Xue Xiaodie sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl, and sipped the chicken soup slowly.
The soup had only a thin layer of oil floating on top, and its taste was very light, yet it was exceptionally comforting.
Lu Zhe brought over a hand warmer, stood in front of her, and said, "Try this after you finish drinking."
Xue Xiaodie nodded and continued to drink slowly.
However, the bowl wasn't very big, and soon the chicken soup inside was gone. Lu Zhe took the empty bowl from her and handed her a hand warmer.
"You know how to use it, right?"
Xue Xiaodie glanced at him and said softly, "I've never used it before. Why don't you teach me?"
Lu Zhe: "I haven't used it either, but the instructions are written here. Look, just open the outer packaging, tear off this paper, and stick it on."
Xue Xiaodie nodded obediently, clutching her pajamas with both hands. Her pajamas were two-piece sets: a short-sleeved top and capri pants. She was clutching the hem of the top.
Seeing this, Lu Zhe quickly stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute, what are you doing?"
Xue Xiaodie: "Isn't it supposed to be worn close to the body?"
Lu Zhe said helplessly, "You've really never used a heat pack before! You shouldn't stick it directly on your skin, it might burn you. You have to put it on your clothes through them."
Xue Xiaodie feigned ignorance and said, "Oh, I see."
Lu Zhe complained, "It's normal for a guy like me not to have used it, but why haven't any girls used it either?"
Xue Xiaodie: "Because I've always used hot water bottles since I was little. And most of the time, I don't feel any pain..."
"Alright. Is it painful here? We'll stick it here," Lu Zhe said, pointing to the girl's lower abdomen.
Xue Xiaodie sat there, quietly watching him.
Lu Zhe: "What are you standing there for?"
Xue Xiaodie tilted her head: "Weren't you going to help me put it on?"
Lu Zhe was both amused and exasperated: "You stick it on yourself!"
Xue Xiaodie finally took the heat pack and placed it on her lower abdomen. She knew that pretending to be silly was fine, but going too far with it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Alright, I'll go make you a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea. You should lie down and rest."
After saying this, Lu Zhe turned and went to the kitchen.
But a few minutes later, when he brought over the bowl of brown sugar ginger tea, he found that Xue Xiaodie was not lying on the bed, but was still sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly staring at him.
Lu Zhe casually asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Xue Xiaodie shook her head slightly and remained silent.
Lu Zhe picked up the package of painkillers and read the instructions on the outer packaging. If Xue Xiaodie still felt unwell, and hot drinks and heat packs didn't work, then medication would be the only option.
Xue Xiaodie continued to stare at him quietly.
Tonight's feeling reminded her of 'the past'. After they became a couple, before the wedding, whenever she felt unwell, he would stay by her side like this…
However, Lu Zhe did not show that deep affection. It was as if he just couldn't bear to see his friend suffering and came to help.
Xue Xiaodie suddenly had an impulse to throw herself into his arms without a care in the world. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but feel troubled. She was wearing glasses, no makeup, a wrinkled nightgown, and her hair was disheveled; her appearance was utterly unappealing.
If you really go for it, that's the decisive moment for confessing your feelings. If you rush into it, it could very well cause the relationship to take a turn for the worse, allowing other girls to take advantage...
With her mind racing with jumbled thoughts, coupled with the intermittent pain in her lower abdomen, she sat there blankly, motionless for a long time.
Lu Zhe placed the brown sugar ginger tea on the table next to him, waited for a while, and then asked, "How are you feeling now?"
Xue Xiaodie paused for a moment, then said, "It doesn't hurt that much anymore..."
Lu Zhe: "That's good. It seems I don't need ibuprofen for now. But after I leave, you should decide based on your own situation. If the pain returns, then use it."
Xue Xiaodie stared straight at him and couldn't help but ask, "Are you leaving?"
Lu Zhe yawned, then countered with, "So what else? Should I stay here tonight?"
Xue Xiaodie: "..."
She wanted to tell him that he could actually remove the word "么" at the end of the sentence and turn the rhetorical question into a declarative sentence.
After a long silence, all she could say was, "You're always so reliable."
Lu Zhe pursed his lips: "No, people aren't machines, they'll make mistakes. And don't use words like 'forever'."
Xue Xiaodie didn't refute him, but just smiled reassuringly and gazed at him.
Lu Zhe felt a little uncomfortable under the girl's gaze. He had never been looked at with such affection before, not even during his first love that lasted for a month... Perhaps his first girlfriend, who had left him with psychological trauma, had given him a similar look, but after so many years, he had long forgotten it.
If I respond in a certain way now, will I be able to find a partner?
Thinking about this, Lu Zhe suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling. He had indeed joked about being single before. But the thought of actually starting a relationship made him feel a little apprehensive.
And it still comes down to the same question: should I start with Xue Xiaodie, or Miss Tang? Or perhaps, President Xia is also a possibility?
He felt that he couldn't rush into the relationship before resolving this difficult choice.
Starting something and then abandoning it is never a good thing.
"Ahem," Lu Zhe cleared his throat, "You seem to be alright, so I'll head back now?"
Xue Xiaodie nodded.
She realized that since this guy was now living next door, if she really missed him, she could just go visit him.
Lu Zhe turned and left.
After the door closed, the room returned to silence.
The table was less than two meters from the bed, so Xue Xiaodie could clearly see the steam rising from the bowl. She stared blankly at the wispy steam, as if she could see Lu Zhe's face in it.
The hot steam gradually thinned out until it almost disappeared.
Xue Xiaodie adjusted her glasses, walked to the table, picked up the bowl, and sipped the brown sugar ginger tea inside. But before the warm liquid even reached her stomach, she felt the pain in her lower abdomen almost disappear.
The girl laughed: "Is this a placebo?"
However, she quickly realized she couldn't let her guard down and become complacent. So she went back to bed, picked up her phone, and after thinking for a while, sent that guy a WeChat message.
Thanks a lot, I really don't feel much pain anymore. How about I treat you to dinner tomorrow?
After sending the message, she hugged her pillow, lay on her side on the bed, and stared blankly at her phone screen.
After waiting for a few minutes, Lu Zhe replied: 【Okay.】
Xue Xiaodie: [What would you like to eat?]
Lu Zhe: [Let's have some porridge.]
Looking at these three simple words, Xue Xiaodie couldn't help but laugh again.
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