'Forget it. I don't care about his feelings. He didn't come to find me for a whole month—consider this a little punishment.'
After a long while, Fu Shi stopped talking. She glanced at Fu Lin's side profile before quietly lying down, offering a moment of silent mourning for him in her heart.
Fu Hua smiled faintly. She knew Fu Shi had come to terms with her decision. Lying down, the two silently gazed at each other, their clear eyes curving into crescents. With a hint of a smile on their lips, they closed their eyes.
--------------------------------
"Ha~"
The morning sunlight shone on the bed as Fu Lin slowly opened his eyes. Still drowsy, he sat up, stretched lazily, and let out a big yawn.
Looking around the pristine white room, Fu Lin was filled with confusion. Besides himself, there was a messy hospital bed and some medical equipment.
A painting hung on the wall, depicting a blooming flower, and nothing else.
Fu Lin scratched his messy hair and prepared to get out of bed, but as soon as he moved, he found his left foot shackled by an ankle cuff. Losing his balance instantly, he fell heavily to the floor.
"Ow!" Lying on the floor, Fu Lin grimaced in pain, rubbing his head while staring at the black shackle on his left ankle. A strange sense of fear welled up in his heart.
"No way! No way! Did I pass out and get caught by Kiana again?"
Fu Lin tried to recall how he ended up in this situation, but his mind was completely blank. The last thing he remembered was taking a punch from Fu Hua—after that, nothing.
Footsteps sounded from outside the door, making Fu Lin's heartbeat quicken. He had no idea who was coming.
His eyes widened as he stared nervously at the door, silently praying that it was anyone but Kiana—even a random grunt would be better.
As the footsteps grew closer, Fu Lin struggled against the shackle, but it held his ankle tight, leaving him no means of escape.
His heart pounded faster, his breathing became rapid.
Just before the door opened, he panicked, hurriedly crawling back onto the bed, curling up under the blanket, and shutting his eyes—pretending to be asleep in hopes of slipping by unnoticed.
With a click, the door opened, revealing a familiar figure—Kiana.
Kiana smirked at the lump under the blanket. Reaching out, she lightly poked it. The lump moved slightly, then fell still again.
"Hey, Fu Lin, wake up! If you don't get up, I'm going to pull your blanket off!"
She pouted as she spoke, clearly displeased by the lack of response. Growing impatient, she grabbed the blanket, ready to yank it away.
Hearing Kiana's voice, Fu Lin's mind went blank. It was as if all his thoughts had been erased in an instant.
His heartbeat seemed to pause momentarily before suddenly accelerating like crazy.
After a while, he finally regained his composure, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
Just as Kiana was about to lift the blanket, a hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
"Whoa!"
Kiana yelped in surprise, trying to pull her hand back, only to find the grip tightening. She attempted to break free but hesitated, worried that her strength might accidentally hurt Fu Lin.
Suddenly, a voice called from outside the room, "Kiana, what's going on?"
Fu Lin's eyes widened in shock, and he slowly withdrew his hand under the blanket, his racing heartbeat gradually steadying.
Kiana looked at the red mark on her wrist, swallowed hard, and turned toward the doorway with teary eyes, looking pitiful as she complained, "Mei, Fu Lin scared me!"
"I came to check on him early in the morning, and he repaid me like a weasel paying respects to a hen—definitely up to no good!"
Mei twitched at Kiana's misuse of the idiom but, seeing her about to cry, simply smiled and said,
"Kiana, that's not how that saying works. Besides, I don't think Fu Lin meant to scare you. He probably just wanted to surprise you."
Kiana pouted, held up her wrist in front of Mei, and pointed at the red mark indignantly.
"Mei, look! My wrist is still red—it really hurts!"
Mei gently rubbed Kiana's wrist, smiling. "Alright, alright. Let's hurry and take Fu Lin over. Everyone's still waiting."
Kiana suddenly remembered something. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized it was getting late.
"Ah! It's all Fu Lin's fault—I almost forgot about the main event!"
She let out a dramatic cry, pulled out a key to unlock Fu Lin's shackle, then, ignoring his protests, threw off his blanket and scooped him up in her arms.
"Kiana, at least put Fu Lin—"
Before Mei could finish, Kiana had already dashed out of the room with Fu Lin in her grasp.
Watching Kiana's reckless exit, Mei sighed helplessly, shook her head, and then followed after them.
"???"
Fu Lin's mouth twitched as he watched the trees and flowers blur past him. He glanced up at Kiana's sharp jawline, struggling to break free.
"Hey, stop moving! If you fall, it won't be my fault."
Despite her words, Kiana's grip tightened, locking Fu Lin firmly in her embrace.
Every time they passed a Valkyrie, their curious and scrutinizing gazes made Fu Lin's face flush with embarrassment. His voice carried a mix of helplessness and stubbornness.
"Ahem… Put me down. I can walk on my own."