C40 Illness

Upon seeing the headline, Ye Tian knew Ye Ziyan was up to her old tricks again.

As expected, after clicking through and briefly scanning the content, the gist was that she had acted too nonchalantly at Ye Ziyan's fan meet-up, acting like a diva before even gaining fame.

The photos that were taken turned out perfectly fine.

Furthermore, she left the event early, failing to take a single picture with the fans, who had waited a long time only to discover she had already departed.

This sparked an uproar among netizens, with Ye Ziyan's fans lambasting Ye Tian.

"How shameless! Our beloved Ziyan personally invited her, and she still makes such a fuss. What's with the attitude? She's just a minor photographer!"

"A perfectly good fan meet-up, ruined by such a lowlife! All of Ziyan's efforts gone to waste!"

"In my opinion, we should just file a complaint with New World. Someone like her is a stain on the photography world!"

Ye Tian only gave it a cursory glance before a headache began to set in. She tossed her phone aside, disinterested.

At the moment, all she could feel was a parched throat and overall discomfort, with no inclination to deal with these trivial matters.

Struggling to get out of bed, she felt dizzy and unsteady, as if countless needles were jabbing at her brain with every movement.

With a furrowed brow, she staggered to the dining room in search of water.

But before her hand could grasp the cup, darkness overtook her vision, and she passed out.

"President, it's already ten o'clock. You should rest; you've missed dinner."

Han Cheng entered, taking the documents from Gu Qinian, his concern evident.

Yet, he found his CEO intently staring at his phone, a frown creasing his sharp brows, his expression somewhat troubled.

Catching a glimpse of the Weibo page on the screen, Han Cheng quickly grasped the situation.

After a brief pause, he carefully broached the subject, "President, it seems Miss Ye's fans are quite unhappy with Second Miss Ye."

At that, Gu Qinian abruptly looked up, his piercing gaze meeting Han Cheng's, his dark eyes harboring an unreadable emotion.

Han Cheng shivered, wisely clamping his mouth shut. He was about to turn away when Gu Qinian abruptly rose to his feet, strode over to the sofa, grabbed his coat, and left without a word.

"This..."

Han Cheng raised a hand to scratch his head, his expression one of utter bewilderment. Lately, he couldn't help but notice that deciphering the CEO's thoughts was becoming increasingly challenging.

...

Gu Qinian drove back to the Jinghao Apartment.

He placed his keys in the entryway and slipped into his house shoes. The dining room light was on, yet the place was deserted, silence filling the expansive home.

His brows furrowed as he made his way to Ye Tian's room. The door was ajar, the light on, and the bed unmade.

The frown on his face deepened. Uncharacteristically, he called out her name, "Ye Tian."

No answer came.

He paused briefly, then turned and headed into the living room. As he did, the sight of a collapsed figure on the floor caught his eye.

His dark, deep-set eyes constricted sharply, a wave of concern breaking through his usual stoic demeanor.

"Ye Tian."

He crossed the room in a few long strides and knelt down to lift the woman from the floor, the heat from his fingertips causing his brow to furrow even more.

The woman in his arms was a mess. Her normally lively face was ghostly pale, her lips devoid of color, her dark hair damp with sweat. Her thick eyelashes were closed, yet they quivered occasionally.

Without wasting a moment, Gu Qinian scooped her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

Half an hour later, Shen Ze, Gu Qinian's personal physician, arrived in a rush.

"Look, Director Gu, I'm a man of standing too. You can't just summon me to work overtime and speed over here without compensating me triple my usual rate," he grumbled.

Gu Qinian shot him an icy glare and gestured towards Ye Tian's room. "She's in there. Can you figure out what's wrong with her?" he demanded coolly.

Shen Ze arched an eyebrow but wasted no time in entering the room.

After a brief examination, he turned to Gu Qinian and reported, "She's ill."

"Of course I know she's sick," Gu Qinian said, his expression growing colder. "What's the diagnosis?"

Shen Ze dropped the playful act and replied with gravity, "Acute gastroenteritis, likely from something she ate, which has also triggered a high fever."

He chuckled softly, adding, "This woman is incredibly resilient. It seems she's been enduring for quite some time before finally collapsing. Quite remarkable, really."

Gu Qinian's thoughts were unreadable as his gaze deepened upon hearing this.

Efficiently, Shen Ze retrieved an IV bag from his medical kit and skillfully set up Ye Tian with a drip.

"The fever should subside after the IV. Then, she'll just need to take medication for three days," he explained.

Gu Qinian remained silent, offering only a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Shen Ze's eyes flitted between Ye Tian and Gu Qinian, his lips curling into a sly grin. "I recognize this woman. She's the one everyone's been bad-mouthing... Ye Tian, right?"

At Shen Ze's words, Gu Qinian's brows knitted together, and a storm seemed to gather on his face. He responded icily, "If you're finished here, you can leave."

"Wow, so ruthless," Shen Ze remarked nonchalantly, accustomed to Gu Qinian's demeanor. He quipped, "You seem to care more for this woman than for me. You've brought her here and even summoned me, which is unprecedented. Remember, you've never asked me to treat Ye Ziyan."

Before Gu Qinian could react, Shen Ze tossed the medicine to him and left swiftly, leaving behind a parting shot, "The right medicine cures the ailment."

Holding the medicine, Gu Qinian's face was a mask of displeasure. He cast a final glance at the sleeping figure on the bed before exiting the room.

Gu Qinian was heating water when Ye Ziyan's call came through.

"Qinian, where are you?"

He didn't respond to her question, instead asking in a detached tone, "Why aren't you asleep? Is something wrong?"

Ye Ziyan felt a pang of anxiety at his aloofness and put on a tone of distress. "I'm... feeling a bit unwell. My dad is out and hasn't come home. Could you... could you come over to check on me?"

She hung on the line, her heart in knots, as she awaited Gu Qinian's response with a mix of dread and hope.

After a brief pause, Gu Qinian held his phone, his gaze inadvertently catching sight of the medicine next to him. He lifted his hand to massage his temples.

"I've still got things to handle here. If you're feeling unwell, I can have Han Cheng come over to take you to the hospital."

Ye Ziyan's hopes deflated at his response. She managed a strained smile, biting her lip as she declined, "No, it's okay, I can tough it out. You go on with your work."

"Mhm."

Once the call ended, Gu Qinian's attention fixed on the kettle as the water inside began to boil, standing motionless for quite some time.

It wasn't until the boiling water started to spill over that he finally reached out to shut off the gas valve, poured the water into a thermos, and then headed to Ye Tian's room.