Chapter 224: Attribute Counter
Lena was gone.
She had had a fun time, walking down the street feeling light and carefree.
Maintaining a sense of distance was the key to conquest, making the other person feel special, not like a clingy simp.
So Lena had chosen to leave after their encounter.
Perhaps for Vanessa, who had little experience with love, Lena’s appearance was a devastating blow. But Vanessa was not a simpleton, her previous attitude had shown that, and winning her heart would be incredibly difficult.
“I’ll go see her in a few days…”
Lena had almost forgotten the reason for her visit.
Why had she automatically assumed the role of a seducer? She had wanted Vanessa to hate her, and only in their interactions could Lena truly discover that the peaceful life she desired needed a bit of bickering and conflict.
After all, having tasted honey, one also craved a bit of sour and bitter.
Being friends might be a good idea…
“Forget it, let’s just leave it at that.”
Lena shook her head, no longer dwelling on Vanessa.
She had to go check on Snow, to see if she had fully integrated the Divine Artifact.
A gift from the gods was not so easily digested, there might be side effects, and Lena was worried about Snow being alone.
She had already come to consider Snow a close friend.
Perhaps even Lena herself hadn’t realized it, but whenever there was a benefit, she would think of Snow, and if Snow was hurt or sick, she would rush to her side.
Hmm…
“Have I been conquered by Snow?”
Lena scratched her face, a sudden realization dawning on her.
Snow had told her not to visit, after all, they weren’t a couple…
So, if she went to visit now, wouldn’t she be like a simp fawning over a goddess…?
Looking at it this way, Snow’s level was much higher than hers!
“This is strange, where did I go wrong?”
Lena muttered, arriving at the dormitory building.
The cold dormitory hallway was filled with a damp, northern wind, someone had forgotten to close a window, it was like an ice cave.
At this time of day, most students had gone home for the holidays, only a few remaining, a few lights flickering.
Lena’s high heels clicked on the floor, the sound of grit scraping against the wet ground, incredibly grating.
For some reason, Lena felt a sense of dread, a premonition that something bad was about to happen…
She hurried to Snow’s single room.
Knock, knock—
“Not here?”
After a long wait, Lena’s face darkened, and she began to wonder where Snow could be.
Suddenly, she saw a sliver of light from under the door…
A light?!
Someone was in the room!
…
“Cough, cough… cough, cough!”
A series of violent coughs, accompanied by a weak moan.
Snow struggled to turn over, her small hand trembling as she reached for the glass of water on her nightstand.
She had felt cold since this morning, her throat like a burning fire, dry and painful.
She had thought it was just a cold from the battle last night, that a good night’s sleep would cure it, but she had underestimated her own resistance.
So even the hero could get sick…
And quite sick at that…
Snow moistened her lips, swallowing with a frown.
The water was stale, making her teeth ache. But she didn’t even have the strength to boil water, so she had to endure it.
She burrowed back under the covers.
Snow shivered, hugging her shoulders.
The only sound in the quiet room was the wind rattling the windowpane.
Loneliness, like a swarm of ants, gnawed at her, threatening to swallow her whole.
Compared to physical weakness, fighting alone was the most terrifying…
Thinking of others with their families and friends, while she was alone, battling illness, shivering in this small, cold room, unnoticed…
This loneliness had levels.
Shopping alone.
Eating alone.
Watching a movie alone.
Singing karaoke alone.
Watching the sea alone.
Moving alone.
Being hospitalized alone…
The most precious connection between people was a bridge called communication, but Snow had long lost the ability to communicate normally, so being alone was normal for her…
Her breath was hot, as if she could breathe fire.
Snow drifted off to sleep. She had a dream, she had become a wicked black dragon, breathing fire, destroying nations, and finally, being hunted down by a dragon slayer…
Hmm…
A dragon slayer.
She tried to open her eyes, to see who the dragon slayer was.
Gray hair, gray eyes…
Hmm?!
She woke up with a start, drenched in sweat.
What a terrible nightmare, Snow thought.
She moved her arm, still sore, her head heavy, as if filled with cement.
The clock on the wall showed that less than ten minutes had passed, she had only slept for ten minutes, but it felt like a century.
Snow was no longer sleepy, perhaps because she didn’t want to continue the dream, or perhaps because she had seen them on opposite sides…
Unloved, worthless.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
A knock on the door.
Snow froze.
When her body was weak, her mind was also slow.
It took her a while to realize she should open the door, but her body was too heavy, and she tripped over the blanket, falling to the floor.
It hurt…
Her vision blurred, the world spinning.
Snow finally recovered from her dizziness, but the knocking had stopped, the cold floor and the silence creating a new kind of loneliness.
She sat on the edge of the bed, calling out softly, anxiously, “Lena… Lena…”
Her voice was hoarse, her every word a struggle.
But even with all her strength, her voice was too weak to be heard outside.
Her whole body ached, so much pain…
“Lena… help me…”
Snow knew the person outside must be Lena, because only Lena would visit her at this hour.
Lena was a strange person who defied conventions, just like her, both of them judged by the world.
Lena never played by the rules, she was her best friend, and she couldn’t live without Lena’s companionship, her gentleness…
The lights turned on.
Like a camera flash, her vision went white.
Snow adjusted to the light, hoping Lena would notice her.
No one should be an island.
Even a cold-hearted person longed for warmth, or at least, someone who understood them.
“Snow?”
A wisp of black mist seeped through the door, coalescing into a tall, human figure.
Lena looked at the weak Snow, her heart aching. “Are you sick?”
But… how could the strong hero get sick?
She knelt by the bed, placing her hand on Snow’s pale forehead.
Burning hot.
“You have a high fever.” Lena frowned, her voice filled with anxiety. “Lie down, I’ll go get the school doctor!”
Snow grabbed Lena’s sleeve, shaking her head weakly. “It’s fine, I just need some rest…”
“How is it fine! You’re burning up like a freshly steamed bun!”
Lena took Snow’s hand, tucking it under the covers, then found another blanket and covered her with it.
After doing all this, Lena went to the window, opening it a crack to let in some fresh air.
“When you’re sick, you can’t keep the door closed so tightly.”
Her words had a double meaning.
Snow blushed, burrowing deeper under the covers.
It was strange, after Lena’s arrival, her illness seemed to have improved, her head no longer ached, her hands no longer sore…
Lena told Snow to rest, and since she couldn’t find the school doctor, she would take care of the patient herself.
Like cleaning up, after all, a comfortable room was conducive to recovery…
Although she had never done housework before, a complete lazybones, Lena was confident she could clean this place up!
Yes!
It was just sweeping, how hard could it be!
Having made up her mind, Lena looked around, finding a broom and dustpan behind the door.
She shouldered the broom, like a monkey released from its mountain prison.
Snow was startled. “Lena.”
“Hmm?”
Lena, about to start her work, was stopped by Snow’s soft call, and she hurried over. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or are you thirsty? I just boiled some water, it needs to cool down a bit.”
She stroked Snow’s soft, silver hair.
“Mm…” Snow pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully. “I want… to take a bath, my body is sticky.”
“Hehehe, a sick little fool is forbidden from taking a bath, it will only make your cold worse.”
Lena mercilessly rejected Snow’s request, her hand returning to the broom.
“But, if you’re really uncomfortable, uh… I mean, if you don’t mind…”
Lena was embarrassed, touching her nose.
“What?” Snow peeked out from under the covers, her clear, white eyes looking at Lena.
“Fine, do you mind if I help you wipe your body?”
Lena finally said it, feeling incredibly awkward.
What was she saying to a sick girl?
Taking advantage of her like this, Lena felt like a pervert, a lecherous rich girl.
And Snow had always treated her as a friend, how could she say “let me see your butt” to her own brother…
Lena was filled with self-loathing, not noticing Snow’s sparkling eyes, her expression filled with anticipation.
“…I think, I’d like Lena to help me.”
After a long silence, she heard a soft voice.
Snow had agreed, and… she seemed shy.
“I! I’ll go get some hot water!”
Lena brought a basin of water and a warm towel.
She wrung out the towel, steam rising from it.
Snow, her back to Lena, took off her white shirt, leaving only her panties and ankle socks.
Her delicate shoulder blades, like butterfly wings, and her smooth, white collarbone…
She hugged a pillow, her ears red, her eyes downcast.
“Be gentle.”
“Okay.”
Lena’s hand trembled slightly.
This was the first time she had touched Snow’s body, and with her permission.
She felt incredibly excited, like a long-pursued ice queen finally yielding, a strange sense of conquest filling her.
“Ah…”
A soft moan.
Lena almost lost her composure.
“Is it too hot?”
“No… continue… mm…”
Snow buried her face in the pillow, her beautiful profile peeking out.
Wanting to see, yet too shy to look, Snow remained in this state.
And Lena wasn’t much better, her usual flirting skills failing her, her breathing becoming ragged.
She had to say something to ease the awkwardness…
Think, think, think! Is there anything I can say to maintain the situation without being rude?
Lena’s brain went into overdrive, as if using all the world’s computing power.
Finally—
“Your back is so smooth.”
Lena’s overloaded brain blurted out a nonsensical sentence.
Damn it, it was all over.
Now Snow would think she was a pervert.
“Mm, it is quite smooth.”
“…Eh?”
“The front, I’ll do it myself.”
Before Lena could react, Snow took the towel, sitting up in a “duck” position, carefully washing the parts she couldn’t show.
She was meticulous, occasionally glancing at Lena to make sure she wasn’t peeking, then handing the towel, now carrying her scent, back to Lena.
Lena reluctantly rinsed it, then handed it back.
“The drawer, the one on the right.”
“Hmm? Is there something you want?”
Lena opened the nightstand drawer, hairpins, bracelets, lipstick… which one did Snow want?
“The one below.”
The frail ice beauty offered another clue.
Lena opened the next drawer, it was empty, except for a single brass key.
Kept in a separate drawer, it must be important.
Lena opened her mouth. “This key…”
“It’s for you.”
Snow turned around, her two fingers blocking Lena’s view.
Coincidentally, this simple gesture accurately blocked Lena from seeing anything she shouldn’t.
“I’m guessing this is a dormitory key.”
Lena didn’t move her neck, taking the key.
“What do you mean by giving this to me?”
A timely counterattack.
Lena felt like she was back in her element, she needed a victory to reassert her dominance. “This is a very special gift, I can use it to enter your room whenever I want, is that okay?”
“Mm, it’s okay.”
Snow nodded, looking at Lena’s playful smile.
“If it’s Lena, it’s okay.”
She repeated herself, then lowered her fingers, sitting obediently.
“You…! You, you, you, you, you!!” Lena pointed at her, her voice filled with excitement.
“Me?”
Snow tilted her head.
Her pale skin blossomed with a pink hue, her silver hair cascading down her shoulders, breathtakingly beautiful.
Lena’s face was flushed, her mind, which had just returned to a state of clarity, now plunged into chaos again, more muddled than ever.
Why had it turned out like this?
Lena asked herself, but couldn’t find an answer.
The silent girl had suddenly become so assertive, completely outmaneuvering the seasoned flirt.
Perhaps this was the legendary “natural counter to a black-hearted person.”
The hero’s protagonist’s halo had suppressed her villainous aura.
It seemed…
She had been completely outplayed by Snow.
