After a moment of silence, Wujing let out a low, sleepy “mm”.
“Are you sleepy?”
Gu Jianli thought for a moment, then picked up the cotton cloth draped over the edge of the tub, soaked it in water, and wrung it out carefully. She placed one hand on Wujing’s shoulder and the other hand behind him, gently wiping his shoulder and back.
Wujing, somewhat impatient, let out a lazy nasal sound.
“I’ll wipe you down gently, and then we can go back to bed. We can’t sleep in the water.” Gu Jianli added, “It’ll be quick, you don’t have to move.”
Only then did Wujing settle down, quietly holding Gu Jianli and letting her take care of him.
Gu Jianli wiped his back, then his arms. After wringing out the cloth again, she pushed Wujing away a little, creating some distance between them.
Wujing, displeased by being pushed away, looked at Gu Jianli with a sullen expression. Gu Jianli smiled at him with her eyes curved, “It’ll be quick.”
Wujing said nothing, closed his eyes again, and lazily leaned his back against the tub, letting Gu Jianli continue to wipe his body.
Gu Jianli’s hand holding the cloth moved from his collarbone downward, from above the water to below. He should have soaked longer, but Wujing was sleepy, and it was late, so Gu Jianli thought of this method to wipe him down quickly and ward off the cold.
Wujing’s chest was hard and firm, something Gu Jianli had known for a long time. Countless times being held in his embrace, she had felt the discomfort. But she had grown accustomed to it, and now, sleeping against his chest at night brought her peace.
The water in the tub was no longer as hot as before, and the steamy mist in the room had dissipated somewhat, making the view clearer. Gu Jianli’s eyes followed her hand, resting on Wujing’s chest.
No wonder Wujing’s chest was so hard; it turned out that a man’s chest was segmented into distinct sections. After soaking in hot water, the divisions in his chest muscles were even more pronounced. This was what Gu Jianli thought.
After wiping Wujing’s chest, Gu Jianli continued down to his abdomen. Her gaze lingered on the V-line at Wujing’s waist before quickly darting away. Her hand with the cloth continued downward, wiping him haphazardly.
Wujing opened his eyes.
At such close proximity, his gaze was direct and undeniable. Gu Jianli couldn’t ignore it even if she tried. She looked up at him and said seriously, “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m just wiping you down. You’re so dirty…”
Wujing’s drowsiness faded a little. He lifted one side of his lips into a faint smile and said lazily, “If you want to play, go ahead. I’m not stopping you.”
Gu Jianli, with a touch of irritation, threw the cloth aside and complained, “Saying things like that ruins my good intentions. I won’t help you wipe down anymore. Stay dirty, cold, and sleepy for all I care!”
“Alright, alright. If someone finds it dirty, then clean it. Clean it thoroughly, so it’s safe to eat.” Wujing picked up the cloth and began to wipe himself carefully, showing no embarrassment despite Gu Jianli sitting so close on his lap.
“You, you…” Gu Jianli stammered, unable to find other words, feeling annoyed. She held onto the edge of the tub, stood up, and decided to return to the bedroom to sleep, ignoring him.
Wujing easily wrapped his arm around Gu Jianli’s slender waist, pulling her back into his embrace, holding her tightly.
“Gu Jianli, are you angry today?” Wujing asked.
Gu Jianli turned her face, looking into Wujing’s eyes, realizing how close they were.
Gu Jianli shook her head, innocently saying, “Why would I be angry? There’s nothing to be angry about.”
The smile on Wujing’s face disappeared instantly, replaced by a sullen expression. He said unhappily, “When I left the room, you clearly called out to me. Don’t deny it.”
Gu Jianli lowered her eyes and thought for a long time before raising them again to meet Wujing’s gaze. She said seriously, “You said Xinglou is not your child. I don’t know what’s going on, but you have your reasons and plans for keeping it a secret. I don’t want to pursue it further. If you say it, I’ll believe you. If I can’t trust you, there’s no need to stay by your side, pretending to be close while having different dreams.
I don’t care if you had a sweetheart in the past or if you had children with someone else. These things don’t matter to me because they belong to the past. The past is meant to be left behind. Life is full of intersecting and diverging paths. Meeting and traveling together now is good enough. What scenery your old path had doesn’t matter since we won’t go back and walk it again.
But my lack of concern hinges on you completely letting go of the past. If your old flame comes after you and you can’t decisively cut ties, I will be upset. However, being upset is not the right response. The best approach is not to get angry or jealous, but to part ways with dignity.”
Gu Jianli spoke softly and at length. Wujing watched her quietly, his face expressionless.
After finishing, Gu Jianli waited, but Wujing didn’t respond. She frowned and spoke again, “I’m done.”
Wujing responded with an “Oh,” paused, then suddenly smiled.
He used his wet hands to rub Gu Jianli’s face, grinning mischievously, “That was nicely said. I enjoyed listening to it.”
Gu Jianli blinked, sensing something was off. She asked, “What do you mean you enjoyed listening? Did you understand what I said?”
“Of course I did. You said you trust me and care about me.”
Gu Jianli was speechless.
Was that the main point?
Annoyed, she pushed Wujing’s hand away and hit his shoulder twice, saying angrily, “I won’t waste my breath talking to you again!”
Wujing let his hand rest casually on Gu Jianli’s leg, touched it, and then looked down at her slender, white legs under the gently rippling water.
He let out a “Huh,” and said playfully, “Gu Jianli, why are your legs so much smoother than mine?”
Gu Jianli, even more annoyed, replied irritably, “Because you have prickly hairs on your legs!”
She ignored Wujing, got up from the tub without wiping herself properly, wrapped herself in a large cotton cloth, picked up her folded nightclothes, and walked out. As she stepped over the threshold, she said, “Ji Zhao, if you don’t sleep now, it’ll be morning soon!”
“Ji Zhao? Tsk, she’s really angry,” Wujing said with a mischievous smile, touching his leg. He looked down at his leg, his casual expression fading a bit, and a serious look appeared in his fox-like eyes.
He got up, stepped out of the tub, and slowly dried himself off. He casually grabbed a long robe hanging on a pearwood rack, wrapped it around himself, and walked out.
When Wujing returned to the bedroom, he hadn’t even approached the canopy bed before Gu Jianli, lying on the bed, turned to face the inside, with her back to him.
Wujing stood by the bed for a moment but didn’t get on it. Instead, he walked to the shelf by the window and rummaged through a box. After a while, he found a fire starter and a candle, then walked to the other side of the Luohan bed.
Gu Jianli, lying on her side facing inward, waited for a long time but didn’t hear Wujing get on the bed. She faintly heard the sound of him lighting the fire starter. She listened carefully but heard nothing more.
What was he doing?
Gu Jianli’s curiosity got the better of her. She turned over lightly, trying not to make any noise. She glanced around the room and found Wujing sitting on the Luohan bed.
The next moment, Gu Jianli sat up abruptly in shock, her face full of astonishment.
Wujing was lazily seated on the Luohan bed, his loose robe hanging casually on him. One of his long legs dangled off the bed while the other was bent, resting on the bed. He held a candle in his hand, expressionlessly using the flame to singe the hair on his leg, the gentle flames licking at his skin.
A line of poetry suddenly popped into Gu Jianli’s mind: “Wildfire can’t burn it all; with the spring breeze, it grows again.”
“What are you doing?” Gu Jianli stammered.
Without lifting his head, Wujing replied casually, “You can see for yourself.”
Gu Jianli stared at Wujing in disbelief, her eyes fixed on the flame in his hand as it moved across his leg.
“That must hurt…”
The flame was clearly burning Wujing’s leg, but Gu Jianli felt as though her own leg was being scorched, making her eyes water with the imagined pain.
Wujing glanced at Gu Jianli, noticing her teary eyes, and was somewhat surprised. He said, “It’ll be over soon.”
With that, he switched to the other leg, moving swiftly and smoothly.
After finishing, he put down the candle, walked over to the canopy bed, and slipped into Gu Jianli’s bed. He lifted his long leg and pressed it against hers, nudging her pajama pants up a bit. Then he rubbed his leg against hers and asked, “Does it still prick?”
Before Gu Jianli could respond, Wujing sighed softly and lamented, “Why does it still not feel as white, tender, smooth, and nice-looking as your legs?”
Gu Jianli slowly blinked, expressionless, and pulled the quilt over her face.
Sleep.
If she didn’t sleep now, the night would be wasted on someone like… him.
Gu Jianli drifted off in a daze. Before falling asleep, she couldn’t think of a suitable word to describe Wujing.
Having slept so late, Gu Jianli didn’t wake up at her usual time the next morning.
“Mommy, Mommy?”
Ji Xinglan’s soft voice breathed in Gu Jianli’s ear.
Gu Jianli groggily opened her eyes and met Ji Xinglan’s clean, pretty eyes.
Ji Xinglan smiled happily, “Lanlan is calling Mommy to get up for breakfast. An empty tummy will hurt!”
Ji Xinglan had somehow climbed onto the bed. Gu Jianli turned her head and saw that the spot beside her was empty—Wujing had already gotten up. If Wujing weren’t gone, Ji Xinglan wouldn’t have dared to climb into bed.
Gu Jianli gently touched Ji Xinglan’s soft little cheek and said tenderly, “Give Mommy a hug, and I’ll get up.”
Ji Xinglan, sitting on the bed, wrapped her little arms around Gu Jianli’s hand and pulled with all her might, saying, “Get up, then we’ll hug!”
Gu Jianli couldn’t help but laugh at her little daughter’s antics. She sat up with a smile, hugged the milky-smelling girl, and casually asked, “Where’s your brother?”
“Brother…” Ji Xinglan paused. Little children can’t hide their emotions well, and the disappointment in her eyes was evident.