Chapter 24: Little Liar |
"Uh... Xiao Shen, don't cry."
Guan Shan immediately sat up from the bed, walked over to Shen Dinghua, and tried to wipe her tears.
Shen Dinghua's eyes were misty, and tears were welling up, like summoned celestial soldiers about to descend with great fanfare to exorcise demons.
Facing the overwhelming assault of tears, Guan Shan was at a loss and could only surrender.
Shen Dinghua's tears swirled in her eyes, and she sniffled, but she didn't cry. She just looked at Guan Shan with a wronged expression.
At this moment, Guan Shan would rather face the siege of the three drivers than endure Shen Dinghua's pitiful gaze.
He thought of many reasons. As a journalist, he had countless ways to explain his missed appointment. After all, it wasn't his fault from the start.
But in the end, Guan Shan could only sigh and softly say, "I'm sorry..."
Shen Dinghua shook her head, reached out to hold Guan Shan's bandaged hand, and gently rolled up his hospital gown sleeve.
Shen Dinghua's delicate fingers traced over it, her teary eyes looking at Guan Shan as she softly asked, "Does it hurt?"
Guan Shan felt that if he said it hurt, she would definitely cry.
He opened the panel view and looked at his slightly depleted health bar. Besides, it didn't hurt that much...
In the simulation, injuries didn't come with pain, but if retained outside the simulation, they would feel the same.
After all, the simulator had initially warned to "pay attention to personal safety," likely for this reason.
If it weren't for wanting to make his story more convincing, Guan Shan wouldn't have kept the injuries. A single [Entwined Flesh Parasite] would have healed him completely.
For some reason, even though the injuries were somewhat serious, they didn't hurt much. It might be due to his higher level and increased resilience.
So after considering, Guan Shan earnestly said, "It doesn't hurt."
He pointed to a shallow scar on the back of his hand: "Look, it's just some scratches. The doctor just wrapped it exaggeratedly. It's no big deal."
Shen Dinghua carefully poked it: "Really?"
Guan Shan nodded vigorously, raising his hand and earnestly promising, "Really, it's as real as pearls."
Shen Dinghua puffed her cheeks: "Liar."
Guan Shan laughed helplessly: "It really doesn't hurt. I'm not lying. How can I prove it?"
"I don't care. You always lie to me. You promised things but always missed them and ended up hurt."
Shen Dinghua moved closer, staring at Guan Shan with a gloomy expression: "So, tonight, I have to watch over you."
"Tonight and from now on."
Guan Shan instinctively held his breath. Shen Dinghua was too close, and the cold air was now mixed with warm breaths. Her faint fragrance lingered around his neck.
"Wait... huh? What are you doing? Xiao Shen, you should be more reserved!"
Guan Shan retreated in a panic, sitting back on the bed, lacking the decisiveness he had when shooting monsters.
Shen Dinghua pushed him to the bed's inner side, taking up half the space herself, and prepared to lie down. Her tone turned cheerful again: "Watching over you, so you won't suddenly go to some place I don't know."
Guan Shan was completely at a loss. Those celestial soldiers didn't come; instead, the mischievous Monkey King started causing havoc in his heart.
He put his hand on Shen Dinghua's shoulder and said, "Wait, I'll ask the duty nurse to add a companion bed for you..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly froze.
When he pressed on Shen Dinghua's shoulder, she visibly flinched.
And her expression changed, showing restrained pain, with tears instantly welling up.
Guan Shan's expression darkened, and he asked seriously, "What's going on?"
Shen Dinghua blinked and gave a cute smile: "Xiao Shan, don't change the subject."
Who's changing the subject? Guan Shan calmed down and reassessed Shen Dinghua.
She was wearing a dress and a knit jacket, probably having thrown on whatever she found at home to rush over.
The hem of her dress and the edges of her jacket had dust and wrinkles.
Guan Shan took off her jacket and saw a clear bruise and scrape on her shoulder, with another on her wrist.
Shen Dinghua looked guilty, lowering her head and saying pitifully, "I was just in a hurry, ran out too fast, and fell. It's nothing serious."
Guan Shan ignored her, made her lie down, and found her legs also had scrapes, even bleeding slightly, hidden by the dress.
"You call this nothing?"
Guan Shan found bandages and ointment meant for him: "If I didn't notice, were you planning not to bandage it and just sleep here?"
Shen Dinghua pouted: "Xiao Shan would definitely notice."
Guan Shan applied ointment and bandaged her, making her sleep.
Oddly enough, after using the Emergency Bandage last time, he became proficient with bandages, probably another benefit from the simulator.
Shen Dinghua was persistent, spreading her arms: "I want Xiao Shan to hold me to sleep."
"..."
Guan Shan sighed deeply. He was only wearing a hospital gown, was this a test of his willpower?
But he couldn't refuse Shen Dinghua's expectant gaze; that tested his willpower even more.
"Alright, alright, I'll hold you."
Guan Shan cautiously held Shen Dinghua as if she were a box of gold: "Sleep now."
Shen Dinghua hugged him back, nestling her head into his chest.
Guan Shan stiffened, hearing Shen Dinghua's muffled voice: "Liar, it must hurt a lot... How could it not hurt? You lied saying it's fine, humph, little liar."
Because Xiao Shen got hurt from a fall, Xiao Shan, wrapped in bandages by the doctor, must be in more pain.
How could there be painless wounds?
He just didn't want others to worry.
Guan Shan stared at the top of Shen Dinghua's head, her soft black hair spread on the pillow like the gentle night.
Since his parents' death, only this girl would rush to him regardless of everything.
The ward returned to silence.
After a while.
"Sigh... another sleepless night."
Guan Shan sighed internally and continued studying the remaining two items.
---
Around the hallway corner.
"Are we just leaving like this?"
Tang Zhi, puzzled, asked, "He didn't say anything."
Xia Lei looked at the ward, understandingly: "Yes, that's enough. Keep monitoring with Lin Shuman. When Death Hive acts, we'll contact him again."
Gao Ye recalled the anxious look of the girl they passed by.
"I see..."
She realized, "The 'no driver or passengers' wasn't for the Special Security Group but for Guan Shan himself."
If there's nothing, this ordinary world is what you want, right?
Gao Ye felt moved and said, "Let's go. We still have tasks."
Chen Yunpeng, though confused, trusted the Captain and nodded, "Indeed."
Tang Zhi scratched his head, still confused by the consensus-like atmosphere.
Was he the only one not understanding?