Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Fever – Baby, look, you care about me again…

“Do you know how important a healthy body is?” Lu Feiran spoke earnestly.

He used to be very thin, had a poor stomach, was perpetually depressed, and drifted through each day, wasting his time. Looking back, he truly regretted wasting those precious years.

His palm was very warm; Lance’s face was hot. His breathing brushed against Lu Feiran’s wrist, giving the illusion of being burned. But hotter than that was Lance’s gaze. It was direct and explicit, openly stating that he was being deliberate, solely to gain attention and a shred of care.

Lu Feiran didn’t know how to respond. He averted his eyes and struggled internally for a long time. When he looked down again, Lance had closed his eyes, relaxed on his lap, but his brows were tightly knit.

They looked like a couple, with the lover’s lap being the best place to rest. A look of pity flashed across Lu Feiran’s face. He patted Lance’s shoulder and said, “I’ll go pour you a glass of water. Are there any medications in the room?”

“No medication. Don’t call anyone over. You’ll be leaving tomorrow, and I want to enjoy our time alone,” Lance hugged him tightly, burying his face into Lu Feiran’s seemingly indifferent palm, pressing warm kisses against it, like an abandoned dog unwilling to leave its owner’s knee, wagging its tail for pity.

Seeing his expression, Lu Feiran pursed his lips and forcefully, inch by inch, withdrew his hand, pushing Lance off his lap, and stood up: “Have it your way. Drink your water and go to sleep.”

The glass cup made a crisp sound as its base hit the tabletop. Lance buried his face in the sheets Lu Feiran had lain on. A faint fragrance, similar to his own, was merely the same shower gel, but this subtle connection reminded him of the days he lived with Lu Feiran, causing a sharp pang in his heart.

More desperately, the scent on the sheets dissipated quickly. Within half a minute, it was gone.

Steam rose from the rim of the glass, wavering upwards, making Lu Feiran’s face more blurry in the darkness. Lance scrutinized him for a long time before finally locating those familiar, cold eyes.

“Here,” Lu Feiran handed the cup to Lance.

“Can you feed me?” Lance looked pitiful and didn’t take the cup.

Lu Feiran stood and watched Lance for a while, wondering what trick he was going to pull next. A moment later, he heard Lance say, “I used to take care of you, too. I took care of you when you were sick, when your stomach hurt from drinking with others, and when you were hospitalized, unconscious, and unable to move because of a fracture. Right… that should have been the day of your divorce, shouldn’t it? You were happy and drank until you were half-drunk despite your health, but you didn’t tell me you were divorced… You hid it from me, and you even kissed me.”

Lu Feiran frowned: “What are you trying to say?”

Lance chuckled twice, a look of pathetic abandonment on his face: “Why didn’t you tell me immediately? We were good friends back then, weren’t we? Such big news, and you didn’t tell me. I never expected that you, who I thought was a married man at the time, would kiss me. That’s when I knew I couldn’t leave you.”

“…”

“You were willing to betray your husband for me. You came to me despite all obstacles, making me feel that I was very important to you.” The high fever made Lance weak, his voice barely a whisper, yet his words were as shocking as ever. “I’m sorry, baby. I only lied to confirm that your love was unwavering. I didn’t mean to deceive you.”

“…Are you saying this to make me feel guilty? Sorry, I have no responsibility,” Lu Feiran was surprisingly clear-headed. He pinched Lance’s jaw and poured a mouthful of warm water into him. “You took care of me, and I’m grateful. Now I’m paying you back.”

“I didn’t think that. You can’t be wrong,” Lance’s hair was messy, his face haggard. His carefully constructed perfect image had collapsed, leaving him as a purely pitiful person. “But you can’t cherish me so much before, and then so decisively throw me away now. I can’t take it.”

Lu Feiran fed him another mouthful of water, his thumb touching Lance’s dry, chapped lips, and said, “So what? Can you stop talking and start resting? Are you trying to make yourself sicker?”

“Baby, look, you care about me again.” Lance’s eyes curved into a slight smile, his green eyes sparkling. “I still have a place in your heart, don’t I?”

Lu Feiran put the glass down heavily on the bedside table: “Fine, don’t drink it then!”

Lance closed his eyes in agony. He rarely got a fever. The feeling of dizziness and confusion was unfamiliar. Forcing his eyes open made his eyeballs ache, but he was reluctant to close them. He rubbed his eyelids, ready to open them again.

A slight coolness emanated from the ring on his hand, giving Lance enough strength to open his eyes once more.

Right-handed people usually wear rings on their left hand, but a few hours ago, Lance had switched it to his right hand, making it convenient to show off his status anytime, anywhere, allowing others to see it inadvertently.

Lu Feiran tucked his hand into the blanket to warm it. Before he could fully tuck in the blanket, he was embraced around the waist by Lance’s other arm, pressing them together through the blanket. After a few seconds of no struggle, Lance carefully buried his chin into Lu Feiran’s neck, familiar and greedy, inhaling the scent of his lover.

It was fragrant, sweet, and maddening if he couldn’t smell it—this was the thing that got him addicted.

“I genuinely won’t lie to you again. You can take out my heart and check it anytime,” Lance licked Lu Feiran’s earlobe.

Lu Feiran shivered, stiffly saying, “You only offer useless things. Do you know the story of the boy who cried wolf?”

Lu Feiran was about to break down from Lance’s words. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep his expression from faltering.

How could he believe that Lance was telling the truth? Things he couldn’t discern as true or false, he’d rather discard them entirely. He didn’t want to feel heartbroken again. He didn’t want his genuine enthusiasm to be just a shallow joke in front of someone skilled at manipulating hearts.

If he truly loved him this much, if he was this sincere, why couldn’t he have been this way from the start? Did he have to stab someone’s heart into countless pieces before trying to mend it?

Lance was about to say something else, but Lu Feiran pressed his hot, dry lips, murmuring, “Don’t say anything more. I’m tired. Will you listen to me?”

“…Okay.” Lance’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

But he didn’t let go. Lu Feiran was too exhausted to argue; he just wanted to rest.

If time could be reversed, he would wish more than anyone to return to the very beginning, all the way back to before he even knew Zhai Qiance. He would live freely, doing whatever he wanted, staying far away from everyone, and running away.

…

The next morning, Lu Feiran woke up feeling hot.

Lance’s body was like a furnace. The part of their backs that touched was covered in a fine layer of sweat. When Lu Feiran got up, Lance didn’t open his eyes, clearly having passed out from the fever.

Lu Feiran patted his face, startled by the high temperature, and immediately called Noen.

Coincidentally, Noen had returned from an early morning dog walk. A pure black, large Cane Corso followed him into the room, glaring menacingly at Lu Feiran, making a low, warning whine, and inching closer to Lu Feiran to sniff his legs.

Lu Feiran had never been around such a large dog. He was so startled that he scrambled onto the bed, climbed over Lance’s body, and hid behind him, peeking cautiously over Lance’s shoulder. The two men’s scents were intertwined. The Cane Corso sniffed with confusion and retreated back to Noen’s side.

“He’s going to burn up and become insane, what should I do?” Lu Feiran asked.

“The wicked live long. He’ll be fine. I already called the family doctor on the way.”

“Then I’ll be leaving,” Lu Feiran’s face was unnatural. He had just realized he slept with Lance last night, and there was a hint of panic in his rush to escape. “Before I go, I need to apologize to your grandfather and mother for disturbing them yesterday.”

Noen shook his head: “Grandpa and Mom went out early, saying they were visiting friends, but I think they deliberately left space for you two.”

Lu Feiran didn’t want to explain anything. He was about to change clothes when the hem of his robe was pulled.

Lance, his eyes red, asked, “Can you stay?”

Struggling to pull the corner of his bathrobe from Lance’s hand, Lu Feiran turned his back, trying to look resolute: “Stop this nonsense. You deliberately pushed yourself to get a fever, so you deal with the consequences yourself. You better burn to death and stop looking for me.”

Lance smiled faintly. He looked weak, but his gaze was fixed on Lu Feiran’s retreating back. In a weak, calm tone, he spoke words that were astonishing.

“If I die and become a ghost, it’ll be easier to cling to you.”

He successfully saw Lu Feiran’s face turn pale and blank from excessive shock, his light-colored lips slightly parted, as if a pile of scolding words had been brewing but never came out.

Finally, Lu Feiran didn’t know what expression was appropriate. He buttoned his shirt with a cold face: “Let’s play a game. I ask you, will you listen to me?”

Lance obediently nodded: “I will.”

“Good. Listen to me. For the next year, you are not allowed to meet me in private,” Lu Feiran said. “Can you do that?”

“…”

Lance didn’t speak, just continued to look at Lu Feiran with that pitiful gaze from last night, hoping he would retract this cruel command.

Noen awkwardly rubbed his nose, took the Cane Corso, and left, not forgetting to close the door behind them.

Lu Feiran didn’t make the restriction absolute. They had business dealings, so meeting was unavoidable. He only prohibited private meetings. He knew that as long as a non-essential third person was present, Lance would certainly act like a proper, elegant gentleman.

Twenty-one days can form a habit. Time can heal everything. As long as the days without meeting increase, any feeling can be let go.

Both Lance’s and his own.

“Since you’re not talking, I’ll take that as an agreement. You won’t go back on your word this time, will you, Lance?” Lu Feiran smiled, trying to look relaxed, showing confidence that he had won.

Lance didn’t nod throughout, but he didn’t offer any refusal either. He just looked at Lu Feiran, the moisture in his eyes melting away all sharp edges of his demeanor, using every means to emphasize his pitiable state.

Lu Feiran didn’t care. He stood far away, smiled faintly, closed the door decisively, and left. The room fell silent, leaving only one person’s heartbeat and breathing. Lance’s expression also turned gloomy and withered.

…

Today, Director Xu Wei of Tuowei met with Lu Feiran.

There were many parasites in the company. Zhai Qiance’s confidants had completely shifted their focus from company operations to power-grabbing, creating a situation where if Zhai Qiance was gone, the company didn’t need to develop anymore.

With Tuowei’s negative news not yet resolved, someone hired a popular small celebrity for an endorsement, attempting to salvage sales.

Lu Feiran disagreed but was powerless to stop it. He contacted several neutral directors, hoping to reverse the chaotic situation, but received no encouraging responses.

Now, being invited by Xu Wei, Lu Feiran had to thank Lance for introducing him at the dinner party yesterday.

The young man in the sharp suit was tall and slender, with a good-looking face that surpassed the popular celebrity hired for the endorsement. But he was more composed, with an outstandingly confident demeanor that made people linger their gaze on him.

Lu Feiran took out the Jin Jun Mei tea he had prepared earlier and offered it to Xu Wei without any pleasantries. Xu Wei confirmed it was just tea, nodded, and invited Lu Feiran to sit: “Mr. Lu, there is something I am not quite clear about.”

“Please tell me.”

Xu Wei glanced at the ring on Lu Feiran’s hand: “I saw an identical one on Mr. Lance’s hand last night. When you were married to Zhai Qiance, you never wore a ring.”