Su Lin and Xia Shiyu spent a delightful night together. For Xia Shiyu, it was her first time experiencing what is known as a verbal expression of gratitude.
Waking up early in the morning, a habit she had developed from her long vigils at the hospital, Xia Shiyu gazed at Su Lin, who was still asleep beside her. She softly traced her fingers over his face, recalling the previous night's events and hurriedly buried her head in the blanket.
Although she hadn't fully transformed from a girl into a woman, in Xia Shiyu's view, what Su Lin had her do felt even more intimate.
"Oh no, I've totally fallen for him. Being with Su Lin makes me lose all my intelligence," she whispered to herself, half in complaint, half in amusement. "Xia Shiyu, you're so silly. Whatever Su Lin asks, you just do."
Despite her quiet self-reproach, her eyes sparkled with joy, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. Xia Shiyu gently pinched Su Lin's nose and softly said, "Su Lin, I might have troubled you this time. On your 18th birthday, I'll make it up to you."
"That's a promise, Xiaoyu~!!!" Su Lin suddenly responded, startling her.
"You're awake!" she exclaimed, quickly withdrawing her hand.
Su Lin, amused, replied, "How could I not wake up when you're pinching my nose like that?"
"Sorry... I always wanted to pinch your nose but never got the chance. I couldn't resist today..."
Su Lin playfully pinched Xia Shiyu's nose in return, "No problem, my nose is all yours to pinch. It's natural and won't break no matter how you pinch it."
The two shared a loving look, followed by a burst of giggles.
"Let's get up; we have classes today," Su Lin said.
"Okay~! What would you like for breakfast, Su Lin? Tell me, and I'll make it for you."
Su Lin shook his head, "Let's skip cooking today. We don't have much at home anyway. Let's eat out."
Xia Shiyu was about to get up but then glanced at Su Lin and paused, clutching the blanket tightly.
Understanding her shyness, Su Lin said, "I'll get you some toiletries first."
"Do you have spare toiletries here?"
"Yes, I bought them last time you stayed over."
"Su Lin, you're so good."
"You keep saying I'm good and then bad. So, am I good or bad?" Su Lin teased.
"Ah, when you're serious, you're particularly good, but when you're not, you're especially bad," Xia Shiyu playfully chided Su Lin.
"Which do you prefer then, my serious side or my mischievous side?" Su Lin inquired with a smile.
Xia Shiyu glanced at Su Lin and then averted her gaze, "I… like both."
Seeing her reaction, Su Lin smiled contentedly, knowing that she was easily teased. He then got out of bed and started getting dressed. Xia Shiyu watched him leave, a sweet smile once again gracing her lips.
After they both got ready downstairs, Xia Shiyu asked, "Su Lin, should we wait for your driver?"
Su Lin shook his head, "I already messaged Uncle Liu yesterday when I brought you here. He won't be coming today."
"Ah! Then how will we get to school?" she wondered.
Pointing to himself, Su Lin replied, "I can drive, remember?"
"But isn't it a bit too much to drive your car to school?" Xia Shiyu asked.
Su Lin gave her a look of mock disbelief, "Do you think I'm that flamboyant? I'll just park it outside the school. Don't worry about it being scraped; people automatically steer clear of such a car."
"If it were me, I would steer clear too. Such an expensive car could cost a fortune if damaged," she said.
"Money means the least to me. Let's head to school," Su Lin declared.
"Okay~!" she agreed.
On the way, they grabbed some breakfast. Arriving at school, Su Lin was surprised to find Ye Feng already in his seat, looking disheveled and tired.
Ignoring Ye Feng, Su Lin thought to himself that unless Ye Feng pulls himself together, no amount of rebirths would help him. He had hoped Ye Feng would put up a better fight, as being a villain was getting dull without a worthy opponent.
Unbeknownst to Su Lin, Ye Feng's eyes briefly sparkled with life when he saw Xia Shiyu walking normally but then dulled again. Xia Shiyu had completely ignored him, and to him, her indifference was more painful than hatred.
As they settled in, Lin Xiaowan, always cheerful, greeted them at the door.
"Xiaowan, you're always so early," Su Lin noted.
"Haha, I just arrived. How did your dad's surgery go, Xiayu? I didn't get any updates last night and was worried," Lin Xiaowan asked Xia Shiyu.
Xia Shiyu smiled awkwardly. After being taken away by Su Lin the previous night, the two had been inseparable.
Texting? She had completely forgotten about it. If not for Lin Xiaowan mentioning it, Xia Shiyu would have almost forgotten that she had promised to inform her about the surgery results.
Su Lin then intervened, "The surgery went very well, and he has been transferred to the intensive care unit."
"I had Xiayu arrange for a caregiver, who is looking after him now. As for why we didn't message you last night, Xiaowan, didn't you know it was Xiayu's birthday?"
"Ahh! Xiayu, was it your birthday yesterday?" Lin Xiaowan asked in surprise.
Xia Shiyu glanced at Su Lin, wondering why he would mention it directly. Su Lin smiled at her, signaling her to be straightforward. In Su Lin's view, there was no need to hide anything from someone like Lin Xiaowan.
Her intelligence might uncover some hints, which could affect their relationship. Being open about it would prevent her from overthinking.
Following Su Lin's cue, Xia Shiyu nodded and said, "Indeed, it was my birthday. I only remembered it after my dad's surgery was over. Then Su Lin took me out for a big dinner, haha."
Su Lin gave Xia Shiyu a thumbs up, acknowledging that they did indeed go out for a grand meal, and it was double the fun!
Lin Xiaowan looked disappointed, "Ah, such a pity I didn't know."
She then walked up to Su Lin, glaring at him with her almond eyes, "It's all your fault for sending me home so early. If we had stayed a bit longer after the surgery, I could have celebrated Xiayu's birthday with her."
Su Lin shrugged, "Well, it's the weekend tomorrow. Why don't you make up for it then?"
Lin Xiaowan shook her head, "I'm afraid I can't tomorrow. I have to sign a contract."
At this, both Su Lin and Xia Shiyu expressed surprise with a "!!"