Chapter 190

She asked Michelle to take a few more videos of the pine mushrooms. Meanwhile, the puppy was sulking again, feeling upset that she had left without taking it along.

Usually in this kind of situation, she needed to bring back something tasty to appease it.

But here came the problem—because the pine mushroom normally ate so well, it lacked nothing. Even canned food failed to spark any interest. Finding a suitable and delicious treat was genuinely a bit of a challenge.

Xie Shiqing kept glancing at her from the corner of her eye. When she saw that Zhong Ning had truly shifted her attention away from her, most of her desire to talk also faded.

But she really couldn’t hold it in—she was happy, and she had to show off to someone.

Zhong Ning clearly didn’t want to engage in small talk with her, so the driver became the next best target.

She was getting carried away. She needed to pull herself together, stop acting like a rookie who couldn’t control her emotions.

But could she really be blamed for getting excited…

Zhong Ning definitely still had feelings for her. She definitely still cared!

Instinctive habits don’t lie. How could she not feel thrilled? If it were possible, Xie Shiqing would have liked to command a drone to fly over the city and announce the good news to everyone.

Whether these feelings were good or bad, whether it was care or irritation—she was still in her heart, still someone she couldn’t let go of.

If she had truly been treated like a stranger, with only that polite, distant courtesy, then no matter what happened, it would truly be hopeless.

In the second half of the trip, Xie Shiqing calmed down a lot. Slowly, the car fell into silence. It wasn’t until they reached the hotel entrance that the bellhop quickly came over to welcome them, helped with the suitcase, and after check-in, another attendant took them upstairs, pressing the button for the suite’s floor in the direct-access elevator.

“Ma’am, the meal you ordered will be delivered in ten minutes.”

Zhong Ning nodded to express her thanks.

“Take a shower first. I’ll apply the medicine for you afterwards. Use plain water only, don’t use body wash.”

Xie Shiqing replied with a sound of acknowledgement.

She truly was feeling unwell, but after being tormented by illness for so long, she had built up endurance. Plus, she was so happy and excited earlier that she had forgotten all about the discomfort in her body.

Now that she had calmed down, that itchy, painful sensation came rushing back—it was like being bitten by ants, with caterpillars crawling over her skin, making her nerves tighten.

And the worst part was, she couldn’t even touch it.

Xie Shiqing quickly took a shower. When she came out with her hair still half-wet, the waiter had just left. A row of meal boxes was neatly arranged on the table.

Zhong Ning had turned on the air conditioner and raised the temperature a bit. Then she opened the medicine bag.

“We’ll apply the medicine first, then eat.” She unscrewed the cap of the ointment. “Tie your hair up.”

Xie Shiqing gathered up her soft, woolly curls, paused, then said, “…I don’t know how.”

Completely unsurprising.

Zhong Ning set down the ointment, went to the bathroom, and came back with a dry towel. She walked over to Xie Shiqing and said, “Tilt your head up.”

Xie Shiqing obediently complied. The ring-shaped chandelier was reflected in her irises, like a bright, transparent halo.

Zhong Ning lowered her gaze, pressed the towel against her forehead, and began twisting her hair clockwise with her hands.

Their eyes met again—then shifted away.

She looked away.

Focusing on the damp strands of hair, she quickly wrapped and secured them with the towel.

“Go sit properly on the sofa.”

Xie Shiqing obediently went to sit, tilting up her face.

Zhong Ning picked up the ointment, squeezed some onto a cotton swab, and gently applied it to Xie Shiqing’s face.

She had seen this person in all sorts of sorry states before—crying until the world went dark, her face covered in tears, not even remotely presentable—but if one were to talk about being truly pitiful, this moment surpassed all the rest.

As Zhong Ning focused on applying the medicine, Xie Shiqing focused solely on staring at her.

After finishing the whole face, she moved on to the neck.

Zhong Ning discarded the used cotton swab and took out a new one. Her voice remained calm as she said, “Take off the bathrobe. I need to apply it to your back as well.”

What a great opportunity for seduction.

Unfortunately, she now looked as red as a boiled shrimp. Forget Zhong Ning—even she couldn’t bear to look at herself.

Xie Shiqing lost all thoughts of seduction, quietly loosened the belt, and let the bathrobe fall, pooling at her waist.

Zhong Ning stood behind her, looking down from above, taking everything in at a glance.

She silently shifted her gaze and focused on the reddened skin of her back.

This was the hardest-hit area—much worse than her face.

Half a pack of cotton swabs was used before the whole back was more or less covered in ointment.

The doctor had said it was probably due to excessive disinfectant used on the high-speed rail, or possibly an allergic reaction to the laundry detergent ingredients. In short, Xie Shiqing’s skin was just too delicate—too particular.

It was very delicate.

A gentle suck would leave a mark.

She had always touched her carefully, as if she were protecting a flower made of ice.

“Will it leave scars?” Xie Shiqing suddenly asked. “I heard allergic reactions can cause scarring.”

“It won’t,” Zhong Ning replied. “Stop overthinking.”

“Go eat.”

Xie Shiqing still looked downcast. Since she couldn’t wear her clothes, she had no choice but to stay half-exposed like this.

The two of them had seen each other naked many times by now. Zhong Ning didn’t feel anything special about it anymore. Especially since Xie Shiqing was a patient—she instinctively picked out several dishes for her and placed them in her bowl, even setting the spoon properly. Only then did it suddenly occur to her that this person’s eyesight had already recovered.

Zhong Ning: …

Habit was truly a terrifying thing.

The body formed its own responses, turning memories into instinct. Before the brain even realized, the action had already happened.

Books said people could form a habit in twenty-one days, but they never said how long it would take to forget one.

She silently unwrapped her own chopsticks and picked up a piece of winter melon.

Xie Shiqing, on the other hand, felt a little awkward.

When she couldn’t see, though it had annoyed her, she actually hadn’t felt that ashamed—after all, she couldn’t see it herself.

This was the first time she was facing Zhong Ning directly since regaining her vision.

And now she looked like a fully cooked red shrimp…

The two of them ate this meal in near silence.

The ointment dried rather quickly. After the meal, it had more or less dried completely.

Zhong Ning was just about to grab a new set of pajamas. She had already opened the suitcase when her hand suddenly paused, and she asked suspiciously, “You brought your own pajamas, didn’t you?”

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