Chapter 13

Huo Jincheng was slightly stunned, looking at her with some surprise.

Her meaning was…

“Go to bed,” Lan Yun’er said as she tidied up the mat and pulled him toward the bed.

Huo Jincheng’s expression showed a touch of emotion.

But… after glancing at her delicate face, he frowned slightly. “I’d better sleep on the floor. With the doors and windows shut, it’s quite warm; it’s not cold.”

Although he longed to share the bed with his young wife, he was afraid she might only be indulging a fleeting whim and would regret it later. He’d rather endure the cold on the floor now than see her regret her decision in the future. Her regret would break his heart.

“Warm? What warm? Even with the doors and windows shut, the room is still cold. If you keep sleeping on the floor, you’ll get sick sooner or later,” she said with a slightly forceful tone, pulling him to the bed in quick steps.

She lifted the quilt with one sweep, saying, “You sleep inside; I’ll sleep outside.”

She planned to go out later that night, so it was more convenient for her to sleep on the outside.

Huo Jincheng stood there, staring at her. He looked at her with a fixed gaze, as if unable to process what was happening. Was she really planning for them to share the same bed? Not just on a whim?

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get in!” she said, giving him a little push and shoving him onto the bed.

His brows furrowed slightly as he finally came to his senses.

Looking deeply at her, he asked hesitantly, “Yun’er, do you really want to share the same bed with me? You won’t regret it later…?”

“I won’t regret it. I’ll never regret it. Didn’t I say earlier? I want to live a good life with you from now on. And since we’re living together, isn’t it normal to sleep together?”

While speaking, she removed her cotton jacket and climbed into the bed, preparing to lie beside him.

Her words brought a gentle warmth to his eyes, and a smile naturally crept onto his handsome face.

As she moved to lie down, he quickly said, “I’ll sleep on the outside. You’re a lady; it’s better for you to sleep on the inside.”

With that, he tried to shift to the outer side of the bed.

Lan Yun’er frowned slightly, reached out, and pressed him back. With a serious tone, she said, “I like sleeping on the outside. If I sleep inside, I feel like I can’t breathe properly, and it makes me uncomfortable. So, when we sleep together in the future, I’ll always sleep on the outside.”

Before he could respond, she quickly lay down, pulled the quilt over herself, and closed her eyes. “Good night.”

Huo Jincheng: “…”

Seeing that his young wife had already lain down and seemed genuinely comfortable sleeping on the outside, he sighed inwardly. He had no choice but to let her have her way.

However, noticing that the kerosene lamp was still lit, he furrowed his brows slightly. Carefully moving to get out of bed, he tried to avoid disturbing her as much as possible.

Lan Yun’er sensed his movement but didn’t react.

Huo Jincheng carefully stepped over her and quickly went to the table to extinguish the lamp.

Once the room was in complete darkness, he groped his way back to the bed, climbing in as cautiously as before to avoid touching her. But when he moved toward the inside, his right leg unexpectedly gave out, and he fell forward, landing on top of her.

The impact caused her to let out a muffled groan.

His body went rigid, and he looked down at her in a daze. However, in the pitch darkness, he couldn’t see anything.

Still, the sensation of softness beneath him made his breathing suddenly uneven, and his throat felt dry.

“Yun’er…” he said in a low, hoarse voice.

Lan Yun’er exhaled. Though he appeared thin, he was unexpectedly heavy. Lying under him felt like being pinned by a large boulder.

She reached out to push against him. “Jincheng.”

Her pushing motion made her intentions clear to him. His gaze dimmed, and he whispered, “Sorry.” He propped himself up and moved to the inside of the bed.

He took off his army coat and draped it over her before lying down. Glancing at her, he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Lan Yun’er lay there with her bright eyes open, watching him intently.

Although the room was dark, she could see clearly.

Noticing the faint sadness and defeat in his eyes, she frowned slightly and scooted closer to him.

She knew what he was thinking.

He must be thinking that she still didn’t fully accept him, that she didn’t want him to touch her or truly be her husband.

But her approach made his body tense instantly.

He tightly clenched his fists, feeling both nervous and flustered.

“Jincheng,” Lan Yun’er said softly, wrapping her arms around his and snuggling into his chest. “It’s so cold. Your embrace is much warmer.”

Huo Jincheng: “…”

He froze, unable to process her sudden affection.

“I guess I’m just really tired from falling into the water today. Jincheng, I’ll sleep first. You should sleep too.” She yawned as if exhaustion had taken over.

Listening to her, Huo Jincheng felt a wave of relief wash over him, followed by a surge of warmth in his heart.

She wasn’t rejecting him after all.

If she truly didn’t want him near, she wouldn’t have snuggled into his embrace now.

His lips curled into a smile, and he gently wrapped his arms around her.

“Good night,” he said in a magnetic, warm voice. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to relax, the corners of his mouth still slightly upturned.

Lan Yun’er, hearing his words, smirked slightly.

She didn’t explicitly explain why she had pushed him away earlier. Instead, she had chosen to reassure him with her actions, which she believed would be more effective than words.

Smiling lightly, she waited contentedly for the deep night to come.

Around 1 a.m., the night outside was pitch black, like thick ink. The damp coldness created an eerie stillness.

Lan Yun’er opened her eyes and looked at the man in front of her. Seeing his closed eyes and even breathing, she thought he must be sound asleep.

She carefully slid out of his embrace, moving slowly to avoid waking him.

Getting out of bed quietly, she put on her cotton jacket and tiptoed toward the door.

The moment she stepped outside, however, the man in the bed opened his eyes.