“Hmm…”
Startled, Song Qiuyu froze completely.
Her fair thighs quivered ever so slightly.
Her toes curled tight.
Out of the haze, a sliver of clarity emerged in her mind.
She grabbed the quilt to cover herself, trying her best to ignore that fragile place in need of care.
She wiped her hands on her pants, dazed, momentarily forgetting to deal with the person knocking at the door.
“Xi’er, are you alright?” The person knocking finally spoke.
“Eek!”
Song Qiuyu jolted, her delicate body trembling. Maybe because she’d just been fantasizing about that person doing unspeakable things, a torrent of complicated feelings crashed against her heart.
Something inside her was spilling out uncontrollably.
Ahhh, damn it!
After all that effort, it turned out just one sentence from Jiang Xiao worked better than anything she’d done herself?
How could she be so useless…
Ashamed and torn, she clutched the quilt tighter.
Her mood grew agitated. Her thighs rubbed together, and her small, round toes kicked restlessly at the quilt by her feet.
“I… I’m fine!”
As she spoke, she hastily wiped away the tear stains on her face and clumsily straightened her messy clothes, but her muddled heart was impossible to fix.
“But you don’t sound fine, Xi’er. Can you open the door?”
Jiang Xiao, clueless about Song Qiuyu’s situation, could only sense the panic in her voice. His keen hearing picked up all sorts of strange sounds.
And there was a faint, sweet fragrance in the air.
It was a familiar scent.
“I’m really fine!”
Song Qiuyu scrambled up from the bed.
Her mind was buzzing.
Though her whole body was wrapped in that sweet scent, she seemed oblivious, her head filled only with thoughts of the person outside the door.
Her smooth, bare feet stepped onto the cold floor, but she felt no chill—if anything, it felt good.
“Mm…”
A comfortable sigh slipped out before she could stop it. She felt like she was burning up, an uncontrollable blaze raging within.
Her fragile body was being scorched by this inferno. That brief moment of lucidity was once again consumed in an instant.
So uncomfortable, truly unbearable.
She fought to ignore the discomfort, forcing herself to look strong as she strode toward the door.
Strangely, she wasn’t wearing high heels like before, yet every step was unsteady, as if her feet might give way at any moment.
It must be that all strength had left her limbs.
Her legs were as soft as jelly.
She exhaled hot breaths, and after what felt like forever, finally reached the door. Remembering that Jiang Xiao was outside, her bare feet nervously rubbed against each other, the soles and arches pressing together uneasily.
Suddenly, she wondered if this was all a dream she’d fallen into after dozing off.
After all, she really had been imagining Jiang Xiao coming to her, helping her with the things she couldn’t manage alone.
But she was on her own bed, and Jiang Xiao should be in his own room.
She would never call him, and even if he called her, she’d definitely refuse.
They weren’t in that kind of relationship.
Thinking this, she suddenly relaxed and reached out to open the door.
With a creak, that face from her fantasies appeared in her field of vision.
Swallowing hard, Song Qiuyu’s eyes filled with complicated emotions—relieved that this was just a dream, but also lonely because it was only a dream.
How she wished it wasn’t a dream, and yet she hoped it really was.
Realizing her own loneliness, the urge to cry threatened to break loose again. She pressed her legs tightly together.
Then, with a reserved tilt of her head, she avoided his heated gaze.
“I’m really fine, you should go back.”
“Are you sure?”
For the first time, Jiang Xiao didn’t wait for her permission—he walked straight into her room.
The moment he entered, the sweet scent grew even stronger.
Especially from the girl in front of him.
She was like a flower blooming in winter, releasing fragrance, and anyone could see that this flower was desperate for his care.
Otherwise, she might wither away.
Song Qiuyu’s steps faltered as she backed away.
Each step Jiang Xiao took forward, she retreated in turn.
Her mind could no longer process anything; instinct alone kept her barely at a safe distance.
With a creak, Jiang Xiao closed the door behind him.
He lowered his gaze, looking at the little hedgehog in front of him, bristling with all her prickles aimed his way. The calm she’d tried so hard to maintain was starting to crack.
“Xi’er, do you need help?”
Jiang Xiao watched her carefully, her cheeks flushed, her eyes unfocused, and considered what to do.
…
Her muddled brain twisted the word “help” into a mortifying meaning. Song Qiuyu bit her lip, her silence a silent refusal.
But after a brief moment, she turned her face toward him and met Jiang Xiao’s eyes, “The best way you can help me is to just go back, right now!”
Help! What kind of help did Jiang Xiao think she needed? That sort of thing—is that something you can even help with?!
This guy really has no shame!!
“But what should I do? I want to help you. Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
Just as Song Qiuyu knew Jiang Xiao’s weaknesses, Jiang Xiao also knew hers. He didn’t hold back, delivering a direct hit.
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu inexplicably smiled, purposely pulling a weird face: “Yeah, I feel like I’m dying from discomfort, but what if I just don’t want your help?”
“That’s easy! Want a drink?”
Jiang Xiao blinked at her.
Song Qiuyu’s mind grew even fuzzier, so annoyed she didn’t want to speak.
Was this guy even human? Trying to get Xi’er drunk?
She shot back arrogantly, “Sure, as long as you can actually get your hands on some!”
Jiang Xiao grinned and went to get the drinks.
This was a chance to get closer to Xi’er, and he wouldn’t waste it. He was determined to do his best!
Tonight, he was determined to score some major points.
Song Qiuyu lowered her eyes, feeling like she could see right through Jiang Xiao’s intentions, and let out a cold laugh.
He was just a copy of Jiang Xiao in her dream, but inside and out, he was exactly like the real one. Anyway, this was a dream only she knew about, so she could do whatever she wanted here without it affecting the real world!
Hehe, let her savor this joy for herself!
With that thought, she staggered to the edge of the bed.
The sheets were already dirty, so she simply plopped herself on the floor instead, fiddling with her fingers in boredom.
Her body temperature was still so high. She glanced out the window, tempted to open it and feel the wind.
Her winter was too brief—every time Jiang Xiao appeared, he brought with him a scorching, unbearable summer.
Maybe this feeling was what people called heatstroke.
Leaning by the bed, Song Qiuyu stared blankly at the door, silently counting in her heart, wondering after how many numbers Jiang Xiao would return with the drinks.
She kept counting and got drowsy. She wasn’t sure what number she’d reached when she heard the door open, making her jolt awake and a bit more alert.
“I’m back! Xi’er!”
Jiang Xiao carried a plastic bag, beaming as he spoke to her.
Seeing him, Song Qiuyu composed herself, sitting up straight on the floor with as much grace as she could muster, and fussed with her hair in a panic.
She didn’t even know why she bothered, she just wanted to tidy up.
“Here you go!”
Jiang Xiao closed the door again, noticing how Song Qiuyu, instead of sitting on the bed, was sitting obediently on the floor at the edge, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
He couldn’t help but clutch his chest, suddenly feeling guilty—maybe he should have moved faster!
He shouldn’t have kept Xi’er waiting.
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