu, that deeply hidden instinct to care was fully activated. All the pent-up affection was poured onto Cheng Zhishu.

After finally convincing her to leave, Cheng Zhishu finished her meal and stepped out onto the balcony for some air.

It wasn’t a school day or the weekend. She wasn’t sure what she should be doing.

Wearing her familiar school uniform, muscle memory made her instinctively reach into the pocket of her oversized uniform, searching for her palm-sized vocabulary book, eager to quickly memorize a few more words.

Then, she noticed Xi Congshuang on the other side of the balcony.

Cheng Zhishu: “Sister Shuang, why are you here all alone?”

She walked towards the glass railing as she spoke.

The distance between them was only separated by the glass railing. Cheng Zhishu could easily hop over it if she stood on her toes.

Xi Congshuang took her hands off the keyboard and placed them on her lap: “Just getting some air. How are you feeling? Still uncomfortable?”

Cheng Zhishu’s gaze was inexplicably drawn to Xi Congshuang’s hands, watching the slender, delicate hand resting on the fabric of her skirt.

“…”

Xiao Liu’s earlier words flashed through her mind: Wiping her sweat, not letting her leave, staying for the whole morning…

A call from Xi Congshuang brought her back to reality. She replied: “I feel much better.”

Xi Congshuang carefully observed her complexion, rolling the wheelchair closer: “Is that so? Why is your face flushed again? You haven’t got a fever again, have you? Are you dizzy?”

“Flushed?” Cheng Zhishu raised her hand to touch her forehead. She didn’t feel anything. “I can’t tell.”

Xi Congshuang: “I remember Dr. Qi left the thermometer. It’s in the second drawer by your room door. You can grab it to take your…” temperature.

Placing both hands on the edge of the armrests, Cheng Zhishu bent forward. Her slightly reddened eyelids drooped as she leaned towards Xi Congshuang: “Could you check for me?”