"I'll Take Care of You."

When Shen Mingjin received a call from Xu Duwan, he was lying in bed, completely unaware of what day it was due to his fever.

The phone, buried under his pillow, wouldn't stop vibrating, making it impossible for him to sleep.

His head pounded like a hammer was striking it repeatedly. His throat felt stuffed with wet cotton, and the scratches on his hand stung like tiny needles. Just as he had finally dozed off, Xu Duwan's call pulled him back into wakefulness, leaving his patience hanging by a thread.

He didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. With a furrowed brow, his pale fingers fumbled across the sheets, searching for the phone. Squinting slightly, he swiped across the screen randomly before speaking, his voice heavy with exhaustion:

"…Hello."

"Shen Mingjin," Xu Duwan called out at first, but then hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to say. Just moments ago, he had been full of confidence in front of his assistant, but now, all that bravado seemed to vanish. His voice wavered slightly as he asked:

"Why haven't you called me these past few days?"

Shen Mingjin didn't respond. His half-closed eyelids fluttered before falling shut completely. His breathing steadied, as if he had fallen asleep.

"Hello? Shen Mingjin?" Xu Duwan raised his voice after a long silence, wondering if the signal had cut out. He even shook his phone in frustration, but his sweaty palms almost caused it to slip from his grasp.

"Can you hear me?"

"I can… hear you."

Shen Mingjin slowly opened his eyes. His voice was so hoarse, it sounded like sandpaper scraping against wood. The roughness sent a shiver down Xu Duwan's spine.

"I'll call you back later."

"Why not now?"

Xu Duwan's temper flared, his usual suspicion and sensitivity kicking in. Was Shen Mingjin being flirted with by someone else? His tone immediately turned into that of a jealous girlfriend:

"What are you doing right now? Who's with you?"

"…Just me."

Shen Mingjin clicked his tongue in irritation, running a hand through his hair. The sudden movement reopened the wound on his arm, causing fresh blood to seep out.

"I'm tired. We'll talk later."

With that, he hung up.

Xu Duwan: "…"

He sat there, still holding his phone, his expression unreadable.

After a long while, he finally stood up. He didn't even bother grabbing the jacket from his chair. Ignoring his assistant's questions, he strode out in a hurry.

His urgency made it seem like he was about to catch someone cheating.

—

By the time Xu Duwan arrived, Shen Mingjin was already on the verge of passing out from his fever.

He woke up from a series of chaotic dreams, only to find himself back in a hospital bed. An IV drip was attached to his hand, and his wounds had been carefully treated.

Sitting beside him was Xu Duwan, looking at him with an expression Shen Mingjin had never seen before.

There was sadness. And maybe… a bit of worry.

But the moment Shen Mingjin opened his eyes, Xu Duwan's face shifted like a mask being put on. His voice turned cold and distant:

"Feeling better?"

"You again?"

Shen Mingjin's dry lips moved. He had meant to say, Did you save me again? But Xu Duwan misunderstood, thinking he was being blamed for meddling.

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Xu Duwan immediately bristled:

"What do you mean 'me again'? If it weren't for me, you'd have burned your brain out by now!"

"…Was it really that bad?"

Shen Mingjin felt a little guilty at being scolded. After a pause, seeing Xu Duwan's flushed face and realizing his concern was genuine, he hesitated for a moment before saying softly:

"Thank you."

Xu Duwan froze.

He stared at Shen Mingjin, speechless. Then, without another word, he sat down, his head lowered.

Behind his soft black hair, the tips of his ears had turned bright red.

Shen Mingjin had a terrible headache. After thanking Xu Duwan, he closed his eyes to rest. Seeing this, Xu Duwan assumed he had fallen asleep and chose not to disturb him.

A heavy silence filled the room, thick like glue, making even the sound of breathing feel weighted.

—

After a while, Shen Mingjin's IV drip was almost empty.

Xu Duwan, noticing this, called for a nurse to replace it.

The nurse was still in training and wasn't very skilled. On top of that, she was incredibly nervous because Xu Duwan kept staring at her, making her fumble through the process.

Xu Duwan, feeling uneasy, decided to adjust the IV drip speed himself. But as soon as he stepped forward—

Shen Mingjin, still half-asleep, reacted instantly to the sound. His body tensed, his brow furrowed deeply, and in the blink of an eye, his hand shot out—grabbing Xu Duwan's wrist in a death grip.

The force was so strong, it felt like his bones might snap.

Xu Duwan nearly cried out in pain. Shen Mingjin's grasp was ruthless, like he had mistaken Xu Duwan for an enemy in his sleep. His fingers tightened more and more, and for a moment, Xu Duwan thought this must be what medieval torture felt like.

Thankfully, the moment didn't last long. As if sensing that Xu Duwan meant no harm, Shen Mingjin's grip gradually loosened, though his lips remained tightly pressed together. Even in his sleep, he looked defensive.

Xu Duwan had no idea what kind of nightmare Shen Mingjin was having, but he decided to keep his distance.

When Shen Mingjin finally woke up, the first thing he saw was Xu Duwan sleeping on the table, far from the hospital bed.

His throat was painfully dry, his thirst unbearable.

He struggled to sit up, reaching out toward the bedside table, trying to find a glass of water.

But his fingers accidentally knocked over the glass.

The cup rolled across the table, teetered on the edge, then crashed to the ground—shattering into countless sharp pieces. The sound was piercing in the quiet room.

Xu Duwan jolted awake, his eyelashes fluttering.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Shen Mingjin still reaching toward the water, his gaze now clearer, with a hint of apology in them.

Shen Mingjin tried to speak, but his throat was too dry. He had to try twice before his voice finally came out, hoarse and raspy:

"Sorry… did I wake you up?"

"You want water?"

Xu Duwan was so tired he felt like he could die, but somehow, he still stood up instinctively. What he forgot, though, was that he had been sleeping with his head on the table. The moment he got up, his limbs felt uncoordinated, and his stiff neck tilted awkwardly. He wanted to bring water for Shen Mingjin, but he underestimated his own strength.

The sudden movement made his vision go black, and he stumbled, nearly falling to his knees.

He instinctively reached out to steady himself, but his palm landed right on a shard of glass. A sharp pain shot through him, and he let out a muffled groan.

"What happened?"

Shen Mingjin immediately sat up straight. His eyes darkened when he saw Xu Duwan's palm bleeding. Already in a bad mood from being sick, his irritation only grew as he snapped:

"It's just a few steps. How did you even manage to fall?"

Xu Duwan's eyes widened. He looked furious, but his voice carried a hint of grievance.

"Who do you think I'm doing this for?!"

His hand hurt so much he wanted to curse. He felt like today was his unluckiest day ever—almost getting his bones crushed earlier, getting injured while taking care of a sick person, and the worst part? That sick person didn't even appreciate it.

Jiang Ruoling once said he had a "cheap heart," always willing to suffer for others. Back then, Xu Duwan didn't believe it. But now? Yeah… maybe he really was that pathetic.

He spent money on Shen Mingjin, took care of him, and in return, got scolded.

Thinking about it, Xu Duwan's eyes turned slightly red.

Still, he poured a glass of water and placed it on the table before turning to leave. But before he could take a step, Shen Mingjin grabbed his wrist.

Shen Mingjin looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?"

Xu Duwan turned his face away, hoping Shen Mingjin would stop with these little gestures. Not everyone could handle these casual touches without getting affected. He snapped back,

"None of your business."

Shen Mingjin paused for a moment before tightening his grip slightly.

"It's late. Don't go out."

Then, he patted the empty space on the bed beside him.

"Come up. Stay with me for a while."

Xu Duwan let out a cold laugh.

"I'm not here to sleep with you, alright?"

Shen Mingjin smirked.

"Then I'll sleep with you instead."

"The hell—?!"

Xu Duwan was so furious he laughed. The anger shot straight to his head, and he clenched his fists, ready to explode—only to see Shen Mingjin leaning back against the headboard, watching him with amusement.

"So, are you coming up or not?"

Shen Mingjin was the best-looking person Xu Duwan had ever seen—sharp features, thin lips, deep eyes. The first time Xu Duwan met him, it was like a poor boy catching sight of a fallen immortal. He had been so stunned that he kept thinking about him long after.

But Shen Mingjin never paid much attention to him. Xu Duwan had gotten used to seeing his side profile more than his full face.

Now, that very person was sitting right in front of him, smiling at him.

Xu Duwan had to admit—he was once again, completely and utterly weak for Shen Mingjin.

He let out a small huff through his nose, still trying to act tough.

"I'm not paying you for this."

Shen Mingjin hummed.

"Mm, mm. Just get on the bed."

This was the first time Shen Mingjin had actively pulled him closer. It felt… strange. But just as that unfamiliar feeling started creeping in, he noticed Xu Duwan's bleeding palm, and guilt quickly took over.

"Does your hand still hurt? Do you need someone to clean it up?"

Xu Duwan groaned dramatically.

"It hurts. It hurts like hell."

Honestly, he wished he had a megaphone to blast those words directly into Shen Mingjin's ears. He waved his still-red wrist in front of him, seething.

"And earlier—when I was adjusting your IV, you grabbed me like I was trying to murder you!"

Shen Mingjin paused. His tone softened slightly.

"I had a nightmare."

He avoided explaining further. Instead, he took Xu Duwan's hand and gently rubbed his fingers over the wrist, as if handling something fragile. His dark eyes held a rare seriousness.

"Maybe we should call a doctor?"

Xu Duwan hesitated before shaking his head.

"Nah. That's too much trouble."

He could still feel the lingering warmth from Shen Mingjin's touch. Now that he thought about it, getting hurt wasn't too bad. If every injury got him a night of sharing a bed with Shen Mingjin… well, that wasn't exactly a bad deal.

He completely forgot how panicked he had been earlier when he first saw Shen Mingjin's fever. Back then, he had been ready to drag in the best doctor in the world just to make sure he was okay.

Shen Mingjin let out a breath and lightly blew on Xu Duwan's wrist.

His skin was pale, delicate—almost like porcelain. Just pressing on it left faint red marks. Shen Mingjin briefly wondered what it would look like if his entire body was covered in them.

Xu Duwan suddenly tensed.

"Don't look at me like that."

His voice came out lower than usual. He instinctively pulled his hand back, but before he could, Shen Mingjin tightened his grip, his fingers curling over Xu Duwan's.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Xu Duwan opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Shen Mingjin closed his eyes.

His headache was coming back.

Xu Duwan frowned and turned his gaze to Shen Mingjin's arm draped over him. Suddenly, the faint scars on Shen Mingjin's body felt glaringly obvious.

He had always assumed they were from Shen Mingjin's parents. That thought alone made his heart tighten.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally worked up the courage to say:

"Quit your job."

Shen Mingjin's eyes opened, just in time to see something fall from Xu Duwan's pocket—a silver chain with a bright tourmaline stone embedded in it.

The sight made Shen Mingjin freeze.

It was the same as the one from his dream—the same chain worn by the boy who had hugged him and cried.

"I'll take care of you."

Shen Mingjin blinked.

"What?"

Xu Duwan took a deep breath. Like a small animal cautiously approaching, he moved closer, intertwining their fingers. His eyes were steady as he looked at Shen Mingjin.

"Starting tomorrow… stay with me."

Shen Mingjin: "......"