Piano

The atmosphere was anything but romantic.

Lin Che was half leaning against the headboard, while Luo Xue sat on the edge of the bed.

The petite girl lowered her eyes. Her youthful, delicate features looked pure and adorable, but the corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, giving her an air of haughty superiority. She seemed like a noble elf princess, carrying herself with the arrogant air of a bratty little girl—someone you couldn't help wanting to bully mercilessly.

"Luo Xue? Luo Xue."

"What are you doing?"

Luo Xue whipped around and realized Lin Che had sat up at some point, moving closer to her.

Lin Che's face was right in front of her, less than ten centimeters away.

A flicker of panic crossed Luo Xue's bright eyes. She looked away, not daring to meet Lin Che's gaze.

Why was he getting so close...

Was he...

Was he going to kiss me?

Luo Xue recalled what it felt like to kiss Lin Che. It was as if electricity coursed through her entire body. The sensation was so intense that every time, it left the girl's mind completely blank!

Luo Xue's heart thumped wildly. Her head buzzed, and it seemed as though thunder was rumbling in her ears.

Little Red Book had taught her not to give her boyfriend too much.

But Lin Che had saved her today, and he'd even gotten hurt because of it...

Letting him kiss her once would be perfectly normal, right?

A flush of red spread across the elf-like beauty of Luo Xue's face.

She closed her eyes and lifted her chin slightly, parting her glistening lips. Even the tremble of her lashes betrayed her nervousness and shyness.

I can't let Lin Che get off that easily!

I'll only let him kiss me for thirty seconds... Fine, since he saved me, I'll make it a minute! Is a minute too short? Three minutes, tops! No more than that!

Luo Xue's imagination was running wild.

But even after waiting a long while, she still didn't feel the familiar touch of lips.

"Hey, Luo Xue, go get me some food! I'm hungry!"

"You!"

Luo Xue opened her eyes, only to see Lin Che looking at her with a teasing expression!

If this had been the old Luo Xue, she would have slapped anyone who dared to order her around like that.

But now...

So... he was just hungry and wanted food?

Instead of getting angry, Luo Xue felt an emptiness in her heart, a little disappointed.

To Lin Che's astonishment, Luo Xue actually went and obediently bought him a meal.

Luo Xue returned with the food.

"Lin Che, here. It's still hot."

"My hand's hurt. Feed me."

Lin Che held up his bandaged right hand.

He'd thought Luo Xue would get angry this time!

But what happened next surprised him even more.

Luo Xue actually sat down beside him and opened the lunch box.

She scooped up rice and vegetables with a little spoon and brought it to Lin Che's mouth!

That little fairy, Luo Xue, even had a gentle expression on her face. She fed him carefully and tenderly, occasionally wiping the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a tissue.

Lin Che didn't know what to make of it.

Could she have been so frightened by what happened today that it had scared her silly?

Still, he liked this version of Luo Xue more than her usual self.

After that, Lin Che experienced Luo Xue's attentive care in every way.

She even washed his hair before bed.

The feeling of her slender, nimble fingers massaging his scalp was wonderful!

"Luo Xue?"

"Mm?"

"Do you know that if you posted what you're like right now on Little Red Book, the girls would revoke your membership in the sisterhood?"

"Idiot! It's just a little reward because you did well today!"

"Y-you'd better not get carried away!"

Luo Xue smacked Lin Che on the head, sending suds flying. Bubbles floated into the air, their transparent surfaces shimmering with rainbow colors.

She held Lin Che's head under the running faucet.

So Lin Che couldn't see the corners of Luo Xue's mouth lifting slightly.

A gentle smile appeared on her haughty, imperious face, lending the adorably youthful Luo Xue a strangely alluring charm.

"Hey, hey, hey! Luo Xue, let go of my head!"

Lin Che struggled with all his might. Luo Xue was pressing his head down too low, and the suds were about to get in his eyes!

"Serves you right!"

Luo Xue scolded him.

But she still hurried to grab a towel and gently wiped the suds from Lin Che's face.

Piano

"Luo Xue, I'll do you a favor tonight and let you sleep with me."

After washing up, Lin Che lay on the bed and shifted over to make room.

"Keep dreaming. Go to sleep!"

Luo Xue spat at Lin Che, then quickly turned off the light in the hospital room.

The lights went out in an instant, and darkness flooded the room like a tide. Only the moonlight outside traced the objects in hazy outlines.

By the moonlight, Luo Xue unfolded the cot beside the hospital bed.

The cot was meant for caregivers. It was hard and cold, but she could just about put up with it for one night.

"Luo Xue, the cot's uncomfortable. Why don't you sleep with me instead?"

"Ha. In your dreams. Who doesn't know what you're after?"

If she really slept in the same hospital bed as Lin Che, that rascal would definitely try to get handsy!

Wouldn't that make her look like she was throwing herself at him?

Luo Xue lay down on the cot. Its frame let out an unpleasant squeak.

She shifted her petite body around.

Lin Che was right. The cot really was uncomfortable.

The hard board dug into her little backside.

Luo Xue had been pampered her whole life. She truly didn't want to spend even a second sleeping on such a hard board.

Her thoughts began to stir.

If...

If Lin Che insisted that she sleep on the bed, she might as well agree.

She could put a pillow between them. Nothing would happen!

Luo Xue rolled over on the cot, turning her back to Lin Che. The cot creaked loudly as she moved.

She was waiting for Lin Che to say something.

The minutes ticked by as the night grew deeper.

Luo Xue's eyelids were drooping, but she still hadn't heard Lin Che invite her over.

Steady breathing filled the room.

Had Lin Che fallen asleep?

Luo Xue flew into a rage and sat up on the cot.

She looked at Lin Che's peaceful, sleeping face and felt her anger flare!

Did she really have no appeal to Lin Che at all?

How could that guy sleep with a youthful, adorable beauty like her in the same room?

Luo Xue climbed off the cot. Its frame clattered noisily.

She glanced guiltily at Lin Che. When she saw him still sleeping peacefully, she relaxed.

Was he a pig?

How could he sleep through all that noise?

Luo Xue crept over to Lin Che's bed and crouched beside it, resting her little head on her arms against the edge of the bed.

She had planned to pinch Lin Che's nose and play a nasty prank on him.

But when she saw his sleeping face, for some reason, all the resentment in her heart disappeared.

"Today... I really have you to thank..."

If Lin Che had been awake, Luo Xue would never have said something like that.

But now that he was asleep, she let her true feelings show for once.

Luo Xue reached out a finger and poked Lin Che's face here and there.

"You're actually pretty handsome..."

Luo Xue's gaze gradually grew hazy.

"Hmph. Other people pursue me, and I don't even spare them a glance. You're the one who doesn't know how lucky you are!"

"You really get all the good things!"

After saying that,

Luo Xue bit her lip, an odd glint passing through her bright eyes.

Then she braced herself against the edge of the bed and stood up. She bent down slightly, her twin ponytails falling over the hospital bed.

Looking at Lin Che's peaceful face, she slowly lowered her head...

Actually,

Lin Che hadn't fallen asleep at all!

Or rather, the noise from the cot had woken him up as soon as Luo Xue climbed out of it!

At first, he'd thought Luo Xue just needed to use the bathroom.

He hadn't expected her to come over and lean against his bed!

And then...

He'd heard everything she said.

Hearing those words come out of that little fairy's mouth struck Lin Che as hilarious.

At the same time, he wanted to see what Luo Xue would do next.

So he kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.