“Wh-what’s wrong?”
Mu Yurou was bewildered by her huge reaction, her large black eyes filled with pure confusion.
“N-no, that’s not it…”
Huang Xi’s face flushed instantly, turning as red as a ripe tomato. Her tongue twisted itself into knots, and her amber eyes widened in panic.
“I mean… like… isn’t this… going a bit… too fast…”
“Too fast?”
Mu Yurou looked even more puzzled, blinking her clear black eyes. Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
“Didn’t we… already confirm our relationship? I think… it’s fine, right?”
Her tone was pure and natural, as if she were merely stating an obvious fact.
“Ahhhhh—?!”
Huang Xi practically turned into a steaming engine, as if heat was billowing from the top of her head, her cheeks hot enough to fry an egg!
Her amber pupils contracted sharply from the shock and embarrassment.
“Y-y-you… your body hasn’t fully recovered yet!”
She flailed her arms, utterly incoherent as she tried to cover up the waves crashing inside her heart.
“Th-this… this isn’t good… this is way too sudden…”
“It’s okay…”
Mu Yurou thought she was worried about her health, and seriously added, her black eyes full of calm concern, “Just be gentle… that’s all.”
Just be gentle?!
Little Rou is… really that bold?!
Was all that blushing and shyness earlier just an act?!
Don’t tell me… do I really have to… eat her up?!
Huang Xi’s mind was instantly overloaded by the tidal wave of information, her shyness, anticipation, excitement, and a sliver of incredulous joy all tangled together.
Her amber eyes grew misty, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest!
“Then… th-then…”
Huang Xi’s voice trembled uncontrollably, her gaze darting everywhere, unable to meet Mu Yurou’s far-too-serene black eyes.
But her fingers seemed to act on their own, reaching for the buttons on her shirt.
“A-alright… I’ll… I’ll be gentle…”
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a leap off a cliff, and began undoing her buttons, one by one.
Watching Huang Xi’s actions, the confusion on Mu Yurou’s face was quickly replaced by shock.
Her black eyes blinked in puzzlement at first, but then suddenly widened in realization, as if she finally understood the absurd train of thought in Huang Xi’s mind!
“Y-you—you—you—you!”
Mu Yurou’s face turned scarlet, as if a chili pepper had just been thrown into a pot of boiling oil.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest in a defensive pose, her black pupils filled with shame and indignation.
“What are you thinking?! Pervert!”
Huang Xi froze in place!
Her hands stopped at a halfway-undone button.
She finally… completely realized her ridiculous misunderstanding!
A tsunami of shame crashed down and drowned her!
Her amber eyes instantly filled with tears, and it seemed she might cry at any moment.
“S-sorry…”
Huang Xi’s face was so red it seemed she might bleed.
She desperately wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
Covering her burning face with her hands, her voice came out through her fingers with a sob, “I—I thought… I thought you wanted me to… ahhh… so embarrassing!!!”
“I just wanted you to get on the bed and… hug me!”
Mu Yurou was both shy and angry, her long black hair swaying as she grabbed a pillow, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw it.
“What were you thinking, you idiot! Idiot! Idiot! That kind of thing… can’t be rushed!”
“I’m sorry…”
Huang Xi’s voice was muffled, thick with remorse.
“Alright… it’s fine…”
Mu Yurou looked at the ostrich-like Huang Xi, both exasperated and amused.
She let out a helpless sigh, a trace of indulgence flickering in her black eyes.
“I didn’t know you were so… dirty… What do you read all day anyway…”
“Uu…”
Huang Xi buried her head even lower, her voice tiny as a mosquito, the tips of her exposed ears glowing red like agate.
“Li-literary works… Bloom Into You, Liz and the Blue Bird, Orange-Scented Fragrance… that sort of thing…”
Her amber eyes peeked at Mu Yurou’s reaction through her fingers.
“Ahem…”
Mu Yurou faked a couple of coughs to hide the slight flush on her own cheeks after hearing those titles.
She patted the spot next to her, her black eyes turning to Huang Xi.
“So… are you still going to… hug me or not…”
“Oh…”
Only then did Huang Xi shuffle over slowly, like a small animal that had done something wrong.
She carefully climbed onto the hospital bed, lying down on her side next to Mu Yurou.
The single bed immediately felt cramped, and their arms inevitably brushed against each other.
“Isn’t it… a little crowded?”
Huang Xi whispered, her body a bit stiff, her amber eyes peeking cautiously at Mu Yurou, who was now right beside her.
“It’s fine…”
Mu Yurou’s voice softened, carrying a hint of reassurance.
She turned slightly, facing Huang Xi.
Those pure black eyes, usually as deep as the night, now shimmered with gentle light as they looked straight into Huang Xi’s equally clear, though now slightly nervous and expectant, amber eyes.
Huang Xi stared back unblinking, her amber pupils reflecting Mu Yurou’s petite form.
The moment their gazes met, the blush that had just faded crept back up both their ears in perfect sync.
The ward grew so silent, it seemed they could hear each other’s hearts racing—thump thump… thump thump…
Mu Yurou took a deep breath, as if gathering all her courage.
She reached out her still-weak arm, her movements cautious, then gently—yet with an undeniable tenderness—slid it through the soft hair at Huang Xi’s nape, pulling her close so her warm cheek rested on Mu Yurou’s still-slight chest.
Huang Xi’s body stiffened at first, but when she felt Mu Yurou’s heartbeat through the thin hospital gown, her own panicked heart miraculously calmed.
Like a kitten that had finally found a safe haven, she snuggled and rubbed herself against Mu Yurou’s embrace.
Soft hair brushed against Mu Yurou’s neck and chin, making her black eyes curve into a deeper smile, her lips unconsciously forming a gentle, shallow arc.
“Next time…”
Huang Xi’s muffled voice came from Mu Yurou’s arms, trembling slightly and thick with lingering fear.
She instinctively tightened her arms around Mu Yurou’s waist, as if afraid of losing her.
“Don’t… don’t push yourself so hard again…”
“Mm…”
Mu Yurou’s heart melted completely.
She lowered her eyelids, casting a small shadow beneath her dark lashes. With her free hand, she gently stroked Huang Xi’s soft head again and again, feeling the warmth and strength of the person nestled so tightly in her arms.
“I’m sorry…”
The two of them just lay there quietly, the narrow hospital bed becoming a small world that belonged only to them.
A few strands of Mu Yurou’s long black hair had fallen onto Huang Xi’s golden locks, tangled together.
Huang Xi closed her eyes, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks.
Her breathing slowly grew steady and deep, and her face resting on Mu Yurou’s chest bore a satisfied flush.
Mu Yurou lay with her head slightly tilted back, her black eyes gazing up at the ceiling, feeling the warmth and weight in her embrace.
A mix of post-crisis exhaustion and an indescribable sense of security twined together inside her.
The steady, powerful heartbeat in their chests became the warmest, most reassuring background sound in this quiet space.
Thump thump… thump thump…
As if speaking of silent companionship.
However…
Click.
The sound of the ward’s door lock being quietly turned was like a pebble tossed into a still lake.
Creak—
The door swung open.
Carrying a bag of fresh fruit, Mu Xi, her face filled with concern for the patient, suddenly froze at the doorway.
The concern on her face was abruptly paused, her expression instantly frozen.
Those brilliant red eyes, as dazzling as rubies, widened slightly, clearly reflecting the two closely entwined figures on the hospital bed.
Plop… plop…
The bag of fruit slipped from her hands.
Rosy apples, golden oranges, plump grapes… all tumbled out, bouncing and rolling across the floor, making crisp sounds.
A few even playfully bumped into the bed’s legs before finally coming to a reluctant stop.
Mu Xi’s gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, was firmly fixed on the pair embracing on the bed.
Her voice carried a note of disbelief and a barely detectable awkwardness, sounding dry as she spoke:
“Sorry… I-I didn’t mean to interrupt…”
“Jie? Elder Sister?”
Mu Yurou jerked her head up as if she’d been burned, her black eyes suddenly filling with panic and overwhelming embarrassment.
Seeing her elder sister at the door and the fruit scattered all over the floor, she instantly realized what this scene must look like to her sister!
She hurried to explain, her face turning an even deeper red than before, her voice cracking:
“It’s not what you think!”