Chapter 58: Shen Linyan, You Have a Fever

To be reasonable, An Ling actually didn't think having a meal with Shen Linyan was a difficult thing.

It was just eating with her ex-husband, what was the big deal!

It was all Jiang Mai's fault for always talking about "salvation" every day. She was practically triggered by the word now, terrified that everything she did would be seen as some sort of salvation.

As long as they interacted like normal friends, it would be fine.

An Ling sat at her workstation, propping up her chin and staring at the video on her screen, but in reality, she was secretly glancing at the time in the bottom right corner out of the corner of her eye.

4:56.

There was still more than an hour until she got off work.

Shen Linyan said he would come pick her up after work.

Thinking of this, An Ling's gaze shifted to the small mirror on her desk, and she examined herself carefully for a moment.

She felt like her makeup was a bit smudged.

Why did it seem like her dark circles were a bit heavy too? If she had known, she wouldn't have stayed up late reading documents last night.

She took out her compact powder and lipstick from her bag, quietly opened the compact, leaned closer to the mirror, and pressed it onto the areas of her face where the makeup was fading.

Suddenly, a woman's slow, teasing voice came from beside her:

"Oh my, it looks like our Ah Leng has a date after work. You usually don't pay this much attention to your pretty face."

"..."

An Ling subconsciously looked up, her gaze falling on the other party's pearl earrings and glasses. She curved her eyes and whispered, "No, no, Sister Lin Ya, I'm just slacking off a bit."

"Is that so..."

Lin Ya nodded in sudden realization. "Then do you want to grab dinner together tonight? Teacher Chen and a few other teachers will be there too. Teacher Chen said he wants to introduce you to them."

"?"

An Ling looked confused. "Really?"

So suddenly?

She hesitantly glanced at her phone nearby. "...Are we going right after work today?"

Maybe she should tell Shen Linyan and reschedule their dinner.

Seeing her troubled expression, Lin Ya couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, I'm just kidding. Usually, when it comes to introductions, Ah Leng, you don't have this hesitant look on your face."

"..."

Seeing the girl's straight face, Lin Ya quickly smiled apologetically. While handing over a document, she also placed a piece of candy on the desk. "My apologies, my apologies. Actually, there's a document I need you to sign."

After An Ling finished signing the document, Lin Ya picked it up. As she left, she winked secretly.

"You go back to slacking off, I won't tell Teacher Chen. Though Teacher Chen would probably understand a precious date between a young couple."

An Ling's face flushed slightly as she accepted the candy. "Apology accepted!"

After getting off work, she sent a message to Shen Linyan.

An Ling: [Chairman Shen, off work! ^^]

Shen Linyan: [Already waiting outside ^^]

Walking out the main gate, sure enough, she saw the familiar black Bentley parked by the road.

She walked over and opened the back door. The man in the seat was dressed in a sharp suit, clearly having just gotten off work from his company as well.

Hearing the sound, the man looked up, his eyes curving into a smile. "Good evening, An Ling."

An Ling had actually imagined it would be awkward, but in reality, the moment she got into the car and saw the man's usual gentle smile, all her nervousness quietly vanished into thin air.

She got in the car and smiled back. "Good evening."

Just as she was about to say something, her phone suddenly buzzed.

The video she had sent to Shen Fuyuan in the afternoon finally received a reply.

Shen Fuyuan: [No problem, let's shoot it like this.]

An Ling: [Okay.]

Shen Fuyuan: [But there's one thing. My schedule for next week's shoot might change. My mom is acting crazy again recently; knowing I'm shooting a variety show, she insists I move back home and shoot it there, so the camera positions might need to be reinstalled.]

Seeing this message, An Ling's gaze paused slightly, a look of contemplation appearing in her eyes.

Mother Shen doing this was very likely an attempt to whitewash Lu Jingshen in front of the public.

An Ling just felt like a pig was about to be let out of its pen.

[Okay, I will have my colleagues go to the Shen family home for a site visit and figure it out before reinstalling the cameras.]

Reinstalling at this point was indeed quite troublesome, but the Shen family was wealthy and powerful; what ordinary person would dare to easily offend them?

Seeing her strictly professional response, Shen Fuyuan was clearly a bit dissatisfied, hinting at something overtly and covertly in her words.

[I didn't tell my mom that the executive producer of this show is you, humph humph humph.]

The corners of An Ling's mouth curled up slightly.

[Then let's give her a surprise later, humph humph humph.]

She had to let Mother Shen know what editing effects were all about.

After replying to the message, she put her phone back in her bag.

Just as she wanted to speak, she realized that the car had become quiet at some point, leaving only the sound of shallow breathing in the air.

An Ling's body stiffened, her expression turning somewhat subtle.

Oh no, she accidentally chatted too much with Shen Fuyuan and completely forgot that Shen Linyan was right next to her.

A few seconds later, she quietly turned her head to take a peek.

When she saw the scene beside her, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

On the seat, the handsome man was leaning against the backrest with his head tilted, his eyes closed. Stray hair fell across his forehead, his long and thick eyelashes drooped quietly, and his breathing was steady. He had already fallen fast asleep.

An Ling blinked, unable to stop the corners of her mouth from turning up slightly.

Just as she was about to look away, her movements suddenly paused.

Hmm?

Her gaze stopped, and her brows slowly knitted together.

Why did it seem like Shen Linyan's face was a bit red?

Realizing something, An Ling narrowed her eyes and stared for a moment. Then, she quietly leaned closer and gently raised her hand to place it on the man's forehead.

The moment she touched his burning hot skin, her expression instantly froze.

Shen Linyan didn't know when he had fallen asleep.

After An Ling got into the car, he had originally planned to wait until she was done with her business to discuss where to eat, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until his consciousness gradually blurred.

In his sleep, a familiar citrus scent lingered at the tip of his nose. The hair on his forehead was gently brushed aside, and a soft palm pressed against his skin.

A trace of coolness dispelled the overly hot temperature on his face. His eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the girl's frowning, worried gaze.

"Shen Linyan, you have a fever."

It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.

An Ling felt something was wrong the moment she touched him. The temperature of the man's forehead was so hot that it warmed her palm; it was definitely not a simple low-grade fever.

His fever was this high? Did Shen Linyan not feel it himself?

She turned to look at the driver in the front and ordered directly, "Go to the hospital."

Hearing this, the driver looked hesitant.

He looked at the man in the back seat through the rearview mirror, his eyes seemingly asking for his opinion.

But in the dim car, the man let out a low chuckle.

He tilted his head against the backrest, an abnormal flush on his face. The cold nobility he usually possessed had completely faded away, leaving only a touch of vulnerability and sluggish lethargy.

He lowered his eyes and smiled, grasping her wrist. His long, slender fingertips were scorching hot. His eyes curved as he whispered in a hoarse voice, "It's alright, Madam. I'll go home and take medicine after we eat. Let's go eat first."

An Ling: "..." He was still thinking about eating.

"No," An Ling frowned and rejected the idea. "Shen Linyan, you must go to the hospital right now."

He was burning up so much he couldn't even think straight.

She wiped away the fine beads of sweat from the man's forehead and gently covered his eyes. "Alright, alright, stop talking. Go to sleep for a bit."

After saying that, she turned her head again and stared expressionlessly at the driver, her tone icy cold.

"Listen to me and go to the hospital. If you dare to listen to your boss, get out of the car right now and let me drive."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the man's hoarse laughter instantly came from the back seat.

"Madam didn't bring her driver's license."

"Don't worry about it. If we get a ticket, it's on you." An Ling covered his mouth.

Hearing their conversation, the driver's smile froze.

"...Yes, ma'am. I will head to the hospital right away."