Gu Chong rubbed his neck and the area around his collarbone where she had just touched him, feeling both disgusted with his actions and wistful with lingering pleasure.

When Gu Chong noticed out of the corner of his eye that the fire in the stove was about to go out because no firewood had been added for too long, he snapped out of his daze and hurriedly stuffed two handfuls of dry firewood in.

After taking several deep breaths, Gu Chongcai managed to put aside those alluring thoughts and focused on cooking the soup.

Gu Chong's heart, which had calmed down, started pounding again after the hangover soup was cooked.

He chilled the soup in a water vat until it reached a temperature that wasn't too hot before ladling it out and carrying it to his bedroom.

Pushing open the door, you can see his bedroom, which is not big and can be seen in its entirety at a glance.

Seeing Xue Fu lying peacefully asleep on his bed, her little face slightly flushed, Gu Chong suddenly felt an impulse and immediately stopped himself from approaching.

After he finally calmed down and adjusted his breathing, he slowly walked over, not daring to get too close, and stood a meter away from the bed.

She was sleeping soundly, her tied-up hair spread loosely on the bed, like fluffy seaweed underwater, soft and silky.

Gu Chong was reluctant to wake her up.

After silently watching her sleeping for a while, Gu Chong finally woke her up.

"Xue Fu... Xue Fu..." he whispered.

Xue Fu opened her eyes groggily, but she was still not fully conscious.

"Drink it before you sleep."

He half-supported her, letting her lean against him, and the warm soup touched her lips. Xue Fu habitually opened her mouth and sipped it down, one mouthful at a time.

It tastes sour and isn't very tasty.

Unlike when he fed her warm water in the He family's courtyard at noon, this time when he fed her hangover soup, Gu Chong did a rather poor job of feeding her.

He was somewhat distracted, his attention occasionally drawn to her parted red lips. Xue Fu's lips were already full, but after being moistened with soup, they appeared even more crimson and soft.

Gu Chong's heart pounded, and his hands faltered. Before she could swallow, the hand holding the bowl tilted slightly, and the soup dripped down her lips, sliding from her delicate chin, the water stains spreading to her neck, leaving glistening streaks.

Gu Chong became flustered.

He hurriedly reached out to wipe her, from her chin to her slender neck, and then up to her lips.

While wiping, she couldn't resist and unconsciously rubbed her fingertips against his long-coveted red lips, which were as soft as cotton.

Soft and tender.

His hands were mostly wet, and he hadn't finished feeding her the soup in the bowl.

His breathing was heavy and disordered in the bedroom. Gu Chong closed his eyes and forced a bitter smile.

What is he doing...?

It took Xue Fu a while to adjust to the dim light after opening her eyes.

This is not a former settlement for educated youth sent to the countryside.

She was lying on a strange bed.

If it weren't for the view of the courtyard outside the window being the Gu family's courtyard where she had stayed for several months, Xue Fu might have actually screamed.

She sat up in bed, and when she straightened up, her head ached a little.

Xue Fu raised her hand and pressed her temples, feeling somewhat annoyed with her behavior at noon.

If she had known this liquor was this strong, she would never have downed it in one gulp.

She now realized her limits; it turned out she was also a lightweight drinker.

Images of her drunken state gradually surfaced in her mind.

Gu Chong...

Xue Fu rubbed her head, thankfully Gu Chong was watching over her and prevented her from doing anything crazy after getting drunk.

She looked around the room again and then realized that this was Gu Chong's bedroom.

This was her first time entering this room.

The bedroom wasn't big, but it was very clean.

There was a wooden cabinet next to the bed with a glass of water on it.

When Xue Fu reached out and touched the side of the cup, the water had already cooled down. She didn't know when Gu Chong had put it in.

But her throat was indeed a bit dry, so she picked it up and took a few sips to moisten it.

When Xue Fu pushed open the door and went out, it was almost dark outside.

She slept until evening.

"You're up?" Gu Chong had appeared beside her at some point. He glanced at her and asked, "Does your head hurt?"

Xue Fu was actually a little uncomfortable.

He got drunk and was seen by someone, and then he took over someone else's bed and slept there for an entire afternoon.

She lowered her head, her face slightly flushed: "It's alright."

She wasn't feeling unwell, just a little unaccustomed to it.

Gu Chong went to the kitchen and brought the dishes to the main room: "Do you have an appetite? The food is ready."

Xue Fu: "I'm a little hungry."

Gu Chong glanced at her, chuckled, and then went to call Gu Fei out for dinner.

Xue Fu had expected Gu Chong to tease her about her "overestimating herself" while drinking that day, but after dinner, when he saw her off at the entrance of the educated youth settlement, he didn't mention it at all.

He simply told her what he would be having for breakfast the next day, as usual. He said he would be steaming buns for breakfast.

As usual, she praised it, saying, "Hmm, it must taste delicious."

As Gu Chong walked back, Xue Fu glanced back at his retreating figure disappearing into the night, then pressed her arm against her chest, feeling her heart pounding faster.

The first thing Xue Fu did upon returning to the educated youth settlement was to wash up.

She felt the smell of alcohol still lingering on her, so she diligently brushed her teeth twice.

While washing her hair and taking a shower in the bathroom, Xue Fu belatedly realized that if she smelled of alcohol, then the smell of Gu Chong's bed must be...

Xue Fu was shy, mainly because she felt embarrassed.

She'd definitely be angry if someone slept in her bed smelling of alcohol...

Xue Fu scooped up some water and washed her face again. Hmm... Gu Chong is so nice, he probably won't mind... Waaah.

After washing up and returning to her room, Xue Fu saw that Li Jing's bed was now empty. The empty corner of the female educated youth dormitory made the room seem much more spacious, and she was a little taken aback when she entered.

"Xue Fu, are you all packed?"

Liu Ling and Zheng Peipei were already half-lying on the bed, chatting before Xue Fu came in.

"It's all tidied up." Xue Fu nodded, then looked at the still-lit kerosene lamp on the table and asked their plans, "Do you want to turn off the light now? Or wait a little longer?"

Liu Ling spoke first: "Let's call it a day. That's all."

"OK."

Xue Fu blew out the lamp, and the room suddenly became dim. Only the moonlight from outside shone through the cracks in the door and the gaps in the poorly sealed window paper, barely providing any dim light in the room.

Xue Fu also lay down on the bed, but after sleeping all afternoon, she wasn't sleepy at all.

She assumed Liu Ling and Zheng Peipei were both getting ready for bed, so she idly started playing with her fingers.

Two minutes later, Zheng Peipei rolled over and opened her mouth to speak in Xue Fu's direction: "Um, Xue Fu..."

"Hmm?" Xue Fu turned to the side to listen to her. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"