Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 109: Social Death After Waking Up
Only after confirming Shi Lan’s temperature was no longer scorching did He Hanshi have the presence of mind to think about the others in the prison.
Since he had promised Lanlan he would help look after them, he couldn’t go back on his word.
It was nearly lunchtime, and the robot in the kitchen had just about finished portioning out everyone’s food. He Hanshi took the meals to deliver to them directly.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, he brought the office butler robot with him to deliver the meals, having also taken the precaution of shifting into his beast form.
The butler robot had never seen his transformed appearance.
He stood at the entrance to the detention area without going inside, letting the robot hand out the meals one by one according to the names on them. Upon seeing the meals in the butler robot’s hands, the prisoners seemed to sense something and glanced toward the entrance.
The chip in He Hanshi’s hand chimed with one message after another. The remaining four people in the prison were all asking him about Shi Lan’s condition.
He didn’t hide anything, telling them that Shi Lan’s fever was slowly going down.
But mentioning this inevitably made him think of the ’scenery’ he had unintentionally glimpsed.
He Hanshi leaned against the wall outside the detention area’s main gate. His throat bobbed. His messy, sweat-dampened silver hair partially covered his eyes as he struggled to suppress the heat surging within him. When he opened his eyes again, his clarity had returned.
After he and the butler robot finished delivering the meals, he returned to Shi Lan’s dorm room.
He Hanshi gently placed his hand on her forehead, then on his own. The temperature difference was no longer as stark.
In the interstellar era, both females and males had excellent immune systems, so Shi Lan’s quick recovery was within his expectations.
The dorm room was Shi Lan’s private space. With nothing more to be done for the moment, He Hanshi went outside to wait.
A little after one in the afternoon, Shi Lan woke up.
He Hanshi had been keeping watch at the door, his hearing sharp. Shi Lan’s door was ajar, so he heard the moment she started to stir.
Inside, Shi Lan opened her eyes, feeling a daze as if she’d lost all track of time.
Likely from the fever, her head still felt a little fuzzy.
’But I distinctly remember going to the prison... how am I in bed now?’
’And under the covers?’
Just then, He Hanshi walked in. "Lanlan, are you awake?"
He walked to her bedside and looked at her with concern.
Shi Lan blinked, a beat too slow. Her round, almond-shaped eyes were filled with unmistakable confusion. "He Hanshi? How did you get out?"
A prolonged high fever could cause brain damage in a female.
That sentence from a textbook flashed through He Hanshi’s mind. His brow furrowed unconsciously, and his expression grew serious. "Lanlan, don’t you remember what happened? You were the one who opened the door for me."
Though he was anxious, he kept his tone as gentle and controlled as possible, not wanting to frighten her.
As Shi Lan listened to his explanation, the fog in her mind gradually began to clear.
She froze, instantly overcome with regret.
’Oh god, how could I have done something so stupid?’
Previously, Shi Lan had always worried that releasing He Hanshi and the others would cause trouble, so she kept them confined as a precaution. If they truly wanted to leave, they would find a way to contact the Empire themselves.
In short, her thinking was that she could save them, but it wasn’t her place to release them.
But she never expected her fever-addled brain to come up with such a terrible idea. She could have just packed the food in insulated containers beforehand and had the butler robot stand guard at the prison, delivering the meals at the proper time.
’Why on earth did I think of letting He Hanshi out to help care for them? Forget the ’caring’ part—once he’s out, he can’t even get back into the prison!’
Filled with a mix of regret and worry, Shi Lan looked at He Hanshi. "I remember now."
"I’m sorry, He Hanshi. Is everything okay? Will you being out of prison cause a lot of trouble?"
He Hanshi breathed a sigh of relief, confirming she hadn’t suffered any lasting effects from the fever. Seeing her tense up, he shook his head. "Don’t worry. It’s fine."
"Are you feeling better? If so, I’ll head back to the prison now."
In truth, even if there were repercussions, Shi Lan wouldn’t be punished harshly, being a female. But seeing how worried she was, he went along with her and offered to return to the prison.
Shi Lan fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Thank you for understanding. If you want to get out of the prison, I hope you’ll communicate with your superiors."
All things considered, Shi Lan still cared more about her own well-being.
He Hanshi smiled gently, his large, comforting hand landing softly on the crown of her head. "It’s fine, I know. You’ve already done so well, Lanlan." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
The prisoners were all of one mind on this matter.
They didn’t care about such a brief taste of freedom. What they truly valued was their time with Shi Lan.
After all, it would be quite easy for them to leave now. It’s just that they all cherished their time with Shi Lan and kept putting it off.
Besides, even if they were to leave, they needed to plan it carefully to ensure the matter of their lowered spiritual power collapse values wouldn’t bring trouble to Shi Lan.
The gentle pressure on her head made Shi Lan pause. Her gaze fell upon He Hanshi, who was looking down at her. His silver bangs cast soft shadows on his fair face, and his blue eyes seemed to shimmer with a gentle light. A faint smile graced his pale pink lips.
He looked like a benevolent god, the compassion in his eyes enough to soothe any wound in one’s heart.
Beneath the blanket, Shi Lan’s hands, which she had unconsciously clenched out of worry that He Hanshi would get the wrong idea, slowly relaxed.
The corners of her lips curved up in response. Feeling that her fever had broken and she was in better spirits, she threw back the covers and sat up.
"Okay, let’s go now."
He Hanshi instinctively turned his back to her. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Shi Lan stared suspiciously at his broad, straight back. "What’s wrong?"
He Hanshi stood up and said softly, "It’s nothing. I’ll wait for you outside the door. We can go once you’re ready."
"...Oh."
At first, Shi Lan didn’t understand. It wasn’t until he had closed the door behind him that she felt a cool draft on her chest. She looked down and saw her gaping pajama top, and her face instantly burned red.
’I went out wearing this?!’
Shi Lan wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Fortunately, rummaging through the blankets, she found her wrinkled outer jacket, which lessened her mortification a little.
’But why did He Hanshi turn away so quickly?’
’Unless he saw something...’
The more she thought about it, the heat that had just faded from her face threatened to return. She quickly got out of bed and changed her clothes. Just as she was about to open the door, she noticed her towel from the bathroom, now ripped in two, sitting on a nearby table.
Shi Lan was speechless. "..."
’AHHH! Did He Hanshi go into my bathroom?!’
’Then... my underwear...’
Inside the room, Shi Lan’s face was so hot she felt like she might start steaming. Having been single her entire life, she had never encountered a situation like this before.
For a long time, she didn’t dare open the door. She even went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her flushed face.
Outside, He Hanshi waited patiently, not saying a word to rush her.
Not until a dozen minutes later, when Shi Lan felt her shocked, pounding heart finally begin to settle, did she pull the door open.
