Gentle Companionship Between Morning and Dusk

Lu Yan watched as Aemeath, because of his promise, and her heart and eyes were filled with him.

He raised his right hand, which was now able to move freely, and gently placed his warm fingertips on Aemeath's delicate cheek.

His thumb gently stroked the faint redness at the corner of her eyes, caused by days of fatigue.

Feeling the warmth of Lu Yan's palm, Aemeath felt like a little pink kitten being stroked.

She obediently and proactively responded to his actions, rubbing her soft cheeks deeply into his palms, letting out a soft, comfortable, and dependent moan.

"Mmm~~"

Those bright, starry eyes narrowed slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled gently like butterfly wings, revealing a completely unguarded and utterly trusting gaze.

"Alright~ Now that A-Yan has given himself to me, it's time for me to fulfill my duties as a wife and make our home vibrant and lively!"

After lingering in Lu Yan's palm for a moment, Aemeath reluctantly straightened up.

She stood up briskly from the carpet, turned and pointed to the somewhat dry courtyard outside the French windows, her voice brimming with vitality:

"A-Yan, you lie here and rest quietly. I'll go water the flowers and plants outside."

"These are flowers we planted ourselves, we can't let them die of thirst!"

Lu Yan nodded with a smile, gazing at her gently. "Go ahead, but be careful not to get your clothes wet."

"Okay!"

Aemeath's clear, melodious voice echoed in the living room.

Aemeath ran happily to the entrance, changed into a pair of comfortable sandals, picked up the long-spouted watering can from the corner, pushed open the French windows, and stepped into the sunny courtyard.

The sunlight poured into the courtyard without reservation, giving Aemeath's soft pink hair a dazzling golden edge.

She bent slightly and sprinkled the cool water evenly on the roots of the forget-me-nots and hydrangeas.

Water droplets fall onto the dry soil, are instantly absorbed, and release a fresh scent carrying a hint of earthy fragrance.

Lu Yan leaned back on the soft Yan Catcher in the living room, his gaze never leaving the busy pink figure.

After watering the flowers, Aemeath washed her hands and returned to Lu Yan's side.

The entire day passed by like lukewarm water flowing at a slower pace, quietly passing through a series of warm and trivial moments.

Around noon, Aemeath busied herself in the kitchen for a while, then served several light yet delicious and nutritious meals.

Without a word, the forced feeding mode was activated, and Lu Yan could only enjoy this service while eating all the food that was filled with love.

The afternoon sun became somewhat lazy.

To keep Lu Yan from getting bored, Aemeath moved a small stool and sat on the edge of the sofa, softly telling him her stories from the journey, only recounting the happy ones as if afraid he would worry.

Occasionally, when the conversation turned to something interesting, she would pause and share her insights with Lu Yan with great enthusiasm; while Lu Yan would always watch her with a smile, occasionally reaching out to tidy the stray hairs that fell beside her ear.

During this process, Lu Yan was able to clearly perceive the wondrous changes occurring inside his body.

The tingling, itchy sensation as the wound heals gradually intensifies from a faint one in the morning.

The cells in his body are undergoing an incredible process of reorganization and regeneration under the nourishment of this Frequency.

The lacerations that used to cause excruciating pain with the slightest movement are now completely painless.

Even the dark red scabs on the surface of the skin began to lift slightly at the edges, revealing smoother skin underneath.

This speed of self-healing made Lu Yan realize even more clearly that he was no longer the ordinary person he once was.

Time slipped away quietly as the two spent time together. Before they knew it, the midday sun outside the window had lost its intense heat and transformed into a sky full of brilliant orange-red sunset clouds.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spreading a warm golden carpet across the living room floor.

Aemeath just went to the kitchen, washed a plate of fresh cherries, and came out with them in a porcelain bowl.

She instinctively reached out to touch Lu Yan's forehead to check if he had a low-grade fever.

However, just as she extended her hand halfway, Lu Yan took the initiative, raising his arm, which was originally wrapped in bandages, and firmly grasping her wrist.

"A-Yan?" Aemeath was slightly taken aback and looked down at Lu Yan's hand.

She was surprised to find that the small gauze on Lu Yan's wrist had fallen off at some point.

Where there should have been deep tears under the gauze, there were only a few very light pink marks, not even scars!

Lu Yan sat up slightly, feeling the abundant power within his body.

He looked at Aemeath's eyes, which were slightly widened in shock, a relaxed smile playing on his lips, and said gently:

"Aemeath, I feel... I should be fully recovered in a few days."

He wasn't exaggerating. That Frequency originating from Aemeath brought his body to an unprecedented state.

He even felt that if he were to get out of bed and run five kilometers right now, he wouldn't be out of breath at all.

Upon hearing this, Aemeath's reaction surprised Lu Yan.

She didn't immediately show the ecstatic expression of "Thank God you've finally recovered." Instead, she paused slightly, and a barely perceptible hint of loss and regret flashed quickly in her beautiful golden eyes.

"So fast..."

Aemeath pursed her lips, and the hand that was about to hand the cherry to Lu Yan froze in mid-air.

She pouted slightly, and a rare, reluctant, girlish expression appeared on her delicate and beautiful face as she muttered softly:

"But... I want to take care of you a little longer~"

For Aemeath, the past two weeks of fear and anxiety were undoubtedly torment, but now being able to take care of everything in his life in a comprehensive and thorough way, this feeling of being relied upon by him, greatly satisfied her desires.

Now that Lu Yan suddenly says he'll be better tomorrow, it means she can no longer feed him, help him get dressed, or even... as she did today.

The thought of having my sweet 'privilege' taken away filled me with reluctance.

Lu Yan couldn't help but smile as he looked at Aemeath's contradictory expression—she was clearly happy that he had recovered, but also regretful that she could no longer take care of him.

With a slight pull, he gently drew Aemeath was standing beside the sofa, into his arms.

Following his force, Aemeath lightly slumped onto the edge of the sofa, her knees pressed tightly against Lu Yan's legs.

"Silly boy."

Lu Yan reached out and pinched her soft cheeks, which were pouting slightly. "It's not like I only need you to take care of me when I'm sick."

His gaze was deep and gentle, like a vast ocean that could encompass all of her. "When I'm not sick, you can take care of me anytime."

"I can be your 'personal patient' anytime you want."

Upon hearing Lu Yan's words, Aemeath's eyes, which had been slightly disappointed, instantly lit up, as if starlight was flowing within them.

She stared intently at Lu Yan, her eyes overflowing with love that almost overwhelmed him.

"You said it yourself!"

Aemeath grasped Lu Yan's hand that was pinching her cheek and pressed his palm against her face.

Her eyes became incredibly serious as she said:

"Before, Solaris, and now at home, you've always been the one who endlessly tolerated my capriciousness."

She lowered her head slightly, her forehead touching Lu Yan's, her breath carrying the sweet scent of strawberries.

"A-Yan, you always spoil me in everything..."

Aemeath's voice trembled slightly, a release of years of pent-up heartache and obsession.

"So now, I also want to let you enjoy feeling cared for."

"I want to give you all the love I've accumulated over the years, without reservation."

"I want you to know that in this world, you no longer need to face anything alone, because I will always be there to protect you and take good care of you."

She didn't need Lu Yan to be incredibly powerful; she just needed him to stay safely by her side, providing her with the most perfect sanctuary in the world.

Lu Yan felt the warmth from the forehead and listened to these words that struck his heart, and his eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

He didn't say anything more, but gave the best response through his actions.

He opened his arms and embraced Aemeath tightly.

There was no concern for the wound.

Their bodies pressed tightly together in the early summer twilight, their heartbeats resonating beautifully through the thin fabric of their clothes.

"Good."

Lu Yan rested his chin on Aemeath's neck, took a deep breath of her reassuring fragrance, and whispered a promise:

"Then I'll just be a spoiled brat from now on."

"Haha~ Then I'll reluctantly accept this arduous task~" Aemeath laughed through her tears in his arms, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, unwilling to let go for even a moment.

Night fell quietly as the two embraced.

The living room lights were off; only the neon lights of the city outside and the cool moonlight streamed in through the window.

They nestled quietly together on the large, Yan Catcher sofa.

Aemeath clung to Lu Yan like a little pink kitten, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat and feeling his body temperature gradually return to normal.

A gentle night breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the persimmon trees outside.

After dinner, the two of them snuggled up on the sofa and watched some mindless soap operas for a while.

Only when the hour hand of the wall clock quietly pointed to ten o'clock did Lu Yan gently pat Aemeath was still hanging on him.

"Alright, it's getting late." Lu Yan stretched. "I'm going to wash my face and then go to sleep. You should get some rest too; you've had a long day."

As he spoke, Lu Yan prepared to stand up, using the armrests of the sofa for support.

Before he could stand up straight, he felt a slight tug at the hem of his clothes.

Aemeath sat on the sofa, one hand clutching Lu Yan's sleeve, tilting her head slightly upward, and drawing out her sweet, soft voice:

"No way~~~"

"What's wrong?" Lu Yan stopped and looked down at her with some confusion.

"I still need to wipe myself down!"

Aemeath solemnly presented the doctor's orders:

"Doctor Yu said that although your wound is healing quickly, you still need to keep it absolutely clean until the scab completely falls off."

You've worked up a good sweat today.

Lu Yan smiled helplessly and reached out to ruffle her soft, long hair. "You weren't sweating at all. All I did today was eat and lie down. I didn't even step out of this door once."

"Besides, I've recovered quite well now, so there's no need for all that trouble. Wouldn't it be better to just wash my face and go to bed early?"

Upon hearing Lu Yan's rejection, Aemeath's bright smile crumbled, and her sparkling eyes instantly dimmed.

She slowly released her grip on Lu Yan's clothes, lowered her head slightly, and her bangs fell down, covering half of her eyes.

When he looked up again, his golden eyes were already filled with incredibly realistic tears.

"You... you just said that even if you weren't sick, you'd have me take care of you anytime..."

Aemeath sniffed, her voice sounding as aggrieved as an abandoned kitten, carrying just the right amount of resentment and loss.

She raised her eyes, her gaze wet as she looked at Lu Yan, and accused him, "It's only been a few hours, and you already don't want me to touch you anymore. You big liar... heartless man..."

Looking at the girl in front of him, whose expressions changed faster than turning the pages of a book and whose acting skills rivaled those of an Oscar-winning actress, Lu Yan was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He knew, of course, that Aemeath was faking it.

Although her eyes were watery, the cunning and the little expectation of success hidden deep within them did not escape Lu Yan's notice.

But even knowing she was faking her disappointment, he was completely powerless against her act.

Even knowing it was a trap, he could only willingly jump into it.

"Okay, okay... I surrender."

Lu Yan sighed helplessly, sat back down on the sofa, and gently stroked Aemeath's cute little nose with his right hand, which had fully regained its dexterity.

"I really can't do anything with you. I'll let you help me bathe, okay? My 'personal nurse'."

"Haha~~ That's more like it!"

The scheme had succeeded, Aemeath instantly went from tears to laughter, all the grievances on her face vanished, replaced by an irrepressible, radiant smile.

She sprang up from the sofa, planted a loud kiss on Lu Yan's lips, and dashed off to the bathroom.

"Go back to your bedroom and lie down, okay? I'll be right there!"

Watching her joyful figure disappear into the distance, Lu Yan smiled and shook his head, then got up and slowly walked into the bedroom filled with the scent of the two of them.

The bedside lamp in the bedroom was switched to a soft, warm orange light, creating a dim and ambiguous atmosphere.

Lu Yan took off his shirt and draped it over the back of the chair next to him. Then he obediently lay half-reclined on the soft bed, with two thick pillows behind him, quietly waiting for Aemeath to return.