Chapter 26 Part 2: Physical Contact for Educational Purposes

When they got off the spinning teacup ride, the wind had grown stronger, dark clouds gathered densely, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Xie Yan looked up at the sky.

“It’s probably going to pour.

We don’t have umbrellas.

We need to get back quickly.”

Besides, his clothes were still wet.

Getting rained on again would definitely make him sick.

“We haven’t even ridden much yet,” Xie Wan sighed, hugging the stuffed animal she had won.

“Oh well.

Today was still productive.”

She leaned in and whispered in Lin Chuji’s ear, “Did you read the guide I gave you?

You did really well today.”

Lin Chuji: ???

Lin Chuji racked his brain.

What did I do today that was so good?

After saying that, Xie Wan stepped back and said seriously, “Then come back to the hotel with me.

Wait for the rain to stop before you two go back to the dorm.”

Lin Chuji had no other plans, so he nodded.

They stood by the roadside waiting for a taxi.

A clap of thunder rolled by, and then the rain poured down.

There was no place to take shelter, so Xie Wan had to put the stuffed animal on her head to block the rain, moving it slightly to cover Lin Chuji’s head too—at least it would block seventy or eighty percent.

Xie Yan had it worse.

His already wet clothes were soaked again.

Xie Wan gloated, “You really shouldn’t have gone out today.”

Xie Yan glanced at her and stated the fact, “If you hadn’t come to find me, I really wouldn’t have gone out today.”

“So petty,” Xie Wan commented.

Lin Chuji didn’t join in their bickering.

He just listened quietly.

Although the siblings squabbled, he suddenly felt that having an older brother wouldn’t be so bad—especially if he had a brother like Xie Yan.

Life would probably be much happier in the future.

Xie Yan noticed his changing expression.

“What are you thinking?”

Lin Chuji protested very defensively, “Nothing.”

The taxi they called arrived slowly.

Xie Yan, already soaked, sat in the front seat, deliberately distancing himself from them.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, another half hour had passed.

Lin Chuji followed behind them and slowly entered the hotel, coincidentally running into the front desk manager from last time.

This manager had a very deep impression of these two handsome guys.

As soon as she saw them, she came over to greet them.

“You two are gracing our hotel again?

Which room is it this time?

Let me send you a fruit platter.”

Lin Chuji quickly waved his hand.

“No need, no need.

We’re not staying tonight.

We’re just dropping off our little sister.”

“Alright then.

Sorry to bother you.”

The manager made a “please” gesture.

Xie Wan caught the keyword.

“Again?”

Xie Yan said casually, “Yes, the day before yesterday.

That’s where the self-criticisms you saw came from.”

“So you two got a five-star king room?”

Xie Wan could barely control the little theater in her mind, her eyes practically sparkling.

Lin Chuji: “…….”

He sighed again.

Shipping CPs is such a terrifying thing.

Xie Yan ground his teeth.

“Twin beds.”

Xie Wan sighed.

“Why book twin beds?

Don’t the novels all say the front desk says there’s only one king bed left?”

Lin Chuji: “…….” You really should read less of that kind of stimulating novel or comic.

When they reached the room, the two remembered they had no change of clothes, so they braved the rain and went back to the dorm.

Xie Yan, maintaining his usual gentlemanly demeanor, let Lin Chuji use the bathroom first.

After Lin Chuji had showered and changed into dry clothes, Xie Yan slowly took off his soaked T-shirt.

Probably because they had gotten up early, Lin Chuji had fallen asleep on the lounge chair.

When he woke up, the sky had grown dark and hazy.

He checked the time—it was already eleven at night.

He had slept for a long time.

He hadn’t eaten dinner and was a bit hungry.

He opened his eyes groggily, his consciousness a bit fuzzy, and unconsciously called out, “Xie Yan?”

“Hmm?”

The voice that answered him was a bit hoarse.

“You’re here.

I thought you had gone out,” Lin Chuji said, dazedly getting up from the lounge chair, then turned his head sharply.

“Why does your voice sound strange?”

Xie Yan was lying in bed.

He heard him, raised his hand, casually placed the back of it on his own forehead, and answered with his eyes closed, “A bit feverish.”

Hearing this, Lin Chuji grew nervous, his drowsiness instantly vanishing.

A bit feverish?

Is he sick?

It must be because he had blocked the water for him today, gotten soaked in the rain, and then given up the bathroom so he stayed in those wet clothes for a long time without changing—even someone as fit as him caught a chill.

In the end, it was all his fault.

He had even blamed Xie Yan for blocking the water and making their photos turn out bad.

Now that he thought about it, if Xie Yan hadn’t done that, he would probably be the one sick.

Lin Chuji felt very guilty.

He walked slowly to Xie Yan’s bed, crouched down, and carefully reached out his hand.

“Let me… let me feel, see how hot you are.”

It might have been fine if he hadn’t said anything, but as soon as he did, Xie Yan imagined the sensation of his palm touching him.

A bit cool, very soft—a very different feeling from his own hard skin.

His head was a bit fuzzy; he thought about saying no, but his throat was hoarse and he couldn’t get the words out.

Before he could speak, he felt Lin Chuji’s hand touch him.

Just as he had imagined.

No, even more comfortable than he had imagined.

A cool palm, with a cooling temperature.

It made him want to get even closer.

But just as he slightly lifted his chin to increase the contact area, the hand moved away again.

Xie Yan fell back into the pillow, his head spinning badly.

“Very hot,” Lin Chuji frowned.

“We need to take your temperature.”

He pulled his hand back, turned to the cabinet, opened it, and took out the medicine kit.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the books hidden inside.

Was this the order they were in before?

I don’t think so.

Never mind.

The priority is taking care of Xie Yan.

Thankfully, the daily medication he had prepared earlier was complete.

Lin Chuji took the digital thermometer and measured his forehead. 39.2 degrees—very high.

If the high fever didn’t break, he would need to go to the hospital. “I’ll take you to the hospital.

Get a fever-reducing shot,” Lin Chuji suggested softly.

“No.

I’ll be fine after some sleep,” Xie Yan replied hoarsely, his eyes half-closed, too lazy to open them.

He was used to roughing it, and with a good constitution, he usually recovered quickly with a couple of pills.

No need for a hospital trip.

So he repeated, “No.

I’m very healthy.

The fever will be gone by tomorrow.”

Lin Chuji: “…….”

Only now did he feel that Xie Yan really was only eighteen.

When sick, he had a bit of a child’s stubbornness.

But he was much larger than Lin Chuji.

If he was unwilling, Lin Chuji couldn’t move him.

He couldn’t drag him out.

Lin Chuji softened his voice even more and said quietly, “Be good, okay?”

Xie Yan, made lightheaded by that address, laughed softly.

“Don’t act cute with me.

I’m sick.”

“I’m not…”

Lin Chuji was about to die of worry, and he was still joking.

“Really, no hospital.

I’ll sleep a bit more.

I’m tired.”

With that, Xie Yan closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

Lin Chuji had no choice but to sit by the bed and watch over him.

Seeing his face grow redder and his forehead hotter, he knew just sitting there wasn’t going to help.

He thought of several physical cooling methods and decided to take action on his own.

There was no ice in the dorm, but there was alcohol.

He soaked a cotton ball full of it, pulled Xie Yan’s hand out from under the blanket, and slowly wiped his overheated palm.

Then his arm, his forehead, his neck—all exposed areas.

Occasionally, when he accidentally touched his skin, he felt the heat might burn him too.

A temperature of 39 degrees wasn’t going to come down with just a few wipes.

Lin Chuji tentatively grabbed the hem of Xie Yan’s shirt, wanting to lift it and wipe his abdomen too.

“It’ll be a bit cool.

I’ll be quick,” Lin Chuji said, hesitating for a few seconds, then lifted the hem.

Being manipulated like this, Xie Yan became half-awake.

His eyes weren’t open, and his consciousness was hazy.

He just followed the touch and grabbed Lin Chuji’s hand, joking, “You’re taking advantage of me at a time like this.”

Lin Chuji was about to die of anger.

He went along with it.

“Yeah, you’d better take off all your clothes and let me take advantage of you all at once.”

Xie Yan laughed with his eyes closed.

He reached up and slowly unbuttoned his pajama buttons one by one, revealing the solid muscles of his abdomen.

Being so generous all of a sudden, Lin Chuji froze, momentarily at a loss.

He dipped a new cotton ball in alcohol and tentatively touched it to Xie Yan’s skin, defending himself, “I’m not taking advantage of you…

I’m cooling you down…

Do you hear me?”

Xie Yan very softly hummed in acknowledgment.

He felt the other’s extremely gentle movements, even his breathing was very light, as if afraid that the rise and fall of his chest might disturb Lin Chuji.

It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of him like this.

He couldn’t remember the last time, nor did he want to.

Lin Chuji continued wiping expertly, saying quietly, “It might take a few hours of back-and-forth wiping.

If you want to sleep, go ahead.

I’ll be very gentle.

I’ll stay right here with you.

But if you’re uncomfortable, we still need to go to the hospital and get checked, okay?”

Xie Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at him.

His throat bobbed.

It felt like it was burning, yet it didn’t hurt.

He knew that Lin Chuji liked him, that he couldn’t reciprocate, and that he shouldn’t indulge in this kind of care.

Yet his body perceived the wiping motion—so soft, so gentle—and he couldn’t bear to push it away.

Lin Chuji, head bowed, focused entirely on the cotton ball in his hand, undistracted.

Just as he was about to widen the area, Xie Yan grabbed his finger.

After a long moment, Xie Yan finally spoke slowly.

“If it takes hours of wiping, then I’m the one taking advantage of you.

How should I pay you back?”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Deductive Reasoning

Capable BottomDevoted TopFantasy

Read Now →
Not interested