Inside the room, Qin Chuan sat cross-legged on the floor, properly dressed in the thermal suit Xu An had given him. His eyes were tightly shut, his cheeks flushed red.
He wore a pained, enduring expression.
Xu An watched him, a little puzzled.
If he was uncomfortable, why didn't he just say so? Why did he always insist on pretending? There was no one else here; who was he trying to impress?
Hearing the slight sounds, Qin Chuan struggled to open his eyes. His irises were filled with a dense network of bloodshot veins, and his entire complexion was unnaturally, sickly pale.
Xu An walked over. Before she could even hand him the cup of water, she heard Qin Chuan say with great difficulty,
"Thank you."
His voice was like a broken bellows, wheezing and hoarse.
But Qin Chuan still had to say it.
Seeing Qin Chuan about to speak again, Xu An immediately handed him the cup of water.
"If you're not feeling well, don't talk. No one is forcing you to speak here."
She wondered when Qin Chuan had developed a masochistic streak.
As Qin Chuan reached for the cup, he paused upon hearing her words.
Xu An forcefully pushed the cup and the antibiotics into Qin Chuan's hands.
"Antibiotics. Take them."
"Why are you giving me medicine?"
Qin Chuan lowered his gaze to the pills, his expression unreadable.
"If you don't take them, just throw them away!" Xu An said exasperatedly, thinking he must have become addled from the fever.
What was so strange about giving medicine to a sick person?
He wanted to say more, but Xu An cut him off.
She made a gesture for him to be quiet and then took several warming patches from the nearby bed, handing them to Qin Chuan.
She pulled out the blanket they had been using as ać«ć and gave it to Qin Chuan, who was on the floor.
"There are only two blankets, and Mei-jie and I need one to share. You can use this to cover yourself when you sleep tonight."
Qin Chuan looked at her with a bewildered expression. In his memory, Xu An had always tried to avoid him, acting as if she didn't know him.
Why had she taken him in this time?
And why were Xu An and Zhou Haimie here?
Questions flooded his mind, but Qin Chuan's fever-addled brain was slow to react, and he couldn't process things immediately.
Xu An paid no attention to Qin Chuan's shifting expressions. After giving her instructions, she walked out.
As soon as she stepped outside, the small pot suspended over the fire was already bubbling.
Recalling the aroma drifting with the steam, Xu An sat down and took out the salt and cumin from her pocket, sprinkling them into the broth.
She saw that Zhou Haimie had already finished cooking the broth and vegetable porridge, leaving only two fish to be prepared.
"An'an, how is Qin Chuan?"
"He's fine. He took his medicine and is resting."
Zhou Haimie nodded and asked no further questions. Although they belonged to the same organization, Qin Chuan and Zhou Haimie had very little interaction,
and thus, not much personal affection had developed between them.
Xu An took the washed fish and, in a flash, gutted them and removed the bones.
Then, she skewered them with the wooden sticks she had sharpened earlier, coated them generously with salt, and brushed them with barbecue seasoning.
She then placed them over the fire to roast.
The fire was intense, and within moments, the fish began to sizzle and drip oil, releasing the savory aroma of seafood that made one's mouth water. Zhou Haimie watched the golden-brown roasted fish, her own mouth watering.
The outside temperature was dropping steadily. Xu An and the others gathered around the fire, which provided some relief from the biting cold. However, Qin Chuan, still in the wooden hut, was far from comfortable.
The burning heat from his body contrasted sharply with the chill in the room.
Caught between the heat and the cold, Qin Chuan finally succumbed, curling up on the floor, tightly wrapped in the blanket Xu An had given him.
This was his first time using these warming patches. Fortunately, Xu An had shown him how to use them before she left.
With trembling hands, he tore open a patch and stuck it onto his body.
Soon, the patch began to emit warmth, and he felt a sliver of comfort within the wooden hut.
Just as Qin Chuan was drifting into a semi-conscious sleep, he vaguely saw a figure entering with something.
Xu An entered with the porridge, observing Qin Chuan's closed eyes.
Zhou Haimie whispered from beside her, "He's already asleep. Should we wake him up to eat?"
"Wake him up. His body is too weak; he won't get warm without eating."
As if receiving an order, Zhou Haimie tiptoed towards Qin Chuan.
After all, Qin Chuan usually appeared imposing or aloof. This was the first time she had seen him so fragile, so pale, lying there, looking utterly helpless.
"Hey, Qin Chuan, wake up. It's time to eat."
With each call, Qin Chuan painstakingly opened his eyes, only to be met by Zhou Haimie's enlarged face.
He was about to speak when Zhou Haimie interrupted him.
"Hurry up and eat. An'an said you have a sore throat, so you should talk as little as possible."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan truly fell silent, merely making an effort to get up.
But Zhou Haimie gently pushed him back down.
"It's fine. Just sit here. We have a small table; we can bring it over and eat together. You're injured and it's inconvenient to move."
And so, Qin Chuan was neatly arranged by Zhou Haimie.
Xu An carried the cooked vegetable porridge and broth. After Zhou Haimie brought over the small table, she placed her items on it.
She then went out to retrieve the roasted fish.
She also began bringing out the tableware they used for eating from the car, piece by piece.
To prevent the cold wind from blowing in with the constant opening and closing of the door, Xu An nailed the extra oilcloth to the door frame.
This would prevent the cold wind from entering.
After a flurry of activity, all the items were finally prepared. Qin Chuan, now seated at the dining table, was gradually regaining clarity.
Watching the two of them busy themselves, he felt a sense of being cared for for the first time.
"An'an, it's so cold in here."
Qin Chuan's eyes were deep. He looked at Zhou Haimie, who was naturally acting spoiled with Xu An, and felt a moment of surprise, though he didn't show it.
On the Lighthouse, as peers in the military, Zhou Haimie inevitably compared herself to him.
Although not well-acquainted, Qin Chuan had a basic understanding of Zhou Haimie.
Wasn't she always decisive and spirited? When had she become so petulant and prone to acting spoiled?
What surprised Qin Chuan most was Xu An's seemingly accustomed demeanor, as if she was genuinely contemplating Zhou Haimie's words.
Qin Chuan: "..." He hadn't expected Zhou Haimie to be like this.
Xu An furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment, "The interior is all wooden structure, and the fire cannot be brought inside."
She appeared quite troubled.
Zhou Haimie tucked her face into her collar, feeling the heat emanating from her body.
Xu An thought for a moment, scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, she spotted a kerosene lamp placed to the side.
Xu An picked up the kerosene lamp and removed the kerosene wick.