"Wonderful, you're finally awake!"
You Lan Dai Er, who had been so anxious she was nearly in tears, finally let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Gwen open his eyes. However, her little hands still clutched his collar as she gently shook him to help him wake up further, asking nervously,
"Gwen, what happened to you just now?
Can you recognize who I am?
Do we need to call a doctor?"
"Don't worry, Bianca. I'm fine."
Feeling the sincere and fervent concern of the blonde girl sitting on top of him, Gwen's heart warmed. He gently held the two little hands clutching his collar and smiled.
"I was just sleeping too deeply. I feel better than ever now."
"It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay..."
Hearing Gwen's words, You Lan Dai Er finally relaxed and released his collar.
Perhaps realizing that her position straddling him in order to wake him was somewhat improper, You Lan Dai Er twisted her body and jumped off the bed. Squatting beside it, she quickly said,
"Gwen, you didn't open the door no matter how much I rang the bell.
I was worried something had happened to you, so I climbed in through the open window.
When I saw you lying face down on the bed without moving, I was afraid something was wrong, so I adjusted your position...
Were you really just asleep?
I remember your sleep quality at the hospital was only average. You'd never been so deeply asleep that you couldn't be awakened, right?
How about we go back for a checkup? We can't let this be some new problem..."
"Don't worry, Bianca..."
Hearing You Lan Dai Er's rapid-fire words and feeling her intense concern, Gwen chuckled and sat up. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he smiled.
"I'm really fine. I just remembered some things from the past and didn't want to wake up."
"...All right..."
After meeting Gwen's gaze for a moment, You Lan Dai Er sighed softly and did not insist further. She merely looked straight into his eyes and slowly said,
"I believe you'll definitely be able to move on from the past, Gwen.
But if there is a next time, you have to go to the hospital for a checkup with me!"
Slurping Noodles
"All right, all right. I promise that if it happens again, I'll go get checked with you."
Faced with the immense presence of the tiny girl by the bed, Gwen raised both hands to show he had no objections.
"Mhm... that's more like it..."
Seeing that Gwen truly looked energetic and showed no abnormalities, You Lan Dai Er nodded in satisfaction. She stood up, glanced at the clock on the wall, and asked hesitantly,
"It's about time to eat. Gwen, would you like to go to the cafeteria with me, or should I bring something back for you?"
"Let's go together."
Gwen also got out of bed and stretched his slightly sore body after sleeping in such an awkward position. He smiled.
"I've eaten hospital nutrition meals for over a month. I'd like a change of pace.
Besides, didn't we say we'd buy some things today?"
"Mhm. Go wash up, then. I'll wait for you in the living room."
Only after confirming once more that nothing was wrong with Gwen did You Lan Dai Er nod. Flicking her long golden hair, she left his bedroom.
"Ha..."
After You Lan Dai Er left, Gwen suddenly gave a soft laugh and mused inwardly,
Who would've thought? I actually have a beautiful girl wake-up service...
With such random thoughts running through his mind, Gwen got out of bed, washed up quickly, and smiled pleasantly at the bright-eyed reflection in the mirror.
Although You Lan Dai Er had nearly sent him back to the hospital less than half a day after his discharge, Gwen had resolved his greatest current crisis after waking from this sleep—
The otherworldly knowledge in his mind, seemingly accumulated through decades of study, along with the tangible strengthening of his spirit, gave Gwen complete confidence in facing Otto's Feather of Dust treatment package. He could even use it to train his Spirit attribute.
His body and mind lighter than ever before, Gwen pushed open the door and left home with You Lan Dai Er.
Although You Lan Dai Er was undoubtedly an extreme workaholic, immersed in training to the point where she even used it as a means of relaxation,
she had lived at Destiny Headquarters for several years and was quite familiar with it. At the very least, she had no problem serving as Gwen's guide.
Following the plan Rita had left behind, You Lan Dai Er first took Gwen to dinner, then showed him around the residential district, and finally bought all the missing daily necessities before bringing him home.
"All right, Gwen. I'll leave these things here for now. You can put them away however you like later."
You Lan Dai Er placed the stack of shopping bags in her hands on the sofa and confirmed.
"Okay. Thanks for the effort, Bianca. Just leave them there. I'll tidy them up myself later."
As he casually replied to You Lan Dai Er, Gwen carried only five shopping bags in his hands. Looking at You Lan Dai Er, who was neither flushed nor out of breath, then feeling the exhaustion from his own body, he found himself yearning even more for future training.
Although a month of recovery at the hospital had made Gwen's body healthy by any standard, he was still somewhat thin and weak compared to children who had grown up normally.
"Mhm. It's still early, so there's no need to rush to tidy up. Rest for a while first."
You Lan Dai Er also noticed Gwen's fatigue. As she spoke, she poured him a glass of water and pushed it over.
"Don't worry. I'm not the type to force myself over something so trivial."
Gwen took the perfectly warm glass of water and drained it in one gulp, smiling as he said,
"If I were really someone who liked pushing myself too hard, I wouldn't have had you carry so many things for me."
"Mhm. Perseverance and independence are certainly admirable qualities, but knowing your limits is equally valuable."
Seeing that Gwen did not seem burdened by it, You Lan Dai Er smiled and praised him. She also picked up the cup in front of her and took small sips of water.
"Mhm-hm~"
Gwen smiled without speaking. He rested quietly for a moment, and only after his heartbeat returned to normal did he look at You Lan Dai Er, who was holding her cup and taking small sips, and smile.
"Bianca, there are still plenty of ingredients in the fridge. Want a late-night snack?"
Although Otto, the Destiny Archbishop, had personally confirmed that Gwen possessed Caslana blood, Gwen currently displayed none of the traits he should have besides his appearance, such as monstrous strength and the immense appetite that came with it.
By comparison, You Lan Dai Er had possessed greater strength than children her age since she was little.
As for her appetite...
At dinner today, Gwen had finished eating early and watched You Lan Dai Er eat nearly twice as much as he had, yet she still looked unsatisfied. It was probably about the same.
"Uh... there's no need. I'll just go back and drink some nutrient solution."
At the mention of a late-night snack, You Lan Dai Er's eyes lit up. But when she met Gwen's gaze, she immediately remembered the subtle look he had given her at dinner. Her little face warmed slightly as she waved her hands repeatedly, inadvertently revealing that she had not eaten her fill.
"Hey, nutrient solution is for maintaining nutrition, while a late-night snack is for satisfying your appetite. You can't confuse the two."
Watching the cute sight of the girl who had walked all the way carrying over a dozen bags without even blushing now sporting a faint flush on her pretty face, Gwen smiled and rejected You Lan Dai Er's reasoning.
"Besides, Bianca, you treated me to dinner today, helped me buy things, and carried things for me. I can't let you do all that for nothing, can I?"
"Mm... you're right."
Hearing Gwen's words, You Lan Dai Er put aside her small embarrassment and smiled.
"Then I won't hold back..."
"Mhm. Just don't complain that my cooking is far worse than Rita's..."
Gwen smiled as he stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
"As long as you can make it, I'll eat it all..."
You Lan Dai Er chuckled softly and watched Gwen enter the kitchen.
Twenty minutes later—
"Uh, is it really okay to eat noodles for dinner?"
You Lan Dai Er looked at the heaping bowl of noodles before her, somewhat hesitant.
"Hey, with how much you exercise, are you really afraid of this many calories?"
Gwen, who had often heard Rita and You Lan Dai Er mention their training volume, asked with a smile.
"Oh... I suppose not."
Reminded by Gwen, You Lan Dai Er shook her head, a trace of nostalgia appearing on her little face.
"It's just that when I was young, someone taught me not to eat this kind of staple food at night. It's easy to gain weight, and it's not good for your health either..."
As she spoke, You Lan Dai Er smiled and shook her head again. She added some vegetables and seasonings to her bowl, then began rapidly devouring the late-night snack before her.
Although Gwen had cooked quite a lot of noodles, You Lan Dai Er did as she had just said and sent every last noodle into her stomach.
"Are you full?
If not, I can cook you some more..."
Seeing You Lan Dai Er cleanly finish the final bowl of noodles, Gwen asked with a smile.
"Enough, enough..."
You Lan Dai Er, who had not been this full in a long time, waved her hands repeatedly.
"I haven't eaten this much in ages..."
Ding-dong~
Just as Gwen and You Lan Dai Er chatted and laughed, the doorbell to Gwen's home suddenly rang.
Void Archives: Are You Pimping Out a New Girl?
"Hm?"
Hearing the doorbell, Gwen blinked, somewhat puzzled about who would come looking for him at this hour.
Across from Gwen, however, You Lan Dai Er's expression changed slightly. She carefully looked toward the door as if she feared something.
"What's wrong, Bianca?"
Seeing You Lan Dai Er like this, Gwen could not help asking in confusion.
"N-Nothing..."
You Lan Dai Er shook her head, and a smile returned to her little face.
"Go see who's at the door..."
"Are you really okay?"
Noticing that You Lan Dai Er's smile seemed somewhat forced, Gwen questioned her again.
"Nothing's wrong..."
When the doorbell rang again, You Lan Dai Er waved her hand, jumped down from her chair, and began clearing the dishes from the table.
"Go open the door. I'll clean this stuff up..."
"All right. Be careful, don't fall."
Before you continue