C108. Alright.
After the physician finished speaking, Chu Hechao's trembling hands finally came to a halt.
The panic in his eyes slowly receded as he murmured, "It's good, it's good."
In ancient times, chickenpox was a common infectious disease that affected children, different from the more severe smallpox. Once it was confirmed as chickenpox, everyone felt relieved.
However, chickenpox is contagious, so Yuan Li and those who had been in contact with him over the past two days needed to be isolated.
The physician found a suitable courtyard for Yuan Li, Chu Hechao, and all the other servants to stay in.
By now, there were methods to treat chickenpox, but they were not comprehensive. Fortunately, the medical book given by the system to Yuan Li contained systematic methods to treat chickenpox.
With the guidance of the book, the physician was able to treat Yuan Li confidently and logically. After settling Yuan Li in, the physician prepared the medicine for him to take.
Feeling drowsy after taking the medicine, Yuan Li struggled to say to Lin Tian, "Have Zhao Ying check if any orphans at the granary have also contracted chickenpox."
Following a recent snowstorm, many homeless orphans had appeared. Those with good potential had been sent to the granary to be trained as intelligence agents. A while back, Yuan Li had visited the granary to inspect the orphans' training.
Yuan Li suspected that he might have been infected by one of the orphans in the granary.
After Lin Tian agreed, Yuan Li finally settled down to sleep.
As the people in the room stepped out, the physician and Lin Tian carefully instructed, "Starting tomorrow, Governor's chickenpox will worsen. During this time, Governor may have a poor appetite, so he should eat light, drink plenty of water, rest more, and pay close attention to cleanliness. Change clothes daily, take medicine and apply ointment on time."
At the end of the instructions, the physician sighed, "Adults contracting chickenpox are much more severe and uncomfortable than children. I will prepare the ointment and send it over tonight. Remember, do not scratch the chickenpox."
Although the physician addressed Lin Tian, Chu Hechao listened intently.
The physician added, "Those who have been in contact with the Governor in the past few days might also contract chickenpox. General and all, please be vigilant. If you feel unwell, inform me immediately."
Chu Hechao nodded, "Go back to the Yuan Residence later."
The physician bowed, "Yes."
Once the physician left, the atmosphere grew somber.
Lin Tian's face turned pale, sweat dripping coldly. After a moment, he knelt before Chu Hechao with a thud.
Two other servants who usually attended to Yuan Li also knelt weakly beside him.
Chu Hechao, with his long hair cascading down, stood quietly with his imposing silhouette casting shadows over the servants.
The servants held their breath, trembling apprehensively, sensing death looming.
Kneeling on the ground, they could see Chu Hechao's shoes, worn incorrectly, indicating that the General had indeed slept in the same room as Yuan Li last night.
...slept in the same room.
Chu Hechao lowered his head, calmly observing the servants.
After a moment, he spoke, "Lin Tian."
Lin Tian's heart trembled as he crawled forward, "I am here."
"Handle this matter properly," Chu Hechao stated calmly, "The affairs between me and your lord must not be known to others."
With his head bowed even lower, Lin Tian replied solemnly, "I understand."
Chu Hechao turned and walked into the bedroom.
*
Yuan Li woke up only at noon.
Feeling unwell, he had no appetite for food. Chu Hechao sat by the bedside, spoon-feeding him porridge.
Yuan Li wasn't one to be stubborn, so he forced himself to eat a bowl before saying, "I don't want to eat anymore."
Chu Hechao didn't insist, so he handed the bowl to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian stood by, serving respectfully, taking the bowl without daring to glance at the intimate scene of his lord and Chu Hechao cuddling together.
Chu Hechao instructed, "Bring a basin of warm water, then you may leave."
Those with chickenpox couldn't bathe but needed to stay clean. Chu Hechao dampened a towel and gently wiped Yuan Li's body.
While Yuan Li's fever had subsided slightly, more blisters appeared on his body. He sighed, "Itchy."
"Itching is not to be scratched," Chu Hechao opened Yuan Li's hand, "Don't think I didn't see that."
Caught scratching, Yuan Li shyly withdrew his hand, "Then apply the ointment a little more pressure while you're wiping, being too gentle makes it itch more."
"I can't apply too much pressure," Chu Hechao sighed, "Light touch, no heavy touch. Yuan Lejun, luckily, you have a patient husband willing to take care of you."
After Chu Hechao finished wiping him, he noticed Yuan Li's discomfort and gently rubbed his back with his fingers, causing Yuan Li to sigh in relief.
Turning over, Yuan Li lifted his shirt so Chu Hechao could touch his back. Chu Hechao glanced at his back and teased, "You've become ugly."
"...," Yuan Li's temples throbbed, "Forget it, don't touch."
Chu Hechao chuckled, "I'll touch, even if you're uglier."
"Just eat light for the next few days," Chu Hechao regretfully stroked Yuan Li's chin, his eyes revealing disappointment, "You can't eat your brother's essence anymore."
Yuan Li said, "...Chu Hechao, are you even human."
Chu Hechao playfully leaned forward and planted a kiss, showing no disgust, "Not human. Are you suggesting you're being kissed by an animal?"
Yuan Li wanted to say, "Being kissed by an animal would be better," but he thought it would only provoke Chu Hechao further, so he wisely changed his words, "Will you also catch chickenpox from me?"
"No worries," Chu Hechao replied, "It's not a big deal."
Yuan Li agreed, "True."
Anyway, Chu Hechao had already kissed and cuddled him, so it was too late to hide now.
He relaxed, enjoying his boyfriend's care, "Has Lin Tian discovered our affair?"
Chu Hechao confirmed.
"That's fine," Yuanli took it lightly, "If he knows, you don't have to sneak in through the window at night from now on."
Chu Hechao grinned, "Agreed."
The next day, as the physician had predicted, more blisters appeared on Yuan Li's body. Apart from the visible areas, blisters also appeared on his throat, groins... It was not only uncomfortable due to itching but also embarrassing, making Yuan Li feel utterly dejected.
Chu Hechao felt embarrassed to remove Yuan Li's pants when applying medicine at night. After repeatedly urging Yuan Li to remove his pants once he had applied medicine to all the other parts of his body, Yuan Li finally hesitantly took off his pants.
Finally seeing Yuan Li in his boxer shorts, Chu Hechao admired for a moment and then teasingly patted Yuan Li's buttocks, "These pants need to come off too."
Yuan Li blushed and removed his boxers as well.
While being playful was his own doing, Chu Hechao's face turned red and his eyes flickered when he actually saw it, his gaze shifting back and forth, his mouth dry, his heart pounding.
Yuan Li urged, "Hurry up."
But the next moment, he saw Chu Hechao inexplicably quickly leaving the room.
Yuan Li caught a glimpse of him holding his nose, and upon turning, saw a few drops of blood on the bed.
...He actually got a nosebleed.
Yuan Li was speechless, so angry!
But he couldn't help but admit that Chu Hechao amused him. The previous embarrassment disappeared, and when Chu Hechao returned after stopping the nosebleed, Yuan Li innocently asked, with a hint of a smile, "Brother, why did you suddenly run away?"
Chu Hechao subconsciously glanced at Yuan Li, a sensation tingling his nose, so he quickly turned his face away and pretended to cough, "It's too hot."
Seeing him like this, Yuan Li wanted to tease him more. He exposed his long and slender legs outside the thin blanket, slowly moving them. The bedsheets gathered in a mess, and Chu Hechao's gaze followed, gradually deepening.
A few moments later, Yuan Li watched wide-eyed as a tent formed.
Big and scary.
Yuan Li immediately became serious, "Quickly apply the medicine, if you can't do it, ask someone else."
Chu Hechao was just starting to feel romantic thoughts when this statement made him hot with anger. He walked to the bedside with a sneer, "Who do you want to do it?"
Without waiting for Yuan Li's reaction, he lifted the blanket and sternly applied the ointment to Yuan Li.
When his fingers touched Yuan Li, he buried his head in the pillow.
Such a simple act of applying medicine made Chu Hechao feel more challenged than going to war. Yuan Li tensed each time his fingers grazed his groin. After applying the medicine, both of them were sweating.
The medicine had to be applied twice a day, which was both sweet and painful for Chu Hechao, while Yuan Li became more composed.
As time passed, Yuan Li's symptoms worsened, leading to diarrhea and a low-grade fever. The source of Yuan Li's chickenpox was found - a lonely refugee orphan who had recently joined the food supply yard.
Fortunately, the discovery was timely, and only a dozen or so people in the yard were infected with the chickenpox. These children, aged around thirteen or fourteen, had milder symptoms compared to Yuan Li.
After returning from the toilet feeling dispirited, Yuan Li lay down on the bed. When Chu Hechao hugged him, Yuan Li choked up and said, "It's so uncomfortable."
Chu Hechao patted his back and comforted him softly.
"It's itchy and uncomfortable," Yuan Li nestled in his chest, getting sadder as he talked, "My stomach hurts too."
Chu Hechao felt extreme pity, massaging Yuan Li's stomach and warning him, "Don't upset my wife again, got it?"
He then wiped away Yuan Li's tears, "Be good, just hold on a few more days."
Yuan Li choked and said, "Okay."
Because of that cry, Chu Hechao became even more cautious while taking care of him, almost treating Yuan Li as if he were in his mouth, in the palm of his hand. As the chickenpox gradually disappeared from Yuan Li's body, Chuhe Chao looked even more worn out and thinner than Yuan Li.
Fortunately, Chuhe Chao, being strong and healthy, did not get infected with chickenpox from Yuan Li.
In early June, Yuan Li began to recover energetically.
This illness startled everyone, and they treated Yuan Li with even greater care than before, always being vigilant at the slightest sign of discomfort. Despite his robust health, Yuan Li couldn't help but feel a flicker of unease.
After all, his daily exercise regimen kept him in peak physical condition. He wouldn't be outmatched even by renowned generals like He Lang, and far surpassed the likes of Liu Ji, Xin, and Guo Mao.
However, perhaps because illness rarely plagued him, even a minor ailment felt more significant.
Even if Yuan Li reassured them repeatedly that he was fine, it didn't hinder the concern of his subordinates.
Even those far away in Bingzhou sent letters to Yuan Li every ten days, advising him not to overwork and to rest well.
It wasn't until the Lunar New Year that these people gradually relaxed their guard and stopped being so vigilant towards Yuan Li.