I've recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Name: 'Pokémon But Stardew Valley'
----------------------
Though her words were fierce, the trembling undertone and flickering gaze revealed that her panic far outweighed her anger.
She pulled the blanket over herself, tightly wrapping her body, leaving only her flushed face and tearful, indignant eyes exposed, glaring 'fiercely' at Dai Chengfeng.
Dai Chengfeng, looking at her seemingly fierce but inwardly timid appearance, felt no fear. Instead, he found it amusing.
He knew that Liu Erlong, this volcano, though seemingly explosive, had already been cracked open by him deep inside.
What was needed now was patience and just the right amount of flame to reignite her.
He didn't press further, merely standing by the bed, his gaze gentle yet with a hint of aggression as he lightly chuckled:
"Alright, I'll listen to the teacher. However…"
He shifted the topic, "Teacher should drink less in the future; it's harmful to your health."
Without waiting for Liu Erlong's reaction, he turned to the table and began tidying up the scattered empty bottles with practiced ease, acting as if he were the master of the house.
Liu Erlong, wrapped in the blanket, watched Dai Chengfeng's busy back, feeling the lingering warmth on her lips that seemed not to have dissipated yet, her heart pounding like a drum.
Under the influence of alcohol, various emotions intertwined…
Embarrassment, anger, a trace of secret excitement, and even a faint sense of loss she was unwilling to admit.
She closed her eyes, burying her burning cheeks into the blanket, her mind in chaos.
This brat had disturbed her peace upon his return.
And the Blue Tyrant Academy, the place that once held some of her obsessions, seemed to be truly drifting away from her.
How should she proceed on the path ahead?
These questions, under the assault of drunkenness and fatigue, gradually blurred, and she finally succumbed to sleep.
After finishing with the bottles, Dai Chengfeng turned back to see Liu Erlong already asleep, her breathing becoming steady and long.
He walked to the bedside, tucked her in, gazing at her still slightly furrowed brows and weary face even in sleep.
...
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the window lattice, becoming soft and warm, casting mottled shadows on the dark sheets.
Liu Erlong was awakened by a wave of dryness and a headache.
She drowsily opened her eyes, the hangover-induced dizziness making her momentarily unsure of her location.
Her blurry vision first swept over the familiar yet somewhat alien ceiling drapes, then instinctively moved her body, only to feel an undeniable presence and… a warm touch?
She suddenly jolted awake, most of her remaining sleepiness and drunkenness instantly dispelled, sharply turning her head to look beside her.
Dai Chengfeng!
Why was he here?! And lying on her bed!
Liu Erlong's heart almost leapt out of her throat. She hastily pulled back the blanket to check...
Thankfully, though her clothes were disheveled, they were still more or less intact.
On closer inspection, Dai Chengfeng was fully clothed, even his boots were off, lying neatly outside the blanket, distinctly separated from her by thick layers of bedding.
He lay on his side, facing her, breathing evenly. His handsome face appeared especially soft in the afternoon light, his long lashes casting faint shadows on his eyelids, seemingly asleep.
This unguarded appearance was completely different from his usual composure or occasional hints of aggression.
Liu Erlong's racing heart slowly calmed down, but a wave of indescribable complex emotions followed.
After the initial shock subsided, deeper embarrassment and a trace of inexplicable annoyance took over.
This brat dared to sleep next to her?
Although… although nothing happened, this was utterly improper!
She instinctively wanted to kick him off the bed, but seeing his peaceful sleeping face, her raised foot hesitated strangely.
Unbidden, the memory of that brief yet scorching kiss flashed through her mind. The peculiar sensation seemed to linger again on her lips, and her cheeks burned.
"Mmm..."
Just as Liu Erlong was lost in internal conflict, staring absentmindedly at Dai Chengfeng's face, a low nasal sound emerged.
Dai Chengfeng's lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was initially hazy but quickly cleared, his deep eyes accurately meeting Liu Erlong's gaze, which she hadn't managed to avert.
Their eyes met.
Liu Erlong, as if scalded, sharply turned her head away, her heart betraying her by accelerating again.
To cover her awkwardness, she deliberately put on a stern face, using her hoarse voice tinged with sleep and feigned severity to reprimand:
"You! Why are you sleeping here?!"
Dai Chengfeng seemed unfazed by her outburst. Instead, he lazily stretched his body, his arm unintentionally brushing against Liu Erlong's thigh through the blanket, causing her body to stiffen slightly.
Only then did he leisurely prop himself up, leaning half against the headboard, a teasing smile playing on his lips:
"Teacher, you were very drunk. I was afraid you'd vomit or fall off the bed. It made me feel better to stay and watch over you.
After cleaning up the bottles, I got a bit tired and saw there was space, so I just lay down to rest for a while."
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Nonsense! This… this is outrageous!"
Liu Erlong was speechless with anger but couldn't refute his reasoning, considering she was indeed completely wasted last night.
She could only glare at him fiercely, though inwardly timid, "Don't ever do this again!"
"Alright, I'll listen to the teacher."
Dai Chengfeng readily agreed, his gaze roving over her tousled hair and flushed cheeks, naturally shifting the topic,
"Teacher, you've slept for so long, aren't you hungry? Go make us something to eat?"
Liu Erlong indeed felt her stomach empty, and her stomach was also uncomfortable after the hangover.
But agreeing outright would hurt her pride, especially in front of this student who had just "offended" her.
She curtly replied, "Not hungry! Go eat yourself!"
Dai Chengfeng acted as if he hadn't heard her refusal, casually getting out of bed and putting on his boots.
Then he turned around, looking down at Liu Erlong, still wrapped in the blanket with only her head exposed, his eyes carrying a hint of mischief and determination:
"No, fasting hurts the stomach.
Teacher, go make something to eat, simple will do."
Liu Erlong was almost driven to laughter by his audacity. He dared to sleep beside her without permission and now had the nerve to order her to cook?
Her eyebrows furrowed angrily: "Dai Chengfeng! Who do you think you're ordering around? If you're hungry, make it yourself!
I'm your teacher, not your cook!"
Upon hearing this, Dai Chengfeng, far from being angry, instead leaned down, placing both hands on either side of Liu Erlong's body on the edge of the bed, trapping her in the shadow he cast, his gaze intensely fixed on her eyes, his tone carrying just the right amount of grievance and accusation:
"Teacher, those words hurt deeply.
Have you forgotten? About three months ago, when you were in a bad mood and got dead drunk, who made you sobering soup and even served you a bowl of hot noodle soup?
I didn't utter a single complaint then.
So, is it really that hard for me to taste teacher's culinary skills?"
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)