In the pitter-patter of water, Wei Yun, slightly disheveled, turned his head and saw Xie Tao standing at the door.
His sleeves were rolled up from his wrists to his elbows, and at this moment, his clothes were half wet, his black hair messy, his pale face damp with moisture, his eyebrows picturesque, and his thin lips like crimson.
The light in the restroom was always soft, illuminating his side face and the misty steam under the shower, like the fog in the mountains after the rain, adding a bit of hazy beauty.
“I…”
When Wei Yun began to speak, his expression was somewhat unnatural, “want to take a shower.”
He had wanted to take a shower ever since he came today.
Unlike the bathing pool in the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion, Wei Yun was still unclear on how to operate this shower, hence the situation Xie Tao now saw.
“I, I’ll help you…” Finally snapping back to reality, Xie Tao pursed her lips, then went in, adjusted the water flow and temperature of the shower for him, and even reached out to test the temperature.
“It’s ready…”
Xie Tao dared not let her gaze linger on him any longer, her eyes flitting and flickering as she whispered, “You can shower now.”
After saying this, she walked past him and out the door.
Wei Yun saw her reaching the door and immediately called out to her, “Xie Tao.”
Hearing him, Xie Tao turned around, yet her eyes still avoided his, “What, what is it?”
“Help me… bring my clothes over.”
Wei Yun lowered his eyelids, his tone still somewhat unnatural.
“…Oh.”
Xie Tao turned and ran to his room’s wardrobe.
Pushing open the pear wood door, Xie Tao saw that the layout was almost identical to the wardrobe in her room.
The open wardrobe without doors was filled with many sets of men’s clothing.
One wardrobe was filled with suits, while another beside it contained many casual outfits.
Xie Tao’s items were all provided by Meng Lichun, while Wei Yun’s clothes, even the watches, cufflinks, or sunglasses placed in the central glass cabinet, were provided by a male subordinate of Meng Lichun.
Xie Tao took a set of dark blue men’s pajamas, turned around to leave, but then seemed to think of something, her expression instantly becoming somewhat conflicted and hesitant.
After a moment, she still bent down to open the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe.
In the third drawer, she finally saw… men’s boxer briefs.
Her cheeks inexplicably warming, Xie Tao randomly grabbed a dark one, stuffed it into the pajamas, then ran out, placed them on the large bed still in Wei Yun’s room, and then ran out, closing the door with a snap.
After running downstairs, Xie Tao grabbed a cushion to sit on the carpet, by the solid wood carved coffee table, to do her homework.
When Wei Yun finished showering and came down in his pajamas, he saw Xie Tao lying by the coffee table, a paper in front of her, as if pondering something, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, the tip of the pen she held poking at her forehead.
Perhaps she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Wei Yun approaching her side.
So, he leaned over, effortlessly took the pen from her hand, and when he looked at her again, he saw a red mark on her forehead, indeed made by her own doing.
“Why, do you also want to write on your face?” Wei Yun sat down on the sofa, crossing his long legs, holding the pen in his hand, and looking down at her.
Xie Tao touched her forehead belatedly, realizing there indeed was a mark left by the pen cap.
She gave an embarrassed laugh, “No…”
Noticing that Wei Yun’s long hair was still wet, Xie Tao stood up, “Wait for me!”
Wei Yun only had time to see her running upstairs.
He raised an eyebrow, his expression still as indifferent and slightly cold as usual, his slightly lighter-colored eyes always calm.
He casually picked up the remote to turn on the TV, then added charcoal to the brazier on the side and used bamboo tongs to pick some tea leaves for brewing.
When Xie Tao came down, she had a hairdryer and an extension cord in her hand.
She plugged the extension cord into the wall socket, then plugged the hairdryer into the extension cord.
The cord of the extension board was long enough for Xie Tao to stand behind Wei Yun.
“I’ll dry your hair for you.”
As she said this, she turned on the hairdryer.
The warm air, accompanied by inevitable noise, made Wei Yun pause the hand holding the bamboo tongs.
At that moment,
Her hands ran through his thick hair, bringing waves of warm air, making the nape of his neck slightly hot. Thus, his hair fluttered in the breeze, brushing his eyebrows and eyes, bringing a tickling sensation.
His hair felt very nice in Xie Tao’s hands, as precious and glossy as the finest silk brocade, and she couldn’t help but stealthily touch it over and over.
Wei Yun gradually went from being stiff to getting somewhat used to it.
He even closed his eyes, quietly listening to the noise of the hairdryer by his ear, not finding it annoying at all.
Because all his attention was on the fingers of Xie Tao passing through his hair.
Her fingertips moved gently, with the warmth of the hot air, slowly caressing his hair.
Xie Tao was always very quiet.
And at this moment, Wei Yun, in such a not-so-quiet situation, actually felt a bit more leisurely.
So, his eyebrows also gently relaxed at this time.
After drying his hair, Xie Tao started to smooth his hair bit by bit with a comb.
It was like she sneakily leaned forward to take a look at Wei Yun.
She caught a glimpse of him with his eyes closed, not knowing whether he was asleep or not.
All she heard was his steady and shallow breathing.
At that time, the kettle on the brazier was still emitting swirling hot steam, like clouds lightening and spreading out in a mist that was sometimes thick, sometimes thin.
Xie Tao quietly put down the comb in her hand, her fingers weaving through his hair, intending to braid it into a twist.
But halfway through, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and then, lowering her eyes, she suddenly met a pair of indifferent eyes.
His hand suddenly reached up, directly grabbing her clothes, forcing her to lower her head.
Thus, for a moment, she bowed her head, and he looked up.
Between them, merely a short distance away.
Wei Yun originally intended to say something, but unexpectedly, this action made her bow her head in an instant, and then the tip of her nose lightly brushed against his.
Wei Yun unconsciously let go of his hand.
However, at this moment, Xie Tao, from somewhere found the courage, suddenly lowered her head and kissed his thin lips.
Wei Yun’s pupils contracted slightly, and for a moment, he even forgot to breathe.
A cold face was suddenly tinged with a light pink, like the faint red of apricot blossoms on branches a hundred miles away, yet it could not overcome the redness of his ears.
“Xie, Tao.”
Wei Yun called her name through gritted teeth.
And at this moment, Xie Tao’s fair face was also tinged with a faint pink.
She has always been like this.
Sudden courage comes quickly and leaves just as fast.
At this moment, she couldn’t help but blush, hurriedly took down the hair dryer, and then turned and ran upstairs.
“I’m tired, I’m going to sleep, good night!”
And Wei Yun, watching her figure gradually disappear at the turn of the stairs, paused for a long while, and when he lowered his eyelids, his long eyelashes hid the faint joy in his eyes.
Like a heart that had been silent and frozen for a long time, in her presence, seemed to beat even more fervently.
As he came to this time and space more frequently, Wei Yun became more accustomed to life here.
Because Xie Tao had to get up an hour earlier for school this term, she became a bit more tired, so Meng Lichun had one of her subordinates temporarily take over as the driver.
Otherwise, the car Wei Yun bought would just gather dust in the garage.
Wei Yun originally intended to hire a driver for Xie Tao, but Meng Lichun said she was afraid that his sudden appearances might scare people.
Even though Xie Tao had told her what Old Xi had asked her to convey to Meng Lichun, Meng Lichun disappeared for only a day and then appeared in front of Xie Tao as usual the next day.
Even more enthusiastic than before, which made Xie Tao feel a bit overwhelmed.
And Wei Yun has been very busy lately as well.
Besides dealing with the various uncertainties among the courts in his own time and space, Wei Yun often spent time in the largest library at the Nan City Center Square in this time and space.
But because of his exceptionally handsome face, he always attracted a lot of attention.
Some even took blurry photos of him from a distance and posted them online, making him trend on Green River’s hot search for a few days.
Later, Xie Tao bought him a mask, and when he went out, she would have him wear it to cover most of his face, and also put on the sunglasses she kept between his clothes for him.
Fully armed, in any case.
Even though he was not a celebrity, his unique good looks always attracted countless gazes.
Fortunately, the library had small reading rooms that charged by the hour.
When Wei Yun went to the library, Xie Tao would accompany him whether it was after school or during holidays.
The two of them were in a reading room.
He would read his book while she did her homework.
Often, Xie Tao would also go to the shelves outside to find some books to read.
Just as he had hoped, she also wanted to work hard.
They were about to enter their final year of high school. Xie Tao had already quit her job at the dessert shop, and now she only had the job at the small tavern, which she only worked at once or twice a week.
Both Old Xi and Xie Lan had helped her a lot during her difficult times, and she cherished this job very much.
When she wasn’t at the tavern, she devoted much of her time to studying.
Just like now,
Wei Yun sat beside her. If she tilted her head slightly, she could see his slender fingers casually pressing the pages of the book, occasionally lifting a finger, causing the pages to rustle lightly. He always kept his eyes lowered, his profile bathed in the light streaming through the glass window, always clear and flawless.
In the world… how can there be someone so beautiful?
Xie Tao unconsciously rested her gaze on his side profile, propping her chin with one hand, and couldn’t help but secretly sigh in her heart.
It was only when Wei Yun curled his fingers and tapped her forehead, giving her a fleeting glance, that she was brought back to reality.
“…”
Xie Tao touched her forehead and quickly grasped the pen in her hand, burying her head to start working on problems.
That night, upon Old Xi’s request, Wei Yun went to see him alone, leaving Xie Tao and Meng Lichun sitting at the dining table for dinner.
