"… The fever," she said hesitantly.
Ethan's expression was unreadable, his dark eyes inscrutable as they briefly met hers. She couldn't quite decipher what he was thinking.
Then he said calmly, "Not too bad—except you wouldn't let them insert the IV."
When the doctor inserted the needle into her vein, Ethan held her hand the entire time, keeping her from resisting.
But the moment the IV was secured, and his grip loosened, she tugged at it in her fevered confusion and yanked the needle clean out—tearing the vein in the process.
The spot on her hand had turned visibly bruised.
Ethan's gaze dropped to her right hand, where the bandage had been removed. The skin there was no longer swollen, but still faintly purple.
He looked away and reminded her, "Don't press on that vein. Anywhere else hurting?"
Elena touched her forehead—her temperature felt fine. She shook her head. "No, I'm okay now."
She added a soft "Thank you for taking care of me last night."
Ethan stared at her for a moment.
"No need for thanks," he said,"It's what I should do. But…"
"Did you dream about anything last night?"
Just as Elena relaxed, his sudden question caught her off guard.
"Dreams?" she echoed, blinking at him. Images from the night before flashed briefly in her mind—fragments of nonsensical, feverish dreams that had already begun to blur.
She couldn't recall much, only vague scenes.
Uncertain, she looked up at him cautiously and asked, "Did I… say anything I shouldn't have?"
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, breath held tight with unease.
Ethan's gaze lingered on her for a beat before he replied lightly, "Nothing much. You just didn't want the IV."
He reached out and tousled her hair, shifting the topic.
"You've got class this morning, don't you? Still planning to go?"
Elena stared at him a moment longer, then nodded. "I feel fine now. I'll go."
Ethan didn't stop her and walked her downstairs. "Let's eat first. I'll drive you to school afterward."
She wanted to ask his odd question earlier, but seeing that he had no intention of elaborating, the words died on her lips.
He'd had a long night—stormy weather and an international video conference—but still, he had time to drive her to school.
And when she finished her classes and came out in the evening, he was there to pick her up too.
The sight of him in the backseat of the Pullman startled her.
Sensing her surprise, Eric Chen, the driver, explained with a smile, "Miss Shen, the boss was worried you might still feel unwell. He insisted on picking you up himself."
She mumbled a thank-you once she got in.
Ethan, signing documents without looking up, replied, "We're married. No need to be so polite."
Elena nodded obediently.
When she rode alone in this car, she always relaxed—watching videos or dozing off.
But with Ethan beside her, she couldn't help sitting upright. She didn't dare scroll through silly clips or even touch her phone.
She was at a loss for conversation too. Though they'd been married nearly a week, they hadn't spent that much time alone. She still felt awkward around him—like the little girl she used to be.
Her wandering eyes eventually landed on the divider between the front and back seats.
She realized that ever since they got married, whenever they rode together, Eric Chen always raised the partition—like he was terrified of seeing something he shouldn't.
Rolling her eyes inwardly, she turned her gaze to the car window instead, watching the city lights bloom in the dusk.
After finishing his last document, Ethan glanced at her quietly watching the passing night outside.
He was the one to break the silence.
"How were you at school today? Any discomfort?"
Startled, Elena turned back to him.
Her clear eyes sparkled slightly in the dim light. She smiled. "I'm perfectly fine now."
By the time they arrived at Yushan Villa's garage, the sky had darkened fully.
Eric Chen, ever efficient, grabbed the documents and left swiftly.
Elena gave him a quick glance—he left a little too fast today—and reached for the car door to get out.
Just as she moved, a large hand gripped her waist, stopping her.