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On the first day of their arrival, after several hours on the train, An Huan felt exhausted. She didn’t rush to unpack but instead took out her toothbrush and toothpaste.
Xiao Zheng started up the coal stove, preparing to boil some water.
An Huan stood by, watching him and learning as she observed.
The stove master couldn’t do it, and she certainly couldn’t either.
Seeing her paying such close attention, Xiao Zheng even began explaining.
“The stack of newspapers in the corner is specifically for lighting the stove. Like this, I tear them into strips to ignite… The air vent is key; you have to blow a little at first for the fire to catch…”
An Huan eagerly volunteered, “Let me blow.”
Xiao Zheng hesitated for a moment and then stepped aside, “Go ahead.”
An Huan crouched down, holding her skirt, and tilted her head to blow into the vent.
“Get a little closer… Put some strength into it…”
Suddenly, Xiao Zheng’s nose caught a distinct fragrance. When he lowered his head, he realized how close he was to An Huan.
Her long, fair neck was right under his eyelids.
The scent seemed to emanate from that dazzlingly white skin.
Xiao Zheng felt a sudden dryness in his throat, his Adam’s apple moving involuntarily.
It had been quite some time since he and An Huan were close in that way.
An Huan didn’t enjoy that matter, always seeming reluctant. Deep down, he also had a sense of pride. How could he develop any interest in a woman who was as cold as ice?
Moreover, most of the time they lived apart. An Huan never visited his family, and whenever he returned to the provincial city, he still went to his father-in-law’s home, which made it even harder to develop any improper thoughts.
But today… perhaps it was because An Huan had been too enthusiastic, too intimate. He…
Xiao Zheng’s eyes began to burn with desire.
An Huan blew for a long time, and the sparks in the stove gradually grew stronger.
She tried to stand up, but dizziness struck her, and her body uncontrollably swayed to one side.
She had run out of oxygen.
Xiao Zheng felt a soft body collide with his chest, and he instinctively reached out to catch her.
“Mm…” An Huan softly moaned, resting her dizzy head on Xiao Zheng’s chest. “Don’t move, let me recover for a moment. I’m short of breath.”
An Huan placed her hands on his chest, her head slightly leaning on his shoulder.
Xiao Zheng could only feel her breath lightly brushing his neck, like a feather, sending a tickling sensation through him, making his heart race.
His awareness began to grow hazy, and without thinking, his arms instinctively reached around her.
Suddenly, the sparks in the stove crackled loudly, startling him back to his senses. In a panic, he pulled away, but he forgot that they were both squatting. Without his steady base, An Huan lost her balance and fell onto her bottom.
It didn’t hurt much, but An Huan was startled. Her angry glare shot toward Xiao Zheng as she snapped, “You pushed me!”
Her eyes were misty, and the glare in them, despite being fierce, somehow seemed to invite him in.
Xiao Zheng’s heart pounded in his chest.
“Still not helping me up?” The young lady pouted in complaint, extending a delicate hand.
Xiao Zheng took a deep breath, managing to hold onto his reason, and grabbed her hand.
It was soft, smooth, and delicate, without any strength.
Once An Huan steadied herself, he quickly let go of her hand and grabbed the kettle to leave in a hurry, tossing over his shoulder, “I’ll go get water.”
An Huan immediately sensed the change in the atmosphere, feeling both surprised and amused. She had thought that tonight might be the night to finally touch his abs, but in the blink of an eye, she was shoved to the ground, and the man ran off.
However, it didn’t take long for An Huan to understand what had happened.
It seemed like Xiao Zheng had fled in a panic.
Could it be that he was embarrassed by his own feelings?
From Xiao Zheng’s perspective, the two of them had been together for so long, like an old married couple! What was there to be shy about?!
An old man, yet he still seemed so pure-hearted.
After boiling the water, An Huan thought about taking a bath, but soon realized there was nowhere to bathe in the house.
The bathroom was the kind of rural latrine, with no drainage.
Speaking of this bathroom, An Huan wasn’t used to it either and would have to figure out a way to improve it later.
She raised her arm to sniff it, her face full of concern. “After sitting on the train for half a day, I’m covered in sweat. How can I not wash up?”
She smelled fragrant, so where was the sweat?
However, Xiao Zheng was still hesitant to look directly at An Huan. He didn’t argue and instead suggested, “Shall I go borrow a bath tub for you?”
“No need,” An Huan shook her head. A bath tub shouldn’t be borrowed from others; aside from the risk of bacterial and fungal infections, it would be terrible if there were any contagious diseases.
Xiao Zheng added, “The bathhouse is open twice a week in summer, on Wednesdays and Sundays. The day after tomorrow is Wednesday; you can go and take a good bath then.”
An Huan nodded. “I guess that’s the only option. For tonight, I’ll just wipe down.”
Dongdong then told Xiao Zheng to take him outside to wash.
By the time An Huan finished, Xiao Zheng had already placed their clean son on the bed.
There was only one bed set up for now, so the three of them would have to sleep together tonight.
“Dad sleeps on my left, and Mom sleeps on my right.” Dongdong lay down in the middle first, arranging their spots, and eagerly looked at his parents. “Hurry up and come over.”
Xiao Zheng probably also had a shower. His body was covered in steam, and he was wearing only a vest and shorts as he lay beside his son.
“Mom, hurry!” For some reason, Dongdong seemed very excited.
“I’m coming.”
The bed was about 1.5 meters wide. With Xiao Zheng’s large frame, he occupied half of it.
An Huan felt a little worried. She didn’t sleep well and tended to toss and turn, possibly even kicking people in her sleep.
The space was so narrow, would she end up pressing her son while sleeping?
“Mom, are we going to live here from now on?” Dongdong whispered into his mother’s ear, not realizing that his voice was not light enough to not be heard by his father.
Xiao Zheng asked him in return, “Do you like living here?”
Dongdong glanced at his mom and cautiously nodded. “This place has Dad, and butterflies. I like it here.”
An Huan kissed his forehead and reassured him, “Then we’ll stay here with Dad and the butterflies.”
Dongdong’s eyes curved with joy as he chattered away, full of excitement.
It seemed that being quiet wasn’t exactly his personality after all.
After waiting for a while, An Huan finally whispered, “Could you move him to your side? I’m afraid I might roll over and press him.”
Once Dongdong was moved, Xiao Zheng was in the middle.
His thick skin and sturdy frame meant that he didn’t care if he was kicked or pressed.
An Huan, exhausted from the day, drifted off to sleep.
However, several times during the night, she was woken up by something hard pressing against her. Still groggy, she didn’t think much of it, simply pushing it aside in irritation. Eventually, her limbs became immobile in the dream, and in her half-conscious state, she felt like a large tiger was pressing down on her, leaving her uncomfortable the rest of the night.