Chapter 470, What is sweet?

"Put it on your stomach first."

Zero almost gasped when he realized that the bag was a hot water bottle.

The weight and the sound caused by the slight tilt made Zero realize that it was filled with hot water.

Zhuo just said he wanted to boil water, probably originally for the hot water bottle. His drink was not seen in the kitchen, which meant that he only said that for the hot water bottle and Ling's drink.

Zhuo, who was sitting not far away, did not have a serious expression on his face. He looked calm, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

"It's better to keep a relaxed posture. Do you want to lie down after drinking?"

"…No need…It's not that serious."

"Then is it okay to sit like this for the time being? If you feel uncomfortable, just say it."

Zhuo said without hesitation that he noticed Ling was unwell, then picked up the heater remote control to adjust the temperature, making Ling realize that he had been completely seen through.

"Zhuo, how did you know?"

"Hmm? Well, you look like you're really trying hard, and you don't walk as straight as usual. After living together for so long, I can tell if you're feeling unwell from time to time."

Zhuo explained this awkwardly, and for some reason he seemed to feel bad about the clothes.

The one who should feel sorry is Ling, because he noticed it and made him worried. Today is such an important day, but Zhuo seems to care more about it than her.

"S-Sorry, that's irresponsible of me."

"?"

"Uh, well, I didn't expect it to be today. We've been living together for so long, and I've been taken care of. I should have thought of you more at the critical moment."

Some people don't like being cared for for no reason, or even don't want to be noticed. But today, there are important things to do, so I neglected this point. Even if Ling's original intention was to hide, Zhuo didn't think he could shirk his responsibility. So after hearing what he said, Ling understood what he was hesitating about.

Zero was surprised that Zhuo had noticed that she was not feeling well so early on, but she did not think it was bad and it was understandable.

Besides, she had been with Zhuo for quite a long time. Ever since she fell in love with him, she would stay here even after dark. Except for taking a shower and going to the toilet, it was not an exaggeration to say that she spent almost all her time with Zhuo.

After spending such a long time together, regular physical discomfort will inevitably be noticed at some point.

Ling could understand Zhuo's worries and anxieties. After all, there was a time when she had health problems because she forced herself to travel around too much, and it was Zhuo who accompanied her... However, for Ling, knowing that Zhuo was paying attention to her made her feel more at ease.

"…I should be the one to apologize. I would feel even worse if someone I don't know saw it. Fortunately, you discovered it since we are often together. After all, today is an important day for us."

"Have you been covering it up?"

"The pain itself happens every month, so there's nothing I can do about it. If someone noticed it today, it wouldn't be good."

Even as one of the top hybrids, his body would still be plagued by discomfort from time to time. Zero had accepted the fact that he was powerless.

Besides, he was already used to the pain, so today when there were outsiders present he tried hard to conceal his expression and movements, but in the end he was still seen through by Zhuo. Maybe all these efforts were in vain.

On the one hand, he tried his best not to let Zhuo worry about him, but on the other hand, he was happy that he cared about him so much. With such a contradictory mood, Ling looked at Zhuo beside him and found that he was staring at him seriously.

"It's more worrying if you force yourself to do something. I can't say I understand, but I've seen you curled up like that before. I remember you didn't show any expression even when your ankle was cut. It's not appropriate to say this, but my mom would stay in her room all day, so I've heard her say a lot... So of course I'll worry as long as I can do something."

This is when Zhuo's good upbringing—or should we say, his kind nature—is highlighted.

After three years of getting along, Ling personally felt that Zhuo's parents gave their child a very good education.

Although his words may sound unpleasant, Zhuo is frank and gentle. He is also willing to understand others and can naturally give others the help they need. He never thinks about asking for anything in return and always cares about himself naturally.

Although his shortcoming is that he is careless about his own affairs due to lack of self-confidence, his advantages are enough to make up for it.

He has recently improved a lot on his carelessness. He is the most ideal partner for Zero, to the point that even if he doesn't do well enough, Zero is willing to make up for him.

"It's not that serious."

"I know that I haven't experienced the same past as you, so I make a big deal out of these trivial things that you think are insignificant... But this is not an excuse, I can endure it, I'm used to it, so I don't care about the pain."

Ling looked at Zhuo quietly, then looked away as if he couldn't do anything about him.

“You’re like that sometimes.”

"No, it's very ordinary... If I encountered a similar situation, you would force me to rest."

"Yeah, too."

"But...are you really okay? I can't say it's the same, but I encountered a similar situation when I was a kid, and I thought I was going to die."

"Similar situation?"

"Ah—that's where it got hit."

“…I didn’t feel it at all.”

"That is."

Seeing Zhuo puffing out his chest confidently for some reason, Ling couldn't help but look away and continued to look at him. Then a sharp pain came from her abdomen, making her body stiffen instantly. Seeing her like that, Zhuo's eyes suddenly changed to frustration, concern and guilt, and he looked at her worriedly.

"If you really feel uncomfortable, don't force yourself. It's better for us to go home and rest. Today's affairs are over. Even if there are some things left, I have already explained them to my mother. You'd better get some quiet sleep, although your cold face makes it hard to tell how severe it is... If you feel uncomfortable, sometimes you will hate having people around you, and sometimes you will feel uneasy, so you can decide whether to go back based on your own judgment."

Zhuo's face showed an anxious and embarrassed look, and he muttered an explanation in a low voice. After hearing it, Ling nodded helplessly.

He always cares about me and gives me gentle suggestions. On the one hand, he wants to respect my own ideas, and on the other hand, it's because Zhuo himself is not confident enough. It seems that he always feels that he is not mature enough in many aspects and needs his own opinions.

He was really defeated.

"...Now, I would rather go back with you."

Now, Zero felt like he could speak his mind frankly.

Logically, she should go home by herself so as not to cause trouble to Zhuo who was destined to be very busy today. If it was a year ago, she would have left without any explanation. However, Ling has now learned to rely on Zhuo.

Ling once again truly felt Zhuo's presence entering the softest part of her heart and giving her warmth, which made her feel inexplicably embarrassed.

"…The pain is not unbearable, but it is just uncomfortable when I move."

"Ah, it's really worthless coming out of your mouth. I'll carry you back today."

“…Carry it back?”

"Leave it to me. You carried me on your back once before, so I want to give it a try."

"…In fact, I held onto something when I was going down the stairs, and before I got in the car."

"Haha, that's about right." Although Zhuo said this, it was mainly because he had a strong comprehension ability.

Ling could probably guess what kind of image she had of him in Zhuo's mind. Maybe she was wrong to drag one leg to the apartment when they had just met - that's what Ling thought now.

Not long after they met, the incident of Zhuo falling asleep in the classroom was brought up again, and that happened three years ago.

It's magical to say, Ling always feels that his thoughts are very jumpy, so when he speaks, he will choose to organize his thoughts carefully in his mind before speaking out - but when he is with Zhuo, no matter what he suddenly says, he can be understood by the other party.

To be honest, Zhuo is not the type who is good at studying, so Ling spends a lot of time and effort to tutor him in his studies.

Correspondingly, Zhuo is very good at understanding other people's inner thoughts and feelings.

"Oh, by the way, we haven't eaten yet, so I'll cook for you today. Is there anything you want to eat?"

"…I don't have much of an appetite right now, so I want to eat something warm. As long as it's not irritating, it's fine."

"Okay. I'll try to use the ingredients in the fridge."

"I am looking forward."

Although his skills are not very mature, Zhuo will occasionally cook a dish by himself. Moreover, he showed his cooking skills to Ling on his birthday or the day of proposal a few days ago.

Therefore, Ling was not worried about Yu Zhuo cooking.

"Well, speaking of which, Zero, did you really eat well? Why do you still feel so light?"

"return?"

"Yes, I remember it was like this three years ago."

"I also have something delicious."

"That's it."

Just by chatting casually like this, the fatigue in my body seemed to ease.

Zhuo could also speak in a more cheerful tone, probably to divert Ling's attention from the pain. As she chatted with Zhuo on his back, she felt more and more relaxed.

"…Have you taken the medicine?"

"Ah."

"I see. Is there anything else I can do?"

Being asked so gently by him, Ling felt that she was going to fall all the way down. She hesitated for a moment, and heard Zhuo's devilish hell again: "It's okay to relax once in a while~" Ling moaned softly, and then glanced at Zhuo.

"I want to sleep for a while, like now."

She couldn't express the desire to have him sleep with her, so Ling planned to just take a nap on Zhuo's back. Zhuo just blinked when he heard that.

Although she might be criticized as "Is this really the Zero I know?", to be honest, Zero and Zhuo have been sleeping together for a long time, and she doesn't think it will bother him now. This is a request based on trust.

Will he agree? Ling carefully observed Zhuo's reaction and saw that although he had a troubled expression on his face, it did not seem to be rejection, but worry.

His big hands gently patted the legs of Zero, who he was holding because he needed to be carried on his back.

"Sure. You take a good rest, I'll stay with you."

"……it is good."

As if wrapped in a soft and warm voice, Ling slowly closed his eyes and leaned on Zhuo's back.

It was a strange feeling, like sitting in a sedan chair that must be covered with cotton. He felt his body shaking on the way, and it seemed that he was already a little tired, but Zero had no intention of leaving.

(You said you would stay with me.)
In that case, this degree doesn't matter.

The warmth from the places it touches is comforting.

By slightly turning her face towards Zero's back, she could smell the fresh mint scent on him that she was already completely accustomed to, as well as the faint soapy scent of softener that tickled Zero's nostrils.

Perhaps it was because these clothes were also the result of her efforts, the soft and steady fragrance made Ling feel more peaceful. She just enjoyed the warmth of happiness and let go of her consciousness and fell asleep.

...

...

Zero woke up from a dream filled with warmth.

She slowly lifted her heavy eyelids, and after opening her eyes, she found that her vision was filled with gray.

My brain, which was much slower than usual, tried to groggily trace what I had been doing just now. It was a beat late before I remembered that I seemed to have taken a nap.

Zero raised his head in slow motion, trying to see what was in front of him.

An obsidian light entered Zero's field of vision.

"Morning."

Hearing someone speaking to him in a gentle tone, Lingyi didn't understand what was happening for a moment and became alert in an instant.

The source of the voice, Zhuo, asked in a gentle tone, "Did you sleep well?" as if trying to wake her up.

"…………morning."

Only then did Ling realize belatedly that "he had fallen asleep leaning on Zhuo's back." He relaxed but was also surprised that he had slept until the next morning. He couldn't help but respond with a slightly hoarse voice due to long sleep.

No wonder it was so warm and comfortable. It was certainly very warm to fall asleep leisurely while feeling Zhuo's body temperature.

Although my body felt a little stiff from sleeping, I felt mentally satisfied and refreshed.

"I didn't expect that at all. Ah - let me make it clear first, you did this by yourself... I thought it would be too cruel to get rid of you, so I let you go."

"this……?"

Hearing Zhuo's statement in a tone that he found amusing, Ling wondered what "this" he was referring to, then stiffened up again, and buried his face in his upper arms again. At this moment, Ling wanted to lie down again and pretend to be still asleep.

At some point, Ling tightly grasped Zhuo's hand and intertwined their fingers. She slipped her fingers between Zhuo's fingers, tying the bony fingers as if to say she would never let go.

The fact that she was not satisfied with just leaning on Zhuo's back, and even held his hand when he put her down after arriving home, was right in front of Ling. It was difficult for Ling to resist the urge to silence her.

Zhuo would definitely not be able to move like this. Not only did she sleep on his back, but she also deprived him of the freedom of one of his hands. I think he must have found it difficult to put me back on the bed.

(End of this chapter)