Wen Ci felt both nervous and excited. The guesthouse only had one room left—did that mean she would have to sleep with Huo Jingyuan tonight?!
The two of them walked into the room on the third floor of the guesthouse.

Inside was a moderately sized bed, accompanied by two single armchairs. Near the entrance was a private bathroom equipped with a water heater.

Haishi, as the provincial capital of the northwest, had a promising future for development. Even the guesthouses were equipped with water heaters to accommodate the needs of visiting officials.

Seeing the water heater, Wen Ci’s eyes lit up with delight.

She had thought she would have to boil water to take a bath. Pulling out a set of clothes from her luggage, she smiled and asked, “Want to shower together?”

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan looked stunned.

Almost immediately, a faint blush spread across his sun-tanned skin, resembling the color of a Red Fuji apple.
“You… I…” Huo Jingyuan stammered nervously.

Wen Ci quickly explained, “Isn’t it true that the water heater stops working after a certain time at night? If we don’t shower together, we might run out of hot water soon.”

“It’s fine.”

The guesthouse bathroom only had a single door for privacy. Huo Jingyuan sat on one of the armchairs, listening to the sound of running water. His body grew increasingly restless.

From his angle, he could see the shadow behind the door.

Huo Jingyuan lowered his gaze, his throat bobbing as his body grew warmer. His deep eyes reflected a desire he was desperately trying to suppress.

Wen Ci hummed a cheerful tune as she enjoyed the hot shower.

After enduring the green train for so long, she was more than ready for this. Wen Ci had been showering for nearly half an hour when she noticed the water temperature starting to drop.

She quickly finished up, changed into her clothes, and stepped out of the bathroom.

As soon as she exited, Wen Ci met Huo Jingyuan’s gaze. His eyes, deep and intense, were fixed on her, filled with an unspoken longing.

Wen Ci smiled. “Comrade Huo, there’s no more hot water.”

“I can take a cold shower,” Huo Jingyuan replied.

The weather in the northwest in June wasn’t cold, and a cold shower would help suppress his desires. Seeing Wen Ci’s damp hair, he asked, “Do you need help drying it?”

He had seen many couples do this before.

“Sure.”

Wen Ci sat sideways on the edge of the bed. Huo Jingyuan picked up a dry towel, cradling her wet hair in his hand and gently drying it.

As he looked at Wen Ci’s fair nape, Huo Jingyuan’s warm palm couldn’t help but brush against it. He leaned in closer, his eyes dark and intense.

“Wen Ci.”

His voice was low, as if he was struggling to hold back.

Reason triumphed over desire. After drying her hair, Huo Jingyuan said, “I’m going to shower.” With that, he hurriedly fled the scene.

Wen Ci watched his retreating figure and shook her head with a smile. He really could resist temptation. She wondered if his stamina was as impressive as they said.

When Huo Jingyuan had touched the back of her neck, she had felt the heat radiating from his body and thought things might naturally progress.

But in the end…

Cold water poured over Huo Jingyuan from head to toe, gradually cooling the heat in his body.

Huo Jingyuan stared at the ceiling. Even though he and Wen Ci were legally married, a relationship still needed time to develop.

He wouldn’t force himself on Wen Ci just because he was her husband!

In the bathroom, Huo Jingyuan ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. Just as he was about to apply shampoo, the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Wen Ci sat in the spot Huo Jingyuan had occupied earlier.