When Flora woke up, her first sensation was warmth—the kind of warmth that came from being held. Then she realized her hand seemed to be resting on something.
She felt fabric beneath her palm, but under the fabric was the faint contour of muscle.
On top of that, she could smell a pleasant scent. It was a familiar fragrance, one that brought her a deep sense of peace.
She slowly opened her eyes.
What met her eyes was Chen Mian's face, extremely close to her own... Right now, he was lying on his side with his eyes closed. One of his hands rested on her waist, while she was pillowed on his other arm. His face, which always seemed so unshakeable, looked much softer in his sleep.
Flora's head buzzed, her mind going completely blank.
She couldn't remember at all what had happened after last night's party. Right... she seemed to have drunk a lot of fruit wine, and then she had gotten incredibly sleepy.
So, had she gotten drunk?
But what on earth happened after she got drunk?! Why was Mr. Chen Mian holding her as they slept?
Flora's entire body froze, and her breathing became much lighter.
But... she and Mr. Chen Mian had already confirmed their relationship. There shouldn't be anything wrong with holding each other to sleep, right?
At that thought, Flora relaxed a bit, but her heart was still beating furiously.
She tried to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep, but her heartbeat was so loud that she even found it noisy herself.
Would Mr. Chen Mian be woken up by it... What should she do if he woke up...?
After a moment, Flora quietly opened her eyes again.
Chen Mian still hadn't woken up.
She relaxed a bit more, her gaze falling involuntarily on Chen Mian's face, her eyes filled with gentleness.
After hesitating for a long time, she made a decision. She gently leaned her face closer and pressed it against his chest.
After all, Chen Mian had said in the dungeon that she didn't need to sneak away the next time she hugged him. So... she would just get a little closer.
Just then, Chen Mian's voice suddenly drifted down from above. “Are you awake?”
Her entire body stiffened. She subconsciously shrank back, almost falling off the bed. The hand Chen Mian had on her waist tightened slightly, pulling her back. “Where are you running off to?”
Flora's face flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the blush spreading from her neck all the way to her ears. “I... I wasn't running.”
“You were about to roll right off the bed,” Chen Mian said, his voice laced with a touch of helplessness.
Flora buried her face in the blanket, her voice muffled. “I... I'm nervous.”
Chen Mian looked down at her. Only a bright red ear peeked out from the blanket. Unable to resist, Chen Mian reached out and gently poked it.
Flora shuddered, wrapping the blanket even tighter around herself. Her timid voice echoed from inside, “Y-You can't touch my ears... They're very sensitive.”
“Then how long do you plan on hiding in there?”
“…I'll come out once I'm not nervous anymore.”
“Then I'm leaving, okay?”
“No!” Flora suddenly poked her head out of the blanket. Her movement was so abrupt that a few strands of hair clung to her face, making her look messy yet incredibly adorable.
She grabbed the hem of Chen Mian's shirt and whispered with a red face, “…Stay a little longer.”
Looking at her like this, Chen Mian let out a chuckle, lay back down, and turned to face her.
The distance between them suddenly became very close, close enough that he could feel Flora's breath.
Flora felt a bit self-conscious under his gaze. Her eyes flickered away before slowly returning to him. She whispered, “Last night… was I drunk?”
“Mmh.”
“Then… did I say anything weird?”
“Mmh, you did.”
“…Can you pretend you didn't hear it?”
“No.”
Flora buried her face a bit deeper into the blanket, her ears turning a shade redder. Her voice was muffled as she asked, “What did I say?”
Chen Mian thought for a moment and said, “You said you liked me.”
“What else?”
“You said you liked me the most.”
“What else?”
“…You said you wanted to see me when you woke up, and you woke up in the middle of the night saying you wanted to cuddle.”
“Really?”
“Of course it's true.”
Flora froze completely. Only after several seconds did a muffled whimper escape from the pillow. “…How could I say something like that!”
Chen Mian smiled. “Mmh, Flora is a completely different person when she's drunk.”
Flora stayed muffled for a good while before lifting half her face from the pillow, revealing a single misty eye. Her voice was very soft. “Then… did you hold me?”
Chen Mian reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently resting his chin against the top of her head.
Flora's body tensed slightly before slowly relaxing. Her fingers gripped the hem of his shirt, and she pressed her face against his chest.
Silence enveloped the room.
After a moment, Flora's muffled voice came from his chest. “…Did I say I liked you many times yesterday?”
“Not that many times, just twice.”
“Then, Mr. Chen Mian... would you like to say it once too?”
Chen Mian leaned down, his lips brushing against the top of her head. “I like you.”
Flora's ears flushed red as she snuggled deeper into his chest. “…Say it again.”
“I like you.”
“…Mmh.”
She was quiet for two seconds, her voice carrying a hint of a smile she couldn't hide. “I heard you.”
Chen Mian looked down at the curled-up figure in his arms, unable to resist reaching out to pinch her cheek. “Satisfied?”
Flora looked up, her eyes bright. “Then you have to say it every day from now on.”
“Why?”
“…I want to hear it.” She nodded, speaking with righteous confidence. “I've already accumulated so many times, so I have to get some back from you.”
Chen Mian looked at her earnest yet slightly coquettish expression, unable to resist laughing. “Alright.”
Only then did Flora withdraw her gaze in satisfaction, pressing her face back against his chest as she whispered, “…Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
After a while, Flora's voice drifted out again, slightly softer than before. “Mr. Chen Mian… shouldn't we get up now?”
“Do you want to get up?”
“…No.” Flora hugged him a little tighter. “Let's stay like this for ten more minutes.”
“And after ten minutes?”
“Then I'll make breakfast.”
“What are you going to make?”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Anything you make is fine.”
Flora let out a soft laugh in his arms. “Then I'll make an extra dish of something you love today. Mr. Chen Mian really likes Moonlight Grass, right? How about I make a Moonlight Grass-flavored pastry?”
“Sure, but how are you so sure I like Moonlight Grass?”
“Because when we went to buy Moonlight Grass seeds, Mr. Chen Mian said you liked them,” Flora said softly.
“Is that why you brew Moonlight Grass tea every day?”
“Mmh...”
“And the scent of Moonlight Grass on my clothes?”
“That... that was my doing too,” Flora said, looking up in embarrassment.
“What about on your clothes?”
“…I'm not telling you… Mmph!”
Rate on N.U.
