Even though they had already been intimate, it still felt awkward for Olivia when Eugene’s gaze remained on her body for a prolonged amount of time. So, she reached out to tug on the hem of her clothes which were tightly clenched by him and feigned nonchalance. “I told you it’s nothing. It’s just external injuries.”
Eugene felt nothing but heartache upon hearing her words. This was nothing? He remained silent, found her pajamas, and silently helped her change into them. Even though he saw her smooth skin, there was no trace of desire in his eyes. There was only deep concern. She knew he was worried about her. Thus, she held his hand in hers. “It doesn’t hurt.”
He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand gently. “Don’t take a shower tonight. Can I wipe you down with a towel?”
Olivia said, “It’s all right.”
She said it was all right again. There was a tang of sourness on Eugene’s tongue. His eyes grew warm, but it took him a while to suppress the overwhelming bitterness he felt. Then, he reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair aside as his voice became extremely tender, “Can you stop pretending to be strong? You can scold me or hit me. Just stop saying it’s all right. Olivia, it hurts my heart, and I regret it so badly that I want to kill myself.”
She licked her lips, and she was about to say it really was all right, but when she met his reddened eyes, she changed her words. “Okay. I admit it does hurt a little, but just a little. I can endure this kind of pain. When I was at the Double Dragon Court before, I experienced all kinds of injuries every day. This really isn’t a big deal.”
Eugene held her hands in his as he felt as though there was a knife stabbing straight into his heart. He gently kissed her lips and hoarsely said, “I’m sorry.”
She looked at the man in front of her, who was clearly in a more fragile state than herself, and felt a mix of warmth and pain. “Please help me. I’m a bit tired and don’t have the energy to take a shower.”
He nodded and tenderly replied, “Okay. Wait for me.” He increased the temperature of the room by two degrees and then went to the bathroom. After a while, he came out with a warm towel and murmured, “If I cause you any pain, let me know.”
Olivia responded and watched as he gently wiped her down with an appropriately warmed towel. She couldn’t help but feel as though she had won the lottery in life. How could she feel any pain when he was being so careful?
She knew he was filled with regret, self-blame, and concern. In reality, she didn’t really feel any pain, but being cared for like this made her feel very happy. With a man like him by her side, what more could she ask for?
Eugene was very attentive, and he ensured to change the towel frequently. After he was done, he covered her with a blanket as he feared that she would catch a cold.
After half an hour, he was all done, and she was squeaky clean. He sat by the bedside with a medicine kit after tidying everything up and asked, “Which one is for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis?”
Olivia pointed to a small bottle and said, “This one.”
He stood up and poured her a glass of water. She took it and swallowed the medicine with water before saying, “I’m fine now. You can go back to sleep.”
However, he remained silent as he quietly kept away the glass and the medicine kit before joining her in bed. Olivia was rendered utterly speechless. Eugene said, ‘Don’t worry. I won’t touch you.”
She knew he wouldn’t take advantage of her when she was in such a vulnerable state. She was just worried about being seen by everyone tomorrow… Especially George.
She was about to speak up, but she felt Eugene’s arm resting on her body. He didn’t look at her, but his voice carried an inexplicable bitterness and grievance as he muttered, “Olivia, I also need comfort. Let me stay here with you.”
Her heart softened, and she didn’t say anything else after that. The room fell into silence. “Having a girlfriend like me is troublesome, right?”
It was the same words again. When they had just started dating, she said the same thing. At the time, his heart was filled with guilt.
Today, she said it again, and this time, it made him feel guilty even when his heart went out to her. The pain in his heart felt like someone was twisting the knife, maximizing his agony. She had become like this because of him..
Other girlfriends would cuddle in their boyfriend’s arms while acting cute. Yet, she wasn’t any of them. Instead, she was far more capable. She kept insisting that it was nothing even though she was covered in injuries. How insecure did she feel to have become accustomed to handling everything on her own?
