Chapter 209 : That Works—So Natural!
"What!? You’re going home first?" Li Qian stared at Ling Ning, shocked. This wasn’t what she’d expected at all; shouldn’t Ling Ning be heading to school with her?
Ling Ning smiled. “It’s still early, and I left my study materials at home. I’ll just swing by to grab them. It’s close by anyway.”
"Well… alright, see you at school, then."
Leaving Li Qian’s place, Ling Ning hurried back to her apartment. It was still early, but getting things done quickly was never a bad idea.
Arriving at her doorstep, she noticed a girl sitting on the floor outside her door, her hair disheveled. The sight startled her at first, but when she looked closer, she realized it was Xia You. Why was Xia You sitting outside her door?
"Xia… Xia You, what are you doing here!?" Ling Ning asked in shock, seeing Xia You sitting there, knees pulled up to her chest.
Hearing her voice, Xia You slowly looked up, forcing a weak smile. “Ling Ning, you’re back.”
Suddenly, Ling Ning remembered how Xia You was terrified of thunderstorms. Although it had been rainy lately, there hadn’t been much thunder recently. Every time it stormed, Xia You would usually come to stay with her, but Ling Ning had completely forgotten yesterday.
Seeing Xia You’s pale face and colorless lips, it was obvious she had spent the whole night outside her door.
Xia You stood up shakily but immediately felt dizzy, and her body started to lean forward uncontrollably.
Thankfully, Ling Ning reacted quickly and caught her before she fell. Seeing her pained expression, Ling Ning reached up and felt Xia You’s forehead.
“You’re burning up!”
It made sense; Xia You had spent the night outside in just her thin pajamas. The temperature had dropped with the rain, after all.
Ling Ning hurriedly unlocked her door, helped Xia You to her bed, covered her with a blanket, and grabbed her phone—only to find it had completely run out of battery.
After plugging in her phone and waiting for it to power on, Ling Ning saw over a hundred missed calls and messages, all from Xia You.
“Ling Ning, it’s thundering, and I’m scared.”
“Ling Ning, where are you?”
“Ling Ning…”
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Ling Ning sighed as she scrolled through the messages, then dialed their teacher Ye Xuan’s number to excuse both herself and Xia You from school. There was no way Xia You could attend in her current state, and Ling Ning didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone, so she decided to stay as well.
After making the call, Ling Ning was about to get some medicine for Xia You when she felt a tug on her skirt. Turning around, she saw Xia You looking up at her with a pleading expression.
Ling Ning chuckled and patted Xia You’s soft hair. “Don’t worry. I’m just getting you some medicine; I’m not leaving.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” Ling Ning replied. For some reason, Xia You reminded her of a child at that moment.
A few moments later, Ling Ning returned with some medicine and a cup of warm water. Having recently had a fever herself, she knew exactly where to find the medicine, so it hadn’t taken long.
“Here, take this and then rest a bit.”
After Xia You took the medicine, she lay quietly in bed. However, she didn’t fall asleep right away; instead, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to check if Ling Ning was still there. After repeating this several times, Ling Ning finally took her hand and held it gently.
“There, now you don’t have to worry about me leaving. Just relax and get some sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”
Feeling the warmth of Ling Ning’s hand, Xia You finally closed her eyes in peace.
In Xia You’s world, Ling Ning was her everything.
As long as Ling Ning was by her side, nothing else mattered. But without Ling Ning, even if she had the whole world, she wouldn’t care. To her, Ling Ning was greater than everything.
With Ling Ning there, and after a sleepless night, Xia You quickly drifted off.
Watching her sleep, Ling Ning sighed, feeling a pang of sadness. She hadn’t realized Xia You would wait outside all night just for her. If she’d known, she would have come back, rain or not.
Seeing how tightly Xia You held onto her hand, Ling Ning realized she couldn’t even go make an ice pack. She’d tried to gently slip her hand free, but Xia You’s grip was firm, and any attempt to pull away would wake her. Resigned, Ling Ning sat quietly, lost in thought, beside her.
“Ling Ning, don’t leave me… I’m scared to be alone…”
Ling Ning was startled out of her thoughts as Xia You muttered in her sleep. She thought she was awake, but a closer look revealed she was sleep-talking.
“I’m right here,” Ling Ning whispered gently in her ear.
Whether it was Ling Ning’s words or something else, Xia You’s frown relaxed.
While Xia You slept peacefully, Ling Ning’s predicament grew. She’d had a nagging urge to use the restroom since her walk home that morning, but she’d put it aside, focused on helping Xia You. Now, the urge had intensified, and she felt close to her limit.
Not wanting to wake Xia You, she struggled to hold on, but there were only so many ways to ignore it.
To Ling Ning, the minutes felt like an eternity, and just as she thought she’d have to dash for the bathroom, Xia You finally began to stir, slowly opening her eyes.
“I… I need to use the bathroom,” Ling Ning murmured, trying to pull her hand away. But Xia You, still in a daze, hadn’t understood what she’d said, and instinctively tightened her grip, leaving Ling Ning unable to break free.
“Xia You, could you please let me go? I really need to go…” she pleaded.
“Oh… oh, sorry…”
Realizing what was happening, Xia You released her grip. Not expecting the sudden freedom, Ling Ning pulled too hard and ended up stumbling backward.
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Author’s Note:
This cliffhanger! Aren’t I just adorable? Would you really want to be mean to such a cute fish?
In other news, here’s a recommendation for a friend’s book: Teach On, Demon King! by Big Sis Author-sama. It’s hilarious and absolutely worth checking out. Enjoy!