The two of them were indeed very wet.
Water dripped from their clothes with a patter.
It was likely that within a minute of sitting in the car, they would have soaked the entire seat.
Since Ah Zhong had made his intentions so clear, and Zhou Jinbei also understood his temperament, he wouldn't take advantage of her.
So, she stopped being coy.
Standing by the car door, she began to unbutton her shirt.
Seeing her hand on the buttons, Ah Zhong quickly turned around, opened the car door, and got in.
Soon, the rear car door was opened.
Amidst a rustling sound, Zhou Jinbei placed the cushion on herself, discarded her dirty clothes outside, and climbed in.
The rain was heavy, and the glass wasn't very clear. The car wasn't driving very fast.
Both of them remained silent, and the journey was awkward and difficult.
Finally, they returned to the city.
Ah Zhong spotted a department store, parked the car, ran in to buy a dress for Zhou Jinbei, and hurried back.
He sat in the driver's seat, hands behind his back, and passed it backward.
Zhou Jinbei said thank you and took the dress to put it on.
Seeing him continue driving without any intention of changing himself, she asked.
"Why didn't you buy one for yourself?"
Was it that he didn't want to change in front of her?
Ah Zhong said.
"My seat is already wet, and my feet are wet too. Even if I change into dry clothes, they'll get wet again soon."
"It's fine like this. We'll be there soon anyway."
He said they would be there soon, but it actually took over an hour to reach the hotel.
The roads were slippery due to the rain, and they encountered a traffic accident, getting stuck on that road for nearly 40 minutes.
Upon returning to the hotel, Ah Zhong told Zhou Jinbei to go take a hot shower first.
Zhou Jinbei had already recovered, but conversely, he was steaming, looking quite pitiful.
"It's fine, I exercise regularly and have good physical fitness. Hurry up and go wash."
Zhou Jinbei couldn't refuse him and went to wash.
When she came out after changing into clean clothes, Ah Zhong pointed to the teapot on the coffee table.
"I asked the attendant for ginger and brown sugar and brewed a pot of ginger tea. Drink it while it's hot."
He went to shower.
Zhou Jinbei sat there and drank two cups of ginger tea.
Her whole body felt warm, and she even felt her pores opening.
It was very comfortable.
When Ah Zhong came out from inside, Zhou Jinbei offered him some.
Before he could even pick up his cup, his phone rang.
It was from the construction site.
"I have to go out for a bit. You don't need to go there today."
Zhou Jinbei was surprised.
"You're still continuing construction in such heavy rain?"
"Outdoor operations are not possible, so I'll be doing some other things inside."
"Anyway, there's a problem, I'll go take a look."
With that, he grabbed his car keys and left.
Zhou Jinbei, bored in the hotel by herself, turned on the television to watch a movie.
She also ate some snacks and then dozed off again.
When Ah Zhong returned, she was sleeping soundly on the sofa.
Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes and looked out the window. It was already dark.
"You're back. Have you eaten dinner?"
Ah Zhong looked not very energetic, appearing very tired.
He threw his keys onto the coffee table and turned to leave.
"I'm not eating. I'm going to sleep for a while. If you're sleepy, go back to your room to sleep, don't sleep on the sofa. Be careful not to catch a cold."
With just these few words, he dismissed her.
It was a waste of Zhou Jinbei's several hours of waiting.
She wondered if he had eaten.
If he hadn't, and just slept after a day of hard work outside, how pitiful would that be?
Zhou Jinbei felt compassion and, since she hadn't eaten dinner either, called for two takeout meals.
She handed one to Ah Zhong and went to knock on his room door.
Ah Zhong's voice was muffled: "What is it?"
"I ordered takeout for you. Get up and eat something."
"No need, I don't have an appetite. Eat it yourself."
"But I ordered two portions. It'll be a waste if you don't eat them."
"Then leave them there first, and I'll have them when I want to eat."
His voice sounded particularly weak, as if something was wrong.
Zhou Jinbei became more worried and reached for the door handle. To her surprise, it opened.
Ah Zhong was lying face down on the quilt, still wearing his slippers.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell, or has something else happened at the construction site?"
Ah Zhong's mouth was buried in the quilt, and his voice was muffled.
"Nothing. I'm just a bit unwell. I don't want to talk, I want to sleep. Can you please stop talking?"
Had he caught a cold from being in the rain for so long today?
Zhou Jinbei quickly shut her mouth, put down the food, and went to feel his forehead.
Ah Zhong tried to dodge.
But his head was groggy, and he couldn't avoid it.
Her palm was soft and felt very comfortable to the touch.
"You're burning up. You have a fever."
Zhou Jinbei immediately pulled the quilt over him diagonally.
"I'll go get you some ginger tea."
"No need. I don't want to eat or drink anything. Let me have some peace."
"But that won't do! You need to be treated when you're sick. If you don't want ginger tea, I'll call a doctor for you."
With that, she left the room and hurried outside to call the front desk.
She asked them to send a doctor up.
Soon, a doctor entered Ah Zhong's room with a medicine box.
After taking his temperature and prescribing medicine, the doctor advised him to take it on time and then left.
Zhou Jinbei heated water, cooled it to a suitable temperature, and helped Ah Zhong lift his head.
"Get up and take your medicine before you sleep."
Ah Zhong was drowsy and on the verge of falling asleep.
Hearing her words, he wanted to move but couldn't.
Zhou Jinbei hugged his head, letting him rest in her arms, and with difficulty, put the medicine into his mouth.
She watched him swallow, covered him with the blanket, and then left.
The medicine would take effect in an hour.
Within that hour, Zhou Jinbei finished her dinner and returned to his side.
She sat on the carpet by the bed, watching over him.
As she watched, Ah Zhong's phone, which had been tossed on the bed, suddenly vibrated.
She picked it up for him. Turning it over, she saw: Dad.
It was eight o'clock in the evening. His father usually called to inquire about his work and life or to chat.
Thinking there wasn't anything important, and not wanting to wake him, Zhou Jinbei answered it for him.
"Hello, Uncle. I'm Zhou Jinbei."
The person on the other end paused for a moment, and then a voice that wasn't Ah Zhong's father's came through.
"I'm looking for Zhong Jiaming. Hello, is this Zhong Jiaming's mobile phone?"
"Yes, may I ask who you are?"
"I'm his Uncle Zhang. Why is his phone with you? Where is he?"
Zhou Jinbei said.
"He got caught in the rain today and has a slight cold. He just took his medicine and fell asleep. Is there anything you need to tell him? I can convey it for you."
"Oh dear, something big has happened! His father wasn't he taken abroad by him before? He felt uncomfortable staying abroad and returned a few days ago."
Uncle Zhang's tone was anxious.
"He couldn't stay idle after returning. He bought some lambs to raise."
"Who knew, today there was strong wind and heavy rain, the sheep pen had a leak. He braved the rain to fix it, and then he fell."
"Ah? Is it serious?"
"He fell a few months ago. I don't know if he had completely recovered. Now he's fallen again. Can it not be serious?"
"I've already called 120, and they'll be here to pick him up soon. But this matter needs to be told to Ah Zhong. Hurry up and call him to wake up and come back to see his father."