Become a mother in a night

Chapter 57

It was likely because Michelle Xia had spent time playing in the snow with the children that she caught a cold, leading to a fever.
The next morning, Michelle woke up feeling a fog enveloping her mind, as if someone had whacked her head with a stick. Even breathing felt like a laborious task. Dazedly, she got up from bed and moved to the dining table to have her breakfast. Her mind seemed miles away, and it wasn't until the child called out to her a couple of times that she snapped back to reality.
She gave a gentle smile to the child and ruffled their hair, asking, "What's up, Lizzy?" Her voice was nasal, and her throat sounded scratchy, making speaking appear to be a strenuous task.
Hearing her voice, Alex Ye looked up at her, a frown creasing his forehead. He was about to suggest having Dr. Lu come over to check on her when he remembered Dr. Lu was away in Europe for a conference that week. "Do you think you need to visit the hospital?" Alex asked, already aware of her probable response, and added, "Dr. Lu is on leave this week."
Michelle paused for a moment. While she felt that taking some medicine would be enough, she couldn't ignore the concerned look on Alex's face. She smiled at him and responded, "Alright, I'll head to the hospital later on my own. No need to bother, Mr. Ye."
Alex looked at her without voicing any opinion and simply urged the child to finish breakfast quickly.
Lizzy, initially wanting to whimsically request Michelle pick her up after school, changed her mind after hearing her mother's hoarse voice. "Oh, mommy isn't feeling well," Lizzy realized. "She needs to rest."
With that realization, Lizzy began to grow concerned for Michelle. Quickly, she jumped off her chair and hurried to the kitchen, returning with a warm cup of water for her mother. Looking up with a soft, worried face, Lizzy earnestly said to Michelle, "Mommy, you need to drink warm water; it will help you get better faster!"
Michelle found Lizzy's straightforward way of thinking both touching and a bit amusing. Playing along with her daughter's considerate gesture, she chuckled, "Wow, thank you, Lizzy."
After breakfast, Alex took Lizzy to kindergarten. As he was about to leave, he cast a meaningful glance at Michelle. Even in her slightly delirious state, she could sense the sharpness of Alex's gaze. Meeting his eyes, she was about to ask if there was something else he wanted, but then quickly realized what he might be hinting at. With a reassuring smile, she told him, "Don't worry, I'll head to the hospital soon."
Alex Ye looked at Michelle Xia's slightly pale face. The soft and delicate appearance added a vulnerable aura to her presence. Considering the recent frequency of her writing updates, he doubted that Michelle would make the time to visit a hospital. Given her nature, she'd probably just take some over-the-counter medicine, brew some coffee for a boost, and then push herself to write in front of the computer while feeling miserable.
Hence, Alex gently suggested, "Don't take any medicine just yet. Let me take you to the hospital."
Michelle hesitated. She wasn't keen on going to the hospital; such visits could be quite time-consuming. Modern hospitals could have her hooked up to an IV for something as simple as a cold or fever, and even without an IV, just traveling to the hospital would eat up a good chunk of her day.
Her current novel was close to completion, and while the response had been promising, it hadn't reached the ambitious targets she and Alyssa had set. Alyssa aimed to snag the top spot, the most prestigious position on the home page from Lulu, the current chart-topper. But Michelle, being a relatively new writer, didn't have the same subscriber base as some of the established authors under Lulu's umbrella.
While some rankings and recommendations could be influenced behind the scenes, other lists relied heavily on raw data. The homepage featured the "best" works based on subscriber count. If Michelle couldn't surpass Lulu's top author, not even the senior editors would consider promoting her work to that coveted position.
Michelle was a freshly-signed author. This novel was her debut, and given her lack of a fanbase or innate popularity, making it to the upper echelons was already quite commendable. However, her subscriber count still paled in comparison to that seasoned author under Lulu's wing. To secure a spot on the home page, Michelle's only recourse was to increase her publishing frequency.
Having been a consistent writer and an avid gamer, Michelle was adept at typing quickly and maintaining a decent update frequency. But Lulu's signed authors were relentless, often doubling or even tripling their update schedules.
In the past, Michelle had always operated on a fierce 'go big or go home' policy. If another author doubled their updates, she'd triple hers. This relentless pace was why she hadn't even taken her cold medicine the previous night and had worked through her congested breathing, writing until 4 a.m.
And now, the consequence of that choice was clear: she had a fever.
She had assured Alex that she'd go to the hospital later, but that was merely a placation. In reality, she had no intention of leaving her home. She planned to take some cold medicine, drink some coffee, and dive straight into today's updates. After all, she had a leaderboard to climb with Alyssa, targeting the top spot currently held by Lulu.
So when Alex mentioned taking her to the hospital, every fiber of Michelle's being screamed in opposition. "Mr. Ye—" she started, intending to say she could handle the hospital visit on her own.
But before she could utter another word of protest, Alex was already walking out the door, hand-in-hand with Lizzy, not giving her even the slightest chance to object.
Michelle Xia had known Alex Ye for over half a year. She never doubted Alex's words and actions. Michelle wanted to quickly find and take some cold medicine before Alex returned, so she wouldn't have to waste time visiting the hospital.
Rummaging through drawers and cabinets for cold medication, she was sheepishly informed by Nora, "Miss Xia, I organized the medicine cabinet the day before and noticed that some medicines were nearing expiration. I disposed of them, but I haven't restocked yet."
That explained why Nora had made ginger tea for Michelle the previous night.
Though Michelle didn't particularly want cold medicine last night, why hadn't Nora just given her cold medicine if it was available? The oversight in keeping the medicine cabinet stocked was genuinely Nora's fault.
A bit anxious and in a low voice, Nora explained, "Miss Xia, I've been busy preparing for my final exams, so I haven't gotten around to restocking."
She pleaded, "Miss Xia, can you please not mention this to Mr. Ye?"
Michelle sighed. "If I'm the one falling sick, that's one thing. But what if Lizzy got sick?" She then recalled that her little Lizzy seemed to be allergic to some fever reducers. Thinking of the ever-clingy and ever-troublesome Lizzy, Michelle instructed Nora on which cold and fever medicines to get.
Coming from a challenging background, Nora had always had to work hard to make ends meet. Michelle wasn't interested in tattling and didn't reprimand Nora. Instead, she advised her to focus on her exams.
This eased Nora's concerns. Emotional, she thought, "Miss Xia truly has a kind heart."
...
Lizzy's kindergarten was close to home, and it took Alex less than twenty minutes to return. Michelle sighed again. Without fever reducers or cold medicines at home, she was bound to visit the hospital now.
She changed into a new outfit, draped a scarf around her neck, and prepared to head out with Alex. Even though she preferred not to, given Alex took time off work to accompany her, she felt she should at least express her gratitude.
Michelle smiled at Alex and said, "Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Ye."
Alex looked into her eyes briefly, then looked away before saying, "It's no trouble."
In reality, Michelle's condition was more serious than she admitted. She had been staying up late frequently, which weakened her immunity and caused mild anemia.
Upon examining Michelle's elevated temperature, the doctor advised a half-day bed rest, an IV drip, and recommended she stay for observation.
Michelle, not wanting to stay at the hospital, countered with a charming smile, "Doctor, I'd prefer just to have some medications instead of an IV."
Having encountered numerous patients reluctant for treatments due to time and money concerns, the doctor noted that both Michelle and Alex certainly didn't seem to lack funds. So, the hesitation must be about the time. Especially since Michelle had the look of a workaholic.
The doctor, with a mix of concern and frustration, advised, "Young lady, your fever is quite severe. You need to rest and recover. You shouldn't always be thinking about work."
He went on to highlight the risks of dying suddenly due to long hours and the dangers of fever and cold complications, leaving Michelle startled.
However, Michelle, prioritizing her work over health, thought she showed none of the warning signs of those complications. She wanted to head home and continue her writing.
Just as she was about to speak, a gentle pressure descended on her shoulder. Alex interrupted her, his hand resting on her shoulder as a calming gesture, suggesting both silence and comfort. "Let's follow the doctor's advice," he said.