Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 8

Huai Xu wore a sullen expression as she lay on her bed, forced to play house with Song Yingshi.

"Wow, 37.2 degrees (98.96 F)! You're burning up!" Song Yingshi exclaimed as she held up the thermometer. "How are you feeling?"

"..." Seeing the concerned look Song Yingshi was giving her, Huai Xu stated expressionlessly, "I'm fine."

Perhaps annoyed by Song Yingshi's pestering, Huai Xu coughed twice after speaking.

"You're even coughing! Stop acting tough!" Song Yingshi reprimanded. Grabbing the warm water and fever medicine by the bed, she continued, "You need to take medicine when you're sick. Here, I'll feed you. Ah—"

The nerves on Huai Xu's forehead twitched at this sight. Immediately, she said, "I took my medicine not long ago. It's not yet time for another dose."

Song Yingshi sighed regretfully at these words. Putting the medicine aside, she said, "Drink more water, then."

Not wanting to argue anymore with Song Yingshi, Huai Xu took the glass of mug water and gulped it down. Then, after setting the mug down on the bedside table, she said in a coaxing tone, "There's a rule in taking care of a patient."

"What is it?" Song Yingshi asked humbly.

"Let the patient rest in a quiet environment," Huai Xu said. Then, she pointed her chin at the door and continued, "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that to get me to leave?" Song Yingshi asked skeptically.

"I'm tired," Huai Xu reiterated with a deadpan face.

"Alright, then," Song Yingshi sighed, conceding to Huai Xu's demand.

…

When Song Yingshi left the bedroom and gently closed the door behind her, the playful expression on her face gradually faded. When she saw that her mission remained incomplete, she knew she would likely have to spend the rest of the day providing Huai Xu with mandatory care.

After informing her mother she wouldn't return home for dinner, she grabbed the keys and left the house to buy groceries.

Although Huai Xu didn't say how she ended up sick, Song Yingshi could more or less guess the reason.

The novel described Huai Xu as a delicate flower, not just in personality but also in constitution. She might seem healthy on the surface, but she had some congenital weaknesses, and her constitution was rather frail. This made her susceptible to illnesses, especially when overworked.

Song Yingshi had packed Huai Xu's daily schedule with lessons, among which were physically demanding lessons like dance and fitness lessons. Although she had given Huai Xu a day off each week, according to Qu Qing, Huai Xu had canceled these rest days of her own accord in favor of taking more lessons.

After two weeks of constant stress, Huai Xu's body had likely reached its limit. Hence, she ended up with a slight fever.

Regardless, Song Yingshi was partly to blame for this situation. Even without the system's mission, she would have shouldered the responsibility of caring for Huai Xu.

Having experienced poverty in her past life, Song Yingshi was no stranger to the kitchen. Even as her acting career took off, she continued to cook for herself to maintain her weight. However, she always researched healthy and delicious low-fat recipes, ensuring that her cooking was nutritious and enjoyable.

Hence, Song Yingshi had no trouble preparing a nourishing meal for Huai Xu.

When the food was nearly ready, Song Yingshi glanced at Huai Xu's quiet bedroom, and a thought suddenly occurred to her: When had Huai Xu become so trusting to be able to sleep soundly with her nearby?

Tilting her head skeptically, Song Yingshi quietly approached the bedroom and stuck her ear to the door.

—Nothing.

When she gently turned the doorknob, she immediately heard a faint coming from inside the room, as if something had fallen to the floor.

Upon opening the door, Song Yingshi looked at Huai Xu's delicate and frail sleeping face breathing calmly and steadily.

However, Song Yingshi did not let this sight fool her, quickly spotting a black notebook peeking out from under Huai Xu's pillow and the uncapped black pen lying on the floor beside the nightstand.

If Song Yingshi hadn't covered her mouth in time, she would have burst out laughing. After all, who could've thought the proud and noble Huai Xu would lie about going to sleep and end up doing something else?

Such behavior was oddly childish and cute, and at this moment, Huai Xu indeed seemed like a child who had just reached adulthood.

Song Yingshi picked up the pen, capped it, and set it on the bedside table. Then, she feigned ignorance as she said, "Huai Xu? Wake up. It's time to eat."

After waking up her patient, Song Yingshi calmly exited the room, leaned against the wall, and started laughing. However, she did so very carefully without making a sound.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Huai Xu calmly moved the blanket aside and sat up on the bed. However, when she saw the capped pen on the bedside table, she pressed her lips together as a hint of regret flashed in her eyes.

Song Yingshi's mood improved significantly after this little incident. She even dared to strike up a conversation with Huai Xu during the meal.

Although Song Yingshi did most of the talking, she didn't mind it. After all, it was customary for a child to behave awkwardly in front of an enthusiastic adult like herself.

Of course, Song Yingshi completely forgot that she, too, had only reached adulthood in this life.

…

After the meal, Song Yingshi measured Huai Xu's body temperature again, and she couldn't help but sigh in relief when she saw that it had dropped to 36.8 degrees (98.24 F).

At the same time, the system informed her that she had completed her mission.

At this notification, Song Yingshi stood up and got ready to call it a day, saying, "Since your fever has subsided, I—"

However, before Song Yingshi could finish her words, the system suddenly added, "Host, you have received a new quest: Say no to false naps and ensure Huai Xu takes a 30-minute afternoon nap."

Song Yingshi: "..."

Huai Xu waited for Song Yingshi to finish her sentence. When she saw Song Yingshi showing no intentions to continue speaking, she asked, "You…what?"

At Huai Xu's question, Song Yingshi changed her tune without hesitation and said, "I still don't feel assured leaving you alone, so I'll keep you company while you take a nap."

Huai Xu looked at Song Yingshi with narrowed eyes.

Song Yingshi was prepared for Huai Xu's reaction, so she quickly added, "I promise I'll only watch from the side, okay?"

Without waiting for Huai Xu to respond, Song Yingshi dragged a chair into Huai Xu's bedroom and sat down by the window. Then, she pulled out her phone and said, "Go ahead and sleep."

After looking through a few blog posts, Song Yingshi saw that Huai Xu was still leaning against the headboard, writing something. It was clear Huai Xu did not intend to sleep in front of her.

Song Yingshi felt a strong sense of urgency at this sight. At this rate, when would she be able to complete her mission? And would it still count if Huai Xu took her nap past 2 PM?

"Are you waiting for me to tell you a bedtime story?" Song Yingshi asked, grasping at straws.

"..." Huai Xu stared at Song Yingshi speechlessly for a long moment. Then, she asked, "You know how to tell bedtime stories?"

"If it's for you, I can do anything," Song Yingshi answered earnestly. For the sake of her life, there was nothing she wouldn't do.

Huai Xu did not respond.

Song Yingshi took Huai Xu's silence as consent and started browsing the internet for bedtime stories. Then, she asked, "Do you prefer Sleeping Beauty or Snow White?"

"I'll sleep once you go out," Huai Xu said.

"That won't do," Song Yingshi refused without hesitation.

"How am I supposed to sleep with someone watching? Why don't you show me how it's done?" Huai Xu said before getting out of her bed to make way for Song Yingshi.

After hesitating for a moment, Song Yingshi scratched her cheek and awkwardly said, "This is your bed. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to sleep on it."

At least you know it's inappropriate. It seems you're not beyond hopeless, Huai Xu thought, her expression relaxing slightly. However, a second later…

"Why don't I take a shower first, then we can nap together?" Song Yingshi suddenly suggested. She felt that this was a great idea. It saved Huai Xu from the awkward situation of having someone watch her sleep while letting her(S) get some rest. She could also avoid bringing any germs onto Huai Xu's bed once she showered.

Additionally, Huai Xu's bed was a twin bed, so it had plenty of room for both of them.

It was the perfect plan.

Of course, as a considerate employer, Song Yingshi did not forget to neglect her employee's thoughts, so she added, "We can use separate blankets."

Song Yingshi's eagerness to complete her mission showed on her face. After staring at Song Yingshi for a good three seconds, Huai Xu asked, "Do you want to get into my bed so badly?"

Huai Xu's ambiguous words caught Song Yingshi.

While Song Yingshi was in a daze, Huai Xu walked past her to reach the window, some strands of the other party's long hair brushing past her left ear.

Rattle, rattle.

The brightly lit room suddenly plunged into darkness as Huai Xu drew the curtain. Only a sliver of dim, cloudy light streamed through the curtain gap, casting a slanted glow on Huai Xu's profile and highlighting her calm eyes.

Before Song Yingshi knew it, a strange atmosphere pervaded the air, and she felt as if a rose had wrapped its vines around her, constricting her and pricking her with its thorns.

"Song Yingshi, you can get in now," Huai Xu said, her voice sounding several decibels lower.