Nan Zhiyun huddled her small body in the cramped space, trembling, not daring to even look at him. Startled by Yu Jingchen's sudden grip on her arm, she flinched all over.
Seeing Yu Jingchen already beside her, perhaps out of fear, Nan Zhiyun didn't react much before immediately kneeling down.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent, but the fear in her heart was evident in her eyes. Her hands clutched Yu Jingchen's robe, yet seemed hesitant, afraid to hold too tightly, appearing somewhat timid. However, if anyone were present, they would have seen Nan Zhiyun pleading with Yu Jingchen.
A hint of worry creased Yu Jingchen's brows. He crouched before Nan Zhiyun and said, "It's not a punishment, I'm applying medicine for you. Look, this is the ointment." Yu Jingchen softened his voice as much as possible.
But Nan Zhiyun couldn't hear him, only shaking her head repeatedly.
"Get up first," Yu Jingchen found himself at a loss.
Nan Zhiyun dared not, so Yu Jingchen directly pulled her up, made her sit on the bed, and held her down.
"I told you to sit properly, no fidgeting," Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen pleadingly, and her gaze left him feeling helpless. He sat down beside her and said, "Look, this is the ointment, I was just applying medicine for you. Don't believe me? Look at your hand." Yu Jingchen took Nan Zhiyun's hand and gestured for her to look herself.
Following Yu Jingchen's movement, Nan Zhiyun looked at her own hand. Seeing this, Yu Jingchen continued, "You were dreaming just now, nothing is wrong now, so what is there to be afraid of? I was simply applying medicine."
Nan Zhiyun's emotions seemed to slowly calm down.
"The medicine isn't finished yet, so let's continue applying it, alright? It will be done soon," Yu Jingchen said, his tone shifting without him even noticing.
Nan Zhiyun pursed her lips, not speaking further.
Seeing that she wasn't resisting, Yu Jingchen resumed applying the medicine, occasionally observing Nan Zhiyun's expression. Nan Zhiyun's expression remained blank, but at least she didn't resist further, which temporarily eased Yu Jingchen's mind.
When Yu Jingchen first started applying the medicine, he had distinctly felt Nan Zhiyun flinch. Perhaps she was still afraid. He tried to be gentle, and as he continued, Nan Zhiyun seemed to gradually relax.
Yu Jingchen finished the task as quickly as possible. Throughout this process, Nan Zhiyun didn't say a word, nor did she make any sound.
However, just as Yu Jingchen finished applying the medicine and looked at Nan Zhiyun, he saw that her eyes were incredibly red, and tears had left streaks down her face.
Yu Jingchen's heart skipped a beat.
"What's wrong? Does it hurt?" Yu Jingchen asked.
Nan Zhiyun shook her head.
"Then what is it? Why are you crying so much?" Yu Jingchen asked, almost absentmindedly wiping away her tears without even realizing it.
Nan Zhiyun became quiet again, simply staring at her hands in a daze.
Yu Jingchen looked over, assuming she was afraid of something.
"It's alright, no one else will know, you don't have to be afraid or worry about anything," Yu Jingchen told her.
Seeing Nan Zhiyun's lack of response, Yu Jingchen took her arm. "Let's rest now, it's late," he said.
Nan Zhiyun didn't move, and Yu Jingchen looked at her with confusion. He met her gaze as Nan Zhiyun looked at him, seeming to want to say something.