Can We Get Married First?  47

Chapter 47

The smart refrigerator was empty, even the clever AI unable to conjure up a meal from nothing. Peng Ziyuan had ordered groceries online, timing her arrival to coincide with the delivery.

As she entered the house, she heard a chorus of sneezes. Both Chi Lin and Lou Mi were sick.

“Mother…”

Chi Lin stood up to greet her.

“What happened? You’re burning up!” Peng Ziyuan exclaimed, touching Chi Lin’s forehead, which was hot to the touch.

Lou Mi, huddled on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, a cooling patch on her forehead, croaked, “It’s my fault… I… made her sick.”

“You? How? Why are you both sick? Did you take your temperatures?” Peng Ziyuan put down the groceries.

Chi Lin was too embarrassed to explain how they had both fallen into the pond.

And the… details of the incident.

She glanced at Lou Mi, whose face was flushed, her usual energy replaced by a surprising vulnerability.

At least she’s alive.

Chi Lin had a secret she couldn’t reveal.

It was too unbelievable.

Lou Mi had startled her, triggering her instinctive defensive reflexes. She had grabbed Lou Mi’s arm, and they had both lost their balance, falling into the pond.

The cold water had soaked their heavy winter coats, weighing them down. Chi Lin had struggled to remove hers, the zipper stuck.

The murky water had obscured her vision.

Unable to see Lou Mi and struggling with her coat, she had panicked.

Finally managing to rip off her coat, she had searched for Lou Mi, her movements now unhindered.

Even without seeing her, she had found her, pulling her unconscious body from the pond just as the security guard arrived.

Lou Mi, though a decent swimmer, had been caught off guard, inhaling water and losing consciousness, her heavy clothes restricting her movements.

The security guard, seeing Lou Mi’s unconscious form, had panicked, one calling for an ambulance, the other wanting to administer first aid, but hesitating to perform CPR on a young woman. He urged Chi Lin to take over.

Chi Lin knew the basics of first aid.

The methods described in the ancient medical texts were similar to the modern techniques demonstrated by the guard.

But…

She hesitated.

“What are you waiting for?!” the guard exclaimed. “She might die!”

His words spurred her into action.

She couldn’t let her embarrassment endanger Lou Mi’s life!

The guard, seeing her hesitation, had his partner lie down and demonstrated the procedure.

“Like this! Press firmly on the chest!”

Chi Lin checked Lou Mi’s airway, then, steeling herself, began chest compressions.

“And then… like this!” The guard, demonstrating mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on his partner, said, “Blow air into her lungs!”

Chi Lin froze.

The ancient texts recommended blowing air into the ears, not the mouth.

She felt dizzy, her wet clothes clinging to her cold skin.

Chest compressions and… mouth-to-mouth?

“Hurry!” the guard urged.

Looking at Lou Mi’s unconscious form, she thought, If she’s the Empress, I can’t let her die.

Even if she isn’t, I can’t let her die.

She pinched Lou Mi’s nose and, her lips touching Lou Mi’s, performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“Good! Now press on her chest again!”

Chi Lin resumed chest compressions.

“Harder!” the guard shouted, seeing her slender arms. “Use all your strength!”

Chi Lin, her movements fueled by adrenaline, pressed down, her hand hitting something… soft.

Oops, she thought.

Lou Mi, still unconscious, felt a sharp pain in her chest, jolting her awake.

She coughed up water, gasping for air.

“We took our temperatures,” she said to Peng Ziyuan. “Mine is over 38 degrees Celsius. Hers is over 39.”

“That’s high! We have to go to the hospital!”

“We just came back from the hospital,” Lou Mi said. “We have medicine. It’s just a mild fever.”

Peng Ziyuan, sensing something amiss, asked, “You’ve already been to the hospital?”

Lou Mi, knowing Peng Ziyuan’s sharp intuition, decided to tell her a… slightly embellished version of the truth.

“I went to pick up Xiao Lin after school, and we were… caught in a sudden downpour. I was worried we would get sick, so we went to the hospital. We have medicine. It’s nothing serious.”

Her story was plausible, yet… suspicious.

Peng Ziyuan cupped Chi Lin’s face, her eyes filled with concern. “Baby, tell Mommy if you’re not feeling well. I’m so worried about you.”

I’d be fine if you weren’t so… affectionate, Chi Lin thought.

Lou Mi, watching their interaction, smiled, then glanced at her phone.

“You too, Mimi,” Peng Ziyuan said. “Tell me if you’re not feeling well. I’m older and more experienced in dealing with illnesses.”

Her tone was motherly, almost condescending, but Lou Mi felt a warmth spreading through her chest, despite the slight cringe.

“Okay, I will,” she said.

But the warmth was accompanied by a sharp pain.

She clutched her chest, pressing gently. It wasn’t her imagination.

It really hurt.

What’s going on? Did I hit my chest on something when I fell into the pond?

She had no memory of the actual fall or the moments before regaining consciousness.

She only knew Chi Lin had saved her.

“What do you want for dinner?” Peng Ziyuan asked. “I’ll cook.”

“I’m not hungry,” Chi Lin said.

“How about porridge and some side dishes? Mimi?”

“I’m not hungry either.”

“How about your favorite luosifen?”

“XH doesn’t know how to make luosifen.”

“I do,” Peng Ziyuan said cheerfully. “It’s settled, then! Drink plenty of water and rest. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

“Thank you…” Lou Mi said.

“Don’t mention it!”

As Peng Ziyuan went to the kitchen, Lou Mi, her glass empty, stood up to get more water.

“I’ll get it,” Chi Lin said. “You should rest.”

“But you have a higher fever…”

Chi Lin took the glass from her, not giving her a chance to protest.

“Using your martial arts skills again, huh?” Lou Mi teased.

Chi Lin returned with a glass of warm water. Lou Mi, looking at her, said, “You seem… guilty. What did you do?”

Lou Mi had no memory of the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Chi Lin, feeling a pang of guilt, averted her gaze. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? Then why are you acting so suspicious? Look at me and answer my question. What did you do?”

“I…”

As Lou Mi was about to press further, a sharp pain shot through her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

She clutched her chest, gasping. “I should really get this checked…”

“What’s wrong?” Chi Lin asked, concerned. “Where does it hurt?”

The location was awkward to describe, and even if she did, Chi Lin wouldn’t connect it to the CPR.

Seeing Chi Lin’s genuine concern, Lou Mi said, “Can you get me some tea?”

“Of course,” Chi Lin replied. “Da Hong Pao or Tieguanyin?”

“Neither. That… dark tea blend you made.”

“But I’m out of ingredients…”

“I want that one. I told you I liked it.”

The pain in Lou Mi’s chest intensified.

This is so frustrating.

Chi Lin, seeing her discomfort, asked gently, “Is it your chest?”

Lou Mi didn’t answer.

Chi Lin, her voice even softer, said, “Don’t talk then. I’ll make you more tea when I get the ingredients.”

Lou Mi groaned internally. Of all the times to be out of tea…

Chi Lin realized her words sounded suspicious, but she really was out of ingredients.

“Any other kind of tea? Fruit? Dessert?”

“No dessert when you have a fever, idiot,” Lou Mi said.

Chi Lin chuckled. “Right.”

Lou Mi, seeing her sweet and gentle demeanor, couldn’t stay angry.

“You should be resting. You’re sicker than I am. Go lie down.”

“I’m fine. Let me change your cooling patch.”

Before Lou Mi could protest, Chi Lin had already replaced the patch with a new, cold one.

The cool sensation against her forehead was refreshing.

“Do you know why I went to your school today?” Lou Mi asked, her voice soft, conserving her energy.

“To protect me,” Chi Lin replied.

Lou Mi had expected her to pretend ignorance, but Chi Lin’s directness surprised her.

It was… strangely satisfying.

“You made a classmate cry?”

“No,” Chi Lin said, explaining the “Five Deadly Stars” incident.

“What the hell?” Lou Mi exclaimed. “Is there a cure for chuunibyou?!”

Chuunibyou? Chi Lin made a mental note to ask the system about its meaning.

Lou Mi, smelling the food, asked softly, “Did anyone bully you at school today?”

“No, I bullied them,” Chi Lin replied.

Lou Mi started to laugh, then winced, the pain in her chest returning.

Chi Lin was certain now. She had injured Lou Mi during the CPR.

She felt a pang of guilt, while Lou Mi remained puzzled by the recurring pain.

Chi Lin couldn’t tell the truth.

Admitting to the CPR would mean explaining the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

And Lou Mi, a modern woman, would understand its implications.

Chi Lin had researched CPR. Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth were a package deal.

And she had overheard Lou Mi’s conversation with her teammates. Lou Mi hadn’t had her first kiss yet.

Which meant Chi Lin had stolen it… without her consent…

Chi Lin knew the significance of a first kiss, in any era.

If Lou Mi found out, she would be furious.

Some things were best left unsaid.

But seeing Lou Mi in pain… her conscience gnawed at her.

Peng Ziyuan, having finished cooking, received a video call from Lou Lixing.

“Yuan Yuan, I’ll be late tonight. You, Xiao Lin, and Mimi go ahead and eat without me.”

“Okay,” Peng Ziyuan replied. “Don’t worry about us. Focus on your work. Dinner is ready.”

She called Chi Lin and Lou Mi to the dining table, noticing they were practically supporting each other, their movements slow and deliberate.

“You two look awful,” she said. “Just stay there. I’ll feed you.”

“We can’t eat if we don’t move…” Lou Mi muttered.

“I’ll feed you,” Peng Ziyuan said, her tone sincere and motherly.

Lou Mi, looking at her, realized she was serious.

“Please don’t,” she said quickly. “I can feed myself.”

Being fed by another woman, especially in front of Chi Lin, was too embarrassing.

Chi Lin also declined, moving her chair away from Peng Ziyuan as she approached with a bowl of porridge.

“Mother, please don’t,” she said.

Peng Ziyuan looked surprised. “But you used to beg me to feed you. You wouldn’t eat unless I fed you.”

“That was last year,” Chi Lin said. “I was… immature then.”

“I see…” Peng Ziyuan sighed dramatically. “My baby has grown up. She doesn’t need her mommy anymore.”

Chi Lin: “…”

“Just one bite,” Peng Ziyuan pleaded.

Lou Mi, suppressing her laughter, joined in.

“Come on, Xiao Zai Zai, just one bite.”

Chi Lin glared at Lou Mi, thinking, I’m thirty-two, only ten years younger than Peng Ziyuan. Being fed by her is… undignified.

She had been feeding herself since she was a child, even managing her own daily needs without servants.

It was a point of pride, and now, in this era, she was facing the indignity of being… spoon-fed.

And the original owner is almost eighteen! Get a grip, Peng-furen.

Chi Lin had been so well-behaved lately, so independent, a stark contrast to her previous spoiled behavior.

Peng Ziyuan was pleased by her daughter’s maturity, but she also felt a sense of… distance.

Chi Lin no longer relied on her, and Peng Ziyuan felt a pang of anxiety, a fear of being… unnecessary.

Seeing her daughter sick had intensified her maternal instincts, her desire to nurture and protect.

Chi Lin, realizing resistance was futile, and feeling slightly dizzy from her fever, relented.

“Just one bite,” she said.

Peng Ziyuan beamed. “Just one bite!”

Chi Lin opened her mouth and swallowed the porridge.

“Okay?” she asked, her tone suddenly serious, her gaze intense.

Peng Ziyuan, intimidated by her sudden shift in demeanor, said meekly, “Okay.”

Chi Lin took the bowl and ate quietly.

Peng Ziyuan, watching her, felt a surge of pride.

She had never expected her daughter to become so… capable.

Chi Lin was exceeding all her expectations.

Can I really be so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter? she wondered.

Chi Lin, simply eating her dinner: “?”

Lou Mi, feeling dizzy, excused herself and went to bed early.

She slept soundly, waking up feeling better, though her body still ached.

Her temperature was 37 degrees Celsius.

She had to go to the club today.

The Winter World Cup was approaching, and the team still needed a fourth member. Many decisions required her input.

She went to the club, put on the access crystals, and entered the game, but her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated.

She missed her dodges, mistimed her attacks, and during the boss fight, the entire team struggled, their attacks ineffective.

“Time out,” Zhuo Jinglan said, watching her performance on the monitor. “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

Lou Mi, leaning back in her chair, admitted to having a fever. She had hoped to power through it, but her condition was affecting the team. She decided to go home and rest.

She told Zhuo Jinglan about the “sudden downpour” incident.

Zhuo Jinglan: “Has falling in love lowered your IQ?”

Lou Mi was about to retort when a sharp pain shot through her chest, and she cried out.

“Mi-jie, are you okay?” Xie Buyu and the other teammates rushed over.

Pagoda: “Lan-jie, what did you do to her?”

Zhuo Jinglan’s hair practically stood on end. “What could I possibly do? It’s obviously the sister’s fault!”

Lou Mi clutched her chest, unable to speak.

Xie Buyu: “Wow, is that true? Mi-jie? Did your little sister beat you up? You’re as fragile as a delicate flower now.”

Hu Hu: “I’ll get you some coffee.”

Lou Mi glared at Xie Buyu and Zhuo Jinglan, mouthing the words, You’re both dead.

Her phone rang. She gestured for Xie Buyu to bring it to her.

Xie Buyu grinned. “It must be your sister.”

“Shut up,” Lou Mi muttered, seeing Chi Lin’s name on the screen. It was indeed a voice message from Chi Lin.

Xie Buyu’s eyes were glued to the screen. “Mi-jie, can we have some of that sweet, sweet love?”

Lou Mi whispered, “There’s no ‘love.’”

Xie Buyu sighed. “So secretive. Keeping your love life private. No consideration for your single teammates.”

Lou Mi wanted to strangle her.

To prove she wasn’t in a relationship, she played the message aloud.

It would just be about dinner plans or something.

Chi Lin had never said anything… private to her.

“Sister, I’ve been thinking… I should tell you the truth. I… hurt you yesterday. Wait for me when you get home tonight. I need to talk to you.”

The message ended, and the room fell silent.

Lou Mi: “…”

Why did she say that?!

What does “hurt you” even mean? So ambiguous!

Lou Mi closed her eyes, not wanting to see her teammates’ reactions.

Xie Buyu poked her arm. “Mi-jie, that sounds… kinky.”

Pagoda: “That little sister is fierce.”

Zhuo Jinglan: “Mi-jie, the World Cup is coming up. Tell your sister to… restrain herself until after the competition.”

Lou Mi couldn’t take it anymore.

Restrained? Chi Lin? That little brat?

She opened her eyes, a furious glare silencing the room.