The sun slowly peeked out, shining its light upon Clo as she combed her hair. Her azure hair reflected a faint, brilliant glow.
Clo seemed to always prefer leaving her hair down, yet she was also remarkably skilled at styling it. Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time in the past doing it for someone who didn't know the first thing about tying up their hair.
Li Yue looked extremely exhausted. She wriggled slightly toward Clo but then fell still again.
“Where are you going?” Li Yue hadn't even noticed how soft and delicate her own voice had become. It didn't sound like her at all, yet she felt no discomfort in it at the moment. Perhaps the pervasive weakness in her body had simply taken the upper hand for now.
“To check in with the professor, and then I’ll come back to look after you.” Clo walked over slowly and gave Li Yue a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“I will be fine on my own,” Li Yue said, turning away and burying her head beneath the covers.
“Are you still very tired?”
“Mhm.”
“Heh~” Clo let out a mischievous chuckle. “I recall you falling asleep quite early last night.”
“...” Li Yue felt her face grow hot. “I slept too much, that is why I am drowsy.”
“Alright then, I’m heading out.” Clo smiled and closed the door behind her. Li Yue peeked out from under the blankets to watch her retreating figure. Feeling the slight chill of early spring, she quickly shrank back into the warmth of the bed.
Clo’s words from the previous night echoed in her mind, making her body tremble. For some reason, she hadn't dared to listen to Clo’s confession while fully conscious. Unable to find a reason, she simply attributed the feeling to not being ready yet.
When Li Yue looked back on this scene much later, she would finally understand her feelings at that moment. The fact that she hadn't said the words “I love you” then was likely an accident; her feelings were already something far more profound than mere love.
Carrying her restless heart, Li Yue hid back under the covers to daydream—about their reunion and everything that had happened yesterday.
She napped for a short while and soon woke up again. At the foot of the bed lay a bathrobe Clo had prepared for her. It was thick, pink, and looked quite adorable. Compared to pink, the old Li Yue might have preferred dark red or pure black, but pink wasn't unacceptable.
Wrapped in the bathrobe, she wandered through Clo’s large mansion. There wasn't a single servant inside; the place was empty, giving Li Yue a sense of profound silence and peace. Although her thighs felt a bit chilly whenever they were exposed as she walked, the way the sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows was truly beautiful.
She sniffled and let out a sneeze, wrapping the bathrobe tighter around herself as she felt a trace of the morning chill.
If one did not wish to be extremely weak, one had to embrace being extremely strong. Li Yue chose the former. In the past, power had its value because of Him, but now that was gone. She only wanted to maintain the status quo, not even daring to think about taking another step forward. Just like this, as long as the two of them could be together... it was already enough happiness.
A pair of hands gently slipped around her thighs and lifted her up. It was that familiar princess carry again, feeling incredibly gentle and warm. Though she was startled for a moment, Li Yue didn't offer much resistance. Her body stiffened briefly before returning to a state of calm.
“When did you get back?” Li Yue asked in a small voice. Being carried made her feel much warmer for some reason.
“Just now. I teleported home and saw you walking through the hallway with your legs bare.” Clo pinched Li Yue’s cheek. “Are you really that unafraid of the cold?”
“You startled me... but it is fine.” Li Yue offered a small smile. “In the past, I could walk freely even in the extreme cold of dozens of degrees below zero.”
“But now you get a fever, my little A Yue.” Clo carried Li Yue slowly, bringing her back to the bedroom and settling her into bed once more.
“That’s right... the power I once had is gone now...” Li Yue dazed for a moment. Would those things ever return? That was a question she hadn't considered at all lately.
They would return, sooner or later... I am the god who governed death... there is no doubt about that... I have just been running away. If possible, I truly want to keep running forever, ignoring those tragic fates and important authorities, simply sinking into these happy, warm days until...
Until what separates us? Could it really be that phrase—until “death” do us part?
Li Yue leaned against the headboard and looked at Clo, feeling an inexplicable surge of sadness.
Clo glanced at Li Yue and brought over a bowl of herbal medicine she had brewed. It was pitch black. She could sense the girl's sadness and a hint of fear, though she didn't know why she was feeling that way.
Is she afraid of taking medicine? A Yue really is like a child. Should I trick her later and say the medicine is sweet?
Clo picked up the medicine bowl, which emitted a faint, bitter aroma.
“It’s sweet, really.” Clo brought a spoon to Li Yue’s lips. Because of the fever and a slight cold, Li Yue’s nose was congested; she couldn't smell the bitterness at all and only felt the rising steam.
“I thought it would be bitter.” Li Yue stuck out her small tongue and cautiously touched the medicine in the spoon. Before she could even pull back, waves of bitterness began to spread through her mouth.
“It’s bitter.” Li Yue stuck her tongue out and buried her head in the blankets, expressing her dissatisfaction at being deceived.
“The next sip will be sweet. I’ll use magic.”
“I don’t believe you... I am not a child. I don’t need you to coax me into taking medicine.” Li Yue emerged from the blankets, took the bowl, and endured the bitterness to take a large gulp.
Though the bitterness nearly brought tears to her eyes, Li Yue stubbornly held her breath and finished the whole thing. It was a bit hot on her tongue, and the bitter taste lingered in her mouth for a long time without fading, leaving her unable to speak.
“A reward for a good child—a strawberry candy.” Clo held a piece of candy to Li Yue’s lips. Although she didn't want to admit to being a good child, Li Yue couldn't help but eat the candy. Her slightly hurried reaction even caused her pearly teeth to accidentally nip Clo’s finger.
“Do you want to sleep a bit more?”
“I cannot fall asleep.”
“Then how about I tell you a bedtime story?”
“...”
“Two then. You can’t be any greedier.”
“...”
“Then I’ll keep telling them until you fall asleep, how about that?”
“...”
Li Yue didn't speak. She deliberately put on a look of disdain and turned her back to Clo, burrowing into the blankets. Not long after, she felt a wave of heat from behind as something warm leaned against her.
“Fine, fine. I’ll sleep with you. What a greedy child.”
Rate on N.U.
