Chapter 283 The Paranoid Painter 13 (2/2)

The clock on the wall had already passed three o'clock, but Zi Xi had not yet appeared.

This is unprecedented.

She always arrives a few minutes early and quietly prepares everything.

"I'm late today."

He whispered to the empty studio, his palette knife unconsciously scraping the now-cleaned palette.

At 3:15, Jin Ye started calling Zi Xi, but no one answered.

He then contacted the driver, who replied: "I dropped Ms. Bai off at school on time this morning. She said she didn't need a pick-up this afternoon and would come back on her own."

At 3:45, Jin Ye's anxiety turned into anger.

"No one is the same when it comes to breaking promises."

He grabbed the oil pastel next to him and smashed it against the wall, leaving a glaring red mark.

At 4:00 AM sharp, Jin Ye, in a fit of rage, began to destroy the painting.

But as he stood panting in front of the destroyed painting, a sharp pain shot through his heart.

He grabbed his car keys and rushed out of the art studio.

Half an hour later, his sports car came to a rough stop in front of the art academy, drawing stares from the crowd.

"Where is the art department?"

He grabbed a passing student by the collar.

"I have no idea……"

The students turned pale with fright.

Jin Ye let go of him and rushed straight to the Academic Affairs Office.

After threatening to call the police claiming the school had lost one of his key employees, he finally learned of Zi Xi's whereabouts.

At the school clinic.

When he pushed open the door to the school clinic and saw the figure curled up on the narrow hospital bed, all his anger vanished instantly.

Zi Xi's face was flushed, her breathing was rapid, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

She seemed restless even in her sleep, her brow furrowed and her lips chapped.

The school doctor was taking her temperature.

"What happened?"

Jin Ye's voice was unexpectedly gentle, as if afraid of waking her.

What are you doing here?

The school doctor was startled.

"I'm her family member. She didn't come to work today, so what happened to her?"

Jin Ye's gaze never left Zi Xi.

"High fever, it's probably the flu. Many students have caught it recently. She suddenly fainted during class this afternoon..."

Jin Ye walked to the bedside and gently touched Zi Xi's forehead.

Just then, Zi Xi slightly opened her eyes and looked at him with blurry vision.

Why are you here, sir...? I feel so bad... My throat hurts, and my whole body aches.

Her thoughts were fragmented due to the fever.

"Idiot, you're sick and you're still thinking so much."

Jin Ye's voice was fierce, but his movements were unusually gentle.

He took off his coat and carefully wrapped it around Zi Xi's trembling body, then gently picked her up along with the blanket.

"Sir, where are you taking her? She needs rest and treatment..."

The school doctor asked hurriedly.

“I am her family member, I will take care of her.”

Jin Ye said without room for argument, and strode away with Zi Xi in his arms.

On the way back to the manor, Zi Xi was sometimes lucid and sometimes confused.

In a brief moment of lucidity, she looked at Jin Ye's tense profile and weakly moved her fingers.

What do you need?

Jin Ye immediately noticed and grabbed Zi Xi's fingers.

Zi Xi shook her head, but continued to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

[So good to me... yet so fierce...]

Her thoughts vaguely entered Jin Ye's mind.

Jin Ye tightened his grip on the steering wheel, but did not answer.

Back at the manor, Jin Ye personally took care of Zi Xi.

He called the family doctor to treat her, refusing to let the maids interfere, and clumsily but carefully changed the ice towels for Zixi and fed her medicine.

They even tried cooking porridge, but the result was disastrous, and the chef had to redo it.