Elias was already delirious from the fever. His body was acting on pure instinct, desperately seeking anything cool. The moment his palm touched Giselle's slightly cool cheek, the burning heat in his hand finally dropped. It was like drinking poison to quench thirst, but it was still better than nothing.

  He finally quieted down, lying obediently in Giselle's arms without moving around anymore. Giselle's expression remained unchanged as she simply quickened her pace.

  "She's really this willing to indulge me?"

  This actually surprised Elias. He genuinely hadn't expected Giselle to tolerate him to this extent. No—this wasn't just tolerance anymore. It was outright indulgence.

  From Giselle's perspective, he was a complete stranger she had just met. He was rubbing all over her like this, and she had only frowned slightly. When she saw him looking pitiful, she even took the initiative to let him touch her.

  The system sounded a little excited. "Doesn't this make Giselle the easiest target to conquer?"

  Because Elias was currently pying the part of someone weakened by high fever, even his mental voice when speaking to the system came out soft, gentle, and a bit zy. He chuckled. "Baby, why aren't you using your brain again? Let me ask you—why is Giselle being so nice to me?"

  The system faltered for a moment, as if back in training css with senior systems. "Because… you look a lot like Lucien Hart."

  "Mhm, not completely stupid yet," Elias hummed lightly. "Let me ask you another one. Her current gentleness toward me is built on the premise that I look like Lucien. So the better she treats me, what does that mean?"

  The system thought for a while before answering in a low voice, "It means she likes Lucien even more."

  Elias gave a zy smile. "Exactly. That's why she's actually one of the hardest to conquer…"

  From the current situation, even Serena Bckwood seemed easier to handle than Giselle.

  Because Serena's favorability had risen after she tasted his body. It came from his physical appeal, separate from this face that resembled Lucien.

  Although, if he didn't look like Lucien, Serena probably wouldn't have slept with him in the first pce…

  Giselle's favorability toward him, on the other hand, came purely from his face and had nothing to do with who he actually was.

  In other words, no matter who he was—Elias Kane, some other guy, or even a homeless person living under a bridge—as long as he had a face that was ninety percent simir to Lucien Hart's, Giselle wouldn't be stingy with her affection.

  This showed just how desperately she longed for her childhood friend and dream lover, Lucien.

  Her generosity was for Lucien. Her stinginess was reserved for Elias.

  After hearing this expnation, the system's initial excitement faded into disappointment. "Then what should we do?"

  Elias replied casually, "No kid has eternal love that sts until the seas run dry. Once big brother spoils her properly, she'll forget all about Lucien."

  [System Theta: !]

  So domineering.

  Knock knock knock.

  The doctor looked up at the sound and said warmly, "Please come in."

  The moment the words left his mouth, the door to the university infirmary opened.

  A silver-haired girl walked in slowly, carrying a flushed young man in her arms.

  "He has a fever," Giselle said coldly. If there wasn't a hand currently caressing her cheek, her aura would have perfectly matched her frosty tone.

  "Oh… okay," the doctor snapped out of his daze after a second. "Let's take his temperature first."

  He turned to grab a thermometer, muttering to himself internally: Is this some kind of idol drama scene?

  Still, he had to admit—the girl had such an ice-queen personality, mixed features, and that striking silver hair that practically glowed. She really looked like the dream female lead from those shows.

  And the boy was stunningly beautiful, easily the most gorgeous person on the entire Westbridge campus. Right now he was sick, at his most delicate and vulnerable, needing the heroine's careful care and protection…

  Thinking this way, the doctor got a little carried away and started imagining a sweet campus romance. He turned around with the thermometer and handed it to Giselle with a smile. "Here."

  Giselle's lips moved as if to say something, but the doctor spoke first. "Set him down on the bed first, then take his temperature."

  If Giselle wasn't standing right there, Elias would have wanted to get up and high-five the doctor.

  What a great wingman!

  Giselle didn't say anything else. She temporarily took the thermometer and gently id Elias down on the bed. Against the white sheets, his skin looked even redder, like a perfectly cooked shrimp—peel back the shell and the flesh underneath would be pink and glistening.

  Giselle pulled the bnket over him, but his hand stubbornly remained pressed against her cheek.

  Giselle frowned slightly. Even though Elias was delirious from the fever, she had no idea where he was getting the strength. She grabbed his hand and firmly tucked it back under the bnket.

  Giselle turned to the doctor, who seemed to know what she wanted to say and spoke again. "Go ahead and take his temperature. I'll get the medicine ready."

  Taking his temperature was a necessary step, but anyone could see from how red Elias was that his fever was well over 100°F. He definitely needed medication—and probably a shot too.

  The words of request got stuck in her throat once again. Giselle looked down at Elias, whose tears had already been evaporated by the heat, leaving only two faint tear tracks. After a moment of hesitation, she finally moved.

  She lifted the bnket. Elias clutched it tightly, refusing to let go. He had already grown used to the warmth underneath and, in his high fever, could feel even the slightest temperature change. He wasn't willing to endure even this tiny bit of cold.

  Giselle's expression grew a degree colder. This was another side of him that would never be seen on Lucien—extremely fragile, with only the outer appearance resembling that strong, proud young man.

  But it was precisely because of that appearance that, no matter how unbearable Elias's true nature was, she couldn't bring herself to be harsh.

  Giselle took his hand and easily pced it back by his side. She said softly, "Just for a moment."

  Once Giselle made up her mind about something, she never hesitated. Even if what she had to do now was reach into Elias's clothes.

  She pulled up the colr of his shirt. A visible wave of hot air rose from inside, carrying a faint, pleasant scent.

  Giselle instinctively leaned back slightly, but her nose still caught the fragrance. Her expression froze for a second.

  This scent wasn't unfamiliar to her—it was the signature body wash from a five-star hotel.

  Could it be…

  Giselle's eyes sharpened for a moment, then softened again. Other body washes had simir scents. It didn't necessarily mean it was from a hotel.

  She lifted one of Elias's arms with one hand while using the other to slide the thermometer under his shirt. She carefully pced it in his armpit, then quickly withdrew her hand.

  From start to finish, Giselle kept her gaze straight ahead, never looking down at Elias once to avoid seeing anything inappropriate.

  The doctor walked over with the medicine. "Is it in pce?"

  "Mm," Giselle replied ftly. Her right hand hung by her side, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing together.

  The soft sensation still lingered there, along with the warm dampness from a light yer of sweat. Smooth, without a single hair.

  That had been Elias's armpit.