Uneasy daily life

"Then I'll have to lie to you—brave warrior! I've accidentally been poisoned by aphrodisiacs, and I can only detox by doing naughty things, otherwise I'll die from the poison!"

"Then... there's nothing we can do..."

First, trick me into a princess carry, then trick me into the bedroom, and then trick me into a kiss.

Bai Ying turned off the light, lit the candles on the candlestick, and placed them on the bedside table.

The bright candlelight illuminated the night, creating a hazy scene. Yukino Yukinoshita leaned against the candlelight, releasing her arms from her chest. She turned her head slightly, staring at the small flame rising from the candle, her face appearing even more rosy.

Bai Ying took a light breath and leaned closer to her, pretending that she was going to make her cry.

Yukino Yukinoshita was deceived because the white shadow was slow and gentle, and this time, which allowed her to think rationally, was even more embarrassing than the first time.

The candle melts the accumulated snow into a stream, her lips pressed together, her tender hands silent.

I rowed slowly, picking plum blossoms, the lingering fragrance on my teeth a sign of my resentment at being deceived.

In the candlelight, Yukino Yukinoshita breathed softly, leaning against the pillow, her eyes still shimmering with emotion, yet still somewhat listless.

The white figure touched the teeth marks on its shoulder; another small piece of evidence to play a trick on the hero, but for now…

"Let's go take a shower."

"……Um."

After taking a shower, I got dressed again and covered myself with the blanket.

Snow, which had recovered sometime earlier, quietly watched the white figure busy at work until the white figure slid into the quilt.

Goodnight, blow out the candle if you think it's too bright.

The white figure closed its eyes, then a finger poked its face.

"Where's the poem?" The candlelight was still on, and Yukino's eyes shone brightly.

Bai Ying: "...You brave warrior, it's one thing to always urge me to write manuscripts, but now you're even urging me to write poems?"

"Hmm..." Yukino Yukinoshita pursed her lips, deciding to pretend she hadn't heard. "Where's the poem?"

Bai Ying: "..."

Yukino Yukinoshita moved closer, grabbed the white figure's arm and shook it, like a child expecting a birthday present: "Poetry?"

White Shadow: "You'll bite me."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "...a pervert."

Seeing that Yukino seemed a little disappointed, Shiro turned over and took the phone: "Do you remember the ending theme of the movie?"

"The lyrics you wrote?" Yukino Yukinoshita blinked, snuggled closer into the blankets, and tilted her head to look at the phone screen held up by the white figure.

"The lyrics were adapted from a poem. After all, the poem doesn't have enough words, so turning it into lyrics allowed me to compose music and sing it."

Bai Ying opened the notebook and found a poem: "Actually, the original text is this. I wrote it when I was writing the script, and of course it has something to do with you."

In youth, one is unaware of how quickly things change; having plucked the colors of spring, one deliberately speaks of sorrow.

The journey through the martial world is long and fraught with peril, but under the same moon, past and present, we journey together with kindred spirits.

Where do those youthful ambitions end in sorrow, their white hair fading with grief? How much parting sorrow is swept away by the flowing river?

Eat diligently, forget your anger, and don't linger too long; another autumn has passed in this world.

"Well……"

Yukino Yukinoshita squinted her eyes.

The white figure rolled over, covered by the blanket, and did push-ups on Yukino Yukinoshita: "Looking up is tiring, quickly roll over and move a little closer to the candle."

"Um……"

Yukino Yukinoshita happily rolled over, pressing the pillow to her chest, and together with Shiro, shuffled along the edge of the bed like a crab. Then, looking at the poem on the screen, she read aloud: "When you're young... in your youth, you don't know how easily people... grow old... no, you should translate the whole thing together, including the lyrics to Shiro's song... um..."

Just as Bai Ying was about to speak, she closed her mouth, gently rested her chin on her shoulder, inhaled the faint fragrance, and listened as she slowly translated and described her feelings while writing.

"When I was a boy, I didn't know that people are easily scattered, becoming old memories. Even the happiest springtime is deliberately described as melancholic. After walking a long way in society, experiencing storms and dangers, I suddenly realized that those friends were long gone. I can only find solace in the moon that once shone on the ancients and now shines on the present, wandering together. Only then did I understand the emotions passed down from the ancients—the sorrow of so many people with white hair and unfulfilled ambitions, the regrets of so many people parting in this life, their only solace being the ever-flowing river..."

Yukino Yukinoshita's voice softened unconsciously: "I feel that regret and sorrow are connected to many people throughout history, so I am no longer so sad and melancholy. Instead, I advise people in the world... and yourselves, to eat well, not to be entangled by resentment, and not to... make typos?"

"It can be long, it can be wine. Good wine is harmful to the body, and too much affection is short-lived," Bai Ying said softly. "Don't linger too long in those things you are addicted to, especially those feelings that you can't get rid of."

“Hmm… With this feeling, I peacefully bid farewell to yet another autumn… Well, it should be that with this feeling, I can calmly pass through the years of my life.” Yukino Yukinoshita murmured, then suddenly said, “Haku-kun, isn’t the last line of your song ‘I have a fondness for autumn in the human world’? I think ‘I have a fondness for yet another autumn in the human world’ is better than ‘I bid farewell to yet another autumn in the human world’?”

“Indeed.” Bai Ying nodded. “In youth, one feigns melancholy in spring, and now one expresses affection in autumn. Not only does it create a correspondence, but it also makes the emotions more explicit. Favoritism is indeed more suitable for the mood than sending from afar, and there are no issues with tonal patterns between the two.”

Yukino Yukinoshita tilted her head and said, "So you mean this poem is the first version, and when Haku-kun expanded it into lyrics, he made it even better?"

"Half right."

"Where's the other half?"

"I will go into the winter snow and dig out the snow that has been secretly hiding, and I can only bid farewell to autumn from afar."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita gently bit her lip.

"Bai Jun, are you trying to lie to me?"

"I'm so addicted to your cuteness. If I don't sleep with you in my arms, I'll suffer from insomnia and die suddenly."

"Why do I keep getting poisoned?"

"Otherwise what? You can't exactly say, 'This hero, you don't want to see me die from insomnia, do you?'"

"Hate……"

The candlelight flickered gently.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sitting Before the Desk, Discussing the Fragrance of Ink

The feeling of sleeping while holding each other is just so...

Awful.

My arms were sore from being pressed down, and I was covered in sweat. The two of us were pressed close together, and I don't know what kind of smell we were exchanging.

but……

Yukino Yukinoshita opened her eyes in a daze, met the gaze of the white figure, and after a moment of blankness, she felt the awkward stiffness all over her body after sleeping in each other's arms all night.

"Good morning, Mr. Bai."

"Good morning, brave warrior."

Seeing Yukino Yukinoshita's dazed expression, Bai Ying gently pulled his arm away from her, turned to face her, and said with a slightly teasing smile, "Want to slack off together?"

Hmm... being lazy is wrong.

But together we are very, very good.

Yukino Yukinoshita had just woken up when she was suddenly presented with a difficult question. She looked a little confused and conflicted, as if she had forgotten something.

Her hand was suddenly grasped, fingers intertwined and wedged into each other. Yukino Yukinoshita regained her senses slightly and quietly looked at the white figure opposite her.

"Sleep a little longer."

"Um……"

Coming to her senses, Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously responded softly.

Well, since I've already agreed, I'll take a little shortcut.

The morning sunlight was also so languid, the weather was lazy, and time was languid.

I'm lazy too, and so is Bai Jun.

call……

"?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly opened her eyes, as if she had accidentally snapped a thread in her head due to excessive force. She stared blankly for a moment, frowning deeply, trying to recall what she had just thought of, but she couldn't remember it for a while.

"Nowadays……"

The white figure, who had already opened its eyes, leaned closer and breathed softly into her ear.

Hmm—what's all this time?! Brushing my teeth, washing my face, changing clothes, it's so early in the morning…

"It's Monday."

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Yukino Yukinoshita immediately put on a dramatic show of sitting up abruptly from a near-death experience. She sat bolt upright, paused for two seconds, and frantically reached for the bedside table, only to find a candle that was half-burnt out... Huh? Where's my phone?

"W-how..."

The white figure sat cross-legged, smiling as she watched Yukino Yukinoshita, who had transformed into Psyduck while sitting in a duck-like position, ask, "What are you surprised about? Where did your phone go?"

Yukino Yukinoshita immediately turned her gaze toward the suspect.

“First of all, I don’t remember you setting an alarm yesterday,” Bai Ying said, proving her innocence. “Secondly, think carefully about how we got into the bedroom yesterday.”

"I was... I was tricked into the bedroom by you."

Yukino Yukinoshita muttered in embarrassment and annoyance, her thoughts gradually coming together—right, last night after taking a shower, she changed into her pajamas and snuggled up on the sofa with Shiro-kun. After being tricked in the bedroom, she took another shower and then went back to bed to chat about poetry…

Since my phone isn't on the bedside table, I'll just do it my way...

Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously reached into her pajamas pocket and slowly pulled out a cell phone.

The air fell silent.

"Puff puff puff tsk tsk tsk..."

The white figure was chuckling smugly.

Well--!

Yukino Yukinoshita pretended not to hear and turned on the screen.

Monday, 8:00 AM.

Oh no! I'm definitely going to miss the first class!

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly jumped up, hurrying to get going—no, wait, I need to wash my face, brush my teeth, and change my clothes first—wait, I also need to eat breakfast—ah, homework! The homework I just did yesterday is in the living room—no, that's not right either, I can't catch it by plane now, I should…

Yukino Yukinoshita, who has always been a model student, has never made such a mistake except for the unavoidable force of illness.

The sky has fallen! Yukino Yukinoshita was so confused that she wanted to cry out, but reason told her that making up for her mistakes was the most important thing. Her heart was frantically trying to do this and that, but her brain was telling her that she also had to do this and that...

It's a bug!

The white figure watched with a smile, which was truly astonishing. It was as if suddenly his hands and feet had their own ideas, highlighting the uncoordinated pulling of his entire body.

It's not like being a college student at all. Instead, it makes me nostalgic. I miss that youthful mentality where not doing homework felt like the sky was falling, being late for class felt like the earth was collapsing, and even asking for leave felt like a guilty act.

If I had to draw an analogy, I'd be like a dead pig resurrected in another's body, while the hero is still a lively, healthy little pig.

dare you laugh!

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced over coldly, her gaze lacking any real threat, but carrying a hint of inexplicable grievance.

Bai Ying chuckled, then suddenly reached out and pulled Yukino Yukinoshita into his arms, burying his nose in her hair and taking a deep breath.

As if absorbing all the anxious emotions from her body, Yukino Yukinoshita inexplicably calmed down, gently hugged Shirokage, lowered her head a little to rest on his chest, and rubbed her head against him.

"It's something that can be resolved with a little coquetry, why are you in such a hurry?" Bai Ying teased. "Is my boyfriend less important than going to class? You're such a model student, Brave Warrior."

"Well……"

Yukino Yukinoshita pouted slightly, feeling a little embarrassed, a little ashamed, and also a little inexplicably at ease.

Ding Ding Ding-!

The phone suddenly rang. Yukino Yukinoshita picked it up, pursed her lips, and whispered, "It's the counselor on the phone."

"That's because you're a good student."

Bai Ying took the phone and answered it immediately. Before Yukino Yukinoshita could react, her unfortunate boyfriend had seamlessly switched to her voice, speaking in a calm, composed, and slightly strained tone, trying to sound tough: "Counselor? I'm sorry, things happened so suddenly, I forgot to ask for leave... Someone in my family had an accident, I can't go into details... The time is uncertain, I'll catch up on the missed classes, and if there's any homework, please let me know. I'll submit the leave request when I return to school... Okay..."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Ying looked down at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was looking up at her, and shrugged: "See, it's so simple. You have such a high credibility with the teacher that you can just say whatever you want and it will pass. It doesn't make me feel any sense of accomplishment."

"I wouldn't lie," Yukino Yukinoshita scoffed. "Something happened to someone in my family? How come I didn't know?"

Bai Ying grinned, "You, didn't I fool you?"