When Chuxia’s fingers touched Shi Che, she could distinctly feel his body jerk. His dark pupils suddenly widened, the light within them deep and pressing, shooting straight at her, making Chuxia’s heart tremble fiercely and her fingers involuntarily contract. However, unlike usual when his gaze made her want to flee, she took a breath, lowered her eyes, and avoided his stare. Nevertheless, her fingers resolutely pressed on Shi Che’s temples with just the right amount of force, neither too light nor too heavy, gradually easing the stabbing pain.
Chuxia might have looked away, but she could still feel Shi Che’s gaze fixed on her, making her scalp tingle and her throat dry. She tried her best to control herself, to ignore his stare and focus solely on the massage. As long as Shi Che didn’t push her away, she would persist in massaging him.
Shi Che stared at her intently for quite some time. Out of the corner of her eye, Chuxia noticed his hand move slowly toward her wrist. The moment he grasped her wrist, Chuxia held her breath.
She knew Shi Che disliked her intensely—so much that, even if he were dying of a headache, he wouldn’t want her massaging him. Yet now, she could only try to disregard his hand and continue focusing on the task, to the point where she felt Shi Che pulling at her hand, yet she stubbornly stayed. Her fingers seemed glued to his temples. Shi Che pulled a few times without success and looked at her again.
Chuxia feigned ignorance, acting as though she knew nothing.
Whether Shi Che was taken aback by her obstinacy or truly lacked the strength due to his headache, he didn’t remove her hand or continue the standoff. Instead, his grip on Chuxia’s wrist slowly relaxed and dropped as he closed his eyes.
Chuxia breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Shi Che had tacitly allowed her to continue the massage. She hadn’t expected that a little bit of persistence... actually didn’t anger Shi Che! This was somewhat illogical... But then again, she thought, perhaps his headache was too much to bear for him to bother arguing with her now?
After massaging Shi Che for a while, the frown on his forehead eased, and his complexion looked much improved. Observing this, Chuxia felt a sense of accomplishment—at least in this, Shi Che wouldn’t criticize or be displeased with her.
Sister Hua, tucked away in a corner listening, watched Chuxia and nodded her approval. Seeing the time was right, she stepped forward, palms pressed together respectfully in front of her, and said reverently, "Young Master, Young Madam, it’s time for the meal."