Chapter 21: Morning Light p1
The moment the girl fell into her arms, the wind and rain began to subside. The world, as if redeemed, slowly returned to peace and gentleness. The streetlight’s glow diffused through the rain, droplets of light falling to the ground, the thunder fading, the layers of dark clouds slowly dispersing.
As if the god, having tasted sugar, had ceased its torment of the world.
The woman in the red dress moved with a slight stiffness, her arms embracing the girl’s slender waist, carrying her into the apartment. The door closed automatically behind them, and the living room lights switched on.
Shen Yuhe stood inside, rainwater dripping from her clothes, soaking Xiang Er in her arms.
A woman’s body was inherently beautiful. Its curves and softness, inviting touch, were more delectable than cream, yet supported by a resilient framework, tangible but unseen. A woman was like a cake, sweet and soft.
Xiang Er wore a simple nightgown, its white gauze sleeves clinging to her slender arms, those arms pale, soft, and weak, one draped over Shen Yuhe’s shoulder, the other dangling, swaying with their movements, occasionally brushing against Shen Yuhe’s waist and legs.
Shen Yuhe looked at her face. Having gone without proper nourishment for so long, yet burning with a high fever, Xiang Er’s already unhealthy face now looked almost ghostly.
Her eyes were closed, her nostrils flaring, her face and lips bloodless, except for two spots of red on her cheekbones, like the rouge a paper effigy maker might casually apply to a paper doll, lending her a strangely surreal appearance.
But even as a paper doll, she was the most beautiful, the most exquisite.
Shen Yuhe lifted Xiang Er slightly higher, her hands supporting her thighs, so that her upper body rested completely in her embrace. Xiang Er, unconscious and pliant, her entire weight pressed against Shen Yuhe’s body.
Shen Yuhe held Xiang Er like this, pressing her burning face against her own cool neck, carrying her like a child back to the guest room, and gently placing her on the bed.
As she entered the room, the lights switched on automatically. With a wave of her hand, the thick quilt on the bed lifted and settled over Xiang Er, perfectly smooth.
Shen Yuhe stood by the bed, frowning, looking down at Xiang Er, her expression a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.
Behind her, the sculpture sat quietly on the desk, its presence almost forgotten.
Xiang Er’s face was flushed with fever. She moaned softly and kicked off the covers.
Shen Yuhe hesitated, then took off her red dress and draped it over Xiang Er. The long dress covered her completely, its damp coolness helping to lower her temperature. Xiang Er gradually calmed down, her fever receding.
The rain subsided, dawn approaching.
Shen Yuhe stood there naked, like a jade statue, expressionless, unbreathing, her chest still.
Her dark eyes remained fixed on Xiang Er, watching her all night, until dawn.
The first rays of light woke Xiang Er, who was sensitive to light, but it took a long time for her to emerge from the hazy layers of consciousness, to become aware of her own existence.
Almost as soon as she regained consciousness, a splitting headache made her cry out:
“Aa…”
She raised a hand to her head, struggling to sit up, hoping to alleviate the pain, and opened her eyes.
“Huh?”
The scene before her made her gasp.
What… was going on?
Xiang Er sat up, supporting herself on the mattress, ignoring the headache, and stared, then closed her eyes, then opened them again, staring again.
After repeating this several times, she finally confirmed that this wasn’t a dream, not a hallucination brought on by her fever, but reality.
The reality of the situation made her even more stunned. She stared for a long time, then finally spoke:
“You… cough, cough, cough!”
A violent coughing fit interrupted her, choking her words. She coughed for a long time, until her throat felt raw, then finally calmed down, hesitantly looking up, finishing her sentence.
“What are you doing here? And…”
She couldn’t finish, a blush creeping up her cheeks, not from fever this time, but from a mixture of shyness and delight.
The tall woman before her, wearing her white sweater, was looking at her with concern.
It was… Shen Yuhe.
The sweater, which usually reached mid-thigh on Xiang Er, only reached Shen Yuhe’s upper thighs, barely covering her. It was as if a deity had spilled a cascade of jade nectar, revealing her beautiful, long legs, flowing out from beneath the fluffy sweater, unadorned yet breathtakingly beautiful.
She wore Xiang Er’s pink, rabbit-fur slippers, her jade-white toes peeking out like plump cherries, instantly transforming the cheap slippers into high fashion.
Xiang Er thought she must still be sick, her fever returning, spreading from her head to her toes, her eyes misting over. She didn’t dare look at too many details, quickly lowering her head, another coughing fit seizing her.
“Would you… like some water?”
That pleasant, magnetic voice reached her ears, slightly hesitant, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.
Xiang Er’s mind was a jumble. The fever and the madness had left her memories fragmented. Sleeping had helped, but she couldn’t quite piece things together yet. She sat up and quickly glanced at Shen Yuhe’s face:
“Please… thank you.”
Shen Yuhe nodded, handing her a glass of water in Xiang Er’s favorite purple mug. Xiang Er took the mug and drank the entire glass in one gulp, finally feeling fully awake.
“More?”
Shen Yuhe asked, taking the mug from her hand.
“No, thank you.”
Xiang Er said, trying to get out of bed. She pushed against the mattress, but her arms gave way, and she collapsed back onto the bed.
Her body was too weak. Panting, she leaned against the headboard to catch her breath.
Shen Yuhe placed the mug on the table and turned back to look at her. Xiang Er looked down and suddenly realized that she wasn’t covered by her quilt, but by a beautiful red dress.
She had only seen one dress made of such exquisite material, the one Shen Yuhe had been wearing… A blush crept up Xiang Er’s cheeks and ears as she realized that Shen Yuhe was wearing her sweater because she had given her the dress.
This was too… too intimate!
The more Xiang Er thought about it, the redder her face became. She didn’t dare look at Shen Yuhe, feeling like a cotton candy cloud, unable to think, her gaze fixed on the red dress.
Her memory finally stirred, and she recalled the image of Shen Yuhe standing at her door last night, drenched. She remembered opening the door for her, seeming to fall into her arms, and then… she couldn’t remember anything else.
Could it be… that Shen Yuhe had been taking care of her all night, without even taking care of herself after being caught in the rain?
She was truly an angel!
Xiang Er didn’t know how to thank Shen Yuhe. She looked up at her, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude:
“Did you take care of me all night? Thank you!”
The girl’s eyes were bright and clear, glistening with unshed tears, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly parted, her expression and tone filled with a warmth and sincerity Shen Yuhe had never seen before.
Shen Yuhe paused for a moment, then nodded slightly:
“Mm.”
Xiang Er’s eyes, already bright with fever, now shone even brighter, the corners of her eyes, her ears, and her neck all flushing pink. She whispered:
“Thank you… thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Shen Yuhe looked down at her, her gaze deep, her jade-white neck trembling slightly. She asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice:
“So you’re not angry with me anymore?”
Xiang Er:
“Huh? When was I ever angry with you…”
Shen Yuhe paused, then chuckled softly, looking away, and said:
“It’s nothing, I misspoke… How are you feeling now?”
Xiang Er’s head was still throbbing, but it was better than when she first woke up. She carefully got out of bed, holding onto the mattress, but as soon as her feet touched the floor, her legs went weak, and she almost fell.
Fortunately, Shen Yuhe reached out and steadied her.
Her smooth, jade-like hand gripped Xiang Er’s waist, brushing against the exposed skin.
Xiang Er flinched as if electrocuted, her face flushing again, and heard Shen Yuhe ask:
“Are you alright?”
Xiang Er nodded:
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m going to wash up.”
She walked past Shen Yuhe, a wave of warm fragrance washing over her.
Was this Shen Yuhe’s perfume? Xiang Er thought, then realized that didn’t make sense. Shen Yuhe had been drenched last night, where would the perfume smell come from?
Could it be her natural scent?
This thought made Xiang Er blush even more, her face burning.
She passed by her desk and couldn’t help but glance at the sculpture.
The sculpture’s large eye was now fixed on Shen Yuhe. Although it seemed harmless at the moment, it was… an Evil God!
Xiang Er gritted her teeth, grabbed the sculpture, and carried it into the bathroom, placing it on the shelf.
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