“Well, I’ll be taking my leave then. Your discharge papers are all sorted out, by the way. There’s something I’m rather interested in that I need to go check out. Lili, let’s go.” Xia Luohua tossed her golden hair, leaving the ward without a backward glance, with Lili respectfully trailing behind her.
Unintentionally, only Luo Tianchen and Bingying remained alone in the entire ward, the atmosphere terrifyingly quiet.
How should he put it? After everything that had happened, she must have been deeply unsettled, though she hadn’t voiced it. His past actions of embracing and holding her, which felt perfectly normal when he was a girl, now left him with an inexplicable sense of indebtedness, making him utterly unsure of what to say.
“Luo Tianchen, you said you’d completely lost your past memories, didn’t you?” Bingying suddenly spoke.
“Is something wrong?” Luo Tianchen asked.
“Actually, I met you when we were children.”
“Huh?” This time, Luo Tianchen was truly startled. “Is that so?”
“Yes. Honestly, you were so beautiful as a child, why did you have to become so ordinary when you grew up?” Bingying complained playfully.
Luo Tianchen let out a dry laugh. “Well, I suppose I learned from my sister; neither of us pays much attention to our appearance. But how did you recognize me? How did you know I was the same person you knew back then?”
“Luo Tianchen, you must already know about my past. Due to a fire, over 80% of my body was severely burned. Though I barely survived, I was left with numerous ugly, indelible scars.”
“Because of these marks, my family disliked me, and my peers often called me a ‘monster’ and bullied me. Sometimes, I wondered if it would have been better if I had died in that fire.” Bingying recounted her past with a smile, and though she spoke lightly, the bitterness in her words was evident to anyone with a discerning eye.
“…So that’s why you made a wish to the Witch?”
“Hmph, I stopped caring about what those people thought long ago. The one who truly changed me was you.”
“Me? Excuse me?” Luo Tianchen pointed a finger at himself, speaking in disbelief.
“Yes, you leaped down from a tree so dashingly, a bored expression on your face, saying, ‘You’re disturbing my nap.’ Then, you effortlessly chased away the children who were bullying me.”
“Unlike others, you didn’t care about my appearance. Instead, you praised me. From that day on, I decided to live for myself.”
“Hahaha, is that really how it was?” It certainly sounded like his past self’s style. That flag-planting maniac, did he really think he was a diligent little bee, appearing wherever there was a flower? Luo Tianchen couldn’t help but complain about his former self, wondering how many traps he would lay for his future self before finally relenting.
“Little Tianchen was truly amazing back then. It was seeing your strength that made me decide to learn Taekwondo. Though there are some things I still don’t quite understand, like ‘I am a god’ or something…”
“No, you absolutely don’t need to bother with that part! Forget it immediately!” Luo Tianchen’s face flushed crimson, feeling as though his chuunibyo diary had just been discovered by his mother. So, it was because of his past self that Bingying took up Taekwondo? He really was unmatched in digging pits for his future self.
Feeling his throat a little dry, Luo Tianchen picked up the water cup by the bed.
“After that, I kept hoping to meet you again, but you never came. Four years passed like that, and then I received that invitation from the Witch. Thinking I wanted to find you, I prayed for this recovered body, and miraculously, I met you again at school.”
“Thinking about it now, I must have fallen for you back then.”
“Pfft!” Luo Tianchen spluttered out all the water in his mouth, drenching a section of the bedsheets. “You, you just said something strange, didn’t you?” No, no, no, he must have misheard.
“No, I think I made myself quite clear, didn’t I?” Bingying said seriously. “I love you, Luo Tianchen. From seven years ago until now, this feeling has never changed.”
Luo Tianchen’s mind went blank. Although he had vaguely sensed something, her direct confession still left him flustered.
“No, no matter what you say, you were just a child back then and didn’t understand, so you mistook admiration for love, right?” Luo Tianchen, in a flash of wit, came up with an explanation, but Bingying shook her head, denying it.
“No, I’m very clear about it. This is love. I want to be looked at by you, to be praised by you, to be your only one, to be with you forever.”
Facing her ardent confession, Luo Tianchen felt afraid.
He understood that everything she said was true, and because of that, he chose to retreat.
He had absolutely no confidence that he could bear the weight of such a pure and heavy, maidenly love.
“I’m sorry, I can’t accept.” Luo Tianchen lowered his head, not daring to look at her face.
“Why not?” Bingying asked softly.
“Because what you see is just an idealized version of me. The real me is nothing but scum. I’ve caused the deaths of many people, even including those most important to me. I’m an asshole, a moron, trash…” Before Luo Tianchen could finish, his mouth was sealed by her warm, soft lips.
Unlike the time at the nightclub, Luo Tianchen was fully conscious now, allowing him to completely feel the girl’s wonderful touch and the sweet scent emanating from her. Just like that, they forgot the passage of time, embracing and kissing each other.
How much time had passed? It felt like only an instant, or perhaps an eternity, before they finally parted their lips, blushing as they looked at each other.
“Even you, I won’t allow you to speak ill of yourself. The person I love isn’t anyone else; it’s only Luo Tianchen. So, so, so, so, have my feelings been conveyed to you?”
Her ears were completely red; she really shouldn’t try to act so calm.
However, after she had said so much, if he didn’t do something now, would he still be considered a man?
“I understand.” Luo Tianchen took a deep breath, looking at her just as seriously. “Please forgive me for not being able to give you an answer right now, but I promise I will tell you before this incident concludes. Until then, please, you must survive.”
“Mm, I understand!” Bingying paused for a moment, then broke into a cheerful smile.
Phew, that should be settled, right? So, what next…
“Um, should we, maybe, try that?” Bingying said shyly.
“Hm? What?” Luo Tianchen didn’t immediately catch on.
“You know! That thing that happens when a man and a woman are alone in a room… that thing…” Bingying’s face was beet red.
“…Sorry, I’m too pure to understand.”
“Ugh! Like this!” Bingying suddenly straddled Luo Tianchen.
“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Gentle, gentle, gentle! I’m still injured, you know!”
“Then, wouldn’t you like to give them a little rub?” She gently pressed her right hand to her chest, uttering words as tempting as a demon’s.
Why, oh why, did Luo Tianchen find Bingying so incredibly charming? He swallowed, trying to calm himself down, only to find his hand was already pressed against Bingying’s chest.
How was this possible! He hadn’t even noticed! Was this the legendary… universal breast gravity?
“Should I squeeze?”
“Ah~” Bingying let out a soft moan, scattering most of Luo Tianchen’s remaining sanity.
“Hey, hey, hey, woman, do you know you’re playing with fire? If you’re joking, please stop now, or some indescribable things might happen next, okay?” Luo Tianchen said, his eyes tinged red.
“It’s fine. I’m ready.” Her words shattered his last line of defense.
‘Go, go, go, hurry up and go! Whoever chickens out is a coward! If not now, then when? Strike while the iron’s hot; you’ll be a good man again in eighteen years!’ The little devil in Luo Tianchen’s mind urged him on.
Wait, something strange got mixed in, didn’t it!
‘No, no, for something like this, both parties must be willing. It wouldn’t be good to hurt anyone, would it?’ Oh, oh, oh, truly his little angel, still able to maintain reason at such a crucial moment!
‘Huh? Look at this woman; she’s completely open for the taking. Does she look unwilling?’ The little devil countered.
‘Indeed. You should go for it, otherwise, you might be seen as impotent and worse than an animal.’ The little angel and the little devil reached a consensus.
Damn it, aren’t you an angel? Where’s your stance, huh!
Alright, alright, fine, he’d go for it! With a single push, Luo Tianchen reversed their positions, pinning Bingying beneath him.
“Then, I’m going to start now,” Luo Tianchen whispered into her ear, lowering his head.
“Please, please enjoy yourself.” Bingying’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
Sure enough, a shy young lady was the best!
So, where should he start?
…Indeed, he’d start with those ample curves.
With that, Luo Tianchen slowly reached his hand towards her collar.