On this side, Shi Fa Ke carried the earthenware pot and walked to the gate of Lu Chi’s courtyard. Just as she was about to knock, she discovered the door wasn’t latched—it opened with a gentle push. She couldn’t help but feel surprised. Did he forget to latch the door? He clearly said yesterday that he would latch it. It seems he really is quite ill.

The courtyard was quiet; Lu Chi should still be asleep.

Looking up at the sky, it was still early. Shi Fa Ke simply placed the porridge from the earthenware pot on the stove to keep warm, then put the medicine on the fire to brew. After finishing these tasks, seeing that Lu Chi still hadn’t gotten up, she decided to go check on him.

In the room, Lu Chi was lying quietly on the bed with his eyes closed. His breathing was still somewhat heavy, his brows slightly furrowed, appearing to sleep uneasily. Shi Fa Ke approached and reached out to feel his forehead—it didn’t seem as hot as before.

Just as she lowered her hand, she met a pair of extremely beautiful, extremely deep black eyes.

Shi Fa Ke was startled for a moment, then unconsciously smiled at him. “You’re awake?”

Lu Chi awakened from sweet dreams, only to see the person from his dreams again. For a moment he was somewhat dazed. He blinked extremely slowly, his consciousness suddenly returning, and he unconsciously lifted into a smile.

This smile was too dazzling. Shi Fa Ke couldn’t quite handle it. She shook her head to collect herself before saying, “When I came, I found the courtyard gate wasn’t latched, so I let myself in.”

“Mm, probably forgot.” Lu Chi curved his lips, casually finding a not-too-sincere reason.

Shi Fa Ke didn’t probe deeper, only worriedly admonished, “Next time you must remember to latch the door. You’re still sick—what if bad people break in? How dangerous that would be.”

“Good.” Lu Chi liked the way she worried about him, and obediently agreed.

“Are you hungry? The meat porridge is warming on the stove. Get up and eat some.” Shi Fa Ke said again.

Lu Chi actually had no appetite, but thinking it was porridge that A’Ke had personally made, he very much wanted to taste it.

And it was specially made for him—thinking this, his heart felt a bit sweet, and for a moment he was actually lost in thought.

Seeing that he didn’t move, Shi Fa Ke assumed he didn’t want to eat, and coaxed, “You didn’t eat much yesterday. Even if you have no appetite, you should eat something before taking medicine. When I was little and had headaches or fevers with no appetite, my mother would make me meat porridge with just a little bit of meat—light and sweet but not too greasy, very easy to eat.”

She unconsciously imitated Tao’s tone, speaking in a voice like coaxing a child.

“Mm.” Lu Chi curved his lips.

He discovered that he very much liked A’Ke’s coaxing tone… ah, he never thought he was this kind of person!

But his heart couldn’t help rippling with happiness!

“Master Lu?” Seeing him in a daze, Shi Fa Ke waved her hand in front of his eyes.

Lu Chi suddenly came back to himself. To cover his loss of composure, he braced himself trying to sit up, but unexpectedly his just-awakened body was extremely weak and powerless—he fell back down limply.

He seemed unable to believe that he could be so frail and powerless, just lying there dazed for a long moment without moving, looking delicate, pitiful, and helpless…

This sickly beauty pose… mm, it also had a certain charm.

Shi Fa Ke coughed lightly, choosing her words carefully, afraid of touching his pride, “You just had a fever yesterday. Having no strength is normal—don’t worry. I… shall I help you up?”

Lu Chi hadn’t expected that getting up would be so difficult for him one day… Though momentarily unable to accept reality, he quickly recovered. Hearing Shi Fa Ke’s words, he naturally detected the caution in her voice. He curved his lips and extended his hand, “I’ll trouble you.”

With permission, Shi Fa Ke approached and bent down, one hand supporting his neck, the other supporting his arm, then used force to help him up.

This position looked somewhat like half-supporting, half-embracing, truly quite intimate. Lu Chi suddenly caught her unique maiden fragrance. She was very close to him, so close that his heart began to panic. He could even hear his own heartbeat—”thump thump”—beating very rapidly. The strength he had just gathered scattered all at once…

But Shi Fa Ke seemed completely unaware of anything unusual. Though Lu Chi looked thin, his weight was truly not light. She was using almost all her strength to support him—how could she attend to anything else?

His panic and her composure formed a sharp contrast. Lu Chi felt somewhat subtly displeased. Her heart was clear as wind and moon, completely unguarded toward him, not even noticing the boundaries between men and women… This was not good news for him.

“A’Ke.” He suddenly spoke.

His lips were right by her ear, his inexplicably low, husky voice carrying a hint of warm breath that softly brushed into her ear. Shi Fa Ke only felt a strange tingling sensation, her hand suddenly trembling… Lu Chi fell back onto the bed with a “thump.”

This was a bit awkward…

Shi Fa Ke covered her ear, her face unconsciously taking on a layer of crimson, “You you you… what are you doing!”

“Mm?” Lu Chi lay on the bed looking at her, appearing completely innocent.

Shi Fa Ke paused, carefully thinking back—he… seemed to have done nothing? Only called her name?

“Did I… overstep?” Lu Chi lowered his eyes, looking somewhat dejected, “I thought we were already friends. Calling you by name should be fine. It was my presumption.”

“Ah no…” Seeing his dejected expression, Shi Fa Ke instead felt she had made a mountain out of a molehill, “We are naturally friends. Calling each other by name is of course fine.”

…Mm? Something seemed not quite right?

If Chu Yizhi were here, he would probably remind her very indignantly that friends were nothing! They were childhood sweethearts who grew up together, yet even now they still had to maintain proper distance!

Maintain proper distance, young lady!

Unfortunately, Chu Yizhi wasn’t there.

Lu Chi’s lips curved slightly, “A’Ke…”

This name had finally passed into the open—he wouldn’t have to call it secretly in his heart anymore.

“But why did you suddenly speak in my ear? I’m ticklish!” Shi Fa Ke suddenly straightened her expression and said.

Right, this was the key point. Why did he suddenly speak in her ear! She was super ticklish!

“I just wanted to say that your hair brushed into my eyes—it was a bit itchy.” Lu Chi spoke this lie with a straight face and steady breathing.

“So that’s how it was.” Shi Fa Ke felt relieved, “You should have said so earlier.”

Hair getting into one’s eyes was truly hard to bear. Shi Fa Ke expressed complete understanding and empathy.

The smile in Lu Chi’s eyes unconsciously deepened. He felt this girl was truly a treasure… He always couldn’t help wanting to tease her. When had he become so wicked…

If his half-brother were here, he would probably seriously tell him: No, you’ve always been this wicked. Don’t tell me that playing scholar for so long has made you actually think you’re a good person?

“Can you… can you get up by yourself?” Shi Fa Ke hesitated and asked.

She was willing to help, but that scene just now somehow left her feeling apprehensive. Though Master Lu had already explained the reason, she somehow still felt afraid… She felt that Master Lu had inexplicably become somewhat dangerous.

Lu Chi naturally saw her conflict. Though he knew she was uncomfortable, he still wanted to see her even more uncomfortable. Just as he was about to secure more benefits for himself, a sudden urgent knocking at the door shattered his little scheme.

The knocking was very urgent, making one feel irritated.

“I’ll go see!” Shi Fa Ke hurriedly ran off.

Looking at that back, it had the feeling of fleeing in panic.

Lu Chi sighed quietly. Fine, haste makes waste.

Shi Fa Ke walked out of the room and gently sighed, then reached up to uncomfortably rub her ear, as if that warm feeling was still there. Such a strange feeling.