January 23
"Ah—mm! Ngh—!"
A high, cracking cry rose and then quickly dropped back down from Xiangzi's bedroom.
"Ba— Baihe… no, Sister Huaxiu! Please, be merciful—g-gently, it really hurts!"
"I'm already being gentle. If you want to heal quickly, then lie still and stop moving. Be good and bear with it, Foxy. It'll be over soon. Xiangzi's injuries are worse than yours, and she hasn't made a sound."
"I really can't take it! Boss Xiangzi's body is way stronger than mine—!"
The big fox was so desperate she slipped back into her hometown dialect, forgetting all the clumsy Japanese she had worked so hard to learn.
"Can't understand a word you're saying. Just sit still and take your treatment!"
"Ugh—!"
As the cool, stinging sensation spread across the wound on her back, Ye Ling felt like her soul was being blasted straight into the sky. Pain shot straight into her brain, and her body's defense response made the injured area go completely numb.
Her pink fox ears and fluffy tail puffed up uncontrollably from the stimulation, mirroring their owner's misery.
Then a burst of laughter shattered the "tragic" atmosphere.
Huaxiu set down the tweezers in her hand, barely holding back a smile as she turned to Xiangzi.
"Quit laughing. You're next, Xiangzi. Have you treated the wound on your abdomen yet?"
That wiped the smile off Xiangzi's face at once.
Even if her body really was tough and could take a beating, that did not mean her nerves could. Her physical endurance might let her push through, but pain from disinfectant on torn, inflamed skin did not lessen just because she was mentally strong. And with the dull ache in her lower abdomen on top of that, the pain only got worse. Xiangzi was still human, not some machine made of steel.
She was not the kind of person who could not tolerate pain. The mental enhancement from Two Lives in One made her better at enduring suffering than most people.
In her previous life, when she had lived as a man, she had been taught from childhood that a real man did not cry easily. Even after living as a girl all these years, she still had very few moments when she had shed those precious tears.
But the pain of disinfectant touching a wound would not lessen because of that. Her swollen, split-open injuries were utterly merciless. And with her lower body already in bad shape, everything hurt even more.
Still, she could not cry. She could not show weakness, especially not now. In the apocalypse, tears were worthless.
If her emotions dragged everyone else down with her, the consequences would be awful.
By the time Huaxiu finished re-bandaging Ye Ling and placed an ice pack over the treated area, it was finally Xiangzi's turn.
"My dear… you're up next," Huaxiu said softly. Loose wisps of her pale golden hair stuck out in every direction after so many days without proper care.
She approached the bed with the tray of medicine in hand. She had been awake for nearly thirty hours, yet she still looked alert, though the red veins in her eyes told another story.
After flipping back the blanket, Xiangzi's body was revealed beneath. She was wearing nothing at all. Most of her upper body was wrapped in yellowing bandages, and her thighs were crisscrossed with wound dressings.
"It's kind of cold. Can you be quick about it? I don't want to lose too much body heat," Xiangzi said, uncomfortable in the chilly room.
"Mm. It may hurt a little, so bear with it," Huaxiu murmured as she began peeling away the layers of bandages, one by one.
"Haha, don't worry—hiss—!"
Xiangzi had started off looking perfectly calm, but the instant the bandages pulled at her skin, she nearly cried out. She bit down hard just in time.
Huaxiu said nothing.
Once the wrappings came off, the pale, delicate body beneath looked as though it had been kissed by some cruel demon. Bruises, abrasions, ugly swelling, raw torn flesh—her injuries were awful to look at.
Fortunately, there was not too much pus. Earlier that morning, Huaxiu had disinfected Xiangzi's wounds and covered them generously with anti-inflammatory powder.
Now the powder had mixed with blood and other fluids into clotted patches stuck to Xiangzi's skin. Huaxiu carefully used tweezers and cotton to wipe them away.
The room fell into a terrible silence.
After finishing her own bandaging, Ye Ling quieted down completely. Now the only sounds left were faint breathing and the soft, weighty taps of used cotton dropping into the trash bin.
Those few short minutes dragged by like syrup.
Then came the final rip of gauze being unwound, and time began moving again.
Before long, Xiangzi was wrapped in fresh layers of bandages, and the trash bin was nearly overflowing with medical waste.
Huaxiu set down her tools and pulled the blanket back over Xiangzi.
Then her hands started trembling.
She was not all right at all.
Her eyes were bright red, like a rabbit's, and her nose and stomach felt as though someone had drenched them in vinegar.
She did not want this. She did not want to burden Xiangzi or show her own weakest side and make her worry.
But her body no longer felt like it belonged to her.
"Xiangzi, promise me… promise me you won't throw yourself into danger like that again…"
She stopped there, fists clenched, staring at Xiangzi's flushed face. She could not finish.
She knew it was impossible. In times like these, where was there such a thing as safety?
But emotionally, she still could not bear seeing Xiangzi injured like this. That helplessness, that sense of being unable to help her at all, surged up and smashed straight through her defenses.
The dam broke.
Drip. Drip.
A few large crystal drops fell, striking the floor with a clear sound.
"It's not your fault, Huaxiu. Come here. A little closer," Xiangzi said softly.
She wiped the tears from Huaxiu's face, then took her hand.
Xiangzi's fingers were cold—so cold that they no longer felt soft and human, but stiff and rough instead.
Huaxiu did not care. She clasped them tightly and refused to let go.
Half-kneeling on the floor, she leaned her head against the one shoulder Xiangzi had not injured. It felt warm. Steady. Safe. Almost like being tucked into her mother's arms as a child.
"Are you not getting up? The floor's freezing. You'll catch cold," Xiangzi said.
"Oh, no, don't move! What if you pull your wounds open?"
Just as Xiangzi started to rise, Huaxiu hurriedly pressed her back down. Then she sat beside the bed, staring fixedly at Xiangzi with those reddened eyes.
"All right, all right, I won't move. These wounds aren't that bad. It's not like I haven't been hurt before. I'll recover in a few days. Don't make such a fuss."
"Please stop saying things like that. Just rest properly."
Huaxiu turned sideways and suddenly leaned in toward Xiangzi's lips.
"Mmph—!"
The unexpected contact caught Xiangzi completely off guard. Her pupils widened at once, her golden eyes losing all focus.
The rest of it was swallowed whole.
After some time—seconds, minutes, who knew—the sharp medicinal smell in the room was finally overtaken by the rich scent of oranges.
When Huaxiu sat back down on the chair beside the bed, she calmly raised a hand to fix her disheveled golden hair, though her dark eyes never left Xiangzi for even a moment.
Thank heaven—after the strange recovery she had gone through a while ago, even though her physical strength had not changed, the tyranny of her nearsightedness had mysteriously vanished.
Now she no longer needed anything else. She could look at Xiangzi clearly, directly, with her own eyes.
Huaxiu drank in the sight of her, engraving this moment deeply into her memory.
That unblinking gaze made Xiangzi's face heat up.
What are you staring at? It's not like you haven't seen me before, Xiangzi complained inwardly.
No, wait. No. Xiangzi, what are you even being shy about? What is there to be embarrassed over?
This emotional turbulence from her period was seriously strange.
She was not usually like this.
Then she decided she would stare right back.
So the two of them sat there like idiots, looking at each other until Huaxiu broke first and burst out laughing.
Seeing Huaxiu smile so freely, Xiangzi could not help feeling indignant.
"You just pinned me to the wall and hung me up there—cough, cough—!"
She had spoken too fast and ended up choking on her own words.
Huaxiu walked over with a smile and handed her a thermos cup.
"A blushing Xiangzi is adorable too," she said with a grin.
"Get away from me. Taking advantage of the wounded… next time, you'd better be the one lying there obediently—mmph!"
"Well, then let's wait until later. Right now you're the patient."
Huaxiu sat down beside her again, tucking her hand under the blanket.
Xiangzi felt the warmth from Huaxiu's body spreading beneath the covers and said nothing.
She flipped open the cup's lid. The liquid inside had cooled from piping hot to a temperature she could drink immediately.
She took slow sips, little by little, letting the warmth spread through her empty stomach. Sweetness lingered in her mouth, along with the strong flavor of ginger. It was brown sugar ginger water, carefully made by Huaxiu for Xiangzi's period.
"It helps circulation and dispels the cold too. Drink more and get better soon," Huaxiu said, rubbing at her itchy eyes.
"Huaxiu…"
Xiangzi had just started to say something when a noise came from outside the door—a sudden thud, breaking the perfect moment.
"Who's there?!"
Huaxiu sprang to her feet and strode to the door. As her hand reached for the doorknob, the blush still lingering on her face carried a trace of embarrassment and shyness, as though she had just been caught doing something she should not have.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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