Even though Hua Shu had tested Liu Fengying to see if she was truly herself and not someone who had stolen her identity, it was still hard for her to believe that this was the same Liu Fengying she had sat next to that year.
Until that day, if someone had told her that Liu Fengying had been seen combing a girl's hair, she probably would have thought it was a lie without a second thought. Since Liu Fengying saw almost everyone as a potential enemy, it was impossible to imagine her in such a friendly situation.
As for herself, even though Liu Fengying seemed much more relaxed when interacting with her than with the rest of the school, she had never tried to be more than just a seatmate for her. Physical contact between them had been nearly nonexistent, so how come Liu Fengying suddenly took the initiative to help her comb her hair? Could it be that Liu Fengying had suddenly realized how amazing she was and wanted to get closer to her?
'I don't really think that's it. It's not exactly one of my best days…', Hua Shu told herself, aware that she didn't look very presentable that morning.
If they were to grow closer, logically, it should have been her initiative, since Liu Fengying was the one attracting everyone's attention at that moment.
"Come on, ShuShu! Don't be shy…", said Liu Fengying, noticing that Hua Shu was looking at her like a stray cat being lured with food—tempted but too distrustful to approach.
Liu Fengying knew that, due to her inability to open up and bend, Hua Shu had been forced to become a lone wolf, unable to integrate into a pack. So, she wasn't used to interactions like these, which were quite common among girls. To get her to accept affection, she needed to be very patient with her.
Hua Shu was slightly irritated by Liu Fengying's words. Shy? Wasn't Liu Fengying aware of how abnormal her behavior was right now? She had every right not to know how to react, didn't she?
However, in this situation, where Hua Shu would normally have bared her fangs immediately, she couldn't even bring herself to frown at Liu Fengying. It wasn't like she was mesmerized by her beauty. Well, maybe just a little. But the most important factor was that Liu Fengying's big-sister aura was too overwhelming; Hua Shu had never been looked at with such patience and compassion before.
'If she wants to serve me, then so be it…', Hua Shu thought to herself, unwilling to admit that deep down, she was happy about Liu Fengying's offer. As for why Liu Fengying was being so kind to her at that moment, she figured it was most likely because she was in a good mood after recovering and wanted to repay her for helping make her recovery story more believable.
In reality, she wasn't that full of herself; she simply muttered a short, "Alright…" before timidly placing the comb into Liu Fengying's outstretched hand and turning her back to her to give her easier access to her hair. Since she did all this with a flushed face, Liu Fengying found her to be quite adorable.
"Relax! You look like you're sitting in an electric chair…", Liu Fengying couldn't help but tease Hua Shu, pressing her fingertips lightly against her tense shoulders. This action made Hua Shu jolt as if a strong current had spread from the spots where Liu Fengying touched her throughout her entire body.
"I… I'm afraid you'll pull my hair…", Hua Shu found an excuse for her state. She didn't want Liu Fengying to think she was shy again.
Liu Fengying could barely hold back a chuckle after hearing her. Rather than tensing up from the fear of pain, she looked as if she were about to receive her first kiss.
"Don't worry. I promise you'll feel very comfortable…", Liu Fengying whispered into Hua Shu's ear, as one of her hands ran through her hair.
Although Liu Fengying was aware that it was somewhat dishonorable to amuse herself at the expense of a girl who was mentally hundreds of years younger than her, she couldn't deny that she genuinely enjoyed seeing her flustered.
"!!!!!!!!", Hua Shu panicked; it was the first time anyone had said such ambiguous words to her. She couldn't even process why she was so affected when the culprit was a girl too.
To the relief of Hua Shu's young heart, however, Liu Fengying managed to contain her enthusiasm and began combing her hair in silence. Her skilled movements not only caused no discomfort but even made Hua Shu feel as if someone were gently massaging her scalp.
'She's really good at this. If she combed my hair every morning after I got to school, I probably wouldn't be so depressed about having to wake up so early…', Hua Shu almost started purring under Liu Fengying's care.
Of course, once she calmed down, it didn't take long for her imagination to take over her mind.
"And her breath is so fresh… Well, it matches her bright smile. She'd probably be perfect for a toothpaste commercial… Wait, Hua Shu? What the hell are you thinking? Why does her breath even matter? Or… does it? I suppose it wouldn't be pleasant if someone with bad breath was breathing over my head…', a storm of thoughts stirred in Hua Shu's mind, all provoked by Liu Fengying's close presence.
But even though Hua Shu was restless, the scene between her and Liu Fengying appeared perfectly harmonious. The classmates, who had been busy posting on the school blog and other social media about Liu Fengying's transformation, were once again drawn to them.
Seeing how kindly Liu Fengying treated her seatmate, many assumed she was much more approachable than before—probably because she was in a good mood after fixing her face. Two of them, first a boy and then a girl, even attempted to strike up a conversation with her. However, to their disappointment, Liu Fengying dismissed both, claiming she was busy.
"Heh, heh! Last week, she was talking behind your back, and now she's greeting you like you've known each other since you wore diapers. Good job putting her in her place…," Hua Shu remarked as the girl Liu Fengying had rejected walked away. She made no effort to lower her voice, having no patience for hypocrites.
Since the classroom was quiet, it was no surprise that the girl overheard Hua Shu's remark. Another predictable outcome was that she wasn't particularly pleased about it.
"Hua Shu! Can't you go a single day without attacking someone? Why are you so rabid? Did Professor Hua raise you in a pack of hyenas?", she snapped. It wasn't the first time she'd had a conflict with Hua Shu, but usually, she brushed her off, trying to prove that she was the better person. However, after already being irritated by how Liu Fengying had treated her, she couldn't tolerate Hua Shu rubbing salt in the wound in front of the whole class.
Hua Shu wasn't the type to only pick fights with the weak and back down when faced with opposition. In an instant, she transformed from a Persian cat into a fierce tiger with a venomous tongue, fully prepared to unleash her sharpest insults.
"What hyenas are you talking about, Zhang Ruoxi? Maybe you and your family… mmph"
Unfortunately, Hua Shu found her abilities sealed before she could go after her classmate's last seven generations, as Liu Fengying pressed the tip of her fingers against her lips.
"Alright, alright… Don't play with bad things...", Liu Fengying soothed her, shooting Zhang Ruoxi a warning look. At that moment, Hua Shu was her source of entertainment, and she had become a bit possessive of her.
Even though Liu Fengying's words weren't much kinder than Hua Shu's, Zhang Ruoxi didn't dare to retaliate against her. First of all, she had no idea what Liu Fengying's current situation was. If she had reconciled with her family, it wouldn't be wise to get on her bad side.
Secondly, Liu Fengying seemed terrifying. Maybe she had kept her battle-hardened bloodlust in check, but the moment she got serious, she was intimidating enough to frighten a girl who had probably never killed anything bigger than a fly.
"Class is starting… I don't have time to argue with you...", Zhang Ruoxi decided to withdraw, trying to appear indifferent. Unfortunately for her, the tremble in her lips and the hurried steps she took back to her seat significantly undermined her performance.
Normally, Hua Shu would have been thrilled to witness such a scene. However, at that moment, she was too distracted by the fact that Liu Fengying was still covering her lips with her fingers.
Although the gesture was far from intimate, the way Liu Fengying did it was incredibly alluring. Her aura no longer felt like that of an older sister but rather like that of a fox who had taken human form.
Hua Shu didn't feel ready to have such a seatmate. To build immunity, she figured she'd have to start watching videos of female idols who had made a habit of teasing young girls who admired them.