When Wen Xian’s consciousness cleared, it was already nine in the evening. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the man sitting by the bedside staring at her, but she had already completely forgotten what she had said to Shen Lingge.
His black pupils, although falling on her body, seemed to have no focal point, he was lost in thought.
Wen Xian blinked her eyes. She could feel her hand being held by Shen Lingge; she moved her fingertips, scratching at his palm, her fingertips following along the lines of his palm downward.
Only then did Shen Lingge realize she had already woken up. Before he could speak, the little girl blinked her bright deer eyes and softly apologized to him: “Shen Lingge, from now on in the mornings I will wear a little more.”
Shen Lingge raised his hand and reached toward her forehead. Wen Xian stared at him with her eyes wide open without blinking.
At this moment she had already reduced her fever.
Shen Lingge gently stroked her hair, his usually indifferent face carrying a trace of dark color. But soon even this trace of darkness disappeared. His voice hoarse, he responded: “It’s my fault, I didn’t take good care of you.”
Wen Xian tilted her head and rubbed against his warm palm: “Shen Lingge, I’m a little hungry.”
“You wait for me here a moment, I’ll be right back.” Shen Lingge stood up and walked toward the door. After opening the door, he turned his head to look at her again, “Be good and drink congee, alright?”
Wen Xian nodded.
After Shen Lingge left, Wen Xian reached out and touched her own body; she had sweated quite a bit. Now that her fever was gone and she had strength, she wanted to get out of bed and go to the bathroom to take a bath first. The sticky feeling all over her body made her uncomfortable.
But just as she closed the bathroom door, she heard the sound of Shen Lingge returning.
Wen Xian: “……”
He hadn’t even been gone for two minutes.
The next second the bathroom door was knocked on, his voice slightly deep, seeming somewhat angry: “Xian Xian?”
Wen Xian had only just undone one button of her sleepwear, she didn’t have time to button it back up before going to open the bathroom door. The moment the door opened and he saw her, Shen Lingge suddenly let out a breath of relief. He frowned and scolded her: “You’re being disobedient again.”
Wen Xian lifted her eyes to look at him somewhat aggrieved: “I want to take a bath.”
Shen Lingge saw that she had already undone the button of her sleepwear, and also knew that she felt uncomfortable on her body now, so he could only compromise: “I’ll get someone to help you bathe, or I’ll accompany you in the bathroom.”
Wen Xian hesitated: “…Seems like both aren’t very good.”
Shen Lingge stared at her little face for a while, then suddenly turned around to take the necktie placed on the sofa. He handed the black necktie to Wen Xian: “Cover my eyes, I won’t look.”
Wen Xian bit her lip. She reached out and took the silky soft necktie from his hand: “Do I really have to choose one?”
Shen Lingge didn’t allow her to refuse: “You don’t have much strength right now, I’m afraid you’ll fall.”
Wen Xian looked at the necktie in her hand and then looked at Shen Lingge. For some reason, she suddenly felt a bit of a thrill. She licked the corner of her lips: “You sit down on the chair, I’ll tie it for you.”
After Shen Lingge sat down, he let Wen Xian tie it. For a while she asked if it was too tight, for a while she disliked that the bow didn’t look good. The two of them fussed about for quite a while before settling down.
When Wen Xian let go of him, he finally let out a breath of relief. Shen Lingge’s forehead had already seeped a slight layer of thin sweat.
Even though Shen Lingge couldn’t see Wen Xian at this moment, she still turned her back to change out of her sleepwear. The moment she finished taking it off she hurriedly slipped into the bathroom and immediately closed the glass door.
Shen Lingge frowned: “No running.”
Wen Xian responded through the glass door, not caring whether he heard or not, and turned on the hot water to start bathing.
After Shen Lingge’s sense of sight was deprived, what was first occupied was his sense of hearing.
No matter how tiny the sound, at this moment when it reached Shen Lingge’s ears, it seemed as if it was infinitely amplified. He could hear the sound of the flowing water, could also hear the sound of her reaching out to squeeze body wash bubbles.
The sound of flowing water was sometimes loud, sometimes soft, occasionally would be turned off.
His Adam’s apple slightly rolled.
Next came the sense of smell.
The scent of the body wash was lemon sea salt fragrance, but within this refreshing scent seemed to be mixed with a faint trace of sweetness. He knew, this was Wen Xian’s scent.
This was the scent he was most familiar with, whether in life or in dreams.
Shen Lingge’s fingertips unconsciously curled up.
After that, it was the sense of touch.
Inside the bathroom, hot steam lingered, moist vapor filled the air. Shen Lingge could feel the temperature in the air gradually rising, as if a bit of moisture had also touched his skin.
Ambiguous and humid, the air was gradually ignited.
He embarrassedly clenched his fists tightly, faint blue veins appearing at his neck.
Half an hour later.
Wen Xian, wrapped in a bath towel, carefully pushed open the door and came out from the bathroom. The moment she opened the door, she looked toward Shen Lingge. By now, most of the mist had already dispersed. The moment she looked, she saw the slightly red roots of his ears.
Wen Xian had never seen him like this before. For a moment, she had a mischievous thought. She leaned close to his ear and gently blew a breath. Before she could reach out to tug at his earlobe, her waist was already encircled by someone.
Before Wen Xian could react, she had already fallen into Shen Lingge’s arms.
On the man’s cold pale face crossed a streak of black, clearly a cold and stern face yet somehow showing a sensual appearance. What’s more, at this moment, his palm was scorching hot, just separated by the thin bath towel tightly pressing against her waist.
She did not notice Shen Lingge’s hand slightly trembling. His voice was suppressed and restrained: “Be a little more obedient, go put on your clothes properly. I’ll blow your hair dry, and then we’ll go eat.”
But Wen Xian was not afraid of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and softly said: “I’m a little tired, let me lean on you for a while.”
Shen Lingge: “……”
These past two days, Wen Xian knew Shen Lingge wouldn’t do anything to her. And at this moment, Shen Lingge’s eyes were still covered. For a while, she had no more scruples, for a while rubbing his ear, for a while rubbing his neck.
Until she had rubbed his collar completely wet, only then bending her eyebrows and eyes climbing off him to change into sleepwear.
Shen Lingge’s upper body was almost completely soaked. Aside from the water droplets dripping down from Wen Xian’s not-yet-dry hair, the rest was all sweat endured by him. The fire in his heart burned fiercer and fiercer.
After Wen Xian changed into sleepwear, she wanted to help Shen Lingge untie the necktie, but Shen Lingge firmly clasped her wrist. Wen Xian was stunned: “Not untying it?”
The next second, she was trapped against the slightly damp wall by the man who had stood up. Even though he couldn’t see, he still accurately found her lips. Wen Xian wanted to reach out her hand, but was restrained by him.
The burning hot breath spread within the bathroom.
Shen Lingge stopped just in time. He pulled off the necktie in one move, picked her up and walked out. The little girl was still pressed against the side of his neck softly complaining: “Shen Lingge, I’m sick. From now on, you’re not allowed to kiss me, it’ll infect you.”
Shen Lingge endured the fire inside his body. He called over the maid to blow her hair dry, then without saying a word went into the bathroom.
—
After Wen Xian had her hair blown dry, she held a small bowl and drank congee again. She glanced pitifully toward the bathroom doorway, softly muttering: “A grown man taking a bath even slower than me.”
Wen Xian waited a long time but still didn’t see Shen Lingge come out, so she simply picked up his phone, unlocked it, and started playing.
This phone was the one he usually used in Mingcheng. Wen Xian flipped through it; there were no more than ten contacts in the address book. Opening the photo album, inside were all photos and videos accumulated over time.
The rest, there was nothing else.
In WeChat chat list, only three were left: Dad, Mom, Xian Xian.
Wen Xian was somewhat curious about Shen Lingge’s daily life with his dad and mom. She sneakily glanced toward the bathroom, then carefully clicked open his chat with his dad.
[His Dad: First post in Moments, give a like.]
[Shen Lingge: Liked it.]
[His Dad: Going fishing with old friends next month, son coming along?]
[Shen Lingge: Busy.]
[His Dad: Company matters are small matters, seeking pleasure in time is what’s important.]
[Shen Lingge: You come back and manage the company, I’ll immediately go seek pleasure.]
[His Dad: Dad’s signal not good, come home for a meal when free.]
[Shen Lingge: .]
Wen Xian: “……”
With complicated feelings, she opened his chat with his mom.
[His Mom: When can mom meet her daughter-in-law?]
[Shen Lingge: Don’t rush.]
[His Mom: Son, how are things with your little baby?]
[Shen Lingge: Good.]
[His Mom: Heard from Uncle Guan these days your mood isn’t good? Had a fight with my daughter-in-law?]
[Shen Lingge: Made her angry.]
[His Mom: Want mom to help you?]
[Shen Lingge: I’ll go apologize.]
[His Mom: You even know how to apologize?]
[Shen Lingge: .]
Wen Xian: “……”
She had never expected Shen Lingge’s dad and mom’s style to be like this. She originally thought his parents would be like those parents in Licheng circle, serious and proper.
Just as she was frowning in thought, the bathroom door opened, she turned her head to look.
He had changed into a set of black sleepwear, black hair still slightly wet, water droplets continuously rolling down. And his expression didn’t look too good, his brows lightly furrowed, his gaze suppressed and dark, jawline also tensed.
Wen Xian sat up and asked him: “Gege, what’s wrong with you?”
Shen Lingge’s gaze swept over her deeply, only after a long while did he speak hoarsely: “Have you eaten?”
Wen Xian nodded her small head: “I’m full already. Uncle Butler said you haven’t had dinner, he’s prepared it for you. Gege, you go downstairs to eat first, I promise to be good and not run around.”
Shen Lingge took the coat from the side: “You come down with me, eat a little more.”
Wen Xian pouted: “…I want to lie down.”
Shen Lingge frowned: “Want me to carry you again? Or want me to kiss you again?”
Wen Xian unwillingly put on the coat, being led by Shen Lingge as they walked downstairs. She was still dissatisfied, softly muttering: “I really am full, and if I eat too full how am I supposed to sleep later.”
She pinched his large palm, curiously asking: “Shen Lingge, why is your hand cold?”
Shen Lingge turned his head: “From now on you always sleep with me.”
Wen Xian blanked: “What did you say?”
Shen Lingge repeated unhurriedly: “From now on you always sleep with me.”
Wen Xian’s face full of question marks: “Why suddenly sleep with you? How to sleep?”
Shen Lingge lightly clicked his tongue. He stopped walking, calmly and leisurely looking at her: “How do you want to sleep?”
Wen Xian furrowed her brows: “Sleep in two separate blankets?”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Until accompanying Shen Lingge to finish eating, Wen Xian still did not manage to ask from Shen Lingge’s mouth exactly how to sleep. The two of them chattered back and forth noisily as they walked back to the room.
Inside the brightly lit castle, as it approached midnight, the lights suddenly went out. Only in one bedroom was there still a faint light on, on the large bed inside, two figures tightly nestled together.
The girl with slightly flushed cheeks curled up in the man’s broad embrace, gradually falling asleep.
As the night moon was covered by clouds, even that bit of light gradually dimmed.