Chapter 126: Your Acting Is Terrible

After leaving the school, the two walked one after the other, with Song Chengyi stopping several times to wait for Luo Yixia. However, Luo Yixia was scared and didn’t dare to walk side by side.

Sure enough, before they had walked halfway, Song Chengyi grew impatient.

“Aren’t you coming?” Song Chengyi turned around, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Luo Yixia, who was lingering behind with her head down.

“Oh.” Hearing his voice, Luo Yixia had no choice but to follow.

The weather was cool today, so Luo Yixia wore a jacket, her hands stuffed deep into the pockets. They walked shoulder to shoulder.

“Why are you wearing a mask?” Song Chengyi asked, suppressing his anger and dissatisfaction, trying to sound gentle.

“Um… well, I might have kicked off my blanket last night and caught a slight cough,” Luo Yixia replied, feigning a cough twice.

Song Chengyi frowned as he looked at her. Although she wore a mask, he could clearly see her face, and she didn’t look unwell like someone with a cold. Yet, he didn’t expose her.

Stopping in his tracks, Song Chengyi adjusted Luo Yixia’s clothes and zipped up her jacket. “If you’re sick, you should dress warmer.”

Watching him bend down to zip her jacket so gently, Luo Yixia’s heart fluttered again.

He reached out and took her hand, checking her temperature. Her fingertips were indeed cool. Then, when she wasn’t paying attention, his long fingers rested on the pulse point of her left wrist.

As he suspected, her pulse was steady, showing no signs of illness.

Although Song Chengyi studied Western medicine, he had learned pulse-taking from his teacher. It wasn’t as precise as that of an old Chinese doctor, but it was enough to check for colds and fevers.

Luo Yixia was happily oblivious, completely unaware he was feeling her pulse.

Without a word, Song Chengyi released her hand.

They arrived at the apartment complex within a few minutes.

The last time Luo Yixia had come over was a few days ago when she was drunk; before that, it was when her mother had kicked her out.

Passing by the security guard, an elderly man, Song Chengyi greeted him warmly.

Surprisingly, Song Chengyi called him “Grandpa Liu” with familiarity.

Luo Yixia followed suit.

The old man had seen them come and go many times before and was well aware of their relationship, though he hadn’t seen her for a while.

They entered the complex and went upstairs.

After Song Chengyi opened the door, Luo Yixia stood by the entrance, expertly changing into slippers — the ones she had bought last time at the mall.

Just as she sat down on the sofa, barely catching her breath, Song Chengyi appeared carrying a cup of prepared cold medicine.

Luo Yixia felt conflicted—refusing the cup would be lying to him, but accepting it meant she had to drink medicine she hated for its bitterness, and she wasn’t actually sick.

“Won’t you drink it?” he asked.

“I just took some at school…” Luo Yixia avoided his gaze.

“It’s fine, it won’t hurt to drink more,” Song Chengyi smiled, placing the cup in her hands.

Luo Yixia looked at him incredulously. Medicine is poison to some degree, and he, as a medical student, was so irresponsible to say that.

“I’ll drink it later,” she said, setting the cup on the coffee table.

Song Chengyi patiently sat beside her, waiting.

Watching the steam from the cup slowly fade, Luo Yixia grew anxious.

“Drink it now, or it’ll get cold,” Song Chengyi said with a teasing smile.

Trembling, Luo Yixia lifted the cup.

“Are you really going to drink it?” she asked with a hint of grievance.

“You said you’re sick, so you have to take medicine,” he replied.

Luo Yixia bit her lip, took a deep breath, then pulled her mask down to cover her nose and eyes, leaving only her mouth exposed.

She downed the cold medicine in one gulp.

After finishing, she quickly pulled the mask back up.

“I’m done,” she said, frowning. “Why is it so bitter? Why do I have to suffer this?”

Song Chengyi took the cup and washed it in the kitchen.

“If you’re sick, we’ll eat something light tonight,” he called from the kitchen.

“Okay.”

Sure enough, that evening, Luo Yixia was served plain rice porridge without any side dishes.

She looked at her bowl of porridge and then at Song Chengyi’s contrasting bowl of ramen—topped with fatty beef, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, and greens.

What was she eating?

Though she had a few pimples on her face, it wasn’t like she couldn’t eat a proper meal.

She glanced at him several times, suspecting he was deliberately making her eat less.

Luo Yixia sat on the sofa, clutching her bowl of porridge indignantly.

“I’ll eat by myself.”

Still, she felt relieved—without the mask, Song Chengyi wouldn’t notice much.

Even though it was just porridge, it was food, and after just a few spoonfuls, she felt content. Song Chengyi’s cooking was genuinely delicious.

After finishing her bowl, she asked for a second, but Song Chengyi declined.

“I’m not full yet,” Luo Yixia grumbled.

“I thought you were sick and had no appetite, so I only made one bowl. It’s all gone now,” Song Chengyi said matter-of-factly.

Luo Yixia wanted to hit him.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” she stomped her foot angrily.

“Yes, I only made a little. You shouldn’t eat too much at night when you have indigestion,” Song Chengyi reasoned confidently.

Luo Yixia stared at his half-full bowl of ramen. “Eat it, it won’t kill you.”

She was about to leave in a huff when Song Chengyi spoke casually behind her.

“But I made extra ramen tonight, there’s still a bowl left. It’d be a waste.”

Luo Yixia stopped in her tracks, then turned around with a sly smile.

“Actually, I think this cold is mild, not a big deal. I just took medicine and already feel better. You know, ramen gets soggy if you leave it too long. It won’t taste good. Can’t waste it, so I’ll help you finish it.”

Song Chengyi nodded seriously in agreement.

Sure enough, in the kitchen, there was another bowl of ramen prepared, identical in ingredients, with even more meat.

Luo Yixia picked it up and headed to the coffee table.

“Eat it here,” Song Chengyi said, making it clear she couldn’t avoid it.

Holding her chopsticks, Luo Yixia stared at the ramen but hesitated.

If she took off her mask now, the delicious food would be right in front of her, but her acne would be exposed; if she didn’t, the opportunity would slip away.

After thinking it over, she decided it wasn’t worth making a fuss about. Maybe Song Chengyi, being a straightforward guy, hadn’t even noticed the two pimples on her face.

With that thought, she decisively removed her mask and happily took a big bite of the ramen.

The moment Luo Yixia took off her mask, Song Chengyi noticed the conspicuous pimples on her face.

Is this from inflammation?

She wore a mask because of a few pimples, then lied about having a cold?

He really didn’t understand how girls made mountains out of molehills—just a few pimples.

“Inflammation?” Song Chengyi asked softly.

Luo Yixia paused but kept eating. “Probably caused by the cold.”

“Eat less spicy and greasy food,” Song Chengyi advised, not pressing further.

After they finished eating, Luo Yixia voluntarily helped tidy up and wash the dishes.

She didn’t put her mask back on—he had already seen everything.

Afterward, Song Chengyi took her out for a walk.

As they strolled through the complex, Luo Yixia rubbed her small belly and belched, feeling very full.

Oops, she had eaten a bit too much.

“You wore a mask and said you were sick because of a few pimples on your face?” Song Chengyi asked.

Luo Yixia looked at him in surprise, puzzled. “How did you know?”

“It was too obvious. You’re a terrible actress,” Song Chengyi said disdainfully.

“You still tricked me into drinking cold medicine. That stuff is awful,” Luo Yixia pounded his arm in dissatisfaction.

“It’s just cold medicine. Drinking it is just preventive, no big deal.”

Luo Yixia gave him several sharp glances.

Song Chengyi chuckled, watching her pout with two red pimples on her nose—both funny and adorable.

He couldn’t help but reach out and touch one.

Luo Yixia immediately covered it cautiously. “It hurts!”

Holding back a laugh, Song Chengyi said, “So, you cursed your group of girlfriends to get pimples, and the karma landed on you?”

Luo Yixia nodded pitifully.

Next time, she promised never to curse anyone again.

Song Chengyi pinched her cheek. “It’ll clear up in a couple of days. Next time, remember not to eat spicy food late at night, okay? Now you know better.”

Luo Yixia nodded obediently. Next time was for next time. For now, she needed to make peace with this ‘ancestor’ in front of her.

Feeling much better after saying this, she clung stubbornly to Song Chengyi’s arm for the rest of their walk.

After a couple of laps, Song Chengyi suddenly asked, “I saw you talking to a guy yesterday. Is he your classmate?”

Luo Yixia glanced up at him.

A guy? Talking? When did she talk to a guy yesterday?

Suddenly, her mind went blank. Could it be Fang Yu saw them?

“Oh, that… he’s a boy from my class… our vice class monitor…”

“You seemed pretty close, laughing and chatting, and then you stared at his back for a long time. So, Luo Yixia, you look at me all day, but do you still have other men on your mind?” Song Chengyi said, eyes fixed on her.

Luo Yixia shivered in shock.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“I was just being polite, laughing with someone else. When did I stare at anyone’s back? You must have seen wrong. I—I was clearly irritated,” she protested, feeling wronged but unsure how to explain. If she mentioned the cold medicine incident now, Song Chengyi might get even angrier.

She realized he was easily jealous and quick to anger.

“Besides, I don’t have enough time to look at anyone else when I see you every day,” Luo Yixia said sweetly, trying to appease him.

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, she stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth.

Instantly, all his anger vanished, and his body stiffened slightly.