Chapter 45: Blind for a Period of Time

It was very late.

Aside from the hotel staff, the lobby was practically empty.

A staff member poured another cup of hot water.

Shang Moting squatted in front of Lin Ting, peeled a piece of chocolate, and held it directly to her lips.

Lin Ting was stunned for a moment before opening her mouth to bite the chocolate.

Her lips brushed against Shang Moting’s fingertips.

A soft, feverish warmth swept across his skin.

Shang Moting’s fingertips trembled slightly, and a subtle ripple stirred deep within his eyes.

He rubbed his fingers together, reacting a beat too late as he realized how hot her lips were.

He raised a hand and touched her forehead.

Lin Ting looked at him blankly, feeling as though her vision had grown even blurrier.

"You have a fever," Shang Moting said.

"Huh?" Lin Ting looked bewildered.

"Didn't you feel it yourself?" Shang Moting stood up and took out his phone to call Fang Cheng, instructing him to bring the car to the hotel entrance.

"I didn't feel anything," Lin Ting said.

She had merely had a poor appetite all day; she hadn't felt any physical discomfort elsewhere.

Except for the sudden dizziness and blurred vision just now.

Shang Moting looked at her unfocused eyes, leaned down, and picked her up once more.

"What are you doing?" Lin Ting asked.

"Going to the hospital," Shang Moting said as he carried her outside.

"There's no need for the hospital, just taking some fever-reducing medicine will do," Lin Ting protested.

"To get your eyes checked," Shang Moting said, frowning.

Lin Ting fell silent.

If it wasn't hypoglycemia, then her eyes were acting up again.

They soon arrived at the hospital, and Shang Moting carried her out of the car and inside.

He had already contacted the hospital on the way.

A doctor had been roused from sleep and called in.

After a series of examinations, while waiting for the rest of the lab results, the ophthalmologist discussed her eye condition.

"You knew your eyes were already damaged, didn't you?" the doctor asked Lin Ting.

Shang Moting stood quietly to the side, listening.

Lin Ting nodded. "I lost my sight for a period of time."

"Do you know the cause of that vision loss?" the doctor asked again.

Lin Ting nodded and then asked, "Has it relapsed?"

"No," the doctor said. "Your inability to see clearly this time is partly due to the fever. The main reason is eye strain."

Lin Ting quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The doctor continued, "Your eyes were already suffering from severe fatigue, not to mention the previous injury. You shouldn't constantly stare at phones and computers, and above all, you must not stay up late. No matter how important work is, can it possibly be more important than your health?"

Lin Ting obediently nodded.

The doctor said, "I'll prescribe some eye drops and topical medication. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself."

"I understand," Lin Ting said.

After finishing the prescription, the doctor added, "A nurse will bring the medication to your ward later and explain how to use it."

"Thank you," Lin Ting said, expressing her gratitude before standing up.

Shang Moting moved to support her.

"I can still see a few things," Lin Ting murmured.

Shang Moting supported her as they walked toward the ward.

With someone supporting her, Lin Ting simply closed her eyes.

This hazy, indistinct sensation was far more annoying than complete blindness.

"I used to be blind for a very long time," Lin Ting said. "Seven or eight months, I suppose. I couldn't hear anything either."

Shang Moting glanced at her closed eyes.

"I thought I was completely broken," Lin Ting said. "And then, suddenly one day, I was fine again. I could see and hear once more."

"If you don't want to go through that again, obediently follow the doctor's orders," Shang Moting said.

Lin Ting let out a soft sigh. "It was just because the air conditioning in my room was set too low last night. Once the fever breaks, I'll be fine."

"Understood," Shang Moting said. "The air conditioner in your room needs to be dismantled."

Lin Ting turned her head.

Although she wasn't opening her eyes to look at him, she turned her face toward him to register her protest.

Shang Moting looked at her complexion; it looked normal, with no visible signs of illness.

If not for her slight listlessness, one wouldn't even guess she was sick.

Shang Moting pinched her cheek.

She didn't look sick, but her skin was burning hot.

"I'm a patient right now, please be gentle," Lin Ting complained.

Shang Moting stroked her head and led her forward.

Holding his hand, Lin Ting kept her eyes closed as she walked.

As they walked, she unconsciously stroked the back of Shang Moting's hand.

Shang Moting lowered his gaze to watch, remaining silent.

When one's vision is lost, the sense of touch becomes much sharper.

Lin Ting’s hand slid from his wrist down to his fingertips, finally coming to a halt on his index finger.

At the same time, a quiet sigh of relief escaped her heart.

For some reason, an inexplicable sense of familiarity had suddenly welled up within her chest just now.

Yet, a faint scar on his index finger instantly shattered that illusion of familiarity.

"What are you trying to do while you can't see?" Shang Moting asked.

Lin Ting stroked his hand again and smiled. "Feels nice."

Shang Moting let out a low laugh.

Reaching the ward, Lin Ting lay down on the bed.

The moment Shang Moting turned around to pour her a glass of water, she fell asleep with her eyes closed.

Shang Moting gently pulled the blanket over her and sat down on the nearby chair.

Before long, the doctor came by to brief Shang Moting on the situation.

The test results were out: the fever was caused by a bacterial infection.

Catching a chill, staying up late, overexertion, and lowered immunity were all potential causes.

However, it was nothing too serious.

Three days of intravenous drips should do the trick.

Lin Ting woke up when the nurse arrived to administer the IV.

The moment the nurse touched her, she snapped awake.

Fortunately, Shang Moting had the foresight to pin her arm down beforehand, preventing her from instinctively swinging at the nurse out of a reflex.

Once the IV was set up and the nurse explained how to use the eye drops, Shang Moting committed every detail to memory.

Lin Ting lay in bed, her mind drifting into a blank state.

"Want some water?" Shang Moting noticed her lips were a bit dry.

"I'd like some," Lin Ting said.

Shang Moting placed a straw in the cup and held it to her lips.

Lin Ting drank the entire glass in one go, then said, "You should go back. This is a VIP ward, the nurses will keep an eye on things."

Shang Moting said nothing and simply remained seated in his chair.

Lin Ting looked toward him.

"Can you see clearly?" Shang Moting asked.

"Not really," Lin Ting said.

"Then close your eyes," Shang Moting ordered.

"Oh," Lin Ting obediently closed her eyes.

Shang Moting applied the medicinal eye patches the nurse had provided over her eyes.

"You're really good at taking care of people," Lin Ting remarked. "And you look so practiced at it."

"Even when you're sick, you don't forget to fish for information," Shang Moting said.

Lin Ting clamped her mouth shut and said no more.

Shang Moting glanced at the time.

After sitting quietly for a short while, Lin Ting asked again, "Why were you at the Star Hotel so late?"

"To help boost your occupancy rate," Shang Moting replied.

Lin Ting chuckled. "Really?"

"I was attending a dinner nearby. We chatted late, so I figured I'd stay at a nearby place," Shang Moting said.

"Oh," Lin Ting said. "Well, that still helped boost the occupancy rate. Thank you, President Shang."

"Feeling sweet-mouthed now, are we?" Shang Moting said.

"You're wronging me there. When am I ever not sweet-mouthed?" Lin Ting retorted. "My kindness and good manners are famous far and wide."

Shang Moting gave a faint, amused hum.

Lin Ting smiled as well and said nothing more. Before long, she drifted back to sleep.