thefictionvixens Chapter 1368 Companionship
Chapter 1368 Companionship
At this moment, Ying was much more stable than when she first woke up in the morning, when she was acting crazy and crying.
She stopped crying and making a fuss, and stopped talking nonsense. She just leaned against the headboard, her upper body slightly straight, her lower body covered with soft bedding, and she exuded an indescribable loneliness.
Ying's face was droopy, her eyelashes drooped, obscuring the emotions in her eyes. She looked listless and dispirited, which made Shao Yun's heart ache.
He walked quickly to the bedside, making all his movements as soft as possible so as not to disturb her. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed, reached out a hand, and gently put his arm around Ying's shoulder.
"Honey, come here, lean on me and lie down for a while."
Then, he turned slightly to the side, further indicating that Ying could rest her head on his lap, hoping to make her more relaxed.
Ying did not resist at all, obediently tilting her body slightly and slowly resting her head on Shao Yun's lap, then gently closing her eyes.
The familiar scent enveloped her; it was Shao Yun's unique fragrance that made her feel at ease. A long-lost sense of security welled up in her heart, and the panic and restlessness in her heart gradually subsided.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, shining gently through the clean glass and casting golden spots on the floor, which also fell on the two of them, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Shao Yun raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against Ying's soft hair, patiently manipulating it again and again.
Like a kitten that has let down its guard, Ying rested her head on his lap obediently, her breathing gradually becoming steady and relaxed, quietly enjoying this tranquility and warmth that she couldn't tell if it was real or not.
The room was quiet, with only the occasional birdsong coming from outside the window and the soft breathing of the two people. The time was peaceful and the warmth lingered.
After an unknown amount of time, the sunlight gradually moved overhead. Shao Yun looked down at Ying, who was lying calmly on his lap. He could clearly see her long eyelashes and faint tear stains on her face, and knew that she had truly calmed down.
He spoke softly, his voice low, tentatively asking, "Wife... are you feeling better?"
Upon hearing Shao Yun's voice, Ying slowly opened her eyes. The confusion and panic in her eyes had faded, leaving only a faint sense of guilt and tenderness.
She shifted slightly, moving her head off Shao Yun's lap, slowly sitting up straight. Then she looked up, staring blankly into Shao Yun's eyes, her eyes slightly red, her voice choked with emotion, apologizing again and again.
"Honey, I'm so sorry, so sorry... I'm so useless..."
Looking at Ying's sudden apology and the guilt in her eyes, Shao Yun felt both heartache and helplessness.
He quickly reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms again, letting her lean on his shoulder. He gently patted her back, trying to ease her guilt with humor, and said in a lighthearted tone:
"Don't be so self-deprecating, okay?"
As he spoke, he solemnly raised his hand and gently patted Ying's little head.
"Your little head is only good for showing off your height. As for the hard work of thinking, leave it to that restless guy Yuan Shang."
Ying leaned on Shao Yun's shoulder, listening to his rambling yet doting words, and her tense emotions instantly relaxed.
She pouted slightly and softly murmured towards Shao Yun's shoulder, "Mmm..."
All the guilt and unease seemed to gradually dissipate with that soft murmur.
Leaning on Shao Yun's shoulder, feeling the warmth and security emanating from him, Ying took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and tried to sort out the chaotic thoughts and fragments of memory in her mind.
The distorted, terrifying images still lingered in her mind, leaving her with lingering fear. After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and whispered:
"I feel like I'm going crazy... I don't know why, but the images of me killing you, or killing my brother, keep flashing through my mind. Those images are terrifyingly real..."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun stiffened slightly, then smiled helplessly, reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone teasing and reassuring, trying to ease her fear.
"What are you talking about, silly girl? Look, your brother and I are both alive and well, aren't we?"
"You weren't hurt or anything, you must have had a nightmare that was too vivid for you to understand, which is why you're confused and can't distinguish between dreams and reality."
At this moment, Shao Yun had already made up his mind.
Ying had an extremely terrifying and realistic nightmare. The images in the dream were so shocking that she remained trapped in it even after waking up, losing control of her emotions and talking nonsense.
He thought that, following the advice of the mother goat, as long as he stayed with her and waited for her to fully recover, everything would be alright.
But Ying gently shook her head, her eyes filled with even greater confusion. She raised her hand, gently touched her cheek, and said uncertainly:
“I don’t know… I can’t even tell if I’m still dreaming or awake… The images were so real, so real that I thought I really did those terrible things.”
Seeing Ying's absent-minded state, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams, Shao Yun felt both heartache and helplessness, and could only try to use jokes to bring her back to her senses.
He raised an eyebrow and joked in a relaxed tone, "It's definitely real. If you don't believe me, pinch yourself. If it hurts, you're awake. If it doesn't hurt, you're dreaming."
Shao Yun's words were just a casual joke, meant to tease her and put her at ease; he never expected her to actually do it. But to his utter surprise, Ying took it seriously. Her face remained expressionless, and she simply responded with a flat, emotionless "Oh..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ying raised her other hand and reached for her arm without hesitation. She pinched down hard with her fingertips, showing no mercy whatsoever, as if she really wanted to use this pain to verify whether she was dreaming.
Shao Yun reacted quickly. Seeing Yingzhen about to hurt him, his expression changed instantly. He couldn't joke anymore and quickly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and forcefully pulled her hand off his arm.
"Hey! You're crazy! Are you stupid?! I was just kidding, and you actually pinched yourself!"
He gripped Ying's wrist tightly and looked down at her arm, where a faint red mark had been left on her fair skin.
He gently rubbed her arm, which had been pinched red, and his tone softened.
"From now on, I should keep you locked up in your room. You're so naive, what if you get scammed if you go out?"
Looking at Shao Yun's anxious and helpless expression, Ying tilted her head and asked innocently, "No, did you tell me to pinch him? I did exactly as you said."
She was completely oblivious to Shao Yun's joking tone, and felt a little wronged because she had obediently listened to him but was instead scolded.
Seeing Ying's sudden loss of common sense and her serious, earnest demeanor, Shao Yun was both amused and exasperated. He grinned and reached out to tap her forehead.
"I was just saying, joking with you! Would you really agree if I said I wanted to have a second child with you now, to give Xi a younger brother or sister?"
He had intended to use this outrageous joke to tease Ying and also to change the subject of pinching himself earlier.
But to Shao Yun's utter surprise, Ying still didn't pick up on the joke and immediately nodded without hesitation, agreeing earnestly and readily:
"Okay, now?" As soon as she finished speaking, she reached out and slowly began to unbutton her nightgown, looking like she really wanted to cooperate with Shao Yun immediately and give Xi a younger brother or sister.
Seeing this, Shao Yun quickly reached out and pressed down on Ying's hand, which was untying the ribbon, hurriedly stopping her actions and abruptly halting the tangent in the conversation:
"No, no, no! We're not kidding anymore! Let's be serious!"
As he spoke, he gently removed her hand from her nightgown. Luckily, he stopped her in time, otherwise things would have gotten out of control.
This is not the time to do this in broad daylight!
After calming his flustered emotions, Shao Yun's expression gradually became serious. He gently took Ying's hand and began to ask what had happened.
Could it really be related to what Kong said?
"Honey, let me ask you, is it because your brother and I discussed going to Zhidong without any regard for the consequences last night that you're unhappy and feel burdened? Is that why you had nightmares and are so emotionally distraught?"
"Go...go until winter?"
When the words "going to winter" reached Ying's ears, it was like a wake-up call.
Fragments of memories surged wildly in her mind, the despair and pain, and the terrible things she had done herself, instantly engulfing her.
She stared blankly at Shao Yun, with only one thought in her mind: Had she... reloaded her save file again?
Seeing Ying suddenly become confused, empty, and lost, Shao Yun quickly and gently shook her hand.
“Yes, we discussed it last night and decided to go to Zhidong. I know you’ve always loved adventure, and I know you probably don’t want to stay in one place for too long. I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill your adventurous desires, but… you know the current situation, and I hope you can understand.”
Ying remained seated, not responding to Shao Yun's words, only repeatedly muttering, "Going to Zhidong... going to Zhidong again..."
The confusion and fear in her eyes grew stronger. She didn't know what to do. If she could really do it all over again, could she stop those terrible things from happening?