90 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

"Awake? Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable? You've been sleeping all day," Yi Yi spoke up when she noticed Jiang Wan Ning looking her way. Jiang Wan Ning, still a bit bewildered, reached out to touch her forehead, but her wrist was caught before she could. "You're still receiving IV fluids. What do you want to do? Let me help you," Yi Yi cautioned, fearing the IV might become dislodged. She gently repositioned Jiang Wan Ning's wrist and tidied the blankets around her. Jiang Wan Ning felt something was off, perplexed by the woman caring for her. With her free hand, she pinched her thigh, the sharp pain nearly bringing tears to her eyes. "This isn't a dream, huh? Ow, it hurts," Jiang Wan Ning gasped, the pain confirming reality. Yi Yi, amused by this bewildered human girl, chuckled and looked at Jiang Wan Ning. "It's not a dream, of course. I'm a friend of your sister. Your sister and Chen Wan have come to pick you up." "My sister's here? Where is everyone? And what about my parents?" Jiang Wan Ning bombarded her with questions, struggling to sit up. The IV line in one arm forced her to support herself awkwardly with the other. Seeing her struggle, Yi Yi slid an arm around Jiang Wan Ning's waist and legs, carefully lifting her to place a pillow behind her back. "Lean back. You'll feel a bit more comfortable." Jiang Wan Ning froze, her cheeks flushing crimson at Yi Yi's sudden proximity. Even as she relaxed into the pillow, her ears burned fiercely, almost as if they would drip blood. She glanced at Yi Yi, reminding herself the woman was just being helpful. She muttered a shy thank you in a low voice, "Thank you." Yi Yi smiled again, puzzled by the blush on Jiang Wan Ning's face. As she pondered the many complex reasons humans might blush — warmth, embarrassment, anger — her AI determined that Jiang Wan Ning was simply shy. Coming straight to the point, Yi Yi asked, "Are you embarrassed? Your face is so red." Jiang Wan Ning, lost in thought, blushed even more at Yi Yi's question. She quickly diverted the conversation. "Where are we, anyway? How did we get here?" "This is Section A of the base. It's a bit complicated, but if you're not sleepy, I can tell you all about it." Yi Yi noted the human tactic of avoiding questions by steering the conversation elsewhere and felt a twinge of excitement. At this base, she'd barely spoken to anyone, so finally having someone to converse with made her eager. Jiang Wan Ning was curious about the day's events, and she didn't want Yi Yi probing into her earlier embarrassment. The truth was, she was shy because of Yi Yi suddenly holding her by the waist. Even understanding it was to help her, she felt awkward as someone who’d always been single. "I slept the whole day, so I'm much better now. I'd love to hear about it. By the way, I don't know your name yet. I'm Jiang Wan Ning." She felt that Yi Yi seemed quite happy. "I’m Yi Yi, and I already know your name." Yi Yi smiled and began recounting, "I'll start with how we drove to the base. Just as we parked, we ran into trouble during the registration process..." Yi Yi started her enthusiastic narration, her talkativeness at odds with her striking appearance. Jiang Wan Ning, now alert after a full day's rest and medication, listened intently to Yi Yi's tale. But the more she heard, the more incredulous it all sounded. Encounters and resolutions occurred so smoothly, including the mention of conflicts involving Xiang Jia Wei. Could Chen Wan really be so impressive? And Qin Ke too? The day’s events were recounted to such an unbelievable degree by the woman in front of her. Yi Yi, observing Jiang Wan Ning’s skepticism, chuckled and continued, "It's all true. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your sister and parents in the morning. They saw everything themselves." Jiang Wan Ning nodded, unconvinced. She intended to verify the wild tale first thing in the morning. The story was crazier than any pre-apocalypse novel. However, she faced a pressing issue: there was still half a bag of the IV drip left, and she desperately needed the bathroom. Had this been her family, she'd have no qualms about asking — but with Yi Yi, a stranger, she hesitated. Yi Yi noticed her flushing again and assumed it was more bashfulness. She concluded that young human girls simply tended to be shy. "Are you embarrassed again?" Yi Yi wondered why humans found so many ordinary things embarrassing — talking, undressing, even kissing. How strange. Simulated beings like her didn’t feel awkward about such things at all. Jiang Wan Ning was nearing her limit, having slept through the day and consumed fluids. Unable to hold it any longer, she cast a pleading glance toward Yi Yi. "Could you call my sister? Or my mom?" "At this time, they're probably asleep. Today was exhausting. Let them rest. Whatever you need, just tell me. We're all on the same team, no need to stand on ceremony," Yi Yi replied, her smile never leaving her face. Jiang Wan Ning felt tears of frustration prick her eyes. It wasn’t about formalities. Yet, she had no choice but to admit embarrassment, her cheeks flaming. "I really need to use the bathroom. My stomach feels uncomfortable." Yi Yi rose, reaching for the IV bag. "You should’ve said so earlier. I’ll carry the bag for you. Be careful as you get up. I'll help." Resigning herself, Jiang Wan Ning offered her free hand, letting Yi Yi assist her. She struggled with the thought of putting on her dirty lace-up sneakers with one hand hooked to an IV drip. Yi Yi, holding the IV bag high, noticed Jiang Wan Ning's gaze. Understanding the dilemma, she rehung the bag and fetched room slippers for Jiang Wan Ning, smiling as she said, "Just wear these. This villa has everything you might need." Jiang Wan Ning hadn't expected Yi Yi to be so considerate and intuitive, her ears flushed red as she stammered out her thanks, "Thank you." "No need. We're all on the same team, remember? You've thanked me plenty tonight. Now, let's get you up." Just as Jiang Wan Ning was about to stand, Yi Yi's arm looped behind her back, effortlessly lifting her to her feet. Jiang Wan Ning knew it was Yi Yi’s arm but still blushed deeply, having expected a simple helping hand rather than this supportive embrace. Not knowing anything about romantic interactions, Yi Yi thought nothing of it, worried that Jiang Wan Ning might be too feverish to stand steadily. She waited to ensure Jiang Wan Ning was okay before letting go. "Feeling alright? Do you feel dizzy standing like this?" Yi Yi inquired, looking slightly downwards though only a few centimeters taller. Jiang Wan Ning found Yi Yi’s words exacerbated her embarrassment. Standing so closely felt as if she were enveloped in Yi Yi’s embrace, the warm breath of her every word perceptible. "Not dizzy at all. I can manage," Jiang Wan Ning hurried to reassure her, trying to mask her fluster. Yi Yi chuckled at her tender tone. Among the women in the caravan, Chen Wan feared her wife, Qin Ke was icy, and Jiang Yan Xin was reserved. Jiang Wan Ning's soft demeanor struck Yi Yi as refreshing, making it easy to engage with her. Yi Yi finally released her hold, raising the IV bag as she and Jiang Wan Ning headed for the bathroom. While Jiang Wan Ning nearly blushed down to her collar, Yi Yi remained oblivious to it. Placing the IV bag on a rack above the toilet, Yi Yi turned to face Jiang Wan Ning. "Can you manage, or do you need help?" Jiang Wan Ning realized something and quickly shook her head. "No need. I can manage on my own." Yi Yi noticed her blush again and smiled, giving a gentle reminder, "When you're finished, just call for me. I'll help with the IV bag to avoid any accidents." "Okay," Jiang Wan Ning replied softly. Yi Yi nodded, stepped out of the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. Jiang Wan Ning's heart hammered in her chest as she thought about Yi Yi helping her to the bathroom. Her face felt like it was burning. She hadn’t bathed in half a month, and her hair was likely oily and unkempt. Yi Yi saw her in this state — what impression would that leave? Jiang Wan Ning prided herself on cleanliness but lacked the proper conditions right now. Deep in her scattered thoughts, Jiang Wan Ning felt self-conscious after taking care of personal matters. She felt like such a bother to Yi Yi, yet staying in the bathroom wasn't an option. In the end, with her ears tinged red, she softly called out, "Yi Yi, I'm done." "Alright, can I come in?" Yi Yi responded, understanding that bathroom use was a private matter for humans and that she needed to respect boundaries. "Yes." Upon receiving Jiang Wan Ning's confirmation, Yi Yi re-entered the bathroom. She carefully took hold of the IV bag again and helped Jiang Wan Ning back to bed. "It'll probably be about another half hour. If you're sleepy, go ahead and rest; I’ll remove the needle afterward." "I'm not sleepy." Jiang Wan Ning buried her face in the blankets, occasionally peeking at Yi Yi. Yi Yi noticed and chuckled, "What is it? Curious about me? You can ask me anything you want to know." "Not curious," Jiang Wan Ning replied, caught off guard, her ears blushing as she shut her eyes, pretending to sleep. Her intention was to only pretend, but her weakened state soon led her into a genuine slumber. She slept through Yi Yi removing the needle. Yi Yi, who didn’t need sleep, figured she might as well help Chen Wan by looking after Jiang Wan Ning, sparing everyone unnecessary worry. She left a bedside lamp on and sat idly by in a chair, keeping watch throughout the night. Thus, when Jiang Wan Ning opened her eyes in the morning, she saw Yi Yi sitting in the chair by her bed, appearing lost in thought — as if she hadn’t slept at all.