Chapter 87: Speak Less, Move Less

Her poor leg had really been through a lot, constantly injured every so often. Luo Yixia glanced at the places where old scars still lingered.

Before long, Song Chengyi walked in with something in his hands. "There aren't any ice cubes in the kitchen, but I managed to scrounge up some crushed ice from the corners," he said, opening his backpack and wrapping the ice in a clean towel. Then, without hesitation, he reached out and pulled the hair tie from Luo Yixia’s ponytail.

Her long hair tumbled down, but any notion of beauty was lost; after all, who could look beautiful with hair unwashed for a week? The oily strands clung to her scalp, making her feel uncomfortable.

The coolness pressed to her knee brought great relief, the burning pain finally easing. “Hold the ice on yourself for a bit, I’ll go see if there’s anything to eat in the kitchen,” Song Chengyi said, placing the makeshift ice pack in her hand.

Now that he mentioned it, Luo Yixia realized she was indeed hungry. Earlier, Song Chengyi had seen fresh ingredients stored in the kitchen freezer, probably prepared for the returning students tomorrow.

Soon, he was back with two bowls of plain noodle soup. Though simple, to Luo Yixia, who hadn’t eaten all day, it tasted delicious. She slurped it down, and before long, the bowl was empty, the last few sips of broth bringing a satisfying contentment.

“I’ll go get some bedding and make up your bed. Can you manage washing up by yourself?” Song Chengyi asked as he picked up the bowls.

“I want to take a shower,” Luo Yixia replied hesitantly, then added in a small voice, “And I need to wash my hair.”

He glanced at her knee; it was swollen but the skin wasn't broken. Getting it wet wouldn’t hurt. “Alright,” he agreed, then left.

Before he returned, Luo Yixia couldn’t wait any longer and hopped off the bed, though her knee hurt with every move. She ignored it, though, limping over to her backpack to find a change of clothes.

When Song Chengyi came back, he found her squatting on the floor, rummaging through her things, and immediately frowned. “Don’t you realize you’re still injured?” His sudden reprimand startled her.

He hadn’t expected himself to react so sharply. Luo Yixia looked up at him timidly, not quite understanding why he was upset again. “I’m looking for clothes,” she mumbled softly.

He knelt beside her. “What are you looking for? I’ll help.” Without waiting for an answer, he started to go through her clothes. Luo Yixia didn’t really let him touch her things; she just grabbed a set at random and stuffed it into her hands. “It’s fine, I’ve got it.”

Without another word, Song Chengyi scooped her up and carried her to the bathhouse. The women’s bathhouse had individual stalls; once inside, he even found a stool for her to sit on.

“When you’re done, just call me. I’ll wait outside,” he said as he turned to leave. Even though it was only the two of them here, this was still the women’s bathhouse—he knew better than to stay.

“Um… could you get me my shampoo and body wash? They’re in the suitcase I brought,” Luo Yixia called out.

“I’ll be right back.” With that, he left.

In the main hall, surrounded by a sea of suitcases, Song Chengyi was momentarily at a loss—he had completely forgotten which was hers. In the end, he had no choice but to bring his own suitcase back to her.

Luo Yixia, who had been waiting, saw that he’d returned with the wrong bag and looked puzzled. “I couldn’t find yours, so use mine for now,” he said, turning away as he handed her the items, then left.

Luo Yixia spent forty minutes in the shower, and Song Chengyi waited outside for almost as long.

Afterwards, feeling thoroughly refreshed, she didn’t call for him, but walked out slowly on her own. Song Chengyi watched her emerge, looking like a doll after her bath, but said nothing. Instead, he simply carried her off to the dormitory that had been assigned to her earlier.

Seeing the bed made up with clean sheets and quilts, Luo Yixia guessed he’d done it while she was showering. A warm feeling blossomed in her chest—other people’s boyfriends might be useless, but hers was a treasure.

Song Chengyi fetched a dry towel and gently dried her hair. “I’m going to shower. You get some rest.”

“Okay.”

As Song Chengyi left, the room suddenly felt vast and empty, leaving Luo Yixia with a sense of loss. She looked at her still-swollen knee and frowned, unsure how many days she would need to recover.

Song Chengyi had intended to return to his own dormitory after his shower, but he couldn’t help thinking of her. He rummaged through his backpack for the anti-inflammatory medicine he’d prepared earlier, just in case Luo Yixia got injured during military training. He hadn’t expected he’d need it so soon. He also grabbed Luo Yixia’s military backpack and headed to her dorm.

Luo Yixia was still awake and sat up with a start at the sound of the door. Song Chengyi handed her water and medicine. “Anti-inflammatories—two pills each morning and evening. Take these first.” Then he set her backpack on the desk, took out her phone, and plugged it in to charge.

When he turned around, she’d already swallowed the pills. He took the cup from her and prepared to leave.

“Are you going back to your dorm to sleep?” Luo Yixia asked.

“Mm.”

“Could you stay with me for a while? There’s hardly anyone here, and I checked—the door lock is broken. I’m a little scared being alone.” She mustered up the courage to ask, adding, “I fall asleep really quickly, so you only need to stay a little while.”

Song Chengyi said nothing, just looked at her. Luo Yixia grew nervous under his gaze and said hesitantly, “Then could you leave the light on for me?”

He lifted her blanket, took off his shoes, and climbed onto the bed. Luo Yixia immediately moved over to make space for him.

With both of them lying on a single bed, they had to lie on their sides. Luo Yixia pressed herself against the wall to give him as much room as possible. Watching her huddle in the corner, Song Chengyi felt a mix of emotions. He reached out, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and pulled her close, holding her in his arms.

As they lay there, the faint scent of their shared body wash lingered between them. Luo Yixia, nestled against him, wanted to say something to break the awkward silence.

“Um… where did you get the water from?”

“From the duty room.”

“Oh.” She was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Song Chengyi, when will my knee get better?”

“It’ll be fine in a couple of days, once the swelling goes down,” he replied, eyes closed.

“Oh.” After a short pause, she spoke again. “I got lost in the woods. Do you think the school will punish me? Will they deduct credits or something?”

Song Chengyi opened his eyes and looked at her chattering lips. He said in a low voice, “Luo Yixia, you’re already twenty. Don’t you know that when you’re sharing a bed with a man, it’s best to talk and move less?”

She blinked her big eyes at him, puzzled. Song Chengyi watched this naïve little rabbit and an impish smile played at his lips. He slid his hand up her back, stroking her through the fabric.

Suddenly, Luo Yixia understood, her face flushing bright red. She grabbed his hand, clutching at the front of his shirt with her other hand, and buried her face in his chest, murmuring, “I get it.”

Song Chengyi looked helplessly at the crown of her head. How could she be so adorable and exasperating at the same time? He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair and whispered, “Good night.”

Luo Yixia lay stiff and motionless in his arms, afraid that if Song Chengyi took things seriously, she’d be in trouble. Still, she remained tense, her whole body rigid.

He noticed and chuckled. “Relax, I won’t do anything to you tonight. Just sleep—you’ve been tired for days.”

Reassured by his words, Luo Yixia gradually relaxed, and soon both drifted into a deep and restful sleep.

It had been a long time since Luo Yixia had slept beside Song Chengyi. Carefree as she was, she didn’t notice anything unusual, only that she slept better at his side. But for Song Chengyi, the past few nights had been restless; without her soft presence, he’d found it impossible to sleep. It seemed he was addicted to her.

For once, Luo Yixia woke naturally, stretching lazily as sunlight streamed through the window. Lifting the blanket, she saw the swelling in her knee had subsided, though it still hurt if she moved too much. She got up, found her toiletries, and went to wash up.

On her way back, she spotted Song Chengyi outside, talking on the phone. As soon as he saw her, he hung up and hurried over. “You’re up. Is your leg feeling better?” he asked, squatting down to check her knee. Seeing the swelling had gone down, he was finally at ease. “Try not to walk too much. Rest for a couple more days and you’ll be fine.” He led her back to the dormitory.

“Your mom just called to ask how you’re doing—probably because your brother told her what happened. Check your phone; it was probably off and you missed her call,” he explained.

Later, Luo Yixia called home to reassure her family, sending a picture of her injured knee. Only then were her mother and mother-in-law finally at ease.

Luo Yixia and Song Chengyi had a simple meal, and afternoon arrived. Luo Yixia knew everyone would be back soon. She felt a little disappointed; being alone with Song Chengyi was nice, and she didn’t really want others to interrupt.

But there was nothing to be done.

Soon, she heard the steady sound of footsteps outside and knew the others had returned. Song Chengyi went back to his own dormitory, partly because she didn’t want anyone to find out about their relationship.