Chapter 310: When Will This Stubborn Habit Change?
The maid had barely finished speaking when Wren Sutton’s brow furrowed. The exhaustion she had accumulated at the hospital was instantly replaced by a faint sense of worry and helplessness.
The wind had been howling last night, yet Adrian Lancaster had stubbornly stood watch downstairs at the hospital for most of the night.
She had spotted him when she woke in the middle of the night to check the windows. She’d had to go downstairs to personally berate and threaten him. If she hadn’t, who knows how much longer he would have stood out there in the cold.
And now, look at him. He’d gone and worked himself into a cold and a fever.
’Whose fault was it?’
’In the end, it was his own damn fault!’
"What’s his temperature?" Wren Sutton asked.
The maid quickly bowed and replied, "Young Madam, we took it an hour ago. It was 38.6 degrees."
Wren’s expression remained relatively calm, her tone betraying little emotion. "He’s taken fever medicine, so it should have gone down a bit. I’ll take his temperature again in a little while."
After she spoke, she suddenly remembered the most important thing, and her tone shifted, becoming urgent.
"Right, have Owen and Nina been infected?"
The maid quickly shook her head. "Don’t worry, Young Madam. As soon as the Young Master felt unwell, he immediately isolated himself from the children. He moved into the spare bedroom and has been wearing a mask even while sleeping, afraid of passing the sickness to the Young Master and Young Miss."
"As long as he’s isolated, that’s good." Wren’s anxious heart settled. She then added a careful instruction, "Remember, don’t let Adrian near the children until he’s fully recovered. Kids have weak immune systems. If they catch a cold and fever, they’re the ones who will suffer."
"Understood, Young Madam," the maid replied respectfully.
"You can go back to your duties. I’ll go check on them."
Wren walked briskly into the master bedroom, washed her hands thoroughly, changed into a soft set of loungewear, and then tiptoed toward the nursery.
Owen and Nina had just finished their formula. They lay quietly in their small beds, breathing evenly, fast asleep.
Wren stood by their beds, her gaze gentle and filled with an overwhelming maternal love.
Her fingertips hovered in the air. Several times, she wanted to reach out and pull her soft, milky little bundles into her arms for a kiss, but she was afraid of waking them and forced herself to resist.
"Owen, Nina, Mommy’s home."
"I haven’t seen you all day. Mommy missed you so much. Did you miss Mommy?"
She gently caressed their chubby, warm little cheeks, a tender and happy smile gracing her lips.
After about ten minutes in the nursery, Wren remembered the other very sick patient lying in the house.
"Sleep well, my babies. Daddy has a cold and a fever in the next room. Mommy is going to go check on him. When you wake up, Mommy will come play with you."
Wren reluctantly turned and left the nursery, making sure to instruct the nanny to stay inside and call for her the moment the children woke up.
...
「The Spare Bedroom.」
Wren gently pushed the door open and quietly stepped inside.
The sheer curtains in the room were all drawn, perfectly blocking the harsh sunlight without disturbing the patient’s sleep or making the room feel dark and gloomy.
A narrow gap was left in the window, allowing a gentle breeze to flow in and keep the room ventilated.
The air held the faint smell of rubbing alcohol, mingled with the uniquely warm, heavy scent that was Adrian’s.
Adrian lay in the center of the bed, his usually straight, broad shoulders now curled up under the soft covers.
A cool fever-reducing patch was stuck to his forehead. A few stray locks of hair at his temples were damp with a light sweat, clinging softly to his skin.
His face was so pale it was almost translucent, yet his cheeks were flushed with an unnatural feverish red, giving him a look of frail weakness.
As soon as Wren reached the bedside, a wave of heat radiating from Adrian washed over her.
’The fever must be pretty high.’
’It would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried.’
After all, Adrian was Owen and Nina’s biological father; Wren couldn’t remain indifferent.
Besides, she was counting on him to get well soon to help care for the two children and lighten her burden.
Perhaps because of the fever medicine, Adrian was sleeping very deeply.
But when he heard the familiar, soft footsteps approaching and her light, fresh scent—the one that had lingered in his heart for so long—wafted over him, his eyelashes trembled, and his eyes snapped open.
Their eyes met. A sudden light ignited in Adrian’s previously dull, listless eyes.
It was as if he had been waiting endlessly in a boundless, hazy darkness and had finally found the person he had been longing for.
Wren’s appearance was like a cool breeze, scattering the fatigue and confusion of his illness.
Adrian’s chapped lips curved upward into a weak, yet incredibly genuine and gentle, smile.
"Honey, you’re finally back."
His voice was dry and hoarse, but his tone was filled with joy and dependence.
In that moment, he seemed to forget the aching weakness in his body, the daze and headache from the high fever. He propped himself up on his arms, trying to sit up.
Wren reacted instantly, stepping forward and pressing a hand to his shoulder.
"Lie down. Don’t move. You’re this sick and you still can’t stay put."
Her tone was stern, sounding a little harsh, but the pressure of her fingertips on Adrian’s shoulder was light, even tinged with an imperceptible carefulness.
Adrian could easily hear the concern hidden beneath her sternness.
A warmth flooded his heart, and he obediently lay back down.
"I’m fine, don’t worry."
"Your fever is almost 39 degrees and you say you’re fine?"
Wren suppressed the swirling emotions in her eyes and reached out, gently pressing the back of her hand against his forehead.
Even through the cooling patch, the heat underneath was still startlingly hot.
Her brow furrowed. "It’s still this hot even with the cooling patch on."
"Where’s the thermometer? Let me take your temperature again."
Adrian let Wren touch him obediently, like a child who had just been given candy. His gaze was focused, full of reliance and trust in her.
Wren picked up the mercury thermometer and with a sharp flick of her wrist, shook the mercury column down below 35 degrees.
Then, she reached out and, with a natural and practiced motion, tucked it under Adrian’s arm.
"Hold it tight. Don’t move. Keep it there for ten minutes."
"Mm," Adrian agreed, cooperating perfectly. He remained completely still, like a good little boy, his gaze glued to Wren’s face, unwilling to look away.
When his gaze fell on the faint dark circles under her eyes, he felt both heartache and guilt.
"You were at the hospital for a whole day and night. You finally came back to get some rest, and now I’m sick, making you take care of me when you’re already exhausted."
"I’m sorry, honey. I’ve tired you out. After you take my temperature, go back to your room and sleep. You don’t have to worry about me. The maids are here, they can take good care of me."
Wren looked at Adrian, who was clearly miserable but still thinking only of her.
The frustration she’d felt over his stubbornness instantly dissipated, replaced by a helpless sigh.
She sat on the edge of the bed and turned her head slightly, avoiding Adrian’s overly intense and direct gaze.
"This is the consequence of not listening to advice. Feeling miserable now, are you?"
"How many times did I tell you last night? Standing in the cold for too long would make you sick. I told you to go home, but you were as stubborn as an ox, refusing to listen and insisting on doing things your way."
"If you had just listened to me and gone home earlier, or not stood watch at the hospital at all, you wouldn’t have ended up in this state."
"Now you have this high fever that won’t break. If word gets out, what will people think? It’ll look like I’m the one who did this to you."
Hearing this, Adrian frowned immediately, his tone turning protective and firm. "Whoever dares to say that about you, I’ll deal with them."
Wren shot him a glare. "Still talking tough."
Adrian immediately softened his tone, speaking coaxingly, "My fever isn’t just from being out in the cold at the hospital last night. There are other reasons."
Wren’s face hardened. She asked him seriously, "What reasons? Tell me."
"..." Adrian opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with a single thing.
Wren looked at him, her gaze sharp. "Why are you silent now?"
Adrian guiltily avoided her gaze, like a child who had done something wrong and didn’t dare to argue back.
"Honey, I know I was wrong. Don’t be angry."
His tone was pleading and submissive as he carefully reached for Wren’s hand.
"I didn’t mean to defy you last night. My mind was just completely filled with you. I just wanted to find a place closer to you..."
"I didn’t expect my body to be so useless and catch a cold. I guess you could call it a punishment from heaven."
"I won’t be so stubborn anymore. Whatever you say, goes. I’ll listen to everything you say."
"Honey, can you stop being angry and forgive me now?"
Seeing him take the initiative to admit his mistake, Wren’s anger completely evaporated.
She had a stomach full of rebukes, but now that they were on the tip of her tongue, she couldn’t bring herself to say them.
Instead, she reached out and readjusted the cooling patch that had slipped a little, her fingertips brushing against his burning forehead.
’Forget it. What’s the point of arguing with a sick person?’
"I’m not angry. It’s your body. If you don’t know how to take care of it, what can I do?"
Adrian immediately declared in a serious tone, "I’ll definitely take care of it from now on. I promise I won’t get sick again. I’ll keep myself in good health so I have the strength to take care of you and the children."
Mentioning the children reminded him of something else.
"I have a cold and fever right now, so I can’t be near Owen and Nina until I’m completely better. You’ll have to work a little harder taking care of them for the next few days."
Wren nodded, her expression no longer so stern, softening a little.
"I’m Owen and Nina’s mother. It’s my job to take care of them. You just focus on resting and getting better soon."
Although Adrian’s heart ached at the thought of Wren leaving, he couldn’t bear to see her get tired.
"Go back to the master bedroom and rest. You don’t have to stay here with me. Be careful not to get infected."
Wren had been up for a full day at the hospital. She was indeed tired and needed to rest.
She glanced up at the clock on the wall. Exactly ten minutes had passed.
"Time’s up. Let me see the thermometer."
Adrian cooperatively relaxed his arm.
Wren bent over slightly and pulled the thermometer from under his arm. When her fingertips touched the metal end, she could feel the heat it carried.
She lowered her gaze, slowly turning the thermometer and holding it up to the light to read the number.
"39.4 degrees!"
Wren’s brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. She was starting to panic inside but forced herself to remain calm on the surface.
"Didn’t you take fever medicine? Why isn’t it working?"
She looked up at Adrian, her gaze falling on his flushed cheeks and chapped lips, and her heart sank.
"Adrian, are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing Wren’s nervous expression, Adrian forced himself to put on a brave face and comfort her.
"I’m okay. With you here, it’s not so bad."
Wren was both angry and anxious.
"Your fever is almost 40 degrees and you’re still saying it’s not bad. When are you going to stop being so stubborn and acting tough?"
"Honey, I’m really... fine. You... don’t worry." As Adrian said this, his breathing was unsteady, clearly showing how uncomfortable the high fever was making him.
Wren reached out and touched his face and neck. They were hot and red, searing not only her palm but also her heart.
"We can’t let you keep burning up like this! It looks like we have to go to the hospital right away, or call the family doctor to come give you a shot."
Hearing the word "shot," Adrian’s heart gave a nervous lurch.