28. Chapter 28: Thanks for the Reminder

Kong Lingxin had been a kindergarten teacher for three years, so she was no stranger to physical methods for reducing fever. Back in the kindergarten, whenever a child suddenly developed a fever, she would work with the school nurse to cool them down while waiting for their parents to arrive.

Kong Lingxin went downstairs and instructed Sister Qi to prepare some low-concentration alcohol and ice cubes. Sister Qi reported that Dr. Peng Nan was still waiting outside the villa, adding a word of caution: "Madam Second Young Master, if you insist on keeping Dr. Peng out, we will follow your orders, but you should consider that if she goes to the Madam, it might work against you."

Kong Lingxin glanced toward the main gate. She reasoned that Meng Zexiao had already instructed everyone in the know at the hospital not to reveal his knife wound; Peng Nan, desperate for Meng Zexiao's favor, would surely not dare to do anything he had forbidden.

She told Sister Qi, "Thank you for the reminder, I understand. Just do as I said—under no circumstances are you to let her in. It’s so hot outside, I doubt she’ll last much longer. Also, try to get the alcohol concentration to around thirty percent. Please hurry."

Without further delay, Kong Lingxin ran back to the bedroom, wiped the sweat from his body with a towel, and took the opportunity to change the dressing on his arm.

After peeling back the gauze, she noticed the wound had improved significantly since the previous day. It seemed his fever was not caused by an infection, which brought her a great sense of relief.

Following the same procedure, she dressed and bandaged his wound again. Throughout the entire process, Meng Zexiao remained in a dazed, delirious state, letting her tend to him as she pleased.

Once his arm was taken care of, she brought a basin of water and used a soft towel to wipe the sweat from his face and upper body.

Just as she finished, Sister Qi brought in the alcohol and ice. "Madam Second Young Master, is there anything else I can do?"

Before Kong Lingxin could answer, Meng Zexiao suddenly roared and threw a pillow at them. "Be quiet!"

Sister Qi recoiled in fright.

Kong Lingxin was both angry and frustrated, but she had no way to deal with him. She told Sister Qi, "It’s fine, you can head back down. And take this pillow with you." Since he insisted on using pillows as weapons, she would simply remove them; the Meng family certainly wasn't short on money to buy new ones.

After Sister Qi left, Kong Lingxin moved everything within his reach at least a meter away to prevent further outbursts. She then said to him, with a hint of annoyance, "I’m going to use alcohol to bring your temperature down. You’d better cooperate, or if you end up burning your brain and turning into a fool, you won't be able to chase girls, enjoy fine dining, or act cool anymore!"

After she said it, she felt a bit embarrassed for herself. What kind of threat was that? It was no different from how she used to scare the children at the kindergarten, just slightly adapted for the situation.

Kong Lingxin soaked a soft cloth in the alcohol, wrung it out until it was damp, and began to gently wipe his neck, chest, underarms, limbs, and the palms of his hands and feet.

To her surprise, Meng Zexiao cooperated with every movement. Although his eyes remained tightly shut, he followed her lead; when she needed to wipe his back, a gentle nudge was enough to make him turn, and when she needed to wipe his underarms, he easily lifted his heavy arms.

Finally, she wrapped crushed ice in a small towel and placed it on his forehead.

Her fingers brushed his cheek; the temperature had already dropped significantly.

After finishing, she walked to the window and looked toward the gate. Peng Nan had vanished without a trace. She had expected her to stay the entire morning to display her "concern" for Meng Zexiao, but she hadn't even lasted half an hour.

A mocking smile appeared on Kong Lingxin’s face.

Seeing that Meng Zexiao’s condition had stabilized, she went downstairs and asked the servants to juice some of his favorite fruits, instructing them to keep the juice chilled in the refrigerator so it would be ready when he woke up.

He had lost so much fluid to sweat; hydration was essential.

When Kong Lingxin returned upstairs, Sister Qi watched her moving back and forth with an expression of approval. It seemed that ever since the Second Young Madam had returned from her miscarriage, she was not only polite and courteous to the staff but her love for the Second Young Master had not diminished in the slightest.

Sister Qi called out to her, "Madam Second Young Master, if you need anything, just call down for us. You don't have to keep coming downstairs yourself. Taking care of the Second Young Master is exhausting enough as it is."

Kong Lingxin turned back and smiled at her without a word.

After she went back upstairs, the servants working in the living room gathered around Sister Qi. "The Second Young Madam has become so much more grounded," one whispered.

"Actually, she never really had an air about her," another replied. "It’s just that she never seemed as happy as she is now. She rarely smiled in the past, which gave people the wrong impression."

"Yes, she’s so much more down-to-earth now."

The servants of both the Meng and Kong households were in complete agreement about the change in her demeanor.

Meanwhile, after being turned away by the Meng family’s security, Peng Nan was seething with resentment. She decided to try a different tactic and dialed Madam Meng’s number. "Madam Meng, this is Peng Nan. I need to report something to you."

Seeing Peng Nan’s number on her screen, Madam Meng frowned—what trouble was she stirring up now?

"What is it?" Madam Meng asked, her tone icy.

Peng Nan could sense the disdain, but she chose to ignore it. "Madam Meng, I feel the Second Young Master’s health isn't particularly good. Why don't you find some time to visit him at the seaside villa?"

Madam Meng gave a cold laugh. "You previously claimed the Second Young Madam was mentally ill, and look what happened after I made such a fuss. Dr. Peng, please, know when to stop!"

Peng Nan persisted, unwilling to give up. "Madam Meng, isn't it a bit rash to decide whether someone is mentally ill just by looking at them for a moment? If you want a proper diagnosis, it should be done at a professional institution."

Madam Meng sighed inwardly. How could she have been so careless as to let such a petty person get a hold over her?

"Dr. Peng, thank you for your concern. Dr. Liu is an authority in the field of psychiatry, and I trust him. If there is nothing else, I am hanging up!"

"Madam Meng! Are you really going to ignore the Second Young Master’s condition?" Just as Kong Lingxin had predicted, Peng Nan didn't dare tell Madam Meng about the knife wound directly, so she tried to lure her to the villa so she would discover it herself.

Madam Meng, who was at a beauty salon, had no patience left for the conversation. "The Second Young Master is the last person in the Meng family I need to worry about. I suggest you stop wasting your energy, Dr. Peng. Goodbye!"