The air felt thin, still lingering with the explosive tension from Jiang Xiaosi’s earlier outburst.
Shen Mo’s chest felt as though it was weighed down by a boulder, so heavy that even coughing took too much energy. Until his cold was cured, he wouldn’t be able to properly tend to his internal injuries. Jiang Xiaosi’s tearful, angry face kept flashing in his mind. Had he really made a mistake?
He had always valued peace and quiet, and he hated emotional entanglements. He had never even considered whether it was fair to make someone forget their feelings for him unilaterally. Now that Jiang Xiaosi had found out, he hadn’t expected her to be so angry. Forgotten feelings were equivalent to feelings that had never existed—so why be sad over someone who no longer mattered?
Jiang Xiaosi was just a kid. He didn’t think her feelings for him could be that deep. Besides, reasoning with her was pointless; using Heart Disperser had always seemed more practical.
His body felt unbearably hot, as though he were sinking deeper into a swamp, soft and powerless.
In the middle of the night, his throat burned with thirst, but when he accidentally knocked his water cup to the floor, he had no choice but to force himself up to get more.
Just then, the door opened, and Jiang Xiaosi, dressed in pajamas with red, swollen eyes like a little rabbit, walked in.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Shen Mo realized his voice had become so hoarse it was nearly inaudible.
Jiang Xiaosi glared at him, walked over, and felt his forehead. “You’ve got a high fever.”
She had been sitting in the living room, trying to recall all the moments she had spent with Shen Mo, but even though she remembered everything clearly, it all felt hollow, as if the emotions had been wiped away, leaving only the images.
“Don’t move.”
Jiang Xiaosi hurried in and out of the room, bringing him water, fever medicine, and an ice pack.
She plopped the ice pack onto Shen Mo’s forehead so hard that he almost passed out. He had every reason to suspect Jiang Xiaosi was trying to get revenge by murdering him.
Seeing him coughing violently and looking so weak, Jiang Xiaosi felt a mix of anger and pity. Look at that, karma in action!
“Don’t ever use Heart Disperser on me again! My feelings are my own to control. If you really hate me that much, just tell me to leave. Don’t use that method on me.”
Shen Mo didn’t respond. Jiang Xiaosi leaned over the bed, her face only ten centimeters away from his. He could even smell the sweet candy scent on her. Shen Mo had never thought that one day he would experience this feeling of being overpowered by someone else. Feeling uncomfortable, he tried to turn his head away, but Jiang Xiaosi grabbed his face and turned it back to hers.
“Don’t avoid me! You know very well that I like you!” Jiang Xiaosi gritted her teeth, making a formal confession before she could forget her feelings again.
Shen Mo paused for a moment, staring at her with a blank expression. “So what?”
Jiang Xiaosi felt an overwhelming urge to strangle him. Was that his response? For a moment, she didn’t even know what to say next.
“It doesn’t matter. I just wanted you to know.”
“I’ve known for a while.”
“But I didn’t.”
Shen Mo let out a self-deprecating laugh. “What do you want from me? I’m already halfway in the grave, older than your dad. How old are you?”
Older than her dad? What a joke. He wasn’t even as old as she was—after all, she was a thousand-year-old zombie.
“What does age have to do with liking you?”
Shen Mo sighed helplessly. He had always known Jiang Xiaosi was the type to disregard everything else when she wanted something.
“But I don’t like kids. You understand that, right?”
Jiang Xiaosi’s eyes immediately filled with tears. She looked down at herself. “You think I’m too flat?”
Shen Mo nearly coughed himself to death at that.
“I’ll grow up one day! Even though…” Even though it might take a bit longer for her. By the time she actually developed, Shen Mo might already be resting in peace…
“Are you really not going to give me a chance?”
Because he was sick, Shen Mo’s expression wasn’t as cold as usual. There was an uncharacteristic weariness about him.
“I’m sorry.”
Giving her Heart Disperser had been wrong. He had anticipated this moment and hadn’t wanted to hurt her with rejection, so he had thought it was better for her to forget.
“Other than being a bit young, what’s wrong with me?” Jiang Xiaosi finally couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She wanted to grow up, but she couldn’t—what could she do?
Shen Mo closed his eyes with a soft sigh. Jiang Xiaosi’s eyes were so bright and full of life that it pained him to look at her. She didn’t understand that his excuse about her age was just that—an excuse. The truth was that he didn’t like her, or anyone else, for that matter.
“You’re still young. You’ll find your Prince Charming someday. What’s so special about me?”
“I don’t want a prince! You’re my king! I like you, and I’ll always like you!”
Shen Mo’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, something heavy pressed down on him. Before he could react, Jiang Xiaosi leaned down and kissed him.
Shen Mo’s eyes shot open, and he gasped.
He had slipped up! He, of all people, had just been kissed by his student!
Jiang Xiaosi leaned forward, putting almost all her weight on him. He wanted to push her away, but his body was so weak that he couldn’t muster the strength. His face felt even hotter, and her lips were cold, with a hint of sweetness like ice cream.
“Stop… I have a cold. You’ll catch it…” Realizing her kiss was deepening, he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
“I don’t care…”
Jiang Xiaosi panted softly, her tongue clumsily probing as she kissed Shen Mo. His lips remained tightly shut, allowing her gentle kisses and light bites, but he refused to respond.
Despite that, Jiang Xiaosi could sense his softened attitude, which delighted her. Shen Mo’s usually lightly pursed lips were slightly cracked from his fever, so she licked them. His body trembled, and though he tried to turn away, her lips followed persistently.
Like a child savoring candy, she couldn’t get enough of the kiss. Even after a full minute, Jiang Xiaosi was still at it. Shen Mo’s face was flushed to an alarming degree, and whether it was from the fever, embarrassment, or anger, his entire body radiated heat, causing Jiang Xiaosi to sweat as well.
“Have you had enough?!” Shen Mo suppressed the urge to strangle her, glaring at her coldly. If it weren’t for the guilt he felt from giving her the Heart Disperser…
Jiang Xiaosi reluctantly lifted her head, sneaking in a couple more playful kisses. She realized how much fun kissing could be.
“Professor, I know you like me too!” she declared.
Shen Mo scoffed, unwilling to even look at her. She really had a high opinion of herself.
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have wasted so much Heart Disperser on me. Miaoyan said it’s extremely precious and difficult to make. You just didn’t want to reject me outright and hurt my feelings, so you hoped I’d forget. You’ve been protecting me all along.”
Shen Mo remained silent. It was true—though he had the Heart Disperser, he had never used it before. No matter how many women had liked him, what did it matter to him? He never considered himself a gentle or kind person; a simple “no” and a cold glance were usually enough to send anyone running. Why go through the trouble of using the Heart Disperser? Yet with Jiang Xiaosi, he had gone through bottle after bottle, and it hadn’t even worked. Was she a demon or something?
He genuinely cared for her, saw her as a promising student, and didn’t want her to be hurt by him. He didn’t want their relationship to be affected by unnecessary emotions.
“I’ve grown up. I know what I want, and it’s not just some fleeting impulse. Don’t push me away. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean my feelings aren’t real. Can’t you at least try? Try to accept me. I promise I won’t be unreasonable or act out.”
Shen Mo remained silent. Too much had happened recently, and he was too exhausted to think about this right now.
“What are you doing?” He noticed her small figure trying to worm its way into his bed.
“I want to sleep with you.”
“Get out!” Shen Mo lost his composure, kicking her off the bed without a second thought. Jiang Xiaosi quickly wrapped her arms around him, clinging to her human heater.
“At home, I always sleep with my dad. It’s so cold and scary to be alone.” she said with a mischievous smile, acting cute.
Shen Mo was furious. She was pushing his limits!
“How old are you, and you’re still sleeping with him?!”
“Didn’t you just say I was little?” Jiang Xiaosi snuggled into his shoulder like a little piglet.
Shen Mo was so angry he couldn’t speak. His mind was spinning, and he felt lightheaded from the blood rushing to his head. He was too tired to argue with her anymore. She had already kissed him, so what difference did it make if she slept next to him for one night? Once he recovered from his illness, he would make sure to teach her a lesson so she’d remember who her teacher was!
Jiang Xiaosi smiled as she watched Shen Mo sleep. Even in his sleep, his expression was one of anger.
Suddenly, the bead she wore began to emit a faint glow and warmth. Her heart leapt with joy.
Dad must be safe after all! Though she couldn’t make contact, for some reason, knowing he was still out there brought her peace. If he was with Sister Koudan, they should be fine.
Her heart finally settled, and she held Shen Mo close, savoring the sweetness of the kiss she had just stolen. She couldn’t help but smile again, though a hint of annoyance lingered at the thought of him giving her Heart Disperser before.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head—she decided to play a prank.
The next morning, when Shen Mo woke up, the house was empty. Jiang Xiaosi had left a note saying that she had received news about Jiang Liu and had gone to see Miaoyan.
Shen Mo glanced out the window. The winter sun was shining brightly, and he felt much better—his cold seemed to be finally on the mend.
He got up to wash up, only to hear a furious roar erupt from the bathroom.
“Jiang—Xiao—Si!”
Standing in front of the mirror, Shen Mo was seething with rage. Across his forehead, very prominently stamped, were four words:
“Jiang, Xiao, Si, Seal.”
She had dared! She had actually used the seal he had made for her to stamp it on his forehead! And she must have used some kind of special ink—it wouldn’t wash off no matter how hard he scrubbed!
Meanwhile, over at Miaoyan’s place, Jiang Xiaosi sneezed three times in a row. She grimaced—great, now she had caught a cold too.
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