Wen Rushang had other matters to attend to, so he declined Huo Tingxiao's invitation to stay for lunch. After he left, only Huo Tingxiao and Wen Xingyue remained at home.

"Huo Tingxiao, my hand is stuck to it."

Wen Xingyue looked pleadingly at Huo Tingxiao, who came out of the study. She opened her hand, which was covered in sugar, and made a grasping motion in the air, her delicate brows furrowed.

This was Wen Xingyue's first time eating candied hawthorn. Because she couldn't bear to finish it all at once, she ate it slowly, bit by bit. At this time, the candied hawthorn was made naturally without any of the additives that would not dissolve after a long time, so it melted quickly.

The sugar stains melted and dripped all over her hands, making her feel sticky. Wen Xingyue was shocked, but when she saw Huo Tingxiao appear, she looked like she had seen a savior.

"Candied hawthorns melt easily, just wipe them off."

Huo Tingxiao looked at the innocent-looking little girl, a smile appearing on his handsome face, and maneuvered his wheelchair over.

He took out his handkerchief, poured some water from the kettle on the table onto it, and then approached her.

Rough fingertips pinched the soft chin, the touch in the hand was soft and delicate, like the finest silk, making it irresistible.

Huo Tingxiao suddenly moved closer, his warm breath spraying onto her face. Wen Xingyue's long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly. "Huo Tingxiao, what are you doing?"

Wen Xingyue didn't quite understand why he suddenly approached her.

Why are you suddenly so close? It's kind of embarrassing, but looking closer, Huo Tingxiao's eyelashes are so long! I really want to pluck one.

Wen Xingyue didn't understand human emotions, and her thoughts were simple. She blinked and looked at the magnified handsome face in front of her.

His facial features are smooth and sharp, with a neat and tidy buzz cut, a broad and full forehead, thick black eyebrows, deep and sharp eyes, a high and straight nose, and beautifully shaped, rosy, thin lips.

"Heh, even the little glutton has sugar stains on his face."

Huo Tingxiao chuckled and gently wiped the sugar stains off her face with a handkerchief, his movements so gentle that he dared not use any force, for fear of accidentally breaking the tender skin of the young girl in front of him.

This was the first time Huo Tingxiao had ever touched her. He truly didn't know that a girl's face could be so fair and soft, like tofu.

It feels like it would break easily if poked, and the secret would be revealed.

He had no idea how the girl ate; her face was covered in food.

"Oh, then you can wipe it off. Make sure it's clean, no wonder it always feels sticky and uncomfortable."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xingyue tilted her head back to make it easier for him to wipe her.

Because he dared not use force, Huo Tingxiao patiently wiped away the sugar stains on her face little by little, then pulled her fair and tender hands and held them in his own. Both of her soft hands were covered with sugar stains.

Why did you wake up so early this morning?

Huo Tingxiao lowered his brows and carefully wiped her hands, his gentle words revealing his concern.

It's only a little past ten o'clock now. Normally, she would still be lazing in bed at this time, but today she's already up in the living room.

"I can't sleep."

Wen Xingyue became listless when she mentioned getting up early in the morning.

"Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Or what's wrong?"

Noticing her low spirits, Huo Tingxiao wiped her hands clean and looked up at her with concern.

Having observed her for so long, I know that Xiaotaohua has always had good sleep quality, so why can't she sleep?

"I feel fine. It was raining and thundering last night."

Wen Xingyue lowered her head and shook it.

[That thunder was terrifying, just like when the little peach blossom spirit was struck by lightning. It was scary.]

Hearing the rumbling thunder, it felt like the sky was about to be split open, along with the pattering rain. After being startled awake in the middle of the night, Wen Xingyue trembled all night, not daring to sleep too soundly.

She finally drifted off to sleep as dawn approached, but she didn't sleep very soundly. She tossed and turned, unable to fall back asleep, so she got up.

Her words made Huo Tingxiao's heart clench, and a pang of heartache spread through him. He looked down at her and said gently, "It's not thundering anymore? Do you want to take a nap?"

No wonder she's such a listless little peach blossom spirit today.

He was completely lacking the energy he had shown in the previous few days.

...

"Go to sleep, I'll stay here with you."

Wen Xingyue refused to go upstairs to sleep, so Huo Tingxiao took her to his room on the first floor.

Wen Xingyue looked around the empty room. There was a table covered with books, a chair, and a simple wooden box containing his clothes and personal belongings.

It was quite different from the spacious and bright rooms upstairs, which had been specially decorated for the wedding.

Neatly folded military green cubes were placed on the bed.

Unlike most boys' rooms, which are messy, this room is almost too clean and tidy.

The air was filled with a faint scent of soapberry, mixed with the rich aura of merit that the man had accumulated over time, which lingered in the room.

Sensing the faint aura of merit in the air, Wen Xingyue's uneasy heart gradually calmed down.

Once she settled down, waves of drowsiness from not having rested enough washed over her, and she yawned.

"I'm going to sleep, what are you going to do?" Wen Xingyue turned her head and asked lazily.

I slept in Huo Tingxiao's bed, what will he do now?

"I'm not sleepy, you go to sleep." Even though he was so sleepy that his eyes were drooping, Huo Tingxiao was still worried about what would happen to him.

"Okay." Wen Xingyue didn't stand on ceremony. She took off her shoes, jumped onto the bed, and unfolded the neatly folded blanket to cover herself.

"Huo Tingxiao, you said you would stay with me and not leave."

Wen Xingyue suddenly thought of something and opened her eyes again, looking at the man beside the bed.

"Okay, I won't leave. I'll stay in the room with you. Go to sleep, and you can have lunch when you wake up."

Huo Tingxiao looked amusedly at the person whose eyes were so sleepy they could barely keep them open, yet who was still forcing himself to stay awake and give him instructions, and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, if you lie to me, I won't like you anymore."

Wen Xingyue mumbled something under her breath, and the next second, she fell fast asleep.

She hadn't slept well all night, and as soon as she touched the bed, her body, supported by sleepiness, activated sleep mode.

It's almost summer now, and after a rain, it's quite cool.

Huo Tingxiao, who was about to get out of bed to read at the desk next to him, suddenly stopped and remained standing by the bedside.

The bed, which was a bit narrow for him, seemed spacious to Wen Xingyue, who was petite. Wen Xingyue was not a good sleeping person. She lay down on the bed in a starfish position, but in the blink of an eye, she grabbed the blanket with both hands and hugged it, sticking one foot out from under the blanket and trapping it between her legs.

A smile unconsciously crept onto Huo Tingxiao's usually stern brows.

The room was quiet. The tall, handsome man stood silently by the bedside, where a small figure slept, like a dragon guarding a sleeping princess.