七七 choked back sobs. "But I don't want to be alone."
Rong Yi's heart ached faintly. He tightened his arms around her, holding her close. "The road ahead will indeed be lonely if you walk it alone. But it's okay—I'm here. I'll be with you."
Qiqi lifted her head, tears in her eyes as she looked at him—Can it be? Really?
Rong Yi raised a hand to wipe away her tears, gazing at her tenderly, letting her see his resolve.
Qiqi's heart pounded wildly. His gaze made her flustered, and she wanted to escape. Yet the warmth of his embrace was so comforting, she didn't want to leave.
She clung to him greedily for a moment, then finally struggled to her feet. "Rong Yi, I want to rest."
Rong Yi stood up too, handing her the late-night snack—what had already cooled slightly was now steaming hot again after passing through his hands. "Eat something before you sleep."
"Mm."
"You'll pass the exam, and you'll get the best results. Don't worry."
"Mm."
"Qiqi will definitely become a great doctor, even better than the Medical Immortal."
"Mm... but is Senior Brother really the Medical Immortal?"
"...Let's not talk about him, okay?"
"Oh..."
After eating the snack, Qiqi felt drowsy again and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Rong Yi carefully lifted her and placed her on the bed.
He looked down at her—lately, due to her weak health, a dull gray shadow lingered between her brows, giving her a slightly sickly appearance.
He took her right hand, and a gentle surge of inner energy flowed from his palm, slowly seeping into the girl's body. Gradually, a thin layer of sweat formed on Rong Yi, while the girl's complexion grew rosier, her sleep deepening.
Lu Wei, you forbade me from using sorcery on Qiqi, and truly, I have no way around that. But using my inner energy—you can't stop that, can you?
Qiqi, just sleep peacefully. When you wake up, all your worries will vanish.
After doing all this, the Wolf King lowered his head, fell silent for a moment, and finally pressed a gentle goodnight kiss onto the girl's eyelids.
※※※
Qiqi slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed.
Sitting up in bed, she stretched and lingered on Rong Yi's words from last night, feeling that the gentle Wolf King was truly sweet.
And having spoken the words buried in her heart for years, sharing them with someone else made her feel so much lighter. Having a little secret with the Wolf King—this feeling, heh, just thinking about it made her want to laugh out loud.
Qiqi got up, patted her cheeks to suppress the shyness in her heart, and then cheered herself on—Pull yourself together, Qiqi! You're about to face a three-day exam. Charge forward like a warrior!
She pushed open the window, took a deep breath, and then... froze.
What did that blazing red sun mean? It was in the west—it was actually in the west!
So, it was already afternoon? That meant she had overslept?
A dull thunderclap exploded in Qiqi's heart—no, even a lightning strike from the heavens couldn't compare to the devastation she felt in that moment.
Oh my god! She had overslept! On the very first day of the most important exam, she had overslept!
There were three exams today. If she missed them, this semester's ranking, the scholarship, next semester's internship spot—everything—would be ruined!