A Tenderness Meant Only for You
Lu Yan leaned wearily against the soft back of the sofa and slowly closed his eyes.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming his body.
He calmed his mind and let his senses sharpen in the darkness, taking in the sounds of the little courtyard. A breeze rustled softly through the persimmon tree outside the window.
From the old street in the distance came occasional, faint sounds of everyday bustle, while closer by, he could hear Aemeath looking for medicine for him in the master bedroom.
His stomach still throbbed with occasional spasms of pain, his stomach lining protesting the high concentrations of salt and charred matter.
In the past, this kind of physical discomfort would certainly have made him irritable.
But now, he felt calmer than ever. He was even enjoying it a little.
Just then, light footsteps came from the direction of the master bedroom.
Hearing Aemeath approach, Lu Yan slowly opened his eyes.
In the light, with motes of dust drifting around her, Aemeath held a glass of warm water and some digestive tablets in her palm, silently watching him.
The faint redness around her eyes had not completely faded, and the traces of her recent tears were still plain to see. Paired with her breathtakingly beautiful face, it was heartbreaking.
"A-Yan, I brought the medicine," Aemeath said softly, her voice close to his ear and still tinged with tension.
Seeing Aemeath like this, Lu Yan felt the pain in his stomach seemingly enveloped in a softer emotion.
He chuckled softly and teased, "My beautiful lady, how did you end up crying until your face looked like a little kitten's?"
As he spoke, he raised a hand and gently wiped the smudge of ash from her cheek.
Aemeath froze for a moment, then realized what he meant. Her cheeks reddened, and her face, taut with worry, instantly fell. She instinctively tried to dodge Lu Yan's hand.
But when she heard his gentle teasing, she stopped.
Not only did she stop dodging, she followed the pressure of Lu Yan's hand like a real kitten, pressing her face into his palm and rubbing against it gently.
Aemeath lifted her chin slightly and said coquettishly, "Hmph, I'm your little kitten, though. No one else could have me even if they wanted to!"
She said those deeply affectionate words in the most playful tone, like a soft feather brushing precisely over the tenderest corner of Lu Yan's heart.
"My little kitten. No one can take you away." Lu Yan smiled and played along, taking the warm water and tablets from her hands and tipping his head back to swallow them.
The warm water flowed into his stomach, bringing a sense of comfort.
Lu Yan had barely set down the glass when Aemeath sat on the edge of the sofa, right beside him.
"It still hurts a lot, doesn't it?" Aemeath's gaze remained fixed on Lu Yan's stomach, her brows knitting slightly.
Although he had been smiling all along, she had still keenly noticed the fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead and the occasional brief pauses in his breathing.
"I'm really fine. I'll be better after a little rest..." Lu Yan was about to reassure her when he noticed that Aemeath had already leaned toward him.
"Don't try to tough it out." Aemeath cut him off imperiously.
Aemeath sat beside him, and to get closer, she slipped off her slippers and curled her legs, clad in white stockings, onto the sofa. She was practically nestled in Lu Yan's arms.
"Lie back," Aemeath ordered softly.
Lu Yan obediently leaned back and found a comfortable position.
Aemeath reached out a slender, fair hand and gently placed it on Lu Yan's stomach.
Her palm was warm. Through his thin sweatshirt, she began gently massaging his stomach clockwise.
"Is the pressure okay? Am I pressing too hard?" Aemeath kept her head lowered, her attention entirely on what her hand was doing. Her voice was as soft as a spring breeze.
"It's just right," Lu Yan answered quietly.
The living room fell silent again, save for the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock and the sound of their mingled breathing.
Lu Yan lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze naturally settling on Aemeath's face.
They were so close that he could clearly see her long eyelashes trembling faintly like butterfly wings.
Her expression was so focused and gentle now, free of the obsessiveness born of her insecurity.
At this moment, Aemeath was simply a girl wholly devoted to easing the pain of the one she loved.
As Lu Yan watched her, he gradually became absorbed. In a slight daze, he recalled the little girl on the icy plains in the game, then looked at Aemeath massaging his stomach before him.
Fantasy and reality overlapped perfectly in that moment.
"Aemeath," Lu Yan called softly, his voice so quiet it was as though he feared disturbing the peaceful afternoon.
"Hmm?"
Aemeath didn't look up, and her hand continued its steady, gentle motion. "Am I pressing too hard?"
"No, it's just right. It feels wonderful." Lu Yan looked at her. "I was just wondering how many lifetimes of luck I must have saved up to meet you."
Aemeath's hand paused slightly as she massaged his stomach.
She looked up and met Lu Yan's ardent, affectionate gaze.
"You're saying silly things again, A-Yan."
A sweet smile curved Aemeath's lips. "It wasn't luck that you met me. You deserved this. So I crossed the barrier between worlds and came looking for you myself."
"A-Yan, does your stomach still hurt?"
"No." Lu Yan was telling the truth. He didn't know whether it was psychological or because of Aemeath's massage, but the sharp, stabbing pain had been completely replaced by warmth.
"Since it doesn't hurt anymore..." Aemeath's gaze darkened slightly, drifting slowly down from his eyes to his lips.
"Then... shouldn't you do something to reward me for massaging your tummy, A-Yan?"