44: Chapter 44: Dare not hope

"Shiqing, one steamed bun each!" Xiao Ran took a bite of a warm steamed bun and handed the other to her.

"Brother Xiao Ran, Shiqing already ate." Liang Shiqing quickly waved her hand.

Xiao Ran frowned deeply.

Even if she had eaten, it was probably three or four hours ago, and just eating that steamed bun, her stomach must have been rumbling by now.

No wonder she was so thin, and a little malnourished.

"Be good, if you don't eat, I won't eat either!"

After Xiao Ran finished speaking, he ate half a steamed bun in one go.

Anyway, she couldn't see, and tricking girls was the most fun.

"Ah! I...I'll eat!"

Liang Shiqing was afraid he really wouldn't eat, so she quickly took the steamed bun, took a bite, and chewed it gently.

Watching the girl's obedient demeanor, Xiao Ran nodded in satisfaction, stuffing the rest of the steamed bun into his mouth in one bite.

"Shiqing, I'll only eat after you finish, if you don't finish, I won't eat." Xiao Ran found this girl quite amusing.

"Mmm!"

Hearing this, she quickly took large bites.

The small steamed bun was clutched in her hand, and rows of new teeth marks appeared.

Xiao Ran was also afraid she would choke, so he poured her a glass of water.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Ran."

She quickly took a big gulp of water, seeming to have really choked,

but she didn't dare to say it just now, holding it in tightly.

Xiao Ran patted her back, and she finally relaxed.

"What's the rush? I'm not going to snatch it from you."

"Mm~" She lowered her head again, like a child who had done something wrong.

"Give me the water, I'm thirsty too."

"Oh, oh~" She nodded repeatedly, obediently handing the water glass to Xiao Ran, completely forgetting that she had just drunk from it.

Xiao Ran's scheme succeeded, and he drank the remaining half glass of water in one gulp.

"Gulp~"

Liang Shiqing clutched the half-eaten steamed bun, listening to him swallow, and her brain finally caught up.

'The cup I just drank from...was...my saliva was drunk by Brother Xiao Ran again!'

'I'm so shameless...why didn't I remind him!'

'But Brother Xiao Ran doesn't seem to have noticed?!'

'Can't remind him, what if he gets angry...'

Liang Shiqing's calves crossed, as if due to her mischievous thoughts, her face flushed red again, and the steamed bun in her hand was squeezed flat.

In the quiet room,

one could almost hear her thumping heartbeat and slightly heavy breathing.

"Shiqing, hurry and eat, you haven't applied the medicine yet."

"Ah...oh!"

Xiao Ran shook his head with a smile, turning to arrange the medicine on the table.

A few minutes later,

Liang Shiqing finished the steamed bun with difficulty.

She fumbled her way behind Xiao Ran, reached out and poked his back, and said weakly:

"Brother Xiao Ran, I'm done eating, you should eat too."

Xiao Ran, holding a cotton swab, turned his head, and said with a slight laugh:

"Silly girl, I finished mine a long time ago, I was just tricking you~"

"Ah? Is that so?" Her mind seemed to be unable to process it.

"Let me help you apply the medicine!"

"Swish~"

Liang Shiqing's face turned red again.

To apply the medicine,

she would have to lift her clothes, exposing her back to Brother Xiao Ran.

But...she was wearing a dress!

A one-piece dress!

The kind without a zipper on the back.

Which meant she would practically have to... 'What should I do... I should have known not to wear a dress!'

'But... it rained heavily today, and all my other clothes are wet!'

'Or... let's apply it another day!'

Liang Shiqing was like an ant on a hot pan, her face burning red, pacing anxiously.

Xiao Ran also knew about this problem,

but she had come to him herself!

He was now very curious how she would choose.

"Shiqing, what's wrong?"

Xiao Ran asked knowingly.

He felt more and more like a bad uncle,

actually preying on such a cute girl.

However, he definitely wouldn't do anything bad to her, he just purely wanted to speed up the capture process.

If she really refused,

that was definitely not an option; he would have to make her, even if it was difficult.

"Bro...Brother Xiao Ran, how about we apply it tomorrow?" Liang Shiqing said somewhat coyly.

"What's wrong? Disinfection tonight is very important for scabbing, and the air is so humid tonight, it would be troublesome if it got infected!" Xiao Ran said with a serious tone.

"But..."

Liang Shiqing clutched her skirt tightly, a fierce struggle going on in her mind.

If she were to apply the medicine,

she would practically be in a bikini in front of him.

She didn't want him to think she was an easy girl... "Bro...Brother Xiao Ran, you..." She hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

"What's wrong, Shiqing?"

The girl's mind kept replaying the events of that afternoon.

He saved her life.

He protected her all the way.

He carried her for treatment.

He paid for her medicine.

He bought her many nutritious things.

He hadn't even eaten late at night, yet he rushed over to help her apply medicine.

'Brother Xiao Ran is so good to me... He doesn't seem to mind at all that I'm blind!'

'And I don't seem to have done anything for him~'

{"What do you think of that boy just now?"}

{"Xiao Ran's attitude is already very clear! He wants to take care of you, and Sister can see that he is sincere."}

{"You decide for yourself, Sister can only remind you, given your situation, if you meet the right person, don't miss them! Otherwise, you'll regret it later when it's too late!"}

Liang Shiqing suddenly recalled her conversation with Dr. Li Lin, her face occasionally showing struggle.

'But, we've only known each other for less than half a day~'

But...she actually really wanted to stay by his side~

With him around, she didn't even stutter as much when she spoke!

Could it be... this is... what it feels like to like someone?

Liang Shiqing was startled by her own thought.

But her heart was not resistant.

It's just... only knowing him for half a day, she felt a bit too shallow.

'But what if Brother Xiao Ran just pities me?'

'No, no, he helped me so much after all~'

Lifting her clothes for him... such an intimate act of applying medicine.

Usually, only couples would do it.

She and Brother Xiao Ran were ultimately male and female, and there was a distinction.

She didn't dare to hope... 'But... he came all this way so late to help me, if I don't apply the medicine, he'll definitely be unhappy, right?'

Time seemed to have passed for centuries,

finally,

the girl secretly made a decision in her heart!

...