Bai Youwei lay quietly, no response.

“Bai Youwei?” Shen Mo’s voice intensified, like a string stretched to the breaking point.

She didn’t move at all.

He held her hand—it was warm.

Her cheek was also warm.

Her pulse was still there.

Her breathing was also still there.

But why wouldn’t she wake up?

Had the high fever made her faint, or…

Shen Mo’s back molars tightened. He reached out and grabbed Bai Youwei up from the bed!

“Ah!”

Bai Youwei was unprepared and let out a short, startled cry!

Shen Mo was initially stunned, then fury flashed in his eyes!

Everyone who heard the sound came running. Seeing Bai Youwei sitting safely on the bed, with Shen Mo standing by the bed, his face covered with dark clouds, black enough to drip ink!

“What happened?” Teacher Cheng looked at their expressions in confusion. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Shen Mo’s eyes stared darkly at Bai Youwei. After looking for a while, he took a deep breath and said, “Nothing.”

Though he said “nothing,” his tone was cold as if laced with ice chips—it absolutely didn’t seem like nothing!

Before Teacher Cheng could ask again, he turned around expressionlessly without saying a word and walked out of the room.

The few people gathered at the door looked at each other, all sensing the subtle change between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei.

Teacher Cheng asked worriedly, “Weiwei, what exactly happened? Did you and Shen Mo have an argument?”

“No…” Bai Youwei denied, then pursed her lips and replied sullenly, “He just now… seemed to think I’d turned into a doll.”

Everyone: “…”

In the silence, Tan Xiao blurted out: “Wow! You didn’t do it on purpose, did you?”

Bai Youwei immediately glared at him fiercely: “Do I seem like that kind of person?!”

Tan Xiao laughed without restraint: “Yes, yes you do!”

“Laugh about nothing!” Bai Youwei threw a pillow at him!

She missed. Tan Xiao ran off in a flash.

While running, he was still tattling: “Brother Mo! Weiwei’s losing her temper again!—”

Bai Youwei: “…”

Damn, she really didn’t do it on purpose!

…

The entire afternoon, Shen Mo didn’t acknowledge Bai Youwei.

Of course, it wasn’t that he completely ignored her. When Bai Youwei called him, he would come over. When Bai Youwei wanted water, he would pour it. When Bai Youwei wanted to go downstairs, he would also carry her down.

But he didn’t say a word, not even an extra glance.

This made Bai Youwei very uncomfortable, yet also somewhat intrigued. She thought to herself that his behavior was ultimately because he worried about her. It seemed that the idea of her turning into a doll had quite a significant impact on him.

Thinking it over, she decided to be magnanimous for once and forgive his rudeness.

Besides…

She glanced at the white dress drying by the fireplace.

He’d even washed her clothes for her—how could she bear to be angry with him?

Shen Mo found a pile of chopped firewood under the eaves by the back door. He brought in an armful. The wood was very damp, some even had mushrooms growing on them. Holding them in his arms was somehow comical.

Bai Youwei watched him and smiled.

However, this smile didn’t move the man.

Shen Mo placed down the firewood expressionlessly and roasted it by the fireplace to dry it out, to prevent running out of firewood for the fireplace.

He crouched in front of the fireplace, his dark eyes reflecting the firelight. The muscle lines of his arms were smooth. In just a few moves, he stacked a pile of firewood into a small tower—crisscross pattern, layer upon layer while ensuring each piece of wood had gaps between them, increasing air circulation so they would dry faster.

Bai Youwei sat beside him watching him work. His methodical, solemn, and indifferent expression gave off a silent warning to keep strangers away, making him all the more coldly handsome and full of masculine charm.

Her heart felt like it had a feather tickling it. She couldn’t help calling out: “Shen Mo.”

Shen Mo turned his head to look at her, his slightly furrowed brows showing confusion.

“If one day I turned into a doll,” she stared into his eyes and asked seriously, “would you cry for me?”