The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

70

Chapter 70
Ji Ruan developed a fever the next morning.
At 5:40 in the morning, Gu Xiuyi got up as usual for his warm-up exercises. At that time, Ji Ruan was still in a cozy state, comfortably curled up in the blankets and deeply asleep. Whenever Gu Xiuyi leaned in to kiss him, Ji Ruan would unconsciously pout to reciprocate.
However, when Gu Xiuyi finished his workout, and after grooming and dressing, he went to give Ji Ruan a good morning kiss, only to find that the temperature of his face felt off.
Ji Ruan's body temperature was usually on the lower side. Even after being nestled against Gu Xiuyi all night, his cheeks would feel lukewarm at best. But now, they were noticeably warmer than usual.
A sense of foreboding struck Gu Xiuyi. He quickly fetched a thermometer and took Ji Ruan's temperature: 38.1°C. It was indeed a slight fever.
Gently tapping Ji Ruan's cheek, Gu Xiuyi propped him up a bit and whispered, "Ji Ruan? Darling, wake up."
Ji Ruan mumbled and nuzzled against Gu Xiuyi's shoulder, "Hmm?"
He could feel himself being lifted by Gu Xiuyi, but he felt weak and too tired to open his eyes.
As Gu Xiuyi helped Ji Ruan put on an outer garment, he lifted Ji Ruan's arm to dress him, all the while speaking soothingly, "You seem to have a fever. Shall we go to the hospital?"
Gu Xiuyi wasn't trying to trouble Ji Ruan early in the morning.
Though 38°C wasn't a high fever and an average person might just take some medicine and sleep it off, Ji Ruan's constitution was delicate. When he ran a fever, it wasn't easy for it to subside, and there could be implications for his hearing. Gu Xiuyi couldn't afford to be careless.
Perhaps being acutely aware of his own frailty, even with flushed cheeks from the fever, Ji Ruan cooperatively followed Gu Xiuyi's gestures.
After helping Ji Ruan with a quick freshening up, Gu Xiuyi fetched a fever patch from a drawer, placing it gently on Ji Ruan's forehead, then carried him downstairs.
Aunt Zhao was preparing breakfast while listening to the morning news. As she was about to call Gu Xiuyi, she saw Ji Ruan clinging to him like a little koala, head tucked low.
"Oh, what's happened?" She set down the tray and stepped closer.
Gu Xiuyi pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table, placing Ji Ruan on his lap, wrapping an arm around his waist, ensuring he was comfortable.
"It's fine. He's just running a slight fever," Gu Xiuyi explained, "Aunt Zhao, can you serve some porridge for me? And please call the driver."
"Oh, of course," she replied.
From Aunt Zhao's angle, she could only see half of Ji Ruan's face. It was flushed, with a prominent fever patch pressing against his brow. It reminded her of how her friend's granddaughter looked when she was ill - it evoked a pang of sympathy.
Gu Xiuyi scooped a small spoonful of porridge and brought it to Ji Ruan's lips, "Come on, darling. Have a little something before we see the doctor."
Ji Ruan responded sluggishly, taking a few moments before slowly opening his mouth.
He was clearly lucid, but the fever made him too weak to respond much. When he swallowed slowly, his eyes were rimmed with red, and his lashes were damp as if misted with water.
Gu Xiuyi tenderly kissed the corner of his eye, "Does it hurt a lot, my love?"
Ji Ruan looked completely listless, feeling wronged by his illness, and murmured a soft "Mmm."
Gu Xiuyi felt a pang in his heart and coaxed gently, "Sweetie, can we take one more bite? Or your stomach will feel worse."
After coaxing him to eat a few more bites, Ji Ruan suddenly turned his head, furrowed his brows, and held Gu Xiuyi's hand while panting, "I... I'm feeling a bit sick..."
Gu Xiuyi immediately set down the spoon and supported his back, "Where does it hurt?"
Ji Ruan shook his head, clutched his temples tightly, and then covered his mouth, retching painfully.
"Going to throw up?" Gu Xiuyi kicked a trash can closer, "It's okay, love. Just let it out. It won't get messy."
He wrapped his arm around Ji Ruan, holding him tightly by the waist, ensuring he wouldn't collapse, while gently rubbing his back.
Ji Ruan's pale fingers gripped Gu Xiuyi's forearm. After several painful swallows, he couldn't hold it in and vomited.
The half bowl of porridge Gu Xiuyi had painstakingly fed him was completely gone within moments.
Eating further was out of the question. Ji Ruan's condition had significantly worsened. Even when his fever had previously approached 39 degrees Celsius, he hadn't felt this bad.
Not wanting to waste another moment, Gu Xiuyi hurriedly carried Ji Ruan to the car, instructing the driver to speed to the hospital.
Ji Ruan's eyes, which had teared up from the retching, were still bloodshot. Leaning against Gu Xiuyi, he panted heavily, his feverish, rosy cheeks turning pale.
Gu Xiuyi cradled Ji Ruan's face, forcing him to maintain eye contact to stay lucid, "Ji Ruan, Ji Ruan? How do you feel right now?"
Ji Ruan couldn't articulate his feelings.
Everything spun before his eyes, making him nauseous. The pain pulled tautly from a nerve behind his ear, and half his scalp felt like it was going to burst.
"I..." He tried to speak but was cut off by a sharp pain, turning his words into a whimper, "My head... hurts... Ah, my ear..."