Chapter 18.3

“It’s a bit itchy.” Wen Yue bit her lip and said softly, feeling the sudden tension in his thigh against her foot and moving a bit more.

Zhou Yao applied more pressure. “Didn’t I say not to move?”

His tone was a bit harsh.

“It’s itchy, why are you being so fierce?” Wen Yue pouted, looking quite aggrieved.

Zhou Yao decided not to speak anymore. He poured the medicinal wine into his palm, rubbing it to warm it up, and then pressed it firmly against her swollen ankle, massaging it in.

“Hiss—”

The pain surged in, and Wen Yue’s eyes immediately turned red. She trembled as she cried out in pain, uncontrollably wanting to shrink back, but Zhou Yao held her firmly in place.

Zhou Yao: “Endure it.”

Wen Yue’s nose turned pink as she gasped for breath. “You liar, you just you would be gentle.”

Zhou Yao chuckled softly a couple of times. “Is this not gentle enough? I didn’t even apply much force. You’re just too delicate. What kind of girl is as sensitive as you?”

Crying after just a few pokes, like a fragile doll, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“It hurts so much but I’m not allowed to cry?” Wen Yue widened her eyes, her beautiful, watery pupils reflecting Zhou Yao’s figure.

She thought Zhou Yao might find her crying annoying again.

Zhou Yao lazily drawled, speaking very directly like a typical guy, “Go ahead, cry if you want. After all, it’s not me who will have uncomfortable eyes tomorrow.”

Wen Yue: “…”

What a jerk.

“Oh, right.” Wen Yue tried to find a topic to distract herself from the focus on her ankle. “Today, Wen Hua came back, the darling son of my aunt. I heard he was beaten after being stuffed into a sack.”

She still found it funny and couldn’t help but laugh.

However, when the sharp pain shot through her ankle, her smile twisted: “Be gentle, it hurts.”

Zhou Yao’s face showed no expression. “Really?”

Wen Yue gasped and buzzed a response, “Yeah, hiss~ I don’t even know who hit him. I think this is retribution, retribution, it hurts~”

Zhou Yao nodded in agreement: “Yeah, retribution.”

With tears in her eyes, Wen Yue continued chattering, “He deserved it! You know, he used to think I was wasting the family’s food. He wanted my aunt to marry me off to a fool from the neighboring village for money, but my uncle stopped him.”

Wen Guoqiang was concerned about face. If he really married her off to a fool, the villagers would drown him in spit, so it was dropped.

“Is that true?” Zhou Yao paused, his expression darkening. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

If he had known earlier, he would have hit him harder, giving him a good slap.

Wen Yue blinked her eyes. “I just remembered it!”

Zhou Yao was a bit angry. “You’re so stupid.”

“?” Wen Yue exclaimed and instinctively kicked Zhou Yao’s shoulder lightly with her uninjured foot. “You’re the stupid one.”

After kicking, she felt that her behavior was inappropriate.

Wen Yue: “I just…”

“What’s wrong? Do you want me to press the other foot too?” Zhou Yao said with a click of his tongue, yet his expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected.

Wen Yue then smiled brightly. “No need.”

After rubbing for two or three minutes, Zhou Yao felt it was about time and withdrew his hands, standing up. “Alright, sleep early.”

Wen Yue softly agreed, blinking her eyes as she asked, “Are you going to the city tomorrow?”

Zhou Yao raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, why? Do you need me to bring something?”

Wen Yue shook her head. “Um… the flour is out, so you need to buy some. There are dumplings left in the kitchen, you can steam them in the morning and take them with you to eat on the way. I made quite a few, so you can steam a couple extra to take to your friends.”

Zhou Yao paused for two seconds, a warm feeling passing through his heart. “Got it, hurry up and sleep. I’m going to take a shower. Goodnight.”

Wen Yue’s eyes curved into a smile. “Goodnight.”

Once he left the room, Wen Yue got up to turn off the lights and lock the door.

The room fell into darkness, and with the faint moonlight spilling in from the window, she carefully groped her way back to bed. The faint scent of medicinal wine lingered in the air, and smelling it, she couldn’t quite muster any sleepiness.

Turning over, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts.

Her relationship with Zhou Yao had improved a lot. He no longer seemed to dislike her as much as the beginning. Sometimes, Wen Yue would have the illusion that they felt like a real newlywed couple.

If they continued to get along like this, could they become even closer?

Even closer…

Closer…

Ah, what am I thinking?!

Time for sleep, sleep!

Wen Yue’s cheeks flushed as she hugged her blanket and turned over again, interrupting her dangerous thoughts and forcing herself to close her eyes and sleep.

Zhou Yao, just a wall away, also couldn’t fall asleep.

Despite taking a cold shower, he still felt hot, and his mind kept recalling the delicate appearance of Wen Yue’s fair little feet and the soft, smooth sensation.

Zhou Yao took a deep breath, tossing and turning a few times before finally getting up quietly and walking to the kitchen, grabbing a wooden bucket filled with cold water and pouring it over himself in the small room.

.

It was hot in summer, so he thought washing with cold water a few more times would help cool him down.

…

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