Uneasy daily life

"Concentrate and don't get distracted."

"Yes!"

……

……

Spring has already begun, and the cold of winter is only a small part left. In the short span of time, the expansion and contraction of temperature is enough to haunt people with nightmares.

Was it because of playing a female water ghost in a previous film? Or because I stayed up a little late last night practicing my acting skills since it's a holiday today? Or perhaps I unfortunately caught something during this seasonal change?

Mai Sakurajima woke up to find her nose stuffy, so she promptly canceled her plans to go to the film set. After a quick breakfast, she took a warm bath, took cold medicine, and drank cold medicine granules. This whole process successfully triggered her sneezing symptoms.

When you start to experience noticeable discomfort, it means that the root of the illness has taken deep root in your body, and symptoms will appear one after another.

As soon as I changed into my pajamas and lay down in bed, dizziness unsurprisingly followed.

Hopefully, I won't develop any fever or other symptoms, otherwise I'll have to go to the hospital quickly to avoid delaying the crew's work.

...Should I be proud of myself for knowing the procedures for dealing with illness so well?

Speaking of which, my mother used to be by my side when I was sick... Now we're both busy with our own things, I wonder if she'll have to take care of herself when she gets sick? Since we've had this open conversation, maybe we can get her back to being my manager...

I wonder if Kaori will be able to adapt to the film crew. Since her mother is Sweet Bullet's manager, there shouldn't be any problems outside of filming... As for filming, it's really hard to feel any pressure on Director Nian's crew...

The hater should be with Angelina right now, right? Superpowers causing earthquakes and stuff like that can't be ignored... It would be so much better if he suddenly called or sent a message, so he could naturally say he's sick...

Calling or texting your hater... No, that would be like being a spoiled brat, wouldn't it?

Adults should learn to take care of themselves. If they become too accustomed to relying on each other, they are prone to having too many expectations. The disappointment that comes after those expectations are not met can destroy what was originally a good relationship.

Being sick can really make you weak and generate a lot of messy thoughts.

Alas, how weak I am...

If the hater shows up on his own, then give him a kiss, okay?

Mai Sakurajima convinced herself, so she pulled the covers up, closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and drifted off to sleep without thinking about anything.

I squinted my heavy eyelids, unable to discern which time the light belonged to, whether it came from a light bulb or the sun.

A familiar figure sat by the window, head down, fiddling with his phone, his heavy thoughts slowly beginning to stir...

Hater? Are you dreaming?

"Wake up."

There were still some indistinct figures who reached for a cup from the side: "Come on, drink some water after waking up to help with urination and detoxification..."

Not a dream?

Mai Sakurajima blinked a few times, her dazed and confused eyes gradually clearing. She subconsciously propped herself up on the bed, her head and body still feeling heavy and muddy, as if they didn't belong to her. But a strange strength welled up in her heart, and she threw her upper body into the other person's arms, pulling the blanket to the side with her legs, making the blanket look like a messy bird's nest.

"Um……"

With her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting against his chest, nestled casually in his embrace, Mai Sakurajima lazily praised, "Not bad, I'll give you a high score..."

"Have some water."

"feed me."

Mai Sakurajima was too lazy to let go, her eyes were still a little hazy and tired, and she only slightly parted her thin cherry-like lips to reveal a few white teeth.

Bring the cup to your lips, tilt it slowly, and sip the cooled but incredibly refreshing water.

Gulu gulu...

Maintaining an awkward posture, Mai Sakurajima unknowingly finished a glass of water. Her thoughts cleared a little, and she turned her head to look at the white figure's chin. Suddenly, she had the urge to take a deep breath and continue to lean against him and take another nap: "Phew... How did Black Fan know I was sick?"

"The stick figure said you didn't go to the film set."

"Today is a holiday."

"If you're worried about the stick figure's performance and have a serious and rigorous attitude towards the actor's profession, you have many reasons not to give yourself a break."

"I might also have a sudden urge."

"It just so happened that I had a sudden urge to do it."

"I might also be in the hospital."

"It's more likely that someone will take care of themselves."

"Uh-huh……"

Sakurajima Mai seemed unable to think of anything to deliberately provoke him. She hugged the white figure slightly and squeezed her body closer, completely unaware that her chest was pressed against the other person's abdomen. She casually chatted, "Having such a gentle and proper girlfriend who can take care of herself, you've hit the jackpot, haven't you?"

"Are you being coquettish? Brave Plus."

"No, that's not it." Mai Sakurajima squinted comfortably, feeling as if she were soaking in a hot spring, with warm liquid flowing through her body. She chuckled lightly, seemingly a little vaguely, "In short, the hater-kun found an opportunity to show off. I'm fair and square, so I can give you a reward—what kind of reward do you want?"

Luo Baiying said, "I'm saying you're a pig."

Sakurajima Mai, with her hands around her waist, lightly pinched him through her clothes: "You're a pig—okay, be serious, this coupon won't last."

"Your fever is quite high." Bai Ying thought for a moment, then said seriously, "I heard there's a folk remedy in Japan where you insert scallions into chrysanthemums; it's said to effectively treat colds. As a reward..."

"Stop joking around at a time like this. Do you think this is a TV drama or an anime?" Mai Sakurajima said with slight displeasure. "Anyway, just tell me what reward you want..."

Bai Ying said, "I'm not joking, I even brought the scallions."

"?" Sakurajima Mai was taken aback. "Green onion? Where..."

She felt a tug on her pajama bottoms belt and was startled, turning her head to look in Bai Ying's arms.

Yukinoshita lay on her side on the bed, her face solemn. She gripped Sakurajima Mai's belt with one hand and held a large green onion high in the other, saying earnestly, "Sakurajima! Don't worry, even though you have a high fever, just this one green onion will quickly cure your cold and bring down your fever..."

Sakurajima Mai froze for a few seconds, then broke out in a cold sweat, instantly becoming incredibly sober.

"You two—get out of my house!"

The sounds of shame and indignation exploded in the room.

written request for leave

I'll stop here for today and try to update during the day. I'm practically turning into a monster from the underworld...

I'm having a real headache figuring out what to write next. I've already listed out all the stories I want to write in this volume, but I just can't seem to get going. I basically just write a little bit of romance each day to fill up the word count, and I try to push the plot forward in a superficial way, barely managing to keep updating.

Ah, I'd like to skip the setup and just jump straight into the plot – there's no mourning for Bai Ying's death, and Bai Ying No. 2 is the one who immediately arrives at the battlefield... If I did that, I'd probably get bombarded by the readers first and become another author who gets blown up by Hedgehog Cat, making history. Thinking about it like that is actually quite interesting ().

Just kidding. You want me to come up with some creative ideas? I don't even know how. Right now, I can't come up with anything interesting. I can't write any sweet or engaging romance scenes. The pre-set plot just keeps going around in circles at the door, and I just can't seem to get it going. It just feels so awkward.

Although there are many problems, I can only find a way to get through them on my own. I'm sorry that reading this is painful for many people, but I have no choice but to try my best to write. I'm going to lie down.

Please accept this! It's my last leave request of the month!

touch!

Chapter Nineteen: Who Should We Kill First?

"Falling in love is like getting sick, like having a virus."

Yukino Yukinoshita held her phone, the screen playing a recording from earlier—someone who had just woken up, groggily, spoke and looked very composed, but her actions were characterized by a tight hug and clingy affection: "Next, please welcome the authoritative expert, Dr. Bai, to give us a science lesson."

"Well... the main symptoms of this disease are slowed thinking, broken logic, and a shrinking of thinking ability. The specific manifestations vary from person to person..."

Bai Ying spoke with a cacophony of interjections, sounding like a technically savvy scholar who wasn't good at public speaking: "Let's take 'Brave Plus' as an example. The strong-willed and self-reliant 'Brave Plus' is used to taking care of herself when she has a cold, trying not to rely on others. But because she's sick, she softens and wants to be pampered. Because of her self-reliance, her words don't sound like pampering, but rather like praise and approval—'You did a great job, I'll give you a high score!' or 'I can give you a reward!' Her thinking ability and attention have been affected by this illness. She didn't notice you filming her from behind, nor did she think about how I, without her house key, managed to appear by her bedside..."

"Oh dear, you're quite ill indeed." Yukinoshita Haruno nodded seriously. "So sick that you've forgotten everything else, your eyes are only on Dr. Shiro, you're all drunk but pretending to be sober, that's what you call refusing to see a doctor..."

"This is an illness, it needs treatment!" Bai Ying praised, "Nurse Yukinoshita did a good job, the rescue was very effective."

"It's just so-so, but Dr. Bai's treatments are still the best."

"But instead of grabbing your waistband, you should poke your butt with a scallion; that should be more effective."

"That's true..."

The two held a post-operative meeting at the dining table, taking turns to talk.

Mai Sakurajima calmly took a sip of rice porridge. The rice grains, cooked until they burst open, had a slightly salty and sweet taste, mixed with bits of mushy ham and a few chopped vegetables. After a few sips, her empty stomach warmed up. She exhaled and chuckled lightly, "In that situation, I really couldn't control myself. I only had eyes for Black Fan-kun and didn't even notice that Haruno-san was there. How rude of me."

Yukino's smile brightened even more.

"The Brave Plus has unleashed a provocation!" Bai Ying, switching from doctor to host, exclaimed, "The effect is outstanding!"

“I made the porridge.” Yukinoshita Haruno said kindly, “Mai, take good care of yourself. Since you’re sick, rest well. Don’t be stubborn like Yukino-chan. It really worries me.”

"9528 used 'I'm the Boss'! The effect..."

"I've heard that as people get older, their hearts become dulled, and it becomes difficult for them to feel intense emotions." Mai Sakurajima sighed dramatically and shook her head slightly. "Compared to Ms. Haruno, I am indeed not very rational. Please excuse my rudeness."

Bai Ying slammed his hand on the table: "Brave Plus used Foresight Parry—you're definitely not getting any younger! The effect..."

The white figure looked up and met Yukino's smiling face, which was narrowed into a slit.

"Ahem, stop arguing..." Bai Ying coughed and advised, "Arguing is useless; strength is the only reason to be king."

Sakurajima Mai finished her bowl of porridge in small sips and chuckled, "So, you mean it's about who can beat the hater-kun?"

"There's another way to decide the winner, which is my vote for someone—in the style of light novels, you can start bidding and raising your stakes... Hmm? Don't quite understand? In short, it's like this—"

White Shadow Sakurajima Mai turned to Yukinoshita and said in a booming voice, "Black Powder! I just worked up a sweat, come and wipe my back!"

Before the two could react, Shiroki Yukinoshita shouted at Sakurajima Mai, "You jerk! I'm thirsty too, feed me water, and don't use a cup!"

"It's definitely better to take a shower after waking up. My hater came into the bathroom and helped me scrub my back!"

"You little rascal, let me hug you. I'm sure I'll be gentler than Mai-chan!"

"The bedroom's over there! You hater, come here! Come on! Get in bed with me!"

"I know the Civil Affairs Bureau very well, let's go get the marriage certificate!"

"I don't want a certificate!"

After a series of rapid and intense bidding wars, and a period of internal turmoil, Bai Ying raised her hands to calm herself, looked at the two bewildered individuals, and asked, "When will you start bidding?"

Step on someone's foot.

Sakurajima Mai pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth: "Haku-kun's strategy is to sit back and watch the tigers fight? I think you're asking for it..."

"Hey hey hey! I can offer even more!" Yukinoshita Haruno raised her hand and said, "How about tying Mai-nee-san to the bed?"

Mai Sakurajima: "?!"

Bai Ying hesitated and said, "You're going to guard the gate outside? That's not a good idea..."

Yukinoshita Yono: "?"

“Indeed, I didn’t expect Ms. Haruno to be so adventurous.” Mai Sakurajima shook her head and sighed, getting up with a look of unbearable disapproval. “I’m going to take a shower and change my clothes. I hope you two won’t do anything strange in someone else’s house.”

Yukinoshita raised her hand and said, "Is it possible that this is my home?"

"There's another possibility: the rental agreement I signed is with your family's company, not you."

Sakurajima Mai left the living room and went inside to find a change of clothes. A moment later, she heard the bathroom door close.

"Sigh~" Yukinoshita Haruno propped her cheek up and said with a smile, "Mai-chan is definitely not as interesting as Hana-chan and Yukino-chan, don't you think?"

Bai Ying moved her chair back a little: "There's no one here now, you can be more direct."

"uh-huh?"

Yukinoshita asked in confusion, "What did you say? I don't understand."

The white figure patted its thigh: "No one has claimed this place."

"Hey." Yukino Yukinoshita pouted slightly, "As your boyfriend, shouldn't you be the one to take the initiative? I see you're quite proactive with Mai-chan, aren't you?"

"If I take the initiative, my sister will probably say I'm deliberately trying to please you, trying to be fair to you, that I'm not sincere at all, and that I'm just forced by life to do so." Bai Ying raised her hand and counted on her fingers, complaining softly, "In the end, it's always my fault..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Change your tone, this is too numbing!"

"Okay!" Bai Ying's expression turned serious, and she said coldly, "If you want to do it, just do it. What kind of behavior is this, hiding and being coy? You should have an upright demeanor. Of course, sexual intercourse is not..."

"Stop! You're making it feel even weirder!"

Yukinoshita rubbed the goosebumps on her hands, unable to suppress her stare at Shiro a few times. She coughed slightly, glanced in the direction of the bathroom, and could vaguely hear the sound of water. Then she reached out and smoothed the hair on the side of her head, fell to the side, and pressed her head against Shiro's legs.

"Hmm...it doesn't feel very comfortable, it's hard."

Yukinoshita raised her legs from under the chair, lay down on her own chair, rested her head on Shiro's lap, and frowned as she commented, "Unacceptable."