The next day, though the secondary bedroom with its west-facing windows couldn't catch the morning sun, the cheerful chirping of birds outside already heralded the start of a new day!
On the large bed in the secondary bedroom, a sleeping beauty lay curled up on her side under the covers, her long hair spread quietly across the pillow, her soft lips slightly pursed, as if waiting for her prince to wake her with a kiss.
Murphy had very long, fine eyelashes, and Xixi's resembled her mother's closely. In appearance, Xixi inherited many of Murphy's best traits, though her big eyes came from her father, with an adorable, anime-like charm!
The birds outside must have been too noisy, for Murphy's lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
After a full night's rest, Murphy's fever had broken. Though her body still felt a bit weak, her spirits were much better than the day before.
Rubbing her eyes groggily, Murphy began to gather her thoughts as memories flooded back like a tide.
"Yesterday... he carried me over here?" Murphy recalled the scenes from the night before and felt her face flush with heat—a genuine blush.
She hastily lifted the blanket to peek inside. Her clothes were still fairly neat, just a bit wrinkled from sleeping in them all night. Yang Yi had brought her back last night without any impropriety, without presuming to change her clothes.
This discovery raised Murphy's opinion of Yang Yi even higher. Deep down, she was quite traditional, and Yang Yi's "gentlemanly" behavior was exactly what she could accept, making her feel warm and comfortable inside.
"Ouch!" Murphy turned over and sat up from the covers. After sleeping for over ten hours, though her mind was clear, her whole body ached. Sitting up, she stretched widely.
Murphy had a great figure; even the thin shirt couldn't hide the curves of her form. This stretching movement was quite large, not only making her joints crackle but also causing the strained shirt to pop open a button at the top...
Murphy quickly blushed and rebuttoned it, relieved that no one else was in the room.
Just as she thought this, Murphy suddenly noticed a chair placed by the bed, with a towel neatly folded on it. By the headboard, there was also a basin of water with a towel draped over its edge.
"He... stayed with me all night?" Murphy was stunned.
Yang Yi had indeed stayed with Murphy all night. After she took the medicine, her fever didn't break quickly, and her forehead was burning hot. So Yang Yi fetched a basin of cold water, used a cold towel to cool her forehead, and changed it every so often.
That had been quite a hassle!
Later, though Murphy's condition stabilized, Yang Yi was still uncertain and worried about a relapse, so he moved a chair to sit by her bed and kept watch through the night.
Murphy naturally didn't know all the details, but seeing these things, she could roughly guess. She pressed her lips together. Though not good at expressing her emotions, Murphy could clearly feel that her heart was truly stirred by these scenes.
Getting out of bed, Murphy tidied her messy hair and straightened her clothes before pushing open the slightly ajar bedroom door.
Just then, she saw Yang Yi, wearing an apron, setting the table.
Yang Yi hadn't gone for his morning run today either. He had gotten up early, tidied up some chores he hadn't managed last night, and then prepared breakfast in the kitchen. Murphy hadn't eaten much last night before going to sleep, so she would surely be very hungry this morning!
"Good morning," Murphy said, meeting Yang Yi's gaze, lowering her head with a hint of shyness.
Just waking up, face unwashed, hair disheveled, still in yesterday's clothes—she must look a mess! Murphy suddenly became very conscious of these things.
"Morning!" Yang Yi put down the dishes in his hands and said warmly, "Feeling better now?"
"Yeah, a bit better," Murphy said softly.
Still, this feeling was a little strange. Murphy wasn't used to speaking softly like a kitten in front of Yang Yi, and remembering she hadn't washed up yet, she quickly waved her hand and retreated into the master bedroom.
Murphy was actually quite particular about cleanliness. She only came out of the master bedroom after showering and changing clothes. By then, Xixi had already smelled the fragrant breakfast, crawled out of bed on her own, and run over to her father asking for food.
"Mommy!" As soon as Xixi saw Murphy come out, she dropped her little spoon, jumped down from her chair, and happily ran over to her mother for a hug.
"Did you wash up?" Murphy asked softly. "You can't eat without brushing your teeth in the morning!"
"I did, and Daddy helped me wash my face!" Xixi had a lot to tell her mother, so after answering hurriedly, she chattered on, "Mommy, you don't know, Xixi was so worried about you yesterday!"
The little one's grammar was a bit off, given her age.
"Mommy is very happy. How was Xixi worried about Mommy?" Murphy asked gently.
At that moment, Yang Yi smiled and handed over a cup of warm water, signaling with his eyes not to interrupt their mother-daughter conversation.
Murphy had been busy tidying herself up since waking and hadn't had a drink, but she was indeed very thirsty. She took it and had a few sips.
The warm water instantly soothed her dry throat, feeling very comfortable.
Xixi continued earnestly, "Xixi was so worried about Mommy yesterday, I didn't watch cartoons, and I didn't ask Daddy for stories. I stayed with Daddy to take care of Mommy! I'm glad Mommy's fever is gone. Xixi was really scared that Mommy was sick!"
"She was very good last night. She even went to sleep on her own, very brave!" Yang Yi added with a smile, praising his daughter.
Hearing her father's compliment, Xixi puffed out her little chest proudly, as if to say, "Yes, this well-behaved kid is me!"
"Mommy is so touched. Thank you, Xixi, for loving Mommy so much!" Murphy laughed and planted a kiss on her daughter's chubby cheek. Having just recovered from her illness, Murphy was already moved by Yang Yi's care, and now with her precious little one's concern, her mood lifted greatly.
...
With Murphy recovered, she officially moved into Yang Yi's home. However, in her words, they weren't cohabiting—she was just vacationing with Xixi.
Alright, alright, Yang Yi didn't mind that.
Still, having a woman in the house made life much more colorful.
Before, Yang Yi's life was like this: when his daughter wasn't around, he'd spend his days at the coffee shop listening to music and wiping coffee cups.
When his daughter was there, Yang Yi would listen to her chatter, answer her endless questions, or tell her stories, and the day would pass quietly.
Now, with Murphy around, Yang Yi's daily routine felt different.
For instance, Murphy cared a lot about the home's decor and felt Yang Yi didn't know how to live well.
"How can a home have no flowers? Looking around, it's all dull, monotonous tones. You need to get some flowers, put them in a vase, to add a splash of color to life!" Murphy said very seriously.