The doctor arrived in a rush fifteen minutes later. He quickly examined Shen Yuqing and came to a conclusion that left everyone stunned.
He was just asleep. Simply asleep.
Xiao Zhao looked incredulous. “Then why can’t we wake our young master?”
The doctor replied, “It might be related to personal habits. And didn’t you say he vomited earlier? Those who vomit a little usually aren’t in serious condition. I’ll give him an injection, and after a good sleep, he’ll be fine.”
The doctor promptly administered the injection. Shen Yuqing seemed to feel the pain, as he groggily opened his eyes and mumbled, “Dean hurts.”
The first two words were slurred, almost like he was whining to someone, but the last word was clear to everyone hurt.
The doctor reassured, “Young master, the pain will fade soon.”
Shen Yuqing kept frowning, but at least he showed some reaction.
After the injection, Pei Yiyan said, “Wu Yi, help him into the bedroom and then escort the doctor out.”
Wu Yi nodded and, along with Xiao Zhao and the doctor, struggled to move Shen Yuqing from the sofa to the bed.
Once Wu Yi and the doctor had left, Xiao Zhao efficiently brought warm water to wipe Shen Yuqing’s limbs and changed his clothes, finally eliminating the strong stench of alcohol from earlier.
After finishing, Xiao Zhao said to Pei Yiyan, “Young Master Pei, if you need anything, just call for me. My door is open, and I’ll hear you.”
After all, this was Shen Yuqing and Pei Yiyan’s room, and Xiao Zhao rarely stayed long except for cleaning.
Pei Yiyan acknowledged with a hum, “Understood.”
Xiao Zhao then left.
Hearing the door lock click, Pei Yiyan walked over to Shen Yuqing’s side and looked down at him.
He was quite well-behaved when asleep.
After watching for a while, Pei Yiyan picked up his clothes and went to take a shower. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he found Shen Yuqing sitting on the bed, staring unblinkingly in the direction of the bathroom.
Pei Yiyan approached and asked, “Awake?”
Shen Yuqing’s eyes darted around before he muttered, “Stinks. Brush teeth. Shower.”
So he had been woken by the smell.
Pei Yiyan said, “I’ll call Xiao Zhao.”
Shen Yuqing nodded obediently, and Pei Yiyan summoned Xiao Zhao again.
Xiao Zhao helped him brush his teeth, but given his current state, they didn’t dare let him shower. Instead, they coaxed and tricked him back to sleep.
Pei Yiyan took a deep breath. With all the commotion caused by Shen Yuqing, it had somehow already reached 11 p.m.
Beside him, the familiar sounds of breathing and purring from Good Luck filled the room. Pei Yiyan glanced at Shen Yuqing one last time before reaching out to turn off the light.
Shen Yuqing woke up from the heat.
He felt like he was trapped in a place alternating between cold and scorching, his entire body being torn apart, his mind a complete mess. He kept groaning, lifting his legs to kick a few times before finally managing to shove off whatever was pressing down on him.
But it still wasn’t enough. In his daze, he searched for something cool. After what felt like forever, he finally found a block of ice. He threw himself onto it, rubbing his cheeks against the icy surface, finally feeling some relief.
Pei Yiyan opened his eyes and looked in confusion at the person pressing down on him. His mind still hadn’t fully processed the situation. Lowering his gaze slightly, he saw a head nuzzling against his chest—the buttons of his shirt, once neatly fastened, had somehow come undone from all the rubbing.
“Shen Yuqing!” His voice was low, his expression grim.
But the person lying atop him seemed not to hear, continuing to nuzzle wildly while muttering incomprehensible nonsense.
Pei Yiyan could feel the unnatural heat radiating from Shen Yuqing’s body. Frowning, he placed both hands on Shen Yuqing’s shoulders, trying to push him away. Yet Shen Yuqing, for some inexplicable reason, was impossibly strong not only couldn’t he be pushed away, but their bodies pressed even closer together.
Shen Yuqing straddled his waist, legs parted tightly against his sides, arms wrapped firmly around him, nuzzling like Lucky when she wanted attention.
Pei Yiyan pushed again. “Shen Yuqing! Snap out of it!”
Still, Shen Yuqing didn’t respond, only whimpering about how hot he was.
The soft hair tickled Pei Yiyan slightly, and then he felt something else pressing against him.
“…”
Pei Yiyan raised his voice. “Shen Yuqing!”
This time, the shout seemed to jolt Shen Yuqing back to awareness. He lifted his head dazedly, but the room was dark, and he couldn’t quite grasp who had called him.
Just then, Lucky meowed.
As if grasping at clarity through the haze, Shen Yuqing meowed back twice before suddenly leaning in again, nuzzling and mumbling.
This time, Pei Yiyan understood.
“Kitty! Kitty! I’ll kiss you to death! Kiss you to death!” Shen Yuqing exclaimed fervently.
Pei Yiyan tensed his hands, trying to stay calm, but Shen Yuqing was anything but cooperative. “Whose kitty is this? So sweet, so sweet kiss you to death! Kiss you to death!” he slurred.
Lucky meowed again, as if responding to Shen Yuqing.
Encouraged, Shen Yuqing nuzzled even more enthusiastically. Pei Yiyan could feel the strength in his embrace the man on top of him was practically vibrating with excitement.
Lucky, too, meowed repeatedly, equally worked up.
“Lucky, stop meowing,” Pei Yiyan muttered, rubbing his temples. It was clear now Shen Yuqing had mistaken him for a cat. The Luckier meowed, the more Shen Yuqing “nuzzled.”
He tried to sit up but remained firmly pinned to the bed, Shen Yuqing’s scorching body heat pressing uncomfortably against him.
Pei Yiyan gripped Shen Yuqing’s chin firmly, forcing him to look up. Shen Yuqing’s eyes were glistening, as if he’d been wronged.
Pei Yiyan faltered, loosening his grip slightly only for Shen Yuqing to break free and resume his frenzied clinging.
“Kitty, you smell so good. How are you so sweet?” Shen Yuqing buried his face in the crook of Pei Yiyan’s neck, as if trying to burrow deeper but blocked by the bed and pillow. Whining in frustration, he simply opened his mouth and bit down.
“Tch.” Pei Yiyan sucked in a breath. The bite on his neck didn’t hurt much, but it felt strange.
This couldn’t go on. Pei Yiyan grabbed the back of Shen Yuqing’s neck with one hand, propped himself up slightly with the other, and with a firm push, rolled Shen Yuqing off.
Pei Yiyan braced himself with one hand beside Shen Yuqing while wedging his other hand between the man’s neck and the pillow. Frowning, he forcibly withdrew his hand and gripped Shen Yuqing’s wrist tightly. “Are you sober now?” he demanded.
Shen Yuqing lay dazed, seemingly still processing how he’d been flipped over by a cat.
Seeing the man beneath him go still, Pei Yiyan took a deep breath and stood up, swiftly turning on the light.
The room brightened immediately, allowing Pei Yiyan to take in the full scene.
The king-sized bed was now a mess of tangled sheets and blankets. Shen Yuqing lay on his usual side, eyes closed again already fast asleep.
Pei Yiyan exhaled sharply and raised a hand to touch the bite mark on his neck.
What drunken nonsense was Shen Yuqing up to now?
But his body temperature earlier had been clearly abnormal. After a moment’s hesitation, Pei Yiyan walked back and bent down to check Shen Yuqing’s pulse.
His heartbeat was rapid, his breathing uneven.
This didn’t seem like the effects of alcohol.
Pei Yiyan frowned it was more like he’d ingested something by mistake.
His face and neck were flushed an unnatural red. Straightening up, Pei Yiyan decided to call Xiao Zhao in to take him to the hospital for a checkup.
But before he could move, a heavy weight suddenly slammed into his back.
Staggering, he nearly lost his balance and toppled over, dragging the person clinging to him down in an undignified heap.
Shen Yuqing locked his legs around Pei Yiyan’s waist and gripped his neck with one hand, shouting excitedly, “The Art of War all warfare is based on deception!”
Then he ducked his head and sank his teeth into Pei Yiyan’s scent gland the sweetest spot.
A strange, wet sensation spread from the damaged gland at the nape of his neck, radiating through his entire body. He even felt the man behind him lick the spot.
Pei Yiyan’s face burned crimson. Finally losing his temper, he roared for the first time, utterly uncharacteristic in his fury: “Shen Yuqing! Get the hell off me!”
Whether deception was acceptable in war or not, all he knew was that he was about to explode.
