Chapter 18

Once he stopped recalling the memory, Li Shaoze thought he was already over the past. He didn't think it would leave a shadow in his heart like this once he stepped foot into this country.

He felt fine when he went to the Li manor in the morning. He didn't feel repulsive in the slightest but he didn't know that his subconscious was actually rejecting him to be in the same surroundings where his nightmare originated.

Li Shaoze's frown grew bigger and he felt uncomfortable. He actually held a lot of scars in his heart as the start of his life wasn't that fortunate.

Moreover, he thought he would be alright since he was already turning 30 this year. It was useless to be overly invested in the past but somehow he knew he never actually let it go.

Li Shaoze looked around once again and found that he was trapped in the darkness for too long. His mother had disappeared and now he was alone.

Li Shaoze took a deep breath to calm himself but the more he tried, the more he felt the stress building up. His head throbbed and he was unable to find a way back.

When he thought he would be staying this way forever, Li Shaoze heard a voice from a distance.

"Brother! Wake up!"

"Brother!"

Li Shaoze opened his eyes in an instant and stared at the white ghost floating in front of him. He looked around and found that he was back to reality.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Li Junfeng asked, looking concern.

Only then did Li Shaoze find that he was sweating buckets. Even though the air-conditioner was on, he actually sweated and felt his body burn from head to toe.

He had unexpectedly caught a fever.

***

The so-called personal doctor came over in the next morning and brought many medical instruments in his briefcase. He checked Li Shaoze's physical and mental state very thoroughly and gave some instructions.

"You need to rest up. It's late but the change of climate between Country E and here might have caused you to have a fever," the male doctor said, who was actually an acquaintance of Li Junfeng.

His name was Gu Chen, he was a doctor who was recommended by Li Junfeng to Li Shaoze a few years back. He was responsible for taking care of both Li Shaoze's mental and physical health. He was also the one who helped Li Shaoze with the sleeping pills in hope to cure his severe insomnia.

Li Shaoze leaned on the headboard as he knitted his brows. He just listened to Gu Chen absentmindedly and occasionally nodded to his instructions. Even though he was frowning hard, he exuded a lazy charm once seated on the bed.

"So have you been sleeping well these days?" Gu Chen looked at him as he fixed his glasses.

"... Not really," Li Shaoze sighed. His face taut.

Gu Chen pursed his lips in thought and then said, "Let's do more intensive check-up at the hospital. I'll refer you in a few days. How's that sound?"

Li Shaoze's frown grew as he felt it was unnecessary. He was about to decline when Li Junfeng forced him to go. In the end, he decided to listen to Li Junfeng again.

"... Alright,"

"Then it's decided," Gu Chen put the plan in his itinerary.

When that was done, he glanced over Li Shaoze and asked carefully, "I saw you at the funeral but had no chance to greet you. How long will you stay in the country?"

Li Shaoze was expressionless as he answered, "Not sure. But it'll definitely be temporary,"

Gu Chen exhaled a breath and nodded. Thinking there was nothing more to add, he got up and said, "It's late but I want to deliver my condolences. I'm sorry for what happened to Li Junfeng,"

Li Shaoze took a look at Gu Chen and nodded slightly. His curt reply to a condolence was just like he was greeted by a subordinate. Afterwards, Gu Chen excused himself and was gone from the house.

Li Shaoze wasn't close with Gu Chen even though they had a patient-doctor relationship for years. In fact, Li Shaoze wasn't close to anybody. Gu Chen being the same age as Li Junfeng, thought that it would be better for them to just have a professional relationship instead of that like a friend. He found that Li Shaoze was like a person high up and was hard to get close to.

Li Junfeng seeing the situation, felt his throat caught with a stone. He sighed and scolded, "Why can't you smile a little bit? He came here from a different city just to check on you!"

Li Junfeng felt bad for Gu Chen who had to walk on eggshells around Li Shaoze.

"It's the way I am. I can't change it," Li Shaoze was feeling parched so he took a glass of water by the bedside and sipped on it.

Li Junfeng shook his head as he once again worried over his brother's social life. Unlike Li Shaoze, he was very good at making conversations. Gu Chen was actually a friend of his friend so they weren't exactly close, but they still talked so well whenever they met.

This was why he was able to ask Gu Chen for help regarding Li Shaoze's medical problems.

"Still, you should be more expressive. You don't actually have facial paralysis, do you?" Li Junfeng said, exasperated.

Li Shaoze ignored his brother's words and went to eat the medicine Gu Chen just gave. Mu Ziyi didn't report to him today because he had sent her to a meeting he was supposed to attend this morning. The meeting would be over by noon so he wouldn't get anything to work on in the meantime.

He had planned to do some work on his laptop just now but Li Junfeng would glare at him and stop him anyway so he simply gave up.

Right after taking the medication, Li Shaoze began to feel sleepy. He coughed and felt the itchiness in his throat. Thinking that he was currently having a fever, he should take some rest by sleeping so that he would be able to work properly again tomorrow.

Li Junfeng saw him preparing to close his eyes, so he didn't dare to say anything anymore. But just when Li Shaoze was about to land his head on the pillow, his phone rang.

Li Shaoze pursed his lips and reached for his phone. Seeing the warning look on Li Junfeng, he sighed before answering the call. Assuming it was for work, he immediately said coldly, "I'm not feeling well so wait until tomorrow,"

The other end of the call went quiet immediately. Li Shaoze pinched his eyebrows and said again, "The report. Relay it to me first thing tomorrow morning,"

His voice was hoarse and he coughed a few times. Just as he was about to hang up, a sweet voice traveled over his ear.

"This is Pei Qian, I'm sorry for bothering you... but are you unwell?"

Li Shaoze's eyes widened instantly once he registered the woman's name. Li Junfeng also heard her voice very well as his jaw fell.

He didn't know Pei Qian would call his brother so fast! It didn't take a long time, not even a week.

Li Junfeng signaled for the stupefied Li Shaoze to respond. Li Shaoze soon recalled his bearing and cleared his throat.

".. I am. I'm sorry for assuming you as my subordinate just now. It was rude," he apologized sincerely. Unbeknownst to him, he had earned one brownie point from Li Junfeng the matchmaker.

Pei Qian on the other side of the phone was actually sitting in her office chair at Pei Holdings building. Once she finished looking over some reports, she suddenly thought of Li Shaoze and immediately dialed his number.

She didn't expect him to be feeling under the weather today as he appeared fine just two days ago when they met by the lake. He didn't strike her as a person who would be down with a fever, that too in the summer.