14. If you’re not obedient, I’ll call you little friend.

Qin Zhaoyi lied to Luo Yue.

At that moment, she wasn’t in pain; she was just scared.

Nosebleeds were among Qin Zhaoyi’s greatest fears, without a doubt.

Her grandfather’s symptoms before his diagnosis were nosebleeds. At that time, Qin Zhaoyi was still young. During the summer vacation, she stayed at her grandfather’s house, reading books together in the study. When she looked up, she saw her grandfather bleeding from the nose. She panicked and ran to the bathroom.

She turned on the faucet and kept rinsing, but even the sink was filled with blood, and it still didn’t help.

Her grandfather said that nosebleeds were nothing to worry about and asked her not to tell anyone.

But those few days, her grandfather continued to have nosebleeds, and in the end, she told her mother.

Unable to resist her family’s insistence, her grandfather finally went to the hospital for an examination, which revealed cancer.

After that diagnosis, her grandfather lay in the hospital wearing a patient’s gown, growing increasingly despondent and frail.

For a period, Qin Zhaoyi believed that it was because of her that her grandfather had become like that.

Even later, she began to feel dizzy from the sight of blood, even on the occasion of her first menstruation; she almost fainted in the bathroom.

The climate in Jiayi was warm, and as a native of Jiayi, Qin Zhaoyi hadn’t had a nosebleed in many years.

But now, suddenly having a nosebleed, she was almost scared out of her wits.

Luo Yue rushed out hurriedly and saw Qin Zhaoyi tilting her head back, using her hand to catch the blood. She immediately moved Qin Zhaoyi’s hand away, then gently patted her shoulder with the other hand. “It’s okay… bend over and lower your head.”

Qin Zhaoyi’s voice trembled, “It will keep bleeding this way…”

“You could risk suffocating if you tilt your head back,” Luo Yue reassured her gently, “Nosebleeds are just the result of small blood vessels in the nose breaking. It’ll stop bleeding once it flows out.”

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t say anything more.

Luo Yue held her wrist and led her inside. At the doorway, Qin Zhaoyi shook her head, afraid of dirtying Luo Yue’s home as blood continued to drip at the entrance.

However, Luo Yue held onto her wrist and said, “It’s okay. I’ll clean it up later.”

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated but ultimately followed her into the bathroom.

The actions were almost identical to what happened with her grandfather back then.

She kept washing away the bloodstains, and the deep-red blood covered the sink, turning the clear water red.

A sense of oppression kept washing over her, and Qin Zhaoyi closed her eyes, unable to control the trembling in her body.

Luo Yue felt her trembling and asked softly, “Are you scared?”

Qin Zhaoyi stubbornly shook her head.

Seeing this, Luo Yue continued to gently wash her face, letting the water flow away. Then she used her hand to splash cold water on Qin Zhaoyi’s forehead, saying, “It’s okay, it’s just a nosebleed. You’re not used to the climate here, and nosebleeds are common. When I first came back after graduating from college, I had nosebleeds every so often. Don’t worry.”

Luo Yue’s gentle voice only slightly comforted Qin Zhaoyi’s fear, which still couldn’t be completely overcome. It was the fear of death.

Qin Zhaoyi felt as if her heart was being squeezed for some reason. Her whole body turned cold, even colder than when she was swept into the sea yesterday.

“Be good~” Luo Yue’s voice became even gentler, like coaxing a child to eat, “Just use cold water to splash a bit, and it will be fine. Later, drink a cup of hot water, and it won’t happen again.”

Qin Zhaoyi didn’t want to appear too timid, so she replied with a muffled, “Mm-hmm.”

After what felt like a long time, when Qin Zhaoyi was beginning to feel like she couldn’t hold on any longer, Luo Yue gently wiped her nose and mouth with a tissue. Then she rolled up the tissue and stuffed it into Qin Zhaoyi’s nose, still consoling her, “Your face is so beautiful; it still looks beautiful with a little blood.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Qin Zhaoyi’s ears tingled, and she felt a bit embarrassed.

Luo Yue continued, asking in a coaxing tone, “Does it still hurt, Zhaozhao?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

Muffled, she replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

She felt a lump in her chest.

Why was Luo Yue using such a tone to talk to her, as if she were consoling a child?

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Zhaoyi gazed at Luo Yue with a look of grievance and dissatisfaction in her eyes.

However, Luo Yue didn’t seem to notice and used a towel to wipe away the water stains on Qin Zhaoyi’s forehead. “Just get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll be fine tomorrow. Drink some hot water.”

Her way of comforting people was quite one-dimensional: drink hot water and get a good night’s sleep.

Qin Zhaoyi couldn’t help but complain in her mind.

But she still found it comforting, although…

Qin Zhaoyi sighed, “I’ve already told you, don’t use that tone with me.”

Due to the discomfort, her voice was a bit hoarse and strained.

Listening to her, it sounded like she was scolding.

Luo Yue blinked and then smiled, “Okay.”

Qin Zhaoyi muttered, “But you’re only three years older than me.”

Luo Yue nodded, “I know, Zhaozhao.”

When Luo Yue called her “Zhaozhao,” she used a very soft and indulgent tone, as if she were pampering her. Although she was calling her normally, Qin Zhaoyi always felt like she was treating her like a student and trying to coax her, which made her unhappy.

“Don’t call my name like that,” Qin Zhaoyi said.

She had just experienced a major shock and hadn’t completely recovered yet. While speaking, she stared at Luo Yue and felt like there was a layer of mist between them.

Speaking also felt wronged.

Luo Yue hesitated for a moment, then patted her shoulder and asked seriously, “Don’t you think ‘Zhaozhao’ sounds like a child’s name?”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

“Should I call you something else?” Luo Yue asked.

Qin Zhaoyi: “…”

“Maybe I should just call you by your full name,” Luo Yue suggested. “That way, you won’t feel like I’m calling you a child.”

Qin Zhaoyi hesitated for two seconds and then said, “Never mind, just call me Zhaozhao.”

A child was still better than being indistinguishable from the crowd.

Qin Zhaoyi felt a bit better now.

However, there were bloodstains from the courtyard to the bathroom, and it was horrifying to look at.

Luo Yue simply grabbed a new pack of wet wipes and crouched down to clean them up.

Qin Zhaoyi felt guilty watching her, so she crouched down beside her and grabbed the wet wipes. “Let me do it.”

“Huh?” Luo Yue was surprised. “Aren’t you about to faint from the sight of blood?”

Qin Zhaoyi did look a little uncomfortable, but she could endure it. She believed that if she made a mess, she should clean it up herself. With this belief in mind, she bent over to clean up.

However, Luo Yue directly took the wet wipes from her hand and said, “You go back and blow-dry your hair. I’ll take care of this.”

“Why should you help me clean up the mess I made?” Qin Zhaoyi asked.

Luo Yue was puzzled. “This is my house.”

Qin Zhaoyi: “?”

So what?

Seeing Qin Zhaoyi looking bewildered, Luo Yue couldn’t help but reach out and touch her head, almost consoling her as she said, “You go blow-dry your hair and then lie down in bed. I’ll bring you a cup of hot water later.”

Qin Zhaoyi felt a warm current surging in her heart and couldn’t help moving closer to her. “Why are you so good to me?”

The words “Are you interested in me” were on the tip of her tongue, but Luo Yue interrupted her with a voice, “If you don’t behave, I’ll call you ‘little friend’!”

Qin Zhaoyi: “…Not allowed.”

Only after saying this did she realize that her tone sounded particularly tender.