Chapter 13 Warmth

“Are you blaming me, then?” Lian Nanshu knew he was teasing her, so she turned the tables on him. “Do you think I lack charm, that I’m dense, or that I’m not forward enough?” Her voice carried a hint of challenge as she looked up and stared directly at Lan Xubai.

His eyes flickered, a smile tugging at his lips as he leaned in closer. “If that’s what my wife thinks, I can let you try it out later… how about it?”

“You… You shameless!” Lian Nanshu was completely speechless. He was actually this thick-skinned when it came to this kind of thing.

Lan Xubai raised his brows. “I’m shameless? You brought it up first. I’m just answering honestly.”

Lian Nanshu: “…”

She was totally at a loss for words. Her pure peach-blossom eyes were bright and alluring, her pink cheeks soft and delicate, and her thick, long lashes framed her eyes like a porcelain doll. Her hair was tied in a bun with a cute clip holding her bangs, and her shy little pout was adorably angry.

Such a lovely girl—it was impossible not to be moved.

Since yesterday, Lan Xubai’s heart had been swayed by her every move. Her shy expressions were simply too adorable.

He thought back to when they were in the countryside—she had taken the initiative to hug him, even touched that place—and he had actually rejected her. All these years, he’d held back painfully. Every time he saw other couples being affectionate, he’d think of her, and those memories would flood back. His body began to heat up again.

“Pfft~” They were so close that he couldn’t help but lower his head and steal a kiss.

Before Lian Nanshu could even react, she was already kissed. Completely flustered, she covered her face and shouted, “You shameless!” then ran back to the room, embarrassed and annoyed.

Lan Xubai couldn’t help but grin. At this moment, all the scenes he had dreamed about were coming true.

Maybe it had taken him a long time—from trying to accept her, to quietly guarding her, and finally to falling in love.

Yesterday at school, when she didn’t even remember him, the disappointment hit him hard—it really hurt. He had thought she simply never wanted to see him again.

But when they sat across from each other at the table and she realized who he was, her shock and curiosity gave him hope. She didn’t deny anything, wasn’t angry, and it made him believe—maybe their marriage could be repaired.

Wanting to spend more time with her, Lan Xubai quickened his pace with the laundry. When he saw the underwear she had handed over—with blood on it—he felt a surge of guilt. He had only been thinking of himself and hadn’t considered that it was her first time.

After washing the clothes and sheets, he returned to the room.

Lian Nanshu was lying on the bed, a pillow tucked under her stomach, reading seriously. The scene gave off a warm, peaceful feeling.

“What’s so fascinating?” Lan Xubai sat down and moved closer to her, glancing at the book in her hands.

“You like reading Mr. Lu’s books?” he asked, surprised.

Lian Nanshu looked up at him, “Mm-hmm, I do.” He noticed the book was so old it looked like it could fall apart.

Lan Xubai said, “If you like reading, when we go out later, let’s buy more of what you like? You’ve probably read this one several times already?”

“Yes!” she replied excitedly. She flipped over to talk to him, but as soon as she moved, her brows furrowed. “Hiss~” She felt a sharp, tearing pain.

Lan Xubai’s expression turned serious with worry. “Still hurting?” he asked gently.

Lian Nanshu nodded shyly and a bit aggrieved, “A little.”

Frowning, Lan Xubai carefully helped her lie flat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider your condition…” He apologized, full of guilt.

Seeing his pained expression, Lian Nanshu sat up slowly, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. “Don’t keep frowning. I’m fine. It only hurts the first time—after that, it won’t.”

Lan Xubai finally relaxed a bit. He gently touched her face and nodded earnestly. “Alright, why don’t you rest a bit first? Once it’s cooler later, we’ll head out.”

Lian Nanshu looked at his furrowed brow and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Then, will you lie down with me?” she asked without thinking. But when she saw Lan Xubai’s reaction, she quickly added, “Just sleep! I’m exhausted!” She worried that if she didn’t explain, he’d completely misunderstand.

Lan Xubai looked at her flustered expression. “Alright~ Just sleep. I’ll hold you while we nap.”

He held her in his arms for a midday rest. Her head rested on his arm as she watched him with his eyes closed, breathing evenly.

The longer Lian Nanshu looked, the more she liked what she saw.

When his hormones were surging, he really exuded dominance. The more she thought about it, the more bashful she became. Her mind filled with images, and her heart thudded in rhythm.

Lan Xubai could tell she was staring at him. He didn’t dare open his eyes, afraid that if he did, she’d get too shy again. Let her stare, he thought, so she could really memorize his face. After all, if she forgot what he looked like the next time she left, he wouldn’t be able to stand it.

“Soldier boy~” the nickname suddenly popped into Lian Nanshu’s head.

Hearing that, Lan Xubai’s closed eyes twitched slightly.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Lian Nanshu leaned closer and whispered again in his ear, “Soldier boy~”

Lan Xubai couldn’t take it anymore and opened his eyes.

She was hovering over him, smiling softly, propped up on one arm, with the other resting on his abdomen. That radiant smile made Lan Xubai regret opening his eyes at all.

“What’s wrong?” His voice was hoarse, desire thick in his tone. The more he looked at her, the harder it was to hold back.

Unaware of the danger, Lian Nanshu lay on top of him and murmured, “I just think you’re so charming… I wanted to call out to you!”

“Go to sleep,” Lan Xubai said, his throat dry as he swallowed hard.

“Soldier-ge~” she called again. When there was no response for a while, Lian Nanshu remained unaware of the danger she had provoked. “Sold—mm…”

Lan Xubai suddenly flipped her over, cupping the back of her head and kissing her deeply. After releasing her, he panted heavily. “You’re seducing me—this is your own doing!”

Lian Nanshu looked completely innocent, still not having reacted when he was already taking action.

After a passionate session, Lian Nanshu was completely drained of strength. Lan Xubai got up to pull the curtains shut, then lay back down and cuddled his wife as they fell asleep again.

Having tasted the sweetness, he realized he was no longer satisfied. If it weren’t for Lian Nanshu repeatedly begging for mercy—and his heart aching for how exhausted she was—he really wouldn’t have stopped.

Even after just a short break, he was already reacting again. Unable to control himself, he got up to take a cold shower. If he stayed in the room any longer, he might not be able to resist going another round—and Lian Nanshu couldn’t take more. She looked like she was on the verge of tears from the pain.

It felt great in the moment, but afterward, he felt deeply regretful.

By the time Lian Nanshu woke up, it was already dark outside. She remembered that Lan Xubai had said they would go buy gifts to bring when visiting family. Slowly, she got up from bed, noticing the red marks all over her body. Her waist and back ached, and she felt like her whole body was soft and falling apart.

The room was dark, but she could see the lights were on in the living room. She got dressed and walked out.

“Why didn’t you wake me? It’s already dark,” she said, rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep.

Lan Xubai, who was reading, looked up immediately when he heard her voice. “It’s fine. We can go tomorrow instead.”

Lian Nanshu walked over to the couch, sat down next to him, and leaned on his shoulder. “I have a meeting at school tomorrow morning. I won’t be free until the afternoon.” Since the semester had just started, the class schedules weren’t fully arranged yet, and she was already busy with work, so she didn’t have much time at school.

“Let’s go now instead,” she said after a moment’s thought, wrapping her arm around his. “Shall we?”

Lan Xubai stared at the just-awakened Lian Nanshu. “I got a phone call while you were asleep—Mr. Li from the school has already gone to the South City Foreign Language Exchange on behalf of the school.”

Lian Nanshu replied, “Then there’s no need for me to go anymore. What else did they say?”

She had only been helping out as a substitute, so it made sense that she wouldn’t be going anymore if the original person had returned.