Gu Jianing also saw the crystal-clear bottom of the pool.

“Look over there.” Following Sheng Zexi’s guidance, Gu Jianing spotted a bubbling spring.

So, this was a natural hot spring.

Gu Jianing truly hadn’t expected to find a hot spring hidden in these mountains.

In such a cold winter, being able to soak in a hot spring was something Gu Jianing could hardly imagine how blissful it would be.

“I discovered this place by chance during one of my hikes. I’ve soaked here before.”

So, there was no danger here, and no one else would come. They could relax and enjoy the bath.

“You should get in and soak. We’d better head back before it gets dark.” After all, they were in the mountains, and it could be dangerous after dark.

“Okay.”

Naturally, soaking in a hot spring meant taking off clothes, but…

Gu Jianing glanced at Sheng Zexi, biting her lip. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

Sheng Zexi crossed his arms, smiling at Gu Jianing as he raised an eyebrow. “What, do you want me to join you? It’s not impossible. After all, we’re officially married, with a wedding banquet and all…”

As he spoke, Sheng Zexi placed his hand on his buttons, ready to start undressing.

Gu Jianing’s face turned red, and she felt a bit flustered.

Although she admitted they were indeed married, they hadn’t consummated the marriage yet.

Without that, Gu Jianing felt like something was still missing.

Soaking together in the hot spring now felt a bit awkward and embarrassing, but Sheng Zexi wasn’t wrong—they were married, shared a bed, so what was the big deal about soaking together?

Fine, they’d soak together.

Just as Gu Jianing was mentally preparing herself, she heard Sheng Zexi burst into laughter.

Then he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Alright, I’m just teasing you. You go ahead and soak. I’ll keep watch. Later, after you’re done, I’ll take a quick rinse.”

With that, Sheng Zexi turned around, walked a few steps away, and sat down with his back to Gu Jianing.

Gu Jianing stared at his tall, broad back, momentarily stunned and slightly moved. Sheng Zexi actually understood her feelings.

He was also very considerate.

His actions did make her feel much more at ease.

“Okay, I’ll soak first. Later, I’ll keep watch for you.”

After saying this, Gu Jianing no longer hesitated and began to undress…

The rustling sound of clothes being removed came from behind. Sheng Zexi, who was absentmindedly drawing lines on the ground with a twig, instinctively tightened his grip on the branch. He didn’t turn around.

But if one looked closely, they would notice his cheeks and ears starting to flush and burn.

Especially when Gu Jianing seemed to step into the hot spring, letting out a soft, comfortable moan, which made Sheng Zexi’s face turn bright red. His eyes grew slightly dazed, as if he were drunk.

In truth, Sheng Zexi was recalling the time he stayed at the Gu family to recover from his injuries, posing as her cousin.

That one time, only he and Gu Jianing were at home.

The little girl was bathing in the bathroom, while he was chopping firewood in the yard.

But for some reason, he suddenly heard her let out a frightened cry, followed by her calling out to him in fear.

Sheng Zexi, who had already started to care for the little girl, rushed in, worried something had happened to her.

Then he saw Gu Jianing lying on the floor.

Without thinking, he quickly picked her up and carried her to her room.

Only then did he realize that the little girl was half-undressed, pressing close to him, her eyes seductive—clearly trying to seduce him.

Realizing this, Sheng Zexi felt as if his brain had been set on fire, burning so fiercely that he couldn’t think straight.

What did Sheng Zexi do after he realized what was happening?

Oh, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, he scolded the little girl on the spot, nearly making her cry, and then left.

After that, the little girl never tried to seduce him again. Whenever she saw him, she kept her distance. In truth, Sheng Zexi knew that the seduction had been a deliberate ploy by the little girl. She had been frustrated that he always seemed indifferent to her beauty, so she had tried to tempt him.

After being scolded, the little girl probably thought he was truly unmoved and became afraid of him.

But what this silly girl didn’t know was how much he had struggled internally, how her image had haunted his dreams, forcing him to secretly wash his underwear countless times.

Even now, thinking about it made Sheng Zexi grit his teeth.

Sheng Zexi vowed that tonight, he would properly “teach” this little girl a lesson, making up for that incident with interest.

Meanwhile, Gu Jianing, comfortably soaking in the hot spring, had no idea that the man sitting in front of her was planning how to “teach” her a lesson once they returned.

She only felt that soaking in a hot spring during such a cold winter was incredibly soothing. She had even brought soap and a towel, so she could also give herself a proper bath.

After the three days and two nights on the train, she felt like she had been marinated in her own sweat. Although Sheng Zexi hadn’t noticed any odor, Gu Jianing couldn’t stand it herself.

So, she definitely needed to wash thoroughly now.

“You shouldn’t soak in the hot spring for too long, especially the first time. If you feel dizzy, make sure to get out,” Sheng Zexi reminded her, still facing away.

“Okay, I know.”

For her first soak, Gu Jianing indeed didn’t dare stay in too long. After about ten minutes, she got out.

After putting on her undergarments, she glanced at Sheng Zexi, who was still facing away, and quietly retrieved a bottle of body lotion from her system space.

“I’m not fully dressed yet,” Gu Jianing warned.

Sheng Zexi facepalmed: If you’re not fully dressed, why are you telling me? Are you trying to make me imagine things?

But Sheng Zexi’s hearing was sharp, and he could tell that Gu Jianing seemed to be applying something. Thinking of his little wife’s love for beauty, he assumed she was probably applying some moisturizer.

Gu Jianing slathered herself with fragrant and silky body lotion. She had bought this lotion from the exchange mall using points—only 0.5 points for a large bottle, a full 5 liters. So, she used it generously.

She could guess what might happen tonight, and she wasn’t resistant to the idea. In fact, she was somewhat looking forward to it.

So, since she could take a bath while soaking in the hot spring, she might as well make herself smell nice. Look at this smooth, soft skin—even she couldn’t stop touching it.

“Can I wash my hair too?” Gu Jianing asked.

After applying the body lotion, Gu Jianing realized she had forgotten to wash her hair.

If they returned to the military base, washing her hair would likely be more difficult.

“Sure,” Sheng Zexi said.

While Gu Jianing washed her hair in the hot spring, Sheng Zexi gathered some firewood and started a fire.

“I’m done.” Gu Jianing secretly squeezed out some shampoo she had bought from the exchange mall and spent about ten minutes washing her hair.

“Come here.” Sheng Zexi looked up and beckoned her over.

The steam rising from the hot spring created a hazy mist, and within that mist, the rosy-cheeked, delicate beauty walked gracefully toward him, like a fairy emerging from a celestial realm.