books44 Chapter 421 [Empire] Nightingale's Home
Chapter 421 [Empire] Nightingale's Home
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in Nightingale's residence. The bed was covered with simple and clean sheets, and the surrounding environment still maintained that cold and tidy atmosphere.
My memories of last night are hazy, my head heavy, as if shrouded in mist. Recalling the night's events, I try to piece together some images, but only fragments emerge—the crisp clink of wine glasses, Nightingale's eyes, a hint of fatigue yet still sharp, Lin Hao's slightly reserved demeanor... But the specific details are no longer clear, as if it were a dream.
I frowned slightly, my head feeling a bit swollen, as if something was pressing down on it. As my body gradually regained consciousness, the drunkenness and drowsiness slowly dissipated, but I was still a little unsure about what happened last night. Did I... really black out? There was a gap in my memory. I tried to recall it, but the more I tried, the more vague it became, as if certain scenes had been deliberately erased.
Suddenly, I felt a slight headache, and my hand unconsciously covered my forehead. I didn't think I drank much last night, but my current state was a bit embarrassing. When I got up, only Nightingale's clothes were scattered on the bed next to me. He was obviously not in the room.
I looked down at myself and saw that I was still wearing the same clothes I had worn last night. Although the fabric of the combat uniform was tight, it was still a little uncomfortable after wearing it for so long. I suppressed the tingling in my head, stood up and walked out, intending to find Nightingale and find out what happened last night.
I pushed open a gently creaking door and entered a room filled with various fitness equipment. The air was filled with the faint scent of sweat and the coldness of metal. Looking around, I saw various types of equipment scattered around, some already used, with a few drops of water on the floor. In the center of the room, Nightingale stood beside a multifunctional fitness machine, intently adjusting the parameters.
He was wearing a simple workout outfit, a tight black top and sweatpants that outlined his lean yet sturdy frame. His movements were precise, seemingly in no rush to accomplish anything. He silently calibrated each movement, as if in a conversation with himself. A slight tension hung in the air, as if he were lost in deep thought.
I stood at the doorway and watched for a moment, a strange emotion rising within me. His back often gave off a cold, inviolable aura, making me want to approach cautiously, yet afraid to disrupt the silence. Unconsciously, I walked inside.
"Are you still here?" I asked in a low voice, with a hint of tentativeness in my voice.
Nightingale didn't turn around immediately, still concentrating on the action in his hands, as if he didn't hear me. After a while, he finally put down the instrument in his hand and turned around with a faint smile on his face, as if he had expected me to come.
"Looks like you're finally awake." He spoke in his usual calm voice, his eyes scanning me and then lingering on my face, as if to confirm whether I had returned to normal. His gaze was deep and unreadable.
I shifted my feet, trying to find some conversation to break the awkwardness. "You're quite persistent. You even keep working out after drinking."
Nightingale smiled slightly, retracted her gaze, and walked over to the chair next to the fitness equipment. She casually pulled down a towel hanging nearby and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Alcohol affects the body. Just learn to control it."
I didn't respond, silently walking over to his side and standing against the wall. My head was still a little dizzy, and my memory of last night was fragmented, like it was gently stirred by murky water, unable to truly grasp it. I turned to look at him, suddenly wanting to ask him what happened last night, but I didn't know where to start.
Nightingale seemed to notice my silence and turned to me and said, "You don't look well. Did you drink too much last night?"
I forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I don't remember clearly."
Nightingale didn't say anything else. She just stood up, patted my shoulder, and smiled softly: "It's good that you know it yourself. Wake up, there are still many tasks to be done."
His words suddenly reminded me of those tasks and unfinished things. It was like a wake-up call in my mind, and I became a little more sober.
I tried to pick up the dumbbells Nightingale had just used, thinking I should move around, after all, I hadn't exercised in a while. The dumbbells didn't seem heavy, at least lighter than I expected, but when I tried to lift them, my body didn't seem to cooperate as I expected.
I heard a "click" and suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from my waist. Then my whole body felt like a kite that was hit and I could hardly keep my balance.
"Pah!" The dumbbell hit the floor with a dull thud, and I nearly twisted my back. The pain made me gasp, and I almost fell into a squat. My entire waist was stabbing with pain, as if all my muscles and bones were stretched tight, and I was momentarily at a loss.
Nightingale frowned upon seeing this. He appeared beside me almost instantly, holding me steady. A barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained calm: "Are you challenging yourself, or are you challenging my equipment?"
I gritted my teeth and tried to stand up straight. Although I felt a tingling sensation in my waist, I forced myself not to look too embarrassed. "It's nothing, it's just... maybe I haven't exercised in a long time."
Nightingale didn't say anything else. She just lowered her head to check the dumbbells and raised her eyebrows: "Do you want to have a body like mine, or do you plan to ruin your waist?"
I curled my lips and made up an excuse: "I just want to move around. After all, sometimes I have to maintain my strength." As I said that, I tried to stand up straight. Although my movements looked a little clumsy, I still forced myself not to pay attention to the unbearable pain.
Nightingale looked at me, frowning slightly, but didn't criticize me much. She just handed me a bottle of water and said calmly, "Don't force yourself. When practicing this kind of thing, over-forcing it will only backfire. You're not in good shape today, so it won't hurt to take a break."
I took the water, feeling a little disappointed. I'd tried to challenge myself, but I couldn't even handle such a simple weightlifting. A feeling of resentment and defeat crept in. But I took a sip of water, forced a smile, and feigned indifference: "It's okay, just rest a bit. I don't do this every day anyway."
Nightingale's eyes never left me. He seemed to be aware of my hidden emotions, but he didn't react too much. He just nodded and said, "Okay, then you take a rest first. Don't be so stubborn." He turned around, picked up his dumbbells, and started his training again. I took a short break on the side, occasionally stealing a glance at him.