Chapter 31: A Good Night’s Sleep

The fork was in Gu Fan’s mouth, and as I held the end of it, I could feel a subtle vibration.

Ugh… I’m starting to imagine weird things.

Also, isn’t there only one fork?

Doesn’t that mean I’ll be sharing it with Gu Fan later—like, an indirect kiss?

That’s so strange… but why am I kind of looking forward to it?

“Mm, wha’ are you bein’ so insisssten’ about?”

His words came out muffled with the fork still in his mouth.

He looked at the fork that lingered too long in my hand with confusion, then leaned back on his own to let it go.

“Ah, sorry, sorry—I spaced out for a second.”

Ugh, seriously, who zones out in front of someone like that?

The noodles in the bowl was finished, and Gu Fan took the fork to scoop more into the bowl.

Then, under my hopeful gaze, he walked out of the room.

When he returned, he was holding a disposable fork.

My eyes instantly went blank, and Gu Fan panicked:
“Ah… I figured since Auntie orders takeout a lot, she probably has a stash of disposable utensils, so I borrowed one from her.”

Did Gu Fan think I cared about something like this?

My little, secret hope went completely unnoticed—I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or disappointed.

I just nodded and went back to eating my noodles in low spirits.

I kept sneaking glances at Gu Fan by the bedside.

He was focused on eating his spaghetti, not distracted in the slightest as he ate.

The noodles had a great texture.

I finished it in just a few bites, and given my small appetite, I’d say I was about seventy percent full.

Gu Fan neatly stacked the now-empty plastic food container, then poured me half a bowl of red bean soup.

After I finished it, he poured more.

It wasn’t until I waved my hands repeatedly and said I couldn’t eat anymore that he finally took the nearly finished soup and drank it himself.

“Gu Fan, are you sure you’re full?”

I asked, concerned, since I had seen what he ate for lunch earlier today.

Gu Fan rubbed his stomach and smiled.

“Not sure. Maybe I’ll feel full after Zhi Nian treats me to a meal in a few days.”

Ugh! He’s too good with words!

My heart fluttered at Gu Fan’s smooth line, and the corners of my lips couldn’t help curling up.

I quickly turned my head and covered my cheeks with my hands.

It wasn’t that I was afraid he’d laugh at me—I just didn’t want to give him more chances to tease me.

Otherwise, I’d probably be so embarrassed I’d hide under the covers.

After clearing away the lunch leftovers, Gu Fan handed me a bottle of mineral water he’d bought, then carried the trash bag out of the hospital ward.

Leaning back against the soft pillows—three of them stacked so neatly—I thought again how attentive Gu Fan was.

Being cared for so thoroughly like this… it felt like I could be spoiled into uselessness.

I rubbed the pair of cat ears on top of my head, while the tail pinned beneath my hips twitched excitedly.

If it weren’t being held down, it’d probably be standing up with joy by now.

Hehe…

I’m so happy.

If only things could stay like this forever.

For a moment, even my period cramps didn’t feel all that unbearable.

I played with my cat ears for quite a while before finally suppressing that addictive, tingling sensation.

If Gu Fan saw me like this, he’d probably be disgusted, wouldn’t he?

Just imagining a black-haired catgirl sitting on a hospital bed going manic… ugh, the thought alone is horrifying. I’d better tone it down.

I reached behind me to free my tail that had been pressed under me, letting it wrap gently around my waist.

Then, I covered it with the blanket and secretly stroked it again.

At school, I usually spent my time thinking about how to please Gu Fan.

Lately, I’d been so busy catching up on assignments that I hadn’t had a chance to daydream.

Once I got home after dinner, I’d lie on my bed and just stare into space.

But usually, I’d be too drained from thinking all day, so I’d pet my tail to help myself relax.

I’m not sure if this kind of behavior is appropriate or not—but as long as no one sees it, it should be fine… right?

Nearly ten minutes had passed on the digital clock facing the hospital bed before Gu Fan finally opened the door and walked in.

His footsteps were so quiet, like he assumed I’d already fallen into a deep sleep.

The moment our eyes met, the corners of Gu Fan’s lips curled up instantly.

He really is… the kind of person who flashes that lethally charming smile no matter who he’s looking at.

Just the thought that others might also get to experience this made me suddenly feel… a little less happy.

“Zhi Nian? Still not done digesting? I thought you were asleep.”

“Mmhm, just thinking about stuff. I’ll sleep in a bit.”

I rubbed my abdomen—it felt a bit off.

After taking the painkillers, it didn’t hurt as much as it did in the morning, but it was still affecting my sleep.

Gu Fan smiled and said, “Is that so? Then try this first.”

With that, he quickly sat down on the chair beside the bed and lifted the square pouch he’d been holding the whole time.

I took a closer look—it was colorful, with a cute little pig printed on it.

I pursed my lips.

“What’s that?”

“A good thing. You’ll know once you lie down.”

Gu Fan helped remove two pillows from behind my back—one he tucked under my knees to relieve my lower back, and the other he tossed aside.

Once I was lying down properly, Gu Fan placed that strange pouch on my abdomen over the blanket.

A wave of astonishing warmth instantly spread through me.

“Wuah! I-is this a hot water bottle?”

Even someone with the bare minimum of common sense could figure that out.

“Yeah. The school nurse told me earlier that applying heat can help prevent chills and promote blood circulation. I picked this up at the school’s convenience store while I was tossing the trash.”

“So thoughtful…”

Oh no, I’m about to go starry-eyed.

An unmistakable look of admiration surfaced in my eyes as I placed my hands over the hot water bottle.

The warmth seeped into every corner of my body.

Even the nanny my mom once hired when I was little had never been this considerate.

Gu Fan truly thought of everything.

I’m so lucky… to be his childhood friend, to be given the chance to mend our relationship after being apart for three whole years…

Praises swirled endlessly in my mind.

I tried hard to suppress my excitement, but the cat ears on my head betrayed me—twitching up and down rhythmically like waves.

We didn’t continue chatting much after that. Gu Fan focused his gaze intently on me—I couldn’t tell exactly where he was looking—and then he placed his hand over my lower abdomen.

Mmm…

His fingers are so long.

If he moves just a little lower, he might touch somewhere… strange.

“G-Gu Fan, what are you doing?”

My voice trembled uncontrollably.

I lifted my upper body slightly, trying to see what he was doing with his hand down there—but the blanket, propped up by my chest, blocked my view.

Damn it. These lumps of flesh are totally useless—only getting in the way.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to sit up despite the pain in my lower abdomen.

But suddenly, Gu Fan reached out and gently pressed down on my collarbone, easing me back onto the bed.

“Don’t worry. I just want to massage your stomach a little. I heard it helps with the pain.”

“Ah… I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”

Realizing Gu Fan’s true intention, I bit my lip and apologized sincerely, filled with guilt.

It wasn’t that I was afraid he’d try to take advantage of me.

I just felt a strange, ticklish sensation and wanted to know what he was trying to do.

Even if he were going to mess with me, I’d at least want to know how he planned to do it.

Ahem…

That’s just a metaphor, okay?

Rub-rub~ rub-rub~

His massage was slow and gentle, with just the right pressure.

Combined with the warmth of his palm—and the comforting thought that it was Gu Fan who was massaging me—I felt an even deeper sense of ease.

With all those factors at play, my consciousness slowly slipped beneath a veil of drowsiness.

After a few blinks, my eyelids finally closed.

Time for a good sleep~