Chapter 114: Nan Zhi Has a Fever
This raspy, soft voice left Lin Qiu Wu somewhat dazed and stirred his compassion.
He replied coldly, "Considering you've always taken care of him, I'll grant you this winter."
"No! It's not like that."
"At most, you can see him once a month from now on. This is my final concession. It would be wise of you to accept it!"
"Daddy! Food!"
Just as the Alpha finished speaking, the little alpha, who had been coaxed into eating by the butler, came toddling over, his voice soft and milky, with a grain of rice stuck to his lips.
Fearing that Lin Yun Jian might get worried, Nan Zhi quickly wiped away his tears.
"Daddy? Red...red..." Lin Yun Jian, looking up at his omega daddy's reddening eyes, voiced his concern.
"Some dust got into daddy's eyes just now. I've rubbed it out. Have you had enough to eat, Jian Jian? Once you're full, we can go home."
Nan Zhi crouched down to envelop the little alpha in his arms, his voice trembling ever so slightly.
Lin Qiu Wu's stern face softened upon the little alpha's appearance, but it tensed again upon hearing Nan Zhi's words.
"Daddy's here. We won't leave."
Lin Yun Jian began speaking earlier than most children his age. Perhaps because he, along with Lin Qiu Wu, was a product of a premium omega and alpha, the not-yet-two-year-old spoke as fluently as a three-year-old and had even picked up many words.
"We won't stay at your father's place. Shall we go back to daddy's little nest?"
"Mhm." The little alpha nodded obediently.
Wetness threatened to spill from Nan Zhi's eyes again.
How could he bear to let such a sweet child like Lin Yun Jian leave his side?
Nan Zhi, crouching on the ground, picked up Lin Yun Jian and began walking towards the door.
"Daddy...?"
Lin Yun Jian rested his head on Nan Zhi's shoulder, his round, bright eyes fixed on Lin Qiu Wu seated on the sofa.
With a blank expression, Nan Zhi held the little alpha and continued walking away from the room.
Lin Qiu Wu's gaze met with that of Lin Yun Jian on Nan Zhi's back. Gradually, they moved further away until only the silhouette of the omega remained in view.
The autumn chill was already in the air. It was high time Lin Yun Jian had some warm clothes, but Nan Zhi wasn't in the mood today.
He took Lin Yun Jian out and immediately hailed a taxi, heading straight back to their home where a nanny was looking after the obedient little alpha.
The last thing Nan Zhi had was the porridge in the morning, but he wasn't hungry, only feeling an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
He curled up in bed, setting the air conditioner to its coldest setting and wrapping himself tightly in blankets, savoring the warmth for a long time.
When he felt too warm, he would toss the blankets aside to let in some air. Given the already chilly autumn and the cooling of the air conditioner, after repeating this several times, his head began to feel heavy.
His head felt like it was burning. As dusk approached, the nanny called him for dinner.
"Mr. Nan, are you awake? It's dinner time, and I've prepared your favorites."
Covered in sweat, Nan Zhi realized he might have caught a chill and was now running a fever.
"Mr. Nan?" The nanny called again.
He slowly propped himself up, feeling light-headed as if intoxicated. Despite the cold room, he felt excessively warm.
After turning off the air conditioner, he weakly responded, "Nanny, please have dinner with Jian Jian. I might need to step out for a bit."
"Alright, Mr. Nan."
The nanny didn't press him further about where he was headed. Only when he heard her footsteps fade away did he put on a jacket from his closet and leave the room.
The two-story, somewhat outdated villa was not expensive but reasonably spacious. It was rented by Nan Zhi.
When leaving, he purposely avoided the dining room where Lin Yun Jian and the nanny were eating. Lin Yun Jian was still young with a weak immune system, and he couldn't risk transmitting his fever to the little alpha.
Sweat was continuously beading on his forehead, and he felt weak. While waiting for a cab, he felt so unstable that he had to squat down against the outer wall of the courtyard.
Thankfully, it was still early, and traffic was frequent. He soon flagged down a taxi, feeling as if he was on the verge of delirium.
"Where to, sir?"
The taxi driver, seeing Nan Zhi squatting down pitifully, not only stopped but also got out to open the door for him.
"The hospital," Nan Zhi replied, his voice weak.
The driver inquired, "Which hospital?"
"Just take me to the nearest one."
Nan Zhi's home is in a remote and aged neighborhood where few reside, far from the hospitals in City A.
"Let me take you to the hospital I've been to before. The doctors there are quite responsible."
"Mm..." Nan Zhi barely had the strength, too exhausted to speak, his mouth feeling dry.
He leaned back in his wheelchair with his eyes closed, feeling a sense of heaviness and discomfort in his head.
He wasn't sure how long the drive took.
Only when he got off and stood in front of the hospital did he realize it was the same one he had brought Lin Yun Jian to previously.
The night wind was strong, sending cool breezes into his clothes, significantly alleviating the warmth.
He queued alone, registered, and then waited in the corridor for his number to be called.
The seats in front of the outpatient department were filled. Unable to find a spot, Nan Zhi tightened his jacket and leaned against the wall, barely supporting his weakening body.
"Nan Zhi?"
A puzzled voice interrupted Nan Zhi's reverie, prompting him to look up slowly.
It was Dr. Hu Wen, whom both Nan Yi He and Yu Shen knew. He had even bought a small cake for Jian Jian before.
"Dr. Hu," he responded politely.
"What happened? Where do you feel unwell?"
The omega in front of him was pale, with a fine sweat on his forehead, dampening the fringes that clung to it.
"Caught a cold?"
Hu Wen spoke without waiting for a reply, instinctively placing a hand on Nan Zhi's forehead.
It was incredibly warm, the hot skin felt peculiar against the back of his hand.
While Dr. Hu Wen frequently dealt with patients, requiring much skin contact, when he touched Nan Zhi, the back of his hand felt as if it had been scorched, and the warmth lingered for a long while.
"I... I'm running a bit of a fever. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?" Hu Wen's tone was awkward, and he slipped his hands into his pockets.
The corners of Omega's eyes were slightly red. Hu Wen assumed he felt discomfort elsewhere, enough to make him tear up.
Omega was inherently fragile.
"No, just feeling warm, probably caught a chill," Nan Zhi's voice was faint and somewhat hoarse.
"Number 109, Nan Zhi." His number was called just in time.
Nan Zhi nodded politely at Hu Wen.
"I'll head in first, Dr. Hu."
After saying so, he sidestepped the people in front and headed towards the already opened door.