DASFAM_32

The burning temperature of his forehead signaled something wrong; Shang Yanxiao determined Bai Xu's condition almost instantly.

"You have a fever from an allergic reaction? I'll have Xie Qi call the doctor over."

He looked at the water stains and broken cup fragments all over the floor, and simply scooped the person in front of him up into his arms.

The sudden weightlessness brought on another wave of dizziness for Bai Xu. He instinctively grabbed onto Shang Yanxiao's shoulder, enduring the pain, "Don't– I'm so dizzy."

Shang Yanxiao stepped around the mess on the floor and carried Bai Xu back to the bed, "Bear with it. Lie down properly first, don't catch a chill again."

Bai Xu pulled the covers over himself and let out a muffled groan, "I didn't eat much at dinner. It might, might be an avocado allergy."

In the real world, he could handle fruits like avocados just fine, and as far as he could recall, the original host had never had any food allergies either—so he hadn't given it much thought.

Who would have known he'd be brought down by something like this. What absolutely rotten luck.

Shang Yanxiao quickly called Xie Qi and the others with instructions, then poured Bai Xu a cup of warm water himself, "Here, drink some warm water to ease it for now. The medical staff will be here soon."

The residential complex they were staying in was equipped with a twenty-four-hour emergency medical service, and in urgent cases, there was also a public hospital less than five kilometers away.

Bai Xu forced himself to tilt his head up and take a few sips of warm water before going limp and curling up again.

The pain brought alternating waves of hot and cold sweat, dampening the loose strands of his fringe quite a bit. They now clung messily to his forehead, his cheeks flushed with the kind of color that only illness brings—frail and pitifully wan.

A thread of urgency tightened in Shang Yanxiao's chest. He turned and went into the bathroom.

Bai Xu felt too wretched and too weak to do anything but watch his retreating figure with helpless eyes.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Shang Yanxiao came back with a damp warm towel, and sat back down on the edge of the bed, "Let me wipe off your sweat. Will that help you feel a little better?"

Bai Xu answered weakly, "Mm."

Shang Yanxiao had little experience caring for others, and his touch was very light.

The warm towel grazed his forehead gently, lifting away the faint stickiness of the sweat. Perhaps because his senses had heightened after the allergic reaction, every moment the towel made contact with his forehead and neck felt amplified into an unbearable itch.

Then, all of a sudden, the towel moved tentatively down to the collar of his sleep clothes.

Bai Xu shuddered almost on instinct, his breath trembling along with it, "Don't."

The more unconscious the cry, the harder it was to keep one's heart still.

"……"

Shang Yanxiao's expression darkened a shade. Though he stopped in time, the hand gripping the towel tightened.

"How old are you, how can you not know what foods you're allergic to? When you had Allen make you that smoothie, you seemed pretty pleased with yourself, didn't you?"

The second half of that sentence slipped out before he could help it, carrying a trace of sourness he hadn't quite managed to conceal.

Bai Xu was fighting to keep his eyes open through the discomfort. He had no energy left to pick apart the subtle shifts in Shang Yanxiao's mood.

He only felt that the other person's tone was too harsh, and immediately whined in protest, "Why, why are you being so mean?"

"……"

Shang Yanxiao faltered.

Bai Xu used the last of his strength to yank the covers up over his head. His muffled voice carried a rare note of grievance, "Haven't I already suffered enough? I'm practically dying from how awful I feel, and you just keep talking... it's annoying."

Shang Yanxiao sighed helplessly and tried to pull the covers back down, "Aren't you suffocating under there?"

Bai Xu mumbled, "None of your business."

Shang Yanxiao patted the top of his head through the blanket and gave in, "I didn't mean to snap at you. You already feel terrible. Don't go making it worse by smothering yourself."

Bai Xu poked half his head out from under the covers. The misery throughout his body hadn't let up in the slightest. He furrowed his brows and muttered, "…Never eating it again."

Shang Yanxiao looked at this rare, pitiful version of him—equal parts tender and amused.

The next second, Xie Qi and the butler Allen knocked at the door along with the medical staff, "Third Young Master, the doctor is here."

Shang Yanxiao composed himself, "Come in."

The medical staff quickly moved into position.

Shang Yanxiao glanced at Allen standing on the outer side, and gave instructions with an expressionless face, "Clean up the cup fragments on the floor, then please take your leave. There shouldn't be too many people crowding the bedroom."

Allen glanced at Bai Xu on the bed, and constrained by his position, could only agree, "Understood."

Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu had both guessed correctly. It was indeed an acute allergic reaction.

"This will require medication, as well as a topical ointment."

The medical center staff were highly professional and had brought a comprehensive supply of medicines. The attending physician took Bai Xu's temperature and added, "It would be best to also give him an injection."

"……"

Bai Xu heard the second half of that sentence and struggled to lift his eyes.

"No."

"Alright."

Bai Xu's refusal and Shang Yanxiao's agreement sounded at exactly the same time. The medical staff paused, momentarily unsure whose instruction to follow.

Shang Yanxiao's gaze returned to Bai Xu, "What do you mean 'no'? No injection?"

Bai Xu answered reluctantly, "I'm not serious enough to need one. No injection... it's too much trouble."

Xie Qi seemed to have caught on to something and looked toward his employer, "Young Master Bai, don't tell me... you're afraid of needles?"

"……"

Bai Xu said nothing and tried to curl himself back under the covers again.

Shang Yanxiao stopped him with swift reflexes, "What are you hiding for? You call this not serious enough?"

Bai Xu bit his lip, "I…"

Shang Yanxiao turned to the medical staff with firm authority, "Listen to me. Give him the injection."

The medical staff agreed, "Yes, Mr. Shang."

The prepared injection was brought over shortly after.

Bai Xu caught sight of the needle in the staff member's hand and instinctively tried to shrink back again—

When he was little, an intern nurse had repeatedly missed his vein and dislodged the needle due to improper technique, and the bruising that spread across the back of his hand afterward had ached for quite some time.

Without realizing it, he had been left with a slight aversion—not quite a fear, but a genuine dislike of needles.

Shang Yanxiao picked up on his reluctance without a word needing to be said, and gently but firmly gathered him into his arms, "Don't move. Close your eyes, it'll be over in a moment."

Bai Xu resigned himself to his fate and shut his eyes, unconsciously tilting his head to lean into Shang Yanxiao's chest.

Shang Yanxiao felt the instinctive dependence in that gesture, and the hand holding him around the waist tightened a little more.

He looked up at the staff member who was about to administer the injection and couldn't help but instruct, "Please be gentle."

"……"

It was just an injection, not surgery.

He still felt the need to say that? Wasn't he being a little too precious about this?

The staff member inexplicably felt like they had just witnessed a display of affection, but their hands eased up all the same—the needle went in smoothly, and the IV drip was connected.

The medical staff assumed Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu were a couple and gave their instructions plainly, "Mr. Shang, this medication is twice a day. Take it on schedule for two days first. As for the ointment, just apply it to wherever the skin is reacting."

"If the symptoms still haven't eased after the injection, we'd recommend taking him to the hospital for a closer evaluation."

Shang Yanxiao didn't find any of it troublesome and committed it carefully to memory. Since it was already past midnight, he didn't want to keep the medical staff any longer, "Thank you, sorry for the trouble, both of you."

After seeing the medical staff out, Xie Qi came back to the bedroom. He looked at Bai Xu lying there with his eyes shut in discomfort, then glanced at the ointment in Shang Yanxiao's hand, uncertain.

"Third Young Master, the ointment…"

"I'll handle it. You go get some rest too."

"Understood."

Xie Qi didn't linger and took his leave from the bedroom with good sense, pulling the door shut behind him.

Click.

The soft sound of the door closing made Bai Xu lift his eyelids again, "Mm?"

Shang Yanxiao answered quietly, "It's nothing. Go to sleep. Shall I put the ointment on for you?"

"…Mm."

Bai Xu had no energy left to parse what he meant and gave a vague sound of assent.

Shang Yanxiao picked up the cotton swabs the staff had left behind, squeezed out some ointment, and carefully dabbed it onto the red spots on Bai Xu's exposed skin. The slightly cool sensation drew a few soft whimpers from Bai Xu.

Shang Yanxiao stopped, uncertain, "Does it hurt?"

Bai Xu shifted onto his side in a daze and said nothing.

The collar of his sleep clothes was pulled a little further open with the movement, revealing the allergic marks hidden beneath the fabric—a large patch of them, looking quite severe.

Shang Yanxiao's gaze stilled for a moment. He hesitated for a few seconds, then reached out and undid the buttons of the sleep clothes.

The moment skin was exposed to the air, a chill hit, and what remained of Bai Xu's alertness surged up abruptly. He forced his eyes open with effort, "Mm?"

Shang Yanxiao met his reddened eyes, flushed from illness, and couldn't help but lean in a little closer, "I'm putting the ointment on for you. Don't be afraid. Just relax, alright?"

The slightly low and unhurried voice seemed to carry an almost enchanting quality. Bai Xu's long lashes fluttered in a daze, carrying a closeness he couldn't quite explain even to himself.

"I'm a little drowsy. Don't go yet."

The pain eased without him noticing, and a heavy drowsiness swept over him swiftly.

Shang Yanxiao's brow relaxed. He coaxed him gently, "Alright. I won't go yet. Sleep now."

...

Bai Xu drifted through a round of heavy, muddled sleep.

When he came to again, the bedside lamp was still lit. He unconsciously lifted his hand, and felt a tug of resistance.

"Don't move around. The needle was just taken out."

"……"

The voice was hoarse, carrying a distinct weariness.

A thread of clarity broke through Bai Xu's foggy mind, and he realized Shang Yanxiao was still keeping watch by his side. Surprised, he said, "Shang Yanxiao, why- why are you still here?"

Shang Yanxiao was leaning against the headboard, his right hand cradling Bai Xu's palm, the pad of his thumb gently pressing on the medical bandage, "You just finished the injection. Are you feeling any better now?"

The agonizing turmoil in his stomach had vanished without a trace, and the stinging sensation all over his body had also dulled.

Bai Xu gave a small nod, "What time is it?"

Shang Yanxiao answered honestly, "Past five. Go back to sleep. Once the needle wound stops bleeding, I'll head back."

"……"

Bai Xu stared at Shang Yanxiao, so close to him, and felt a little dazed.

The warm amber glow of the bedside lamp fell slantwise across his profile, as if gilding the lines of his face in a layer of gold—so striking it seemed almost unreal, and so stirring it seemed almost unreal too.

Shang Yanxiao thought his mind was still clouded, and leaned in to ask, "Thirsty? Do you want some water?"

Bai Xu shook his head. Before his muddled mind could think, his body had already shifted back on its own, making space—clearing out a full half of the bed for Shang Yanxiao.

Bai Xu had no energy to think too much, and extended a soft, nasal invitation, "Do you want to lie down and sleep for a bit?"

Shang Yanxiao heard this and his gaze grew deeper, settling on his face, "Bai Xu?"

The drowsiness hadn't left Bai Xu yet, and he couldn't help but let out a yawn, "You're not sleeping?"

Knowing full well that the person in front of him hadn't fully come back to his senses, Shang Yanxiao still couldn't bring himself to refuse. He released the hand he had been pressing down and lay down with ease.

The light went off.

The room plunged into darkness all at once. Bai Xu's hand groped blindly for the covers, only to be caught by Shang Yanxiao.

The next second, he took over the task for him, drawing the soft blanket up over his head.

Shang Yanxiao asked, "Is this how you wanted to sleep?"

In the pitch-black silence, every sense was magnified without limit.

Bai Xu heard Shang Yanxiao's breathing, his heartbeat, caught the scent of his body wash, and the overpowering smell of the ointment on himself.

Everything mingled together, yet it stirred something in him he couldn't quite name—a sense of security he hadn't felt in a long time.

Bai Xu let the drowsiness take hold of him again, and called out softly, "Shang Yanxiao."

"Mm?"

"…Thank you. Good night."

Shang Yanxiao drew imperceptibly closer to him, "Sleep now. I'll keep watch over you. Good night."

...

When Bai Xu woke again, it was already three in the afternoon.

He pushed through the slight headache and nausea and sat up from the bed, and only went to wash up briefly after he was fully awake.

Bai Xu thought back on everything that had happened the night before, and couldn't help walking over to the small connecting door between the rooms and knocking.

"Shang Yanxiao?"

"……"

No one answered.

Bai Xu quietly pushed the door open a crack, only to find there was no trace of Shang Yanxiao in the master bedroom at all.

Bai Xu sighed to himself and headed downstairs.

Chen Yufei, who was sitting on the ground floor, spotted him and immediately got to his feet, "Young Master Bai, you're up? Are you feeling better?"

Bai Xu gave a nod. Thinking of the household staff and butler, he asked in Chinese, "Where is he?"

Chen Yufei answered, "The Third Young Master and Xie Qi went out after lunch. They'll probably be back after dinner."

"Oh, also, the Third Young Master had us prepare some congee and dishes for you. Would you like to eat something first, Young Master Bai?"

Bai Xu was hungry indeed, "Sure."

Before long, a tray of carefully prepared congee and side dishes was brought out, "Mr. Bai, please enjoy. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to say."

"……"

Bai Xu looked at the middle-aged man standing before him, also dressed in a butler's uniform, and felt a flicker of surprise, "You are?"

The middle-aged butler introduced himself, "My name is Audie. I'm the new butler, here to replace Allen."

Bai Xu looked to Chen Yufei beside him with a questioning glance, puzzled.

Out of nowhere, they had suddenly changed butlers?

Though he had no particular feelings about such staffing arrangements, going from the handsome-faced Allen to a somewhat portly middle-aged Audie was, visually speaking, quite a step down.

Faced with Bai Xu's silent inquiry, Chen Yufei kept a straight face, "I don't know."

If the Third Young Master said to make the switch, then the switch was made. At the end of the day it was just paying someone to do a job—who was he to question his employer's decisions.

"……"

Asking was pointless; the answer was as good as no answer at all.

Bai Xu sighed helplessly and extended a welcome to the newly arrived butler regardless, "Thank you. This is plenty for me."

Audi smiled warmly, "Of course, Mr. Bai. I'll leave you to it then."

"Mm."

Bai Xu finished the congee at an unhurried pace, and the hollow warmth finally returned to his empty stomach. He let out a contented sigh without thinking.

Seeing this, Chen Yufei asked, "Young Master Bai, is there anywhere you're still feeling unwell? The Third Young Master left instructions that once you were up, you should go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, at the very least to get tested for allergens."

Bai Xu shook his head, "I'm not going. Too much trouble."

Chen Yufei hesitated, "But the Third Young Master said…"

Bai Xu could see his predicament, "It's fine. When he gets back I'll explain it to him myself. We can sort it out in a couple of days."

In the original host's memories there were almost no instances of food allergies, so he probably had never eaten avocado before and simply never discovered the allergy—which was what led to him indulging carelessly and falling into its trap.

Bai Xu stood up and stretched out his limbs where he stood, "Is it four yet?"

Chen Yufei nodded, "Mm, just past four."

Bai Xu's thoughts drifted, "Go get the car ready and look up the shopping areas nearby. I'll come back down after I change upstairs."

He had been lying around too long and felt restless. He wanted to go out for a stroll, and it would be a good way to shake off the fatigue.

Chen Yufei asked, "You want to go out and buy something?"

Bai Xu made no attempt to hide his true purpose whatsoever, and smiled, "I need to go buy another little gold bean~"

Chen Yufei didn't dare interfere with his decision, "Alright, I'll go get the car ready."

...

In Singapore, there’s a large Chinese diaspora, and Mandarin was one of the commonly spoken languages locally—the layout of shopping districts and the like was also not far off from what you'd find back in China.

Chen Yufei used the navigation to find a reasonably large shopping mall nearby and drove Bai Xu over.

The moment the two arrived at the mall, Bai Xu followed the directory and headed straight for the second floor.

Among the dazzling array of jewellery counters and boutiques, he spotted a gleaming gold shop at a glance and walked in without hesitation.

This was not the first time Chen Yufei had accompanied Bai Xu on a gold-buying outing, and he followed along with complete composure.

It wasn't yet the end of the workday and it was an ordinary weekday, so the spacious shop had almost no customers.

Bai Xu scanned the room, and his gaze settled on a counter at the far end of the store—

An elderly gentleman was standing in front of it, examining the pieces carefully. He was dressed very plainly, and in his right hand he carried a canvas tote bag that had come free with a supermarket purchase, looking like it had seen quite a few years. Faced with the staff member's enthusiastic introduction, the old gentleman simply smiled gently and said nothing.

Another free staff member noticed Bai Xu and Chen Yufei and hurried over, "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Bai Xu was brief and to the point, "Do you have gold beans? The 5g kind is fine."

For a large shop like this, what Bai Xu was after was hardly a significant sale, but the staff member responded with enthusiasm all the same, "We do, sir. Right this way. What purity were you looking for?"

Bai Xu was pleased with the staff member's manner. He stepped forward, unbothered by gold prices or fluctuations, picked what he liked, and paid on the spot—the whole thing was over very quickly.

"Thank you."

Bai Xu tucked the little bag containing the gold bean straight into his pocket, "Sorry for the trouble."

The staff member smiled, "Not at all, sir. Please come again."

Bai Xu gave a small nod and gestured with his eyes for Chen Yufei to head out.

Before the two of them could leave, a cry of alarm from a staff member rang out behind them, "Sir, are you alright? Sir!"

"Sir, are you okay?"

"……"

Bai Xu and Chen Yufei turned back at almost the same moment.

In front of the payment counter, the elderly man had suddenly collapsed to the floor, curled up and convulsing. His hands were pressed tightly over his heart, and his face had flushed a deep red in a matter of moments.

All three female staff members in the shop panicked without exception.

Bai Xu immediately strode back over, "Heart attack?"

Chen Yufei, who had first aid experience from his time in the military, followed right behind, "Looks like it."

"Call an ambulance right now!"

Bai Xu instinctively called for one of the female staff members to make the call, then dropped to one knee on the floor and asked with calm urgency, "Sir, do you have your medication with you?"

"……"

The old gentleman nodded in pain, his fingertips trembling as he pointed toward his bag.

While searching through the bag for the small medicine bottle and helping the old gentleman swallow his medication, Bai Xu gave instructions to Chen Yufei, who also had first aid experience.

"Brother Fei, get him lying flat! We'll take turns doing CPR!"

"Got it!"

One of the female staff members brought over the emergency oxygen canister kept in the shop and asked uncertainly, "Can this be used?"

"Yes!"

Chen Yufei took it and immediately assisted Bai Xu with the rescue effort.

The two kept up the emergency care for quite a while before the elderly man's condition began to stabilize. By the time the nearby medical responders arrived, no more than five or six minutes had passed in total.

Bai Xu watched as the old gentleman was carried out on a stretcher, and only then let the urgency ease from his expression.

Chen Yufei saw this and asked, "Young Master Bai, are you alright?"

A staff member immediately handed them clean wet wipes and expressed her heartfelt gratitude, "Gentlemen, we truly cannot thank you enough for your help."

"Don't mention it. It was the right thing to do," Bai Xu accepted her gesture with a word of thanks and wiped the dust from his hands, "Let's go."

"Wait!"

The staff member hurried to call them back, "Sir, would you mind leaving a name and contact number? In case this gentleman would like to find you afterward to express his thanks, we'd be able to—"

"No need. It was nothing. As long as he's alright."

Bai Xu thought nothing of it. He tossed the wet wipe into the bin and his hand happened to brush against the little gold bean in his pocket.

The staff member still persisted, "Sir, are you sure?"

A thought sparked in Bai Xu's mind, and a teasing impulse rose up, "Oh, my surname is Shang. I'd rather not give my full name."

If it weren't for Shang Yanxiao still keeping up his act of being ill and not being able to expose himself easily, he would absolutely have pinned this good deed entirely onto Shang Yanxiao's name.

"……"

Just how far had Young Master Bai and the boss actually gotten? And what on earth was this, some kind of inside joke?

A string of question marks rose in Chen Yufei's mind beside him. He watched the staff member take it at face value, and quietly pressed his lips together without saying a word to poke holes in Bai Xu's little prank.

...

When Bai Xu arrived home, he walked straight into Shang Yanxiao returning from outside. The other man had changed into a formal outfit, which made his already upright frame look even more so.

His strikingly handsome features carried an innate cold arrogance and noble air. With that expression and without a word, he truly gave off a powerful presence that left outsiders finding him difficult to approach.

"……"

Bai Xu was used to seeing Shang Yanxiao in his 'patient's clothes' and ordinary outfits. Catching him in this get-up out of nowhere, he was caught off guard and found his eyes momentarily dazzled.

"Shang Yanxiao?"

Shang Yanxiao had noticed him at the very first moment, and drew closer, "Where have you two been? Are you still feeling unwell?"

With the distance closed, the difference in their heights became apparent.

He already knew about this—it was hardly the first time—and yet Bai Xu's breath still stilled for a moment, as the scene from last night when he had been ill rose unbidden in his mind—

He only needed to tilt ever so slightly to be leaning against Shang Yanxiao's chest.

Seeing no response from him, Shang Yanxiao said, "Bai Xu?"

"Hm?"

Bai Xu came back to himself a beat late, reeling in his wandering thoughts, "I'm much better. Thank you for last night."

Shang Yanxiao pressed with concern, "Did you go to the hospital for a check-up?"

Bai Xu shook his head, "No. I'll go in a day or two. Didn't want the hassle today."

Shang Yanxiao asked, "Didn't want the hassle, yet you went out?"

Bai Xu answered plainly, "I just went out to buy you a little gift."

"……"

Shang Yanxiao paused, then caught on, "A little gift?"

Bai Xu gave a sound of confirmation and reached into his pocket, none of the mystery from last time present at all, "You know what it is, don't you?"

Without the surprise of receiving a gift for the first time, Shang Yanxiao simply said, "Mm."

The coldness in his expression quietly receded without him realizing it, replaced by an unmistakable warmth—and he even held out his hand of his own accord.

"Giving it to me now?"

"Not shy about it at all this time, are you~"

Bai Xu dropped the bagged gold bean into his palm and made a point of saying, "Third Young Master, gold prices have gone up lately. This one cost quite a bit more than the last."

Shang Yanxiao heard the upward lilt in his voice, playful as a pout, and shot back, "Oh? Is Young Master Bai having second thoughts already?"

Bai Xu tilted his chin up, "Who said anything like that? I'm very generous~"

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