He quickly lowered his hand and tried to sit up straight, forcing a nonchalant smile onto his face. He waved his hands repeatedly, his voice hoarse from coughing:
"COUGH COUGH… It's nothing, it's nothing… COUGH COUGH… Maybe it's because, hmm, the weather's gotten colder recently, and I accidentally caught a chill… Just a bit of a, COUGH COUGH… a slight cough. It's fine, just a minor thing. It'll be gone in a few days."
His gaze flickered, not daring to look his son in the eye.
"Is that so?" Li Wen's tone was calm, but his dark, deep-set eyes were like mirrors that could see into a person's soul, clearly reflecting every trace of his father's panic and deliberate understatement.
"COUGH… It is! You don't need to worry about me!" Li Hong's voice suddenly rose a notch, carrying an almost commanding urgency.
"Hurry back to your room. Final exams are coming up, your cultivation is what's important! Don't waste any more time!"