CH 36

Chapter 36: Recovery

The next day, Lin Xin found another one of Lin Xinyu’s apples sitting outside her windowsill, along with a few more candies. The girl went outside and chewed on the apple by the window before entering her room. After two to three days, Lin Xin’s wounds gradually began to recover and she could finally get out of bed.

The children in the orphanage only knew that she stayed in a separate room from them due to her sickness, but they didn’t know what was the cause of her illness. When they saw her walk out of the house, the children ran to her side and greeted her. With so many kids crowding around her, Lin Xinyu was pushed to the side about two meters away. After they asked her how she was, the children soon scattered.

The body’s fitness is key. Lin Xin knew she could only recovery from a serious illness by strengthening herself physically. The girl walked slowly along the wall for a short exercise. After taking three steps forward, she stopped for a rest. At this time, Lin Xinyu secretly followed from her behind like a small dog as she circled the entire courtyard two to three times.

When Lin Xin felt overcome by fatigue and couldn’t move, she found a rock to sit on while she basked under the sun. Lin Xinyu inched closer to her side. He wanted to speak to her, but because he was afraid she would abandon him, he hesitated to go up and speak to her. When he saw the thin beads of sweat trickle down her forehead, he thought to himself, ‘She must be tired, or thirsty, or she could be hungry too.’ Lin Xinyu gave himself a good excuse, so he finally approached her and handed her an apple.

Lin Xinyu knew that she despised him. He was downtrodden when she told him those hurtful words, so he tried to convince himself not to be friends with her again. But when the evening came, he always thought to himself, ‘Will she be hungry in her room?’

In the middle of the night, he secretly placed an apple on her window sill.

She ended up eating it.

And he felt very happy.

This continued on for a second day, and a third day…the moment she would bite into the apples he brought seemed to bring him joy that was greater than the pain her indifference to him.

He felt as if he was possessed by a demon for still following her, but what of it? He still felt elated. Those hurtful words were nothing.

Lin Xin guessed that the boy’s perseverance was greater than that of ordinary people. As she tried to treat him with indifference, she kept struggling to suppress the guilt within her heart by saying to herself over and over again, ‘Just ignore him, you just have to ignore him’ which caused her inner pain.

Lin Xinyu asked, “You don’t want to eat?”

Lin Xin bowed her head and replied, “It’s dirty.”

Lin Xinyu took the apple and wiped it on his pants, then handed it to her. “It’s clean now.”

Lin Xin glanced around at the corners to see if the Dean was peaking at them from a hidden place. She wanted to warn the boy, but she couldn’t take the risk.

Finally, Lin Xin gritted her teeth and decided to take the apple from his hands.

Lin Xinyu joyfully looked up at her and sincerely prayed that she would eat all of it as she had done many times in the past. As long as she ate it, he would be happy. At least that was all he needed.

Lin Xin took a bite of the apple, then another, and then another.

Lin Xinyu waited for her to take the fourth bite, when suddenly she asked, “Are happy just by watching me eat apples?”

The boy lowered his head.

I’ve been eating plenty of apples these days. I don’t do it because I like you, I just eat because I really like apples.”

Lin Xinyu’s eyes brightened up when he heard her say ‘I really like apples.’ He appeared like a child who was praised by his mother.

Lin Xin continued so say in a tone of annoyance “And what’s more, your actions bother me. I’m a very soft-hearted person who can’t bear to look at miserable people.”

She feels sorry for me? She probably felt pity for me from the beginning. Instead of experiencing heartache from her displeasure, Lin Xinyu felt fortunate that he was able to make her feel worried about him.

ED: adorable gaaaahhhhh