Chapter 31

After a whole day of hard work, the Three Baos were already exhausted.

Shen Yiyi played with them for a while before they fell asleep.

She was also sleepy, but she forced herself to stay awake, she was carefully listening to the sounds outside.

When she heard movement from the next room, she immediately became alert.

Afraid of waking the Three Baos, she carefully climbed down from the kang bed and pulled open the door, just in time to meet Li Chen’s gaze as he was about to return to his room.

“Brother Chen.” Shen Yiyi called out timidly.

Li Chen had just washed his hair, and it was still damp, with tiny droplets of water clinging to the short strands.

He was wearing a sleeveless cotton-linen vest and mid-length cotton-linen shorts.

His tanned skin, well-proportioned and relaxed body lines, and strong, wild muscles all seemed to exude a masculine aura.

Shen Yiyi… her face turned red.

Li Chen had just stepped one foot into his room when he saw her.

He instinctively pulled it back and looked at her under the moonlight. Her thick, waist-length black hair cascaded down her back, her oval-shaped face was fair and clean without any makeup, her bright eyes and white teeth shone, her delicate features were flawless, and her soft lips were a tender pink…

Li Chen’s eyes darkened slightly, and his voice carried an almost imperceptible hoarseness as he asked in a low voice: “What is it?”

“I… I’m scared.” Shen Yiyi replied, feeling a little guilty, making her gaze slightly unsteady.

But in Li Chen’s eyes, this only confirmed her claim of being “afraid.”

He frowned. “Because of the wild boar incident?”

“Mm…”

Shen Yiyi thought that since things had already come this far, she might as well say it all. “Brother Chen, can you come over and sleep with us?”

Li Chen was still thinking about what to do when he heard her words. His heart gave a heavy “thud.” and he looked up at her, his Adam’s apple moving slightly. “You… you mean it?”

“Mm!”

Shen Yiyi responded swiftly, then, as if trying to cover up her true intentions, hastily explained: “The Three Baos are already asleep, it’s so quiet… I feel a little scared. If you’re here, I will… feel safer.”

At that moment, nothing could make Li Chen’s heart race more than hearing the woman he loved say that his presence gave her a sense of security. His throat tightened. “Then… then I’ll dry my hair first and come over.”

“Okay!” Shen Yiyi’s heartbeat pounded like a drum.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks—her face must be completely red!

After getting Li Chen’s answer, she immediately retreated into her room.

Only after she heard him enter the adjacent room did she finally rub her burning face.

Ahhh!

I’m so nervous!

She had traveled through so many worlds, thinking of herself as someone who had seen it all.

So why was she still so easily embarrassed?

Shen Yiyi blushed and secretly scolded herself.

But she had forgotten one thing—no matter how carefree or unbothered a “tomboy” might be, when faced with love, it was inevitable to feel shy and flustered.

And she, despite having traversed countless worlds, had never truly been in a real relationship, nor had she ever been moved by someone before.

Li Chen was the first person she genuinely liked.

In her previous life, trapped by the scripted storyline, they had never shared any tender moments.

Even their time in bed had only happened twice—and both times were purely accidents.

So, even though she had already given birth to three children, her mindset was still as innocent as that of an inexperienced young girl.

Inviting a man to sleep in the same room—no matter that he was technically “her man“—was bound to make her feel shy.

But despite her embarrassment, she still had a bold streak in her.

Her room was spacious, and so was the kang bed. Accommodating two adults and three children was no problem at all.

Since the Three Baos always wanted to sleep next to her, she had originally been in the middle—Er Bao on her left, and Xiao Bao and Da Bao on her right.

But now that Li Chen was coming over, she used all her strength to move Er Bao next to Da Bao, leaving a large empty space on her left side.

Autumn had already set in. The midday temperatures were still high, but the mornings and nights were chilly.

She carefully tucked the wool blanket over the three little ones. It was something her family had sent her when she moved to the countryside, along with a cotton quilt—though both were single-sized.

The wool blanket, when spread horizontally, was just enough to cover her and the Three Baos. But she hadn’t left any for herself.

She then took the cotton quilt from the cabinet. Mm, this one… she would share with her Brother Chen.

Lying down next to Xiao Bao, she left the empty space on her left for Li Chen, even preparing the quilt for him.

When she had moved Er Bao earlier, she hadn’t thought much of it. But now, lying there, waiting for Li Chen to come in, her heartbeat involuntarily sped up.

Thump.

Thump.

In the silence of the night, the sound felt especially loud, making her even more nervous.

Li Chen’s hair was already short, so after casually drying it with a few rubs, it was mostly dry. He picked up a quilt and headed out the door.

But when he reached the doorway of the adjacent room, he hesitated.

Had he really heard correctly just now?

She had actually invited him to sleep with her, right?

The more he thought about it, the more he doubted himself.

Maybe It was all my imagination?

Turning back, he placed the quilt down again.

I better not bring it.

If he had misheard, at least he wouldn’t embarrass himself too much.

The door to the adjacent room was left open, and inside, a dim oil lamp cast a soft glow.

Li Chen stepped in, taking in the entire scene at a glance.

His three sons were sleeping side by side, looking like three little piglets.

Beside them lay a small woman, tucked in properly, revealing only a tiny head.

And next to her, an empty space…

Seeing him enter, Shen Yiyi cleared her throat lightly, suppressing the excitement in her heart.

She glanced at the doorway and asked in a small voice: “Did you close the door?”

Li Chen snapped out of his thoughts, turned around, and shut the door.

Shen Yiyi patted the space beside her, her voice barely above a whisper, carrying a trace of coquettishness. “What are you doing? Come up~”

Li Chen’s mind inexplicably wandered to old folktales—those of fox spirits seducing young scholars traveling to the capital for exams.

In the dead of night, did they also speak with such a teasing, alluring tone, captivating and intoxicating?

Probably.

Otherwise, how could scholars who had studied diligently for a decade lose their resolve so easily and fall under the spell of a mere enchantress?

Li Chen pressed his lips together and, following her words, lifted the quilt and climbed onto the bed.

Just as he was about to lie down—

“Wait.” the small woman suddenly spoke, her voice crisp like a warbler’s call.

Li Chen froze, holding his breath.

Shen Yiyi said: “Blow out the lamp first.”

Li Chen’s heart eased.

He sat up, pinched the wick of the weak oil lamp, and extinguished it. The room was instantly plunged into darkness.

As he felt his way back onto the kang bed, his foot landed on something. Realizing it was her foot, he stiffened in shock and immediately asked: “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Shen Yiyi replied, shifting a little closer to Xiao Bao’s side. “Can you fit?”

Hearing her voice remain steady, Li Chen relaxed. The uncertainty and hesitation he had felt earlier faded somewhat, and he responded in a low voice: “Yes.”

He lay down beside her, a faint fragrance drifting to his nose, stirring something deep within him.

It wasn’t just Li Chen—Shen Yiyi felt it too.

The scent of a mature man surrounded her, triggering a rush of hormones. Unconsciously, she scooted a little further toward Xiao Bao’s side.

Neither of them spoke again.

The two people who were sharing the same quilt, neither dared to move a muscle.