Once everything was finished, Kiana☆ carefully tied the bandage into a neat bow, completing the final step.
Then she returned the medicine and bandages to the cabinet and quietly leaned on the edge of the bed, gazing blankly at Fu Lin, her face filled with uncontainable joy as she recalled everything that had happened today.
Perhaps feeling lonely, Kiana☆ softly began talking to herself. Her voice was light, as if she was speaking just to herself—or maybe to the boy on the bed.
"You know, I got the best gift today. I finally got my name back—Kiana☆ Kaslana..."
But just then, a voice suddenly rang out, "Is that so? Then congratulations, Kiana☆."
----------------------------
The sudden sound startled Kiana☆ so much that she jumped, then quickly regained her composure and turned her gaze to Fu Lin, who had opened her eyes at some unknown point.
Kiana☆ exclaimed in surprise,
"Wah! You're finally awake!"
"Mm."
Fu Lin softly responded and then fell silent again. Time passed by slowly, and he didn't say another word.
Eventually, Kiana☆ couldn't help but break the silence, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and expectation as she asked,
"You already know my name, but I still don't know yours?"
Fu Lin slowly sat up, his calm gaze landing on Kiana☆ as he replied,
"Fu Lin."
This simple and straightforward self-introduction left Kiana☆ momentarily stunned. Then she nodded, indicating she had remembered the name.
Kiana☆ seemed a bit uneasy under Fu Lin's gaze and instinctively turned her head away.
Fu Lin noticed this, and the corners of his lips slightly curved up into a faint smile as he softly said,
"Thank you for saving me, Kiana☆."
This expression of gratitude surprised Kiana☆. She quickly waved her hands and anxiously explained,
"I should be the one thanking you! You got hurt saving me, and it was Dad who took care of the monster... In the end, I was the one who got in the way."
Fu Lin gently nodded but keenly noticed the fleeting stillness in Kiana☆'s eyes. He then softly comforted her,
"Even so, when you said you wouldn't care about me and still stood in front of me like that, it was pretty cool."
"Re-really?"
Kiana lifted her head, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt as she looked at Fu Lin.
Fu Lin's lips curved slightly into a warm smile as she softly said,
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, just look into my eyes—they're full of sincerity."
Fu Lin looked at Kiana☆, and his eyes truly seemed filled with genuine emotion.
Kiana☆ seemed to believe Fu Lin's words. She slowly lifted her head and met Fu Lin's gaze.
However, at that moment, Kiana☆ suddenly felt a strange nervousness, a blush rising to her cheeks.
She instinctively avoided Fu Lin's gaze and turned her head away.
Kiana☆ muttered under her breath,
"Liar, there's nothing written in your eyes."
Fu Lin gave a helpless chuckle, thinking it was just a metaphor—not like you could really see words.
Still, is she... shy?
Interesting...
Then, Fu Lin stood up from the bed. He stretched a bit, his movements light and fluid, showing no sign of injury.
Hearing the sound, Kiana☆ quickly shouted in alarm,
"Ah! The wound on your shoulder hasn't healed yet, you can't just move around like that!"
Fu Lin stopped and replied helplessly,
"It's not that serious, is it? As long as I don't use this arm, it should be fine..."
However, seeing the bandage on his right shoulder slowly turning red with blood, he quietly shut his mouth.
....
As Kiana☆ skillfully re-bandaged Fu Lin's wound, she couldn't help but mutter,
"Fu Lin, my dad was already pretty careless, but you're even more reckless than he is."
Hearing this, Fu Lin pressed his lips together. His expression turned a bit awkward as he rubbed the bedsheet with his free hand and gave an embarrassed smile,
"Uh... sorry about that ≥﹏≤"
As they spoke, a sudden knock came at the door. The next moment, the door opened and Siegfried returned, hands full.
Hearing the sound, Kiana☆ immediately jumped from her chair, joy spreading across her face. She left Fu Lin behind and ran to the door.
Watching Kiana☆ dash to the entrance, Fu Lin looked helpless and quickly shouted,
"Wait, you're not done bandaging yet! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ"
But Kiana☆ didn't look back and shouted,
"Do it yourself!"
And then she disappeared at the door.
Fu Lin stared at her departing figure, speechless, and silently picked up the gauze to continue dressing the wound.
Meanwhile, Siegfried looked at Kiana☆ running toward him, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.
He dropped the bag in his hands heavily on the floor.
Siegfried gently patted Kiana☆'s head and said with a smile,
"Mm, I'm back."
Then Kiana☆ turned her gaze to the bag on the floor. She eagerly opened it to check what was inside, shouting excitedly as she rummaged,
"Wow, so much yummy stuff! And my favorite chocolate cake! Thanks, Dad!"
Seeing his daughter's joy, Siegfried was filled with happiness and couldn't help but rub his nose proudly and say,
"Today is your birthday, after all. Of course I had to bring a big cake."
As Kiana☆ searched through another bag, her movements suddenly stopped. She looked up at Siegfried and softly called,
"Dad..."
Siegfried felt something odd and quickly asked,
"What's wrong?"
Kiana looked at her hands, now covered in slime and eggshells, and said helplessly,
"All the eggs are broken."
The smile on Siegfried's face gradually froze. He squatted down in disbelief and stared at the bag full of broken eggs and leaking yolk, his eyes wide.
"It's over... all of them are broken."
He had planned to use those eggs and the rest of the ingredients to make Kiana a hearty birthday dinner, but now everything was ruined.
Siegfried sighed helplessly, wondering how he could be so careless. He even forgot how fragile eggs were.
With a guilty expression, Siegfried said to Kiana☆, "I'm sorry, Kiana☆. I should've been more careful."
But Kiana☆ shook her head and smiled reassuringly, "It's okay, Dad. We still have other food to eat, right?"
Siegfried, touched, nodded and pulled himself together. He resolved that even without the eggs, he wouldn't let Kiana☆ down.
"I'll make sure you get a taste of home today, Kiana☆!"
Kiana☆ nodded in response, "Mm-hmm."
Then, Siegfried began cooking dinner. His chopping skills were clumsy and awkward, nearly cutting his fingers; when stir-frying, oil splattered everywhere, making him jump back in fright.
Though flustered, he tried his best to make something tasty.
In the end, they sat at the table, staring at a mysterious dish emitting black smoke. The smoke seemed almost alive, wriggling as if cursed, radiating an eerie aura.
Kiana☆ swallowed hard, pushed the plate toward Siegfried, forced a smile, and said, "Dad, I love you. You take the first bite."
Siegfried's mouth twitched. He pushed the plate back with a determined expression and calmly said,
"My dear daughter, I love you too. But this is the home-cooked meal I made just for you. You try it first."
"....."
The two fell silent, neither willing to be the first to try the obviously dangerous food.