Chapter 336 - 217: How Could You Take Advantage of Him (Part 2)

Chapter 336: Chapter 217: How Could You Take Advantage of Him (Part 2)

The daytime temperature was much higher than at night, making the cellar feel even colder and damper by comparison.

He carefully climbed to ground level. The breeze blowing in from outside was warm, carrying the scent of sunshine and fresh grass.

His head still throbbed painfully, but thankfully, he had regained a good deal of strength after eating and drinking his fill.

He kept things simple, taking the banana leaf he had brought up from the bamboo basket and spreading it on the ground. He then lay down again in a spot untouched by the sun.

’A fever is just an overly high body temperature. If I can find a way to dissipate the accumulated heat, it should break quickly.’

’Growing up, the method I always learned for a fever was to pile on the blankets and sleep until I was sweating. I’d usually wake up feeling mostly better.’

’But after actually learning about it, I realized that the so-called "sweating it out" method really depends on the situation. Used incorrectly, it won’t just fail to break the fever—it could even make things worse.’

’Fevers come from two main sources: a common cold caused by chill, and a bacterial or viral infection, otherwise known as the flu.’

’For the former, sweating it out can be appropriate, as it helps expel the chill. But most fevers are caused by the flu. In that case, trying to sweat it out just traps body heat, piling heat on top of heat.’

’Unless a doctor advises you to sweat it out, it’s usually best not to.’

’Not bundling up won’t make things worse, but bundling up really could.’

’The belief that the fever always breaks after you sweat is a misconception. It’s not necessarily that sweating breaks the fever; it could be that you start sweating *because* the fever has broken.’

’Without medication, the most scientific method is physical cooling—an ice pack on the forehead, wiping down the body with lukewarm water, drinking lots of fluids with electrolytes, and so on.’

Staying in the sun was out of the question, as it would only raise his body temperature further. The best thing to do was rest in the shade.

The cellar was too damp and cold. If he stayed there for too long, he might catch a cold before his fever even broke, which would be counterproductive.

He lay down on the banana leaf. After a few quiet moments, the waves of damp cold he had felt earlier finally subsided.

Not long after closing his eyes, waves of drowsiness washed over him, and he soon fell into a deep sleep once more.

「Meanwhile.」

Back at the shelter, Erica relit the embers, burned some bamboo charcoal to stuff into the smoking pit, and sprinkled a handful of leaves on top.

Only when thick smoke began to billow from the flue did she seal it back up with the bamboo strips, satisfied.

’I wonder what I should make for Lin tonight...’

She had been busy for half the day and hadn’t eaten anything herself. Suddenly remembering the three large octopus balls left over from last night, she took them out of the bamboo tube and placed them on the grill to heat up.

She had already tossed the sea urchin shell. After being used for grilling several times, its surface was completely charred and brittle. It felt like the spines would snap off with the slightest pressure.

Besides these three octopus balls, she also had plenty of leftover mashed potatoes and seafood ingredients from last night, all sealed and stored in bamboo tubes.

Without the sea urchin shell, there was no way to make more octopus balls, and she probably wouldn’t find another one even if she spent half the day searching the beach.

’Maybe I can use these ingredients to make something new?’

Gazing at the three octopus balls sizzling on the bamboo grill, Erica pondered for a moment. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned to look at the nearby earthen slope.

’Oh, right, what about Bartel? He left last night and hasn’t been back since. Surely he wasn’t swept away by the waves?’

’No, that can’t be right. He said he’s a pretty good swimmer. And he was supposed to go catch lobsters for Lin.’

After flipping the three octopus balls, she immediately got up and walked toward the spot where Bartel had camped the day before.

The campfire had long since gone out. She reached out to feel it but found no warmth. It must have died out in the middle of the night.

She checked the smoking pit in the hillside—the venison inside was long gone, vanished without a trace. Not even the branches he used were left behind.

’When did he leave??’

Erica tilted her head in confusion, surprised that he had just taken off without a word.

’Did he find a good spot for his own shelter and just move overnight while I was sleeping?’

’But there shouldn’t be any other good spots for a shelter around here.’

She couldn’t figure it out, so she decided not to dwell on it.

’Well, he has that bet with Lin—three Lobsters in one week. He’ll have to show up sooner or later. I’d better focus on what to make for Lin for dinner.’

There were still plenty of bamboo shoots that Lin Chen had cut down yesterday. Then there was the under-smoked but edible venison, and the leftover ingredients for the octopus balls.

’Lin is one of the Da Xia People, so his palate probably leans more toward Asian flavors. He likely wouldn’t want any foreign cuisine while he’s sick. If *I* were sick, what would I want to eat?’

She stared blankly at the three sizzling octopus balls as memories of the food her parents made for her when she was a sick child began to surface.

’I remember now. Whenever I had a cold, a fever, or the flu, they’d make me fresh juice and soft toast with jam in the morning. And for a snack... I think it was soda crackers?’

’What else... Oh, right, right! Apple-blueberry oatmeal! I almost forgot that one.’

’For dinner, I think they used to make a stew with chicken broth. Wow, that sounds complicated. What should I even make?’

She hadn’t really thought about it before, but looking back, she realized her parents truly went to great lengths for her whenever she was sick.

But ever since starting middle school, she hadn’t gotten seriously ill. That was also when her mother began to fade from her memories, replaced by a limitless supply of money.

’I can make jam and juice right now. Soda crackers are definitely out. Oatmeal... hmm, could I substitute mashed potatoes? And chicken broth... would a seafood broth work instead?’

’Wait a second... Oatmeal? Mashed potatoes? Seafood broth?’

As she murmured these words, a flicker of inspiration lit up her eyes.

’Heh, I’m a total genius!’

...

"Lin, wake up. It’s time for dinner~"

Feeling a gentle tap on his shoulder, Lin Chen’s eyelids twitched, and he slowly pried them open a crack.

Erica’s delicate, smiling face was especially radiant under the warm yellow light, making the fine, platinum-blonde hairs on her skin seem to sparkle.

’Yellow light?’

Confused, Lin Chen sat up. Only then did he realize she had turned on her Hat Lamp and set it nearby for illumination.

He turned his head; the sky outside was already dark.

He had actually slept from morning straight through to evening!

"How are you feeling? Any better?"

"Much better," he answered instinctively, giving his head a subtle shake. The dizziness was mostly gone.

Erica touched his cheek, then her own. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly brushed his bangs aside and pressed her forehead against his.

"?!"

Before Lin Chen could even process what was happening, he felt a coolness on his brow as Erica’s crystal-clear pupils filled his vision.

He had just woken up and his brain hadn’t fully booted up yet. Faced with this sudden situation, he froze completely, not even daring to move his hands.

Her warm breath tickled the spot just above his lip, and he had to fight the urge to scratch it.

"It doesn’t feel too hot... Oh, shoot, I forgot to check this morning!"

"Forgot to check what... huh?"

Ariana walked in through the entrance with a first-aid kit slung over her shoulder. She saw the scene before her but didn’t break her stride.

"Ahem. Erica, you need to be a little more careful. I know you’re Lin’s fan, but you can’t just force a kiss on him while he’s sick, can you? What if you catch his germs?"

’What the hell???’

Lin Chen rolled his eyes dramatically, placed a hand on Erica’s head, and turned it to face Ariana.

"My dear young lady, spreading rumors in front of so many viewers on the livestream is grounds for a defamation lawsuit. She was just checking my forehead for a fever. Maybe if *certain people* didn’t show up so late, after the sun had already set, this wouldn’t be necessary!"

[What?!]

[What just happened? Oh my god, how did I miss it?]

[The screen just went dark! I think it was because Erica leaned in. The camera angle is all wrong! I strongly protest!]

[Lin was forced into a kiss??]

[My god, that sounds so juicy! Erica actually kissed Lin while he was sick?]

[Based on their movements, that’s exactly what it looked like. Ariana saw it with her own eyes, so how could it be fake?]

[But Lin said she was just checking his temperature. That sounds pretty reasonable, too.]

[It was definitely just checking his temperature. Given their relationship, if something was going to happen, it would have happened when they were sleeping together the other day. Why wait until now?]

[This is a livestream. Something like that would never happen. It’s got to be a misunderstanding.]