PSMD – Chapter 73

Qiu Yang’s words weren’t actually loud, but they still entered Shen Ningruo’s ears, word for word, amplifying continuously and echoing.

-Why aren’t you coaxing me yet?

Shen Ningruo had never thought she’d see a day like this, where a sentence or two from the other person could soften her heart to such an extent that she didn’t know what to do.

But Qiu Yang herself had spoken. Shen Ningruo knew that if she still didn’t say something, Qiu Yang truly wouldn’t forgive her.

She hadn’t really coaxed anyone before, but she wasn’t an idiot. Couldn’t she figure it out herself?

Was coaxing someone really that hard? She didn’t believe it.

She, who had excelled in her studies since childhood, who had excelled at everything she did since childhood, could she possibly lack talent in coaxing?

She didn’t believe it.

Shen Ningruo looked at the lump huddled under the covers, her gaze softer than sunlight. She reached out and touched the duvet, as if touching Qiu Yang herself, and first called out, “Xiao Yang.”

Qiu Yang didn’t make a sound this time, just quietly lifted the edge of the duvet a little, letting fresh air in for her to breathe.

After calling out, Shen Ningruo paused for several seconds. Just when Qiu Yang thought nothing more would follow, she heard Shen Ningruo’s voice again: “Wuwuwu, I was wrong.”

This was the second time Shen Ningruo had “wuwuwu-ed” in front of Qiu Yang, and also the second time in her life. She had never yielded to anyone before, nor acted spoiled towards anyone.

Shen Ningruo had thought of one element of coaxing: act pitiful, make the other person unable to bear it. Her mind spun before landing on this tactic.

Before Qiu Yang rushed over to take care of her last time, she had “wuwuwu-ed” at Qiu Yang.

Unsure if this would work, Shen Ningruo sat down on the edge of the bed. Her body pressed onto the duvet, still “wuwuwu-ing”: “I was really wrong, I really didn’t mean it, wuwuwu.”

Qiu Yang: “…”

Help, why is it this style?

Qiu Yang’s heart softened directly. After calling Shen Ningruo in the early morning, she thought there wouldn’t be any follow-up. Unexpectedly, Shen Ningruo had come over despite the cold. How could she continue to be heartless?

No one had ever cared about her like this. She knew her anger hadn’t subsided, but that didn’t conflict with her heart slowly softening towards Shen Ningruo.

Having someone rush over immediately upon receiving your call in the middle of the night is a very fortunate thing for anyone.

Shen Ningruo continued, pressing her head down too, acting very genuinely, as if she were really about to cry: “I came knocking last night, you turned off the light. I thought you never wanted to see me again. I was so sad.”

“When I got your call, I was so worried again. I just wanted to come find you, even if you wouldn’t open the door for me, I still wanted to appear by your side immediately.”

“Xiao Yang, Xiao Yang, Xiao Yang, can you look at me, please?”

Shen Ningruo first played the victim, then started acting spoiled. She didn’t know if it would work, but it was best to use everything she had.

Qiu Yang pursed her lips, but a slight curve appeared at the corners, though not very obvious, and she didn’t peek out from under the covers.

She wasn’t that easy to coax.

Shen Ningruo realized this too. So she thought for a moment, then simply started shaking her body, mimicking children she occasionally saw on the street demanding toys from their parents, still repeating the same phrases: “Xiao Yang, Xiao Yang, look at me.”

“If you don’t look at me, I’m going to get dizzy from shaking, wuwuwu.”

This wasn’t false; Shen Ningruo felt she really was about to get dizzy. She occasionally glanced up at the head of the bed, but Qiu Yang still showed no movement. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore, quietly pushed the duvet forward, lifted a corner, and peeked her head in.

She saw Qiu Yang with her eyes closed, looking as if she were asleep.

Shen Ningruo habitually tapped her nose with her fingertip again, feeling somewhat helpless.

Coaxing people really is a technical skill.

She was still a beginner exploring, far from mastery.

Just as she felt a bit defeated, lowering her eyelids, when she looked up again, she saw Qiu Yang looking at her, her gaze calm.

Shen Ningruo tensed up, unconsciously swallowing, then forced an awkward smile, “Aw… awake?”

She didn’t even know what to say.

Qiu Yang gave a cool “Mm,” then said with a hoarse voice, “You’re pressing on me.”

“I’ll get up right away,” Shen Ningruo said, about to push herself up, afraid of making Qiu Yang uncomfortable.

But Qiu Yang didn’t let her.

Qiu Yang flipped over, pinning her down, immobilizing her. The duvet covered Shen Ningruo’s body. She looked at Qiu Yang in astonishment, unsure of the purpose or meaning behind this action.

However…

Qiu Yang seemed to have calmed down somewhat. Although her eyes remained indifferent, Shen Ningruo caught a hint of a smile, though she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination.

“How are you…” Qiu Yang’s gaze traveled down from Shen Ningruo’s eyes, passing over the slight dark circles under her eyes and her dry lips, before meeting Shen Ningruo’s eyes again, finishing her sentence, “…so silly?”

Shen Ningruo’s eyelashes trembled. Her body was currently restrained, unable to move, but Qiu Yang wasn’t heavy, so being pinned down didn’t feel uncomfortable.

As if she hadn’t heard Qiu Yang clearly, Shen Ningruo asked uncertainly, “What?”

Qiu Yang didn’t answer. She lay down, burying her face in the crook of Shen Ningruo’s neck. She took a deep breath, but due to her stuffy nose, it was difficult. She had to open her mouth to complete the action smoothly.

“Just holding me would have been enough,” Qiu Yang closed her eyes. She couldn’t smell Shen Ningruo’s lemon scent now, but it didn’t matter. Her suspended heart finally landed steadily.

Shen Ningruo’s throat tightened, “Okay.”

“I’ll always hold you.”

“My… my Xiao Yang, get well soon from your cold.”

Shen Ningruo almost said “Our Xiao Yang” again, but the term automatically changed as it reached her lips.

What was that?

She didn’t want to share with others.

Qiu Yang was hers.

Hers.

This address made Qiu Yang’s breath catch for a moment. Then, hidden from Shen Ningruo’s view, the corners of her mouth curled up again, the curve growing wider and wider.

Tao Sixian had actually coaxed Qiu Yang before. During their three years of dating, it wasn’t as if they never had conflicts, just not frequently. Later on, Tao Sixian lost patience, and Qiu Yang would start reflecting on whether she was being too dramatic.

But ultimately, wasn’t she actually easy to coax?

Yet some people were just unwilling.

Qiu Yang didn’t know if Shen Ningruo was that kind of person, but she felt Shen Ningruo was very different from Tao Sixian. Tao Sixian wouldn’t rush over just because of one phone call, but Shen Ningruo would.

So she was willing to give Shen Ningruo a chance.

As it turned out, it wasn’t that Shen Ningruo wouldn’t coax her, but that Shen Ningruo didn’t know how.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Someone like Shen Ningruo, even when dating previously, was probably the one being coaxed.

The queen wears a crown, but Qiu Yang specifically wanted to see the crown fall.

Specifically wanted to see Shen Ningruo bow her head to her.

Fortunately, she was more important than the crown. Shen Ningruo had already deployed many skills just to coax her and make her happy.

Even if she needed reminding, even if she was clumsy and didn’t know the shortcuts.

It didn’t matter; she could give Shen Ningruo time.

No one in the world is perfect; everyone has flaws, more or less. She would personally “train” the person before her.

After hugging through the duvet for a while, Qiu Yang felt the urge to cough. She got off Shen Ningruo and lay down on her side to cough.

Shen Ningruo patted her back. After Qiu Yang felt better, she went out, brought in the warmed porridge, placed it aside, and then brought in hot water.

Pingzi watched this person coming and going, curious about what was happening. It finally jumped down from its hanging bed, followed her into the bedroom, and hopped onto the bed.

Qiu Yang sat up against the headboard. The sunlight had already reached the duvet. Pingzi, essentially just changing spots to sunbathe, lay at the foot of the bed watching them.

It was Shen Ningruo’s first time taking care of someone. Her hands holding the bowl and spoon trembled slightly, like coaxing a child: “Be good, eat your food, then take your medicine.”

Qiu Yang looked at her for a couple of seconds, neither nodding nor shaking her head, cooperatively opening her mouth to swallow the porridge Shen Ningruo fed her.

Shen Ningruo’s eyes curved in satisfaction, “Very good.”

“My Xiao Yang.”

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