Volume 1 Chapter 55: Lying on My Own Daughter’s Bed
“...Wait!”
The darkness rushing toward her almost swallowed Bai Muxue completely. After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly opened her eyes and struggled to sit up.
“Ah! Be careful!”
Along with a familiar voice beside her ear, Bai Muxue felt a strange weakness spread through her whole body. Before she could support herself with her hands, she fell straight back down.
But the pain she expected did not come.
Instead, she felt a soft touch that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
It seemed someone had caught her in their arms.
A light fragrance entered her nose. It was the smell of body wash mixed with the natural scent unique to a young girl. Though the two scents seemed very different, they blended together surprisingly well.
“You’re finally awake, Miss Bai... It looks like you’re okay now? Ah, because you fainted, Miss Bai. And you wouldn’t let me call an ambulance, so I could only bring you to my house!”
Tang Xingwan’s slightly happy explanation entered Bai Muxue’s ears, helping clear her slow thoughts and letting her think again.
So... Xingwan brought me back home?
Mm... good thing we didn’t go to the hospital. Otherwise, those people might notice me...
Wait.
Xingwan’s house is... my house too, isn’t it???
“Eh—”
Only now realizing it, Bai Muxue quickly looked around.
The walls of the room were covered with all kinds of anime posters and hanging pictures. The desk was packed with figures and acrylic stands. Some transformation items from hero TV shows were casually placed on the bookshelf. She could also see empty snack bags... and a game console thrown on the floor.
Tch. I’ve only been gone a little over a week, and this little girl has already become this wild? Not even cleaning the room—wait, wait, wait, that is not the important part right now!!
Why am I back in my own house?
And lying on my daughter’s bed??
Bai Muxue quickly pulled herself out of Tang Xingwan’s arms. But just as she tried to get up, the thin pink blanket covering her slipped down.
“Ah!”
Tang Xingwan seemed startled by what she saw. Her pretty face quickly turned red. Guiltily looking away, she touched her hot ear and stammered,
“Um... because one of my classmates said that if someone has a fever, it’s best to wipe the body with alcohol. And to do that, I had to change your clothes... I didn’t mean anything bad!”
“I-I-I didn’t look at anything I shouldn’t have! Absolutely not!”
What... what is this girl talking about?
Wiping the body? Changing clothes...?
Bai Muxue slightly frowned and looked downward, following Tang Xingwan’s wandering gaze. Only then did she realize how serious the situation was.
Right now, she was wearing only a thin nightgown. It could barely hide her pale skin. Through the fabric, she could vaguely see the white cloth underneath.
As for her slim legs, they were completely exposed to the air.
“...Huh?”
W-What? No? What is going on?
My clothes were changed?
Who changed them?
Tang Xingwan???
Am I still dreaming...?
The few sentences the girl had spoken contained too much information. Bai Muxue felt as if her ability to think had been taken away again, while the blush on her pretty face quietly spread.
As soon as the girl finished speaking, a strong wave of dizziness hit her. Her vision went dark, her body weakened, and she fell backward again.
Tang Xingwan panicked when she saw this and quickly stepped forward to support Bai Muxue.
The girl’s head rested against Tang Xingwan’s neck, and her hot breath touched Tang Xingwan’s skin, making her unconsciously pull her shoulders back a little.
“Eh? I-I-I really didn’t do anything strange! Miss Bai, please don’t misunderstand!”
After hurriedly explaining, Tang Xingwan wrapped her arms around Bai Muxue’s waist, helped her lie down properly, covered her with the blanket, and let her rest against the bed.
“Sigh, Miss Bai, you just woke up, so don’t push yourself,” she said softly.
She stood up, picked up the cup on the bedside table, and handed it to Bai Muxue.
“Here. Sick or not, drink more hot water.”
“......”
Bai Muxue silently accepted the cup. A complicated expression flashed across her pretty face.
She had thought being pulled into that strange dream by Sylvia was already unbelievable.
But now she had truly returned to her old home?
And she was even lying on her own daughter’s bed...
Heh. Thinking about it, the last time she slept here, that girl was only seven or eight years old, right?
Of course, Tang Xingwan had no idea what Bai Muxue was thinking. She only thought Bai Muxue was still embarrassed about what happened earlier, so she changed the topic.
“I checked your temperature just now, Miss Bai. Your fever has almost gone down... As long as you drink more hot water and take your medicine on time, you’ll recover quickly!”
But Bai Muxue did not answer.
She only rubbed the warm cup gently with her slim fingers, calming her nervous thoughts, while starting to think about the dream again.
The dizziness and discomfort from before had disappeared, but her body still felt sore and tired.
Still, Bai Muxue was already used to how weak this small body was.
After resting for a few more days, she should recover completely.
But what exactly did that dream mean?
Bai Muxue unconsciously raised her head and looked out the window.
It seemed close to evening now. The once-bright sunlight had grown weaker, and the darkness of night was slowly covering the sky.
Even if it was only a dream...
Aside from Sylvia’s poor acting, the oil stains on the stove, the heat of the iron pan, and even the taste of the noodles in her mouth had all felt so real.
And the place Sylvia called the Garden at the end...
Was that really just a dream?
Bai Muxue shook her head.
She truly had no clue.
And those words Sylvia had said...
What did “too much kindness” mean?
Had she shown kindness to someone she should not have?
Thinking of this, Bai Muxue frowned slightly.
She felt Sylvia’s words clearly meant something deeper, but right now she could not grasp the answer.
Seeing that Bai Muxue had fallen into deep thought, Tang Xingwan did not dare disturb her.
But her wandering eyes would stop on the girl from time to time, then quickly move away again.
Even though Bai Muxue was awake now, Tang Xingwan felt that the fear she had earlier quietly disappeared.
Now she could observe the girl in front of her with a calmer heart.
Perhaps because she was still sick, Bai Muxue’s delicate face showed traces of tiredness. Her hair was slightly messy, and her whole body gave off a fragile feeling that could break anyone’s heart.
Maybe that was why Miss Bai did not want my help?
Did not want others to see this... vulnerable side of her?
Tang Xingwan thought quietly to herself.
Then she suddenly remembered the proud young lady she had seen at her father’s memorial ceremony, surrounded by important people and standing high above everyone else.
Compared to that person, the Miss Bai in front of her now felt much more like an ordinary girl.
She could feel tired.
She could get sick.
And she also had a weak side.