Chapter 189 : The Flower Kiss Treatment
“Ugh… I feel terrible…”
Ling Ning struggled to open her eyes as her alarm blared. Her head was pounding, and even reaching for her phone required a great deal of effort.
Touching her forehead, she felt its burning heat. There was no doubt about it—she had a fever.
She sighed. This was probably because she’d stayed up until 3 a.m. the previous night, unable to resist a sudden burst of inspiration. She’d thrown on a jacket and spent hours drafting over 10,000 words of a new outline. If she had to choose, she’d do it all over again—her mind had been overflowing with ideas even as she now lay there with her fevered thoughts spinning.
Forcing herself to sit up, Ling Ning debated whether she could manage school that day. Deciding it was hopeless, she sank back into bed and dialed Ye Xuan’s number.
“Hello? Ling Ning, what’s up?” came Ye Xuan’s calm voice on the other end.
“Hey, Ye Xuan… I’m not feeling well today. I’ll probably need to take the day off.”
Noticing Ling Ning’s listless tone, Ye Xuan sounded worried. “Are you okay? Do you need someone to take care of you?”
“No, no, it’s just a fever. I’ll take some medicine and rest. I’ll be back tomorrow,” Ling Ning assured her, unknowingly setting herself up with a hopeful promise.
“Alright, then. Rest up, and call me if you need anything. I can help you catch up on today’s lessons when you’re better.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
After hanging up, Ling Ning placed her phone aside, planning to rest a bit longer before looking for some medicine.
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For some reason, Ling Ye woke up bright and early that morning, not feeling the slightest urge to doze off again—probably because she’d gone to bed unusually early the night before.
After a few twists and turns in bed, Ling Ye decided to get up and check the house. Oddly, the kitchen was empty. Usually, her mom would have breakfast ready, or at least leave a note and some money. But today, there was nothing. This could only mean one thing: her mom hadn’t gotten up yet.
“Mom, it’s time to get up! We’re going to be late for school!”
Ling Ye knocked softly on her mom’s bedroom door, but there was no response. Furrowing her brows, she wondered if her mom had already left. Slowly, she pushed the door open and saw her mom still bundled under the covers. She climbed onto the bed to wake her, but the moment she touched her mom’s forehead, she froze.
“Whoa! So hot!”
Her touch must have roused Ling Ning, who slowly opened her eyes to see her daughter sitting on the bed, watching her.
“Good morning, Ye Ye,” she said weakly.
“Mom, you have a fever.”
“Yeah, I’ve already called in to take the day off. But you… you’re going to be late, aren’t you? Hurry and get some breakfast money from the drawer before you go.”
“Mom, did you forget? Today’s Sunday. I don’t have school.”
“Ah…” After a moment’s thought, Ling Ning realized she’d lost track of the day. Weekends had practically become non-existent for her as a high school senior.
“Well then, I’ll take care of you today, Mom!” Ling Ye announced enthusiastically.
Ling Ning smiled, touched by her daughter’s eagerness. It seemed like she was really growing up, now even wanting to take care of her mom when she was sick.
Once she left her mom’s room, however, Ling Ye was stumped. She had no idea how to actually care for a sick person.
After thinking for a bit, a scene from one of her books came to mind—a scene where a daughter took care of her ill mother by administering some mysterious medicine that turned her into a “living weapon.”
Wait! Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts!
Remembering she had access to the internet, Ling Ye quickly grabbed her laptop to search for tips. After a thorough browse, she took note of all sorts of treatments, including drinking lots of water, resting, and… some rather strange home remedies, like inserting green onions and using the “Flower Kiss Treatment.”
As she took diligent notes, she murmured “Ah… Oh… Hmm…” every now and then, thoroughly engrossed in her newfound knowledge.
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After lying in bed for a while longer, Ling Ning finally forced herself to get up and take some medicine. When she stepped out of her room, she saw Ling Ye dressed as if she were about to go out.
“Ye Ye, are you going somewhere?”
“Yes! I’m going to buy some things that will help you get better soon, Mom!” Ling Ye replied cheerfully before dashing out the door.
Ling Ning took her medicine and crawled back into bed, quickly drifting off to sleep. When she woke up again, it was nearly noon. Although the medicine had helped her rest, her head was still foggy, and her fever showed no signs of improvement.
Sitting by the bed, Ling Ye noticed her mom was awake and rushed off, returning with a cup of hot water.
“Here, Mom! Drink some warm water first.”
“Thank you, sweetie…”
As Ling Ning sipped the water, Ling Ye reached into her bag and pulled out a large green onion, holding it up with a gleeful expression. “Mom, I read about a way to cure a fever quickly! All you have to do is pull down your pants and put this in—”
Ling Ning nearly choked on her water, barely managing to swallow it down before giving her daughter a pained look. “Ye Ye, how many times have I told you to stay away from those weird sites? They’ll only fill your head with strange ideas!”
“Oh… okay.”
Ling Ye, looking disappointed, set the green onion aside. She’d been excited to try the “Flower Kiss Treatment” next, but seeing her mom’s reaction, it didn’t seem like she’d get the chance.
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Author’s Note:
This is the sixth chapter, which marks a quarter of the update marathon! Don’t worry; the story isn’t ending soon, so don’t be misled by today’s chapter.