The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and a bluish light shone through the desolate white space.
When Xu Shiyue was conscious, she was holding a heavy red apple in her hand.
It was extremely quiet around them; even her soft, childlike breathing could be heard clearly.
Xu Shiyue noticed that her gaze had become shorter again. She looked up into the distance and saw the exact same scene as in her dream. The little girl in the wheelchair was at the end of the corridor, watching her walk towards her.
"Can you play with me a little longer?" The little girl asked, her childish voice filled with expectation as Xu Shiyue walked up to her.
Xu Shiyue felt as if she was using her own childhood image to connect with this little girl.
She was genuinely curious about the identity of the little girl she couldn't forget, whether in dreams or reality, and nodded: "Okay."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Shiyue saw the little girl immediately give her a satisfied and beautiful smile.
The even light suddenly cast a golden halo around her head, bathing her chubby little face in a radiant glow that was almost dazzling.
Suddenly, Xu Shiyue felt as if she had seen this brilliance somewhere before.
Before she could even think of it, that equally small hand reached out in front of her.
The little girl took the apple that Xu Shiyue had picked up and slowly pushed the wheelchair to her ward.
Xu Shiyue followed behind and went inside as well.
I don't know if it's because of the change in perspective, but the little girl's square hospital room looked big and empty.
The space was filled with a monotonous white, except for the apple that she handed over, which had a unique color.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and Xu Shiyue suddenly felt an overwhelming loneliness.
She didn't know how to face such pallor, nor did she know how this little girl managed to survive here.
People say that extreme tranquility in a person is terrifying, but isn't the same true for an environment?
The smell of disinfectant filled Xu Shiyue's nostrils with an exceptionally realistic intensity. She looked up at the painted window.
As if possessed, she turned to her and asked, "Do you want to go out?"
The little girl was taken aback by Xu Shiyue's question for a moment, and then looked at her legs.
Her jet-black hair was tied low with two bows, bobbing as she spoke: "I can't get out."
Then she asked, "Could you spend more time with me?"
The little girl's voice was childish and cautious, her bright black eyes blinking, carefully filled with expectation.
Xu Shiyue was somewhat moved, but she knew she couldn't give her that promise; even their meeting in her dream was an accident.
But as she hesitated, a clear and childlike voice suddenly rang in her ears.
It wasn't her voice, yet it was definitely hers.
"good."
In an instant, the little girl's expectant face blossomed into a smile, and an apple was carefully placed into Xu Shiyue's hand.
The apples were bright red and plump, as if they had been carefully selected and specially treasured.
Xu Shiyue was surprised that the little girl would give her such a precious thing, and for a moment she didn't know what to say to her.
Then she felt a little tired, and her eyelids felt like they were being pressed down by apples, so heavy that she couldn't lift them.
The bright light enveloped her as she lay on the hospital bed, which seemed unusually spacious to them, holding hands with the little girl.
With a blink, with a blink, her eyes slowly closed together.
...
The light spread through the girl's tightly closed eyes, so bright it was almost blinding.
Xu Shiyue frowned slightly and slowly opened her eyes.
The blurriness is like the spreading water, blurring the once clear picture.
As Xu Shiyue experienced the light and sound, she was momentarily unable to distinguish whether it was reality or a dream.
Feeling lost and disappointed.
Xu Shiyue suddenly sighed, vaguely feeling that there seemed to be something strange below her line of sight.
As she continued reading, the image of her holding hands with the little girl shifted in her mind to that of Lu Shizhen.
As the sensation slowly returned, Xu Shiyue felt a warm, even slightly damp, surface in her palm.
Lu Shizhen's hand was clasped together with hers, the bones of which looked distinct, yet they were unexpectedly soft.
The even breaths gently landed on the back of Xu Shiyue's hand, their warmth and indistinctness revealing the peace and obedience of her sleep.
Xu Shiyue's fingers twitched slightly as she looked at the girl sleeping beside her, her heart skipping a beat for some reason.
She suddenly felt that Lu Shizhen's hand resembled that little girl's hand.
She paused for a moment, then thought that it might be because she had shaken hands with Lu Shizhen in the real world, which is why she dreamed of holding hands with the little girl.
Yes, how could Lu Shizhen be that little girl?
That's impossible.
Xu Shiyue watched as Lu Shizhen's hands were clasped together, scrutinizing the girl who had inexplicably fallen asleep beside her bed.
Lu Shizhen was draped in a blanket that wasn't very thick, as if she had dragged it from a small sofa not far away.
Although Xu Shiyue didn't think it was a perverted act of voyeurism, she didn't quite understand this person's behavior either.
It's not that hard for her to break free; if she wanted to, she could do it any way she wanted.
Is it because you don't want to be woken up?
Xu Shiyue's eyes changed slightly, and for some reason, a thought popped into her head.
She moved her wrist to separate from Lu Shizhen, but suddenly felt something pressing down on her wrist.
It's a piece of paper.
It's still a blank sheet of paper.
Xu Shiyue frowned. She knew she hadn't let go of this thing before going to sleep, and she had no idea what Lu Shizhen was up to.
After a pause, Xu Shiyue seemed to have thought of something, and as if possessed, she placed her finger on the white paper.
The small dots formed words that instantly appeared under the girl's fingers, clumsily conveying the man's explanation: I'll tuck you in, you hold my hand, I won't disturb you, I'll just stay by your bedside.
The words weren't exactly fluent, but the expression was still clear, much like someone who can fall asleep right next to the bed.
Xu Shiyue read the sentence slowly, her fingers moving from beginning to end, pausing and then reading it again from the beginning.
She really didn't want to be woken up.
Xu Shiyue found it somewhat unbelievable, yet she also felt that perhaps only this person could do such a thing for her.
After all, she is Lu Shizhen.
Fingers gently rubbed against a piece of paper, making a soft rustling sound. The system's voice mingled with it, forming a notification in the quiet of sleep: "+50".
Suddenly, Lu Shizhen sat up from the bedside.
Then, unexpectedly, yet as if it were meant to be, their eyes met.
Sunlight streamed in from the window behind her, illuminating Lu Shizhen's vision.
Xu Shiyue's eyes were as clear and cold as ever, yet they seemed to hold a hint of gentleness within them. Her fair and clean face carried the freshness of someone just waking up in the morning, like a little deer, making one's heart skip a beat.
Lu Shizhen opened her mouth, as if she had forgotten to speak, or as if she had forgotten to breathe.
She wasn't sure if she woke up suddenly or was stunned by Xu Shiyue's beauty at that moment; her mind went blank for half a second before she seemed to recover completely and explained to Xu Shiyue, "I didn't mean to come and sleep with you... I saw you kicked off your blanket, so I came to cover you up, and then, well..."
Before Lu Shizhen could finish organizing her thoughts, Xu Shiyue interrupted her.
She calmly put the paper away and said to her in a steady voice, "I know."
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment, then looked at the paper beside her and suddenly realized that Xu Shiyue had seen her message.
She wondered if the extra fifty points were a reward for her hard work that night, and whether it was in line with gentlemanly conduct.
"It must be the host!" Qiuqiu jumped out energetically. "You were so considerate last night, a true hero who saved the damsel in distress, and you didn't take advantage of her! That's the noblest virtue of humankind! You truly deserve to be the host!"
"hey-hey."
What could be more delightful than getting extra points first thing in the morning and hearing compliments?
Lu Shizhen felt that there was no such thing.
She took off the blanket from her body, glanced at the time, and said to Xu Shiyue, "It's already 10:30. Should we call lunch up? It takes 15 minutes to get to the competition venue from here. It starts at 2:00 PM, so we should leave at 1:30 PM. We still need to change clothes and assemble there, so the more time we have, the better. What do you think?"
As if it had been planned beforehand, Lu Shizhen's words now sounded like they came from a completely different person compared to before.
He is efficient and decisive, but his meticulousness is rare.
Xu Shiyue stared at the blurry figure in her line of sight, her lips twitching as she tried to smile, but she managed to suppress it: "Okay, your arrangements are excellent."
Lu Shizhen was somewhat happy to have gained Xu Shiyue's approval.
If she were a dumpling now, her tail would be wagging.
Undeterred, Lu Shizhen asked again, "What are you having for lunch? I'll order it for you."
Like a meticulous waitress, she flipped through the menu that was placed to the side of the hotel: "For lunch, we have omelet rice, beef noodles, braised pork with preserved vegetables, and fried milk..."
"I'll just have a bowl of light noodles," Xu Shiyue said calmly, not following the menu.
"Then let's have chicken noodle soup. It's hot and comforting," Lu Shizhen said.
"Okay." Xu Shiyue nodded.
The sunlight filled the entire bedroom, somewhat dazzling, yet it gave her a very comfortable feeling.
She couldn't explain why, maybe it was because the bed was soft and the blankets on her body were light.
Or perhaps it's that someone is showing you tender care right now.
After making the arrangements, Lu Shizhen was about to call the hotel front desk to order food when she heard a voice calling from behind her: "Lu Shizhen."
She assumed Xu Shiyue was looking for her about lunch, so she turned around and asked, "Want some more..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Shizhen saw a beige baseball jacket suddenly fly towards her.
She instinctively reached out and took it; the thick fabric felt heavy in her hand, carrying the fragrance of its owner.
This is what Xu Shiyue was wearing when she came to the hotel yesterday.
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment, somewhat puzzled, yet seemingly realizing something.
Then Xu Shiyue's voice rang in her ear again, cold yet gentle: "Put on my coat before you go."
Thump, thump.
The wild deer that had just woken up was running rampant in Lu Shizhen's heart, raising a light fragrance.
Lu Shizhen found it extremely strange.
Why would getting a jacket make me happier than getting extra points?
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