I started as a spirited young man, and the system made me a male god.

Jiang Che woke up twice more during the night, once asking for water, and once seemingly having a nightmare, muttering incoherently.

Chen Fei would wake up immediately each time and patiently take care of her.

During the second water feeding, she was half-asleep. After drinking the water, she unconsciously grabbed Chen Fei's wrist as he was about to pull it back, mumbled "Don't go," and then fell into a deep sleep again.

Chen Fei did not immediately withdraw his hand. Instead, he waited until her breathing became long and steady again and her fingers naturally loosened before gently placing her hand back under the covers and carefully covering it up.

The next day at noon, Chen Fei woke up naturally on the sofa and the first thing he did was go into the bedroom to check on Jiang Che's condition.

Jiang Che was still asleep, but his face was no longer flushed like last night; it had returned to a sickly pale color.

He tiptoed over and touched her forehead with the back of his hand; it was already at the level of a low-grade fever.

Chen Fei breathed a sigh of relief and called the hotel to send over a bowl of plain porridge.

When he brought the warm porridge and a small dish of light pickles to the bedroom, Jiang Che had just woken up.

She was trying to sit up by herself, but because of her weakness and being wrapped in a blanket, her movements were clumsy and labored.

"Don't move, I'll do it." Chen Fei walked over quickly, placed the porridge on the bedside table, then reached out to support her back, helping her sit up slowly, and then placed a cushion behind her.

Jiang Che leaned back against the cushion, looked at the layers of blankets covering him, and then looked up at the dark circles under Chen Fei's eyes.

"...Did I sleep for a long time?" she asked, her voice much clearer than last night.

"Yes, from yesterday evening until now." Chen Fei picked up the bowl of porridge, sat down by the bed, and gently stirred it with a spoon to cool it down. "Drink some porridge first. Your fever has just subsided, and your stomach is weak, so you can only eat this."

Jiang Che nodded. Her weakness made her forget even to brush her teeth. She reached out to take the bowl, but she clearly didn't have much strength.

"Let me do it," Chen Fei said naturally, scooping up a spoonful of porridge, blowing on it gently, and bringing it to her lips.

Jiang Che looked at him, her eyes flickering with complex emotions, her eyelashes drooping to conceal the turbulent emotions surging within.

She remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly struggling with some kind of habitual stubbornness within herself.

Ultimately, perhaps due to her physical weakness, or for some other reason, she slightly opened her mouth and accepted the feeding.

One spoonful, two spoonfuls... The room was quiet, with only the occasional crisp sound of the spoon hitting the bowl and Jiang Che's soft swallowing.

After feeding him more than half a bowl, Jiang Che gently shook his head, indicating that it was enough.

Chen Fei put down the bowl, handed her warm water to rinse her mouth, and then took a wet towel to wipe the corners of her mouth.

"Let's not film the video today. I have other alternatives," Chen Fei said seriously, looking at her. "As for the new Chinese-style women's clothing store you want to go to again, I'll talk to them for you today. I already looked into it yesterday."

Jiang Che thought for a moment, then didn't object, only giving a soft "hmm" in acceptance.

She leaned against the bed, her gaze somewhat vacant as she stared at the sunlight streaming through the window. After a moment of silence, she suddenly whispered, "I've caused you so much trouble. I'm sorry."

"No trouble at all," Chen Fei replied readily. "It's just illness. You just need to rest, and I happen to be here."

Jiang Che turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with even deeper complex emotions.

"I was thinking of going back to get some sleep, but my body couldn't take it," she said softly, as if to herself and also to explain to Chen Fei.

"You're human, not made of iron." Chen Fei sighed, feeling helpless that she didn't take her health seriously. "You were lucky before, but this time is different. Don't push yourself in the future."

Jiang Che stared at him for a while and saw the deep concern in his eyes. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

She suddenly felt that the wall she had built up over the years, the wall of "independence" and "strength," had quietly cracked open in front of this man.

Chen Fei didn't say anything more and got up to clear the dishes.

He knew that for someone like Jiang Che, admitting his vulnerability and need for help was perhaps even more difficult than the illness itself.

Chen Fei returned the bowl and spoon to the hotel staff. When he returned to his room, he saw Jiang Che slowly walking back to the bedroom with a laptop in his hand, seemingly preparing to continue working.

He strode over, took her laptop, and helped her to bed, but instead of handing it to her immediately, he looked at her pale face and said, "You just recovered from your fever, can't you let your brain rest too? The company's problems won't cause the sky to fall."

Jiang Che looked up at him, like a child who had done something wrong: "Some emails have to be replied to today, and tomorrow's schedule also needs to be adjusted..."

"The arrangement is to rest." Chen Fei's tone rarely carried a hint of ruthlessness. "You had a fever of almost 40 degrees yesterday and were lying on the sofa, almost unrecoverable. If I hadn't found you, you might have gone crazy from the fever. This isn't the way to achieve your dreams."

Jiang Che was taken aback by his blunt words, then forced a slightly bitter smile: "I'm used to it. Sometimes when I'm busy, I really can't think about so many things. This time... it was an accident. There are so many things at the company waiting for me to handle, and I don't trust anyone else to do it."

"What accident? You weren't feeling well yesterday but you still insisted on shopping for so long. I really should have stopped you earlier." Chen Fei looked at her, his brows furrowed. The fear and worry in his heart prompted him to continue, "With your reckless attitude, relying on the little fever reducer in your bag and just toughing it out, you're bound to run into serious problems sooner or later."

He paused, as if he had thought of something, and said in a more casual tone, "Seriously, Jiang Che, you really should consider finding a boyfriend."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Che was a little surprised by Chen Fei's words, and couldn't help but think of the joke he had made before, asking Chen Fei to block his family's pressure to get married, and treating Chen Fei as a free operator or something.

"The literal meaning." Chen Fei tried to lighten the mood by shrugging. "It's not about him managing your company, it's about him managing you as a person. At least when you're working all night, someone should be there to force you to rest at home and give you a cup of hot water, instead of letting you tough it out until you faint."

His words were honest, but they hit the nail on the head regarding the aspect that Jiang Che least wanted to face at that moment.

She knew in her heart that behind her impeccable independence lay a long-term neglect of her own needs and even a somewhat self-destructive work attitude.

Jiang Che remained silent, neither immediately refuting the claim that "work is more reliable than men," nor mocking himself for "who can stand a workaholic like me."

She simply gazed out the window quietly for a while before smiling and saying, "Sounds good. But it's not that easy. The right person, the right time, the right pace of getting along."

She shook her head and didn't say anything more, but Chen Fei still caught the melancholy in her tone.

Chen Fei didn't continue the topic, but handed the laptop back to her, his tone softening: "You can look at it for a while, but not too long. I'm going to the exhibition hall now to talk to that new Chinese-style women's clothing store about the price for you. If you want anything to eat, just have the hotel deliver it."

"Okay. Thank you for your help."

Jiang Che responded in a low voice, but in his heart he was thinking that he could deal with the backlog of work once he left, since the other man wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

Chen Fei got up, walked to the bedroom door, and his hand was already on the doorknob, but he suddenly stopped.

As if he had figured out Jiang Che's two-faced thoughts, he suddenly turned around, locked his gaze directly on Jiang Che, and said in a warning tone, "I can be back at any time!"

Jiang Che was taken aback by his sudden turn and fierce tone, and his fingers froze as he typed on the keyboard.

Chen Fei continued, adding menacingly, his eyes deliberately glaring: "If I come back and find you not in bed, or still working on the computer and have gotten a fever again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

This statement lacks any concrete content and is purely a bluffing threat.

But combined with his deliberately stern face and the eyes that were fixed on her, he actually had a rather intimidating aura.

Jiang Che was completely stunned.

From childhood to adulthood, apart from business negotiations, everyone—whether parents, teachers, or friends—has always spoken to her politely.

Who has ever spoken to her in such a harsh tone, almost like a "reprimand" and a "command"?

This happened when she was sick, weak, and powerless to resist.

A feeling that was extremely unfamiliar, even somewhat absurd, quietly crept up my spine.

"Okay, okay." She heard herself reply in a softer, even submissive voice, and nodded unconsciously.

Chen Fei seemed satisfied with her reaction, and the "fierce" expression on his face softened a bit. He glanced at her one last time before turning around, opening the door, and leaving.

The door closed gently.

Silence returned to the bedroom.

Jiang Che remained in the position leaning against the headboard for a while without moving.

My cheeks, belatedly, began to flush with a temperature different from that of a fever.

My heart was beating faster in my chest than before, a clear, thumping sound.

She raised her hand, her fingertips unconsciously touching her cheek; it felt a little hot.

That feeling... was very strange.

They were clearly "harshly" ordered around in an almost brutal manner.

There was no reasoning, no room for negotiation, only the unyielding insistence that "you must do as I say."

But......

Why did I feel no disgust or anger, apart from the initial shock?

Instead, it gave me a shivering... kind of exhilarating feeling?

Why would she react to this kind of commanding, even somewhat "threatening" concern?

Jiang Che suddenly closed his eyes and buried his slightly flushed face in his palms.

No, I can't think about it anymore. The fever must have confused my brain.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her somewhat erratic heartbeat and breathing, and finally typed on her laptop.

This time, she simply replied to a few of the most important messages, then obediently finished her work, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, and started watching the TV series she had been saving for a long time but never had time to watch.