bookcurios Chapter 194 Uncomfortable Feelings
Chapter 194 Uncomfortable Feelings
The wooden floor of the training room creaked dully under their feet. Chenxi half-supported, half-carried Dudugu, moving very slowly. But her struggles were more intense than expected. Her already slender shoulders heaved violently like a provoked animal, each twist carrying a reckless ferocity.
"That's enough! Let me go!"
The sound of the thud was noticeably hoarse, perhaps from overexertion during training or from emotional excitement; there was even a barely perceptible tremor in the last syllable.
But she quickly suppressed the trembling and replaced it with a more violent resistance—her fists pounded on Chenxi's chest one after another, not with great force, but with a strong sense of defiance, as dense and hurried as raindrops.
However, when her fist landed on the fabric, it made a soft "thump" sound, which, compared to her forced composure, sounded more like a powerless accusation.
Ignoring everything else, she tried to kick with her injured foot, hooking her toes up forcefully, trying to use the reaction force to break free from Chenxi's embrace.
The pain from the sprained ankle sent a sharp ache up her ankle, making her gasp and furrow her brow.
Can……
"Stop with your fake pity!"
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes slightly red, not from pain, but from feeling uncomfortable under the excessive concern.
"I'm nothing but a broken, old doll! What's so special about me that you'd treat me like this? Now, let me go!"
Her voice suddenly rose, becoming shrill with an almost hysterical edge.
Perhaps, over the countless days and nights that have passed, the imagined man has already occupied a sufficiently important place in her heart; or perhaps the unease and vulnerability disguised beneath her hard shell are being precisely touched.
Therefore, her resistance at this moment was more intense than ever before.
Like a small animal whose scales have been touched, she can only use the fiercest posture to cover up her inner unease—she has long been used to being alone and to arming herself with the idea that she "doesn't need anyone."
This sudden, irresistible concern is just like it was back then.
But she didn't want the unattainable figure in her heart to become more real again, so she could only resist to drive away this warmth that made her heart flutter.
However, Chenxi didn't say anything, but simply tightened his arms slightly, holding her more securely.
He could feel Dudugu's body trembling slightly from anger and resistance, the force of his fist pounding on his chest gradually weakening, replaced by a weary struggle.
He let her vent, showing no intention of letting go, only lowering his head slightly, his gaze falling on her cheek, which was flushed from exertion.
Soon, only the rapid breathing of thumping bones and the soft thud of fists hitting the fabric filled the training room. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Tiny dust particles danced in the beams of light, adding to the tranquility.
After an unknown amount of time, the movements of the bouncy bone gradually slowed down.
Her breathing became increasingly rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and dampening the stray hairs at her temples. Her fist, which had been swinging for a while, had lost all strength; she merely rubbed it against Chenxi's chest symbolically before finally giving up.
Finally, as if she had exhausted all her strength, her resistance abruptly ceased.
Her body went limp, and she lay back in Chenxi's arms, her long eyelashes drooping limply, obscuring the emotions in her eyes. Her face looked utterly hopeless, as if the person who had been so aggressive just moments before was not her.
Chenxi could clearly feel the body in her arms relax instantly, as if the tense stubbornness had been taken away, leaving only an undisguised exhaustion.
He then slowly breathed a sigh of relief, gently adjusted her position to make her more comfortable, and carefully took her sprained ankle.
That ankle was frighteningly swollen, and its originally fair skin had turned an unnatural reddish-purple. With the slightest touch, you could feel Dudu Gu's body instinctively flinch.
A faint green light emanated from Chenxi's fingertips as she gently pressed them onto the swollen area.
The energy slowly seeped into her skin, flowing along her meridians, repairing the damaged tissue while meticulously examining her body's condition.
"Hmm... the situation isn't too bad."
Chenxi spoke very softly, as if afraid of disturbing her. But as soon as he started to speak, he felt the person in his arms stiffen slightly.
"The bone wasn't injured, it was just a soft tissue contusion. Otherwise, it would have hurt even more during the bone setting."
It was a familiar tingling sensation, accompanied by a faint warmth, spreading from my ankles and coursing through my entire body.
While mystical energy heals wounds, it also brings an indescribable restlessness, like countless tiny ants crawling under the skin, making one feel itchy and anxious.
Dudu Gu instinctively tried to dodge, but Chen Xi firmly held his ankle, rendering him unable to move.
She bit her lower lip hard, trying to control the feeling with reason, but her cheeks still slowly turned red uncontrollably, spreading from her ears to her neck like rouge spreading.
The warmth, tinged with a hint of offense, strangely made her feel uneasy all over, yet she couldn't muster the strength to resist.
Perhaps to retaliate against the feeling that made her feel flustered, or perhaps simply out of resentment, her drooping hand quietly landed on Chenxi's thigh.
He curled his fingers up and, before the tingling sensation subsided, pinched hard—his nails almost embedded themselves in the fabric, with tremendous force.
"hiss--"
The sudden pain caught Chenxi off guard. She lost control of the mystical energy in her fingertips, causing it to abruptly intensify. A stronger warmth and tingling sensation instantly surged up her ankle, causing her to let out a soft "uh" and her body to tremble slightly.
The feedback from this out-of-control energy caused Chenxi's brows to furrow slightly, her face to contort somewhat, and the pain in her thigh to become clear and direct.
But he quickly regained his composure, forcibly suppressing the sudden pain and trying to maintain a calm and collected demeanor, though his voice inevitably carried a slight, barely perceptible tremor.
"Currently, it seems to be cured. But we still shouldn't put too much strain on it. Try to avoid any difficult movements for now."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the person in his arms let out a soft hum, their tone carrying the usual arrogance, but the sharpness was much weaker than before, and even subtly revealed a hint of softness.
"Hmph, what's it to you?"
She turned her head slightly to avoid his gaze, her chin slightly raised, still maintaining that aloof demeanor, but the blush on her ears had not faded at all.
"What gives you the right to interfere in my affairs? We're not that close, are we?"
Chenxi knew in her heart that perhaps it was the slight "side effect" of the treatment just now, or perhaps it was the unsolicited concern that made her feel a little helpless. Although her tone was still sharp, it was much gentler than before.
What bothered him even more was that even though her ankle had healed, she didn't seem to want to get out of his arms. Instead, she seemed to subconsciously snuggle closer to him, her body slightly relaxed, with a cautious dependence, as if she had long felt a sense of security and was reluctant to break this brief moment of tranquility.
Chenxi couldn't help but find it amusing to look at the person in his arms with such a contradictory expression.
She had clearly revealed her thoughts through her actions, yet she still refused to admit defeat verbally, like a little animal that longed for warmth but was afraid of being burned.
Perhaps if I were just a little more proactive and a little more "aggressive," I could make her lower all her guard.
However, before he could finish speaking, Chenxi couldn't resist teasing the lovely woman in front of him who had clearly begun to back down.
"Hmph~ You're right."
Chenxi continued, her tone slightly teasing.
"In the end, we can't even be considered friends."
Upon hearing this, Dudu Gu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, so fleeting as to be almost imperceptible.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just pursed her lips and remained silent.
Seeing her like this, Chenxi understood. He then put on what he thought was the most harmless, gentle smile, looked intently at Dudugu in his arms, and spoke in a serious tone with a hint of expectation.
"So, from now on, would you like to be friends with me, lovely Ms. Dudu Bone?"
While Chenxi was immersed in his art, he didn't notice that the person in his arms was getting redder at a visible speed, as if they were about to burn.
Dudu Gu tightened his grip on the staff, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the veins on his arm bulged, clearly indicating that his emotions were beginning to surge again.
Chenxi waited for a while, and seeing that she did not answer for a long time, but just lowered her head and seemed to be thinking about something, she couldn't help but lower her head slightly, lean closer, and ask softly.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Don't you want to?"
His breath gently brushed over Dudugu's head, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees.
But just as he lowered his head, Dudu Gu suddenly raised his head, a hint of shame and anger flashing in his eyes. Almost subconsciously, he used his elbow with great force to strike Chen Xi's chin!
"Boom!"
With a muffled thud, Chenxi felt a sharp pain in her chin, saw stars before her eyes, and her head was buzzing.
Before he could react, he heard Dudugu's voice, filled with gritted teeth and intense anger: "Be gone!"
As she finished speaking, the staff in her hand suddenly shone with a dazzling light, and the arcane magic quickly materialized into ribbons shimmering with silver light.
The ribbons, like hungry predators, pounced on Chenxi with impatient momentum, moving so fast that no one had time to dodge.
Before Chenxi could recover from the excruciating pain in his chin, he was suddenly bound tightly by countless ribbons. The ribbons tightened, binding his hands and feet so firmly that he couldn't even move, and in an instant, he was tied up like a tightly bound rice dumpling.
Immediately afterwards, the ribbon suddenly exerted force upwards, lifting him high into the air, and then, as if discarding some kind of trash, mercilessly flung him towards the corner of the training room!
"boom!"
Chenxi crashed heavily to the floor with a dull thud, raising a cloud of dust.
He could feel as if all the bones in his body were falling apart, and he was in so much pain that he was grimacing. His head was also becoming more dizzy from the impact, and his vision was becoming blurry.
He lay on the ground for a while before slowly recovering. He groggily raised his hand to rub his aching head and then his chin, which was throbbing from the impact, and struggled to sit up.
Meanwhile, Dudugu had already stood up from the ground.
Her ankle is completely healed, but her walking posture is still a little unnatural, perhaps because the struggle and treatment just now have left her feeling a bit uncomfortable.
She didn't look at Chenxi, who was left in the corner, but walked quickly toward the door of the training room, her steps somewhat hurried, as if she were fleeing something.
She walked to the door, one hand on the door that was about to close, paused, then suddenly turned her head to look at Chenxi in the corner. Her face still carried lingering resentment, but her eyes concealed a hint of barely perceptible panic, as if she had been caught red-handed for some secret.
"Apply with your friends and live happily ever after! Mr. Chenxi, you're so adorable!"
Her voice was full of sarcasm, deliberately emphasizing the word "cute," as if she were retaliating against Chenxi's earlier address to her.
After saying that, she didn't linger. She suddenly let go of her hand, and with a "bang," the heavy door was slammed shut, making the walls seem to tremble slightly.
The training room fell silent instantly, leaving only Chenxi alone.
The empty room smelled faintly of dust, and although the sunlight still slanted in, it felt somewhat desolate.
Chenxi sat on the floor, staring blankly at the closed door. The bewilderment of being tied up like a dumpling still lingered on her face. The pain in her chin and body was still nagging at her. Dudu Gu's angry words echoed in her mind. She scratched her head.
"Hmm... how about I apologize after I get back from the next mission?"
What Chenxi didn't know was that outside the training room, Dudugu hadn't gone far. Instead, she stood quietly against the door panel that she had slammed shut.
Her cheeks were still flushed, but the pounding of her heart made her oblivious to the rising temperature on her face. The places where Chenxi was holding her still felt warm, clearly marking the spots where she had felt love and warmth.
The ripples that had been calmed down in her heart were stirred up again by this interaction, with a small pebble thrown into them.
She wanted to wait until Chenxi came out, then talk to him and hear his voice a little more.
But when the rustling sounds came through the door of the training room, Dudugu still chose to run away. Clutching his rapidly beating heart, he quickened his pace and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
--------
4000 words! The stubborn and arrogant Miss Dudu!
To be honest, I'm not really good at writing characters whose emotions aren't expressed directly. Just the other day, an author asked me if I could write yandere characters.
Hmm, after thinking about it, I feel it's difficult to write. I'll try it sometime when I have the chance.