The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 78

Suitable for Kissing

A brief silence fell in the room. Song Linlin was inwardly conflicted, her fingers pinching the corner of her clothes, wrinkling the fabric.

This… should be fine, right? After all, it’s just very normal medicine application! It’s not like we’re doing anything secretive, Song Linlin inwardly consoled herself.

            

People with upright thoughts see everything as normal; I can’t let my imagination run wild anymore!

The Lin Qianqian opposite her had even taken the initiative to offer to apply medicine for her, so why was she being so awkward?

Finally, Song Linlin steeled her heart, gritted her teeth, and nodded. She suppressed her inner embarrassment and then said, “Okay!”

            

Chi Qianning hadn’t expected Song Linlin to actually agree. After all, when faced with such a situation, most people would probably feel embarrassed and choose to apply the medicine themselves. She reckoned that perhaps Song Linlin’s mind hadn’t quite processed it, so she hadn’t thought of that possibility?

Chi Qianning naturally had no objection to personally helping Song Linlin apply the medicine. Although the two had been completely open with each other long ago, at that time, when Chi Qianning’s mind was a muddled mess due to Song Linlin, the other party was still fully dressed. Chi Qianning couldn’t clearly remember the subsequent scenes after she woke up.

So, at this moment, even though it was a place she should have seen once before, when it truly came to this, Chi Qianning’s ear tips still burned.

            

“Will you untie it?” Song Linlin felt a bit too embarrassed to do it herself; leaving such things to others could lessen her sense of shame.

Chi Qianning’s first reaction was to want to refuse awkwardly, but after hesitating for two seconds, she forced herself to nod, her voice as small as a mosquito’s, “Okay.”

She moved closer to where Song Linlin was sitting, first raising her red eyes to look at Song Linlin, meeting her gaze for an instant, then evasively looking away, lowering her head to look at the sash around the other person’s waist.

            

Probably for a more comfortable sleep, Song Linlin had tied a loose butterfly knot. Chi Qianning pursed her lips, looking down at the not-so-neatly tied knot with a serious and focused expression.

She extended a fair hand, its fingers straight, slender, and bony. The hand eventually rested on the butterfly knot. Her fingers bent, and with a slight pull on one end of the knot with her fingertips, the not-so-firm knot was undone. The sash fell behind Song Linlin, and the feeling of constriction around her waist instantly disappeared.

The sash that bound the outer garment was untied, causing the light outer robe to become loose and precarious, hanging on her upper body, looking unsafe and in danger of slipping off at any moment.

            

Having smoothly untied the outer robe, Chi Qianning’s fingers still lingered in place. This kind of thing was still too much for her. In the past, it was always Song Linlin who would kiss her and, while she couldn’t concentrate, make such a bold move.

Chi Qianning suddenly began to have second thoughts​¹, too embarrassed to proceed with lifting off the outer robe. Her fingers retracted and gently clasped together. Chi Qianning raised her head, her red eyes looking at Song Linlin, seeking help with her gaze.

Song Linlin only felt her waist loosen. She was also looking down, her eyes watching the other’s fingers untie the butterfly knot of the sash. Then Chi Qianning stopped moving and even retracted her fingers.

            

Immediately after, Song Linlin’s eyes met the other’s. Those beautiful red eyes were now looking at her pitifully. There was only eye contact between the two, no verbal conversation. Just from that one look, Song Linlin inexplicably understood Chi Qianning’s meaning.

Song Linlin felt that the person opposite her was adorable and really wanted to pinch Chi Qianning’s cheek. She was the one whose outer robe was being untied, so how come the other person was now getting shy?

Her original embarrassment instantly vanished by more than half. A faint smile touched Song Linlin’s lips. She reached out and decisively pulled off the already loosened outer robe, then casually draped it over the headboard.

            

It wasn’t convenient to untie the inner clothes as well, otherwise, they would truly be completely open with each other. Song Linlin grasped the hem of her inner shirt with both hands and lifted it halfway, revealing her abdomen wrapped in several layers of bandages.

“Will you help me undo the bandages?” Song Linlin asked.

She had agreed to help undo them and apply medicine. Now that the other person had already helped to this extent, Chi Qianning, no matter how embarrassed, still nodded, “En…”

            

Chi Qianning’s fingers began to feel weak from nervousness. She looked down at Song Linlin’s bandaged stomach, her fingers reaching for the knot on the bandage, wanting to untie it for her.

However, her fingers started to become disobedient, as if they couldn’t exert any strength. Chi Qianning tried for a good while but couldn’t smoothly untie it. Song Linlin, also looking down, watched the other person fumbling clumsily for a long time and couldn’t help but ask, “Uh… or should I undo it myself?”

“No need!”

            

Chi Qianning looked up, meeting Song Linlin’s gaze, eager to prove herself, “I can do it myself!”

Seeing her so determined, Song Linlin didn’t ask again, continuing to hold up her clothes and watch the other’s actions.

Perhaps because Song Linlin had questioned her once, Chi Qianning’s movements became much more agile this time. She untied the knot in one go and then began to unwrap the white bandages layer by layer.

            

Chi Qianning dared not use too much force, afraid the bandage might stick to the wound. If she used force, it could very well pull at Song Linlin’s wound, inevitably causing pain and possibly even making the wound bleed again.

Fortunately, this situation did not occur. The innermost layer of the bandage had a few brownish-red bloodstains, apparently marks left after previously oozed blood had dried, not fresh blood.

The bandage was completely removed, exposing the wound to both of them. The wound only had a very light scab, just enough to prevent blood from oozing out. Chi Qianning looked at this knife wound, which wasn’t her own, yet she could empathize with Song Linlin, as if she herself had been stabbed in the same way.

            

“Does it hurt?” Chi Qianning looked up and asked Song Linlin.

Song Linlin thought Chi Qianning was asking if it hurt when removing the bandage, so she shook her head and said, “As long as you’re not forceful, it doesn’t hurt.”

Chi Qianning opened the lid of the ointment jar. The small white porcelain jar contained more than half of a light red paste-like substance. Chi Qianning reached in and took a dab, her fingertip coated with the ointment, then said, “I’m going to apply the medicine for you now. I’ll be gentle.”

            

“Okay, thank you for your trouble.”

Afraid her fingernails might scrape Song Linlin’s wound, Chi Qianning’s movements were very careful. She held her fingers horizontally and gently touched the wound, softly smearing the light red ointment on it.

“Does this hurt?” Chi Qianning asked softly while applying the medicine to Song Linlin.

            

Chi Qianning’s fingers were cool, and her movements were extremely light. Song Linlin felt the pain from the wound was alleviated considerably, so she quickly shook her head, “It doesn’t hurt, your fingers feel very comfortable!”

“That’s good.” Chi Qianning was greatly relieved, afraid she might hurt the other person.

Chi Qianning lowered her head, concentrating on caressing Song Linlin’s wound, applying ointment to every part of it. Song Linlin, meanwhile, kept her clothes half-lifted, making it convenient for the other to apply the medicine. The room fell into silence.

            

Song Linlin was initially staring at her own wound, but later her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chi Qianning’s face. Because they needed to be close for the medicine application, the two were very near each other at this moment. Chi Qianning was focused on the task at hand, while Song Linlin stared at the other’s serious face.

Being so close, Song Linlin could clearly see Chi Qianning’s distinct silver-white eyelashes, and beneath them, her red eyes were like two brilliant red gemstones. She just looked straight at the other person until Chi Qianning finished applying the medicine for Song Linlin. She subconsciously raised her eyes and met Song Linlin’s gaze.

Their gazes met. The close-range eye contact allowed Song Linlin to see her own reflection in the other’s red eyes. Looking at her own dazed appearance in those eyes, she then realized she had unknowingly been watching Chi Qianning for so long.

            

Chi Qianning, however, did not avoid Song Linlin’s gaze. Her eyes suddenly filled with many complex emotions: the grievance from when she discovered Song Linlin was missing, the longing from so many days without seeing each other, the relief upon discovering the other hadn’t died…

Multiple emotions mixed together, finally converging into a surging love, so much that her eyes couldn’t seem to contain it; the feelings were almost about to overflow.

Song Linlin didn’t know why the other person was suddenly looking at her like this. She couldn’t quite understand these complex emotions, but she could still feel the abundant sentiment in the other’s eyes. This close-range eye contact, being looked at by these affectionate eyes, made Song Linlin’s heart begin to beat uncontrollably.

            

Chi Qianning looked at Song Linlin. In the quiet room, the two just looked at each other silently for over ten seconds, so quiet that only their mutual breathing echoed. Chi Qianning’s gaze suddenly moved down, her red eyes shifting to Song Linlin’s lips.

Compared to Chi Qianning’s pale lips, Song Linlin, who had always been very healthy, had ample vitality, and her lips were a natural red. Even though she wasn’t wearing any kouzhi​², they were hardly inferior to those who did.

Chi Qianning’s gaze was undisguised, her thoughts completely written on her face. She missed the intimacy of their lips and teeth together.

            

This gaze was truly too fervent; it was impossible for Song Linlin not to feel it. An ambiguous atmosphere flowed between the two. The thought that the other person wanted to kiss her suddenly popped into Song Linlin’s mind; this atmosphere was indeed very suitable for a lingering kiss.

However, Song Linlin quickly dismissed this idea, believing it was just her own delusion, and deeply reflected on herself.

That Lin Qianqian has someone she likes! Song Linlin, stop letting your imagination run wild with strange things!

            

Song Linlin couldn’t bear such a gaze. To prevent herself from actually doing something irreversible, she was the first to avert her eyes, no longer meeting those affectionate red irises.

Now that the medicine was applied, Song Linlin lowered her clothes, then awkwardly turned her head away, coughing lightly twice to alleviate the unusual emotions within her. Not daring to look at Chi Qianning again, she said evasively, “The medicine is on now, let’s go to sleep, it’s getting late.”

Chi Qianning, realizing her own lapse in composure, also withdrew her gaze and reined in her emotions, nodding, “En, let’s sleep.”

            

The two lay down again. Song Linlin had originally wanted to maintain some distance from Chi Qianning, but as soon as she lay down, the other person very naturally reached out, embraced her, and then snuggled directly into Song Linlin’s arms.

Song Linlin could only compromise. The two spent the night holding each other.

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