Chapter Fifty-Five: Sharing a Bed

The trade and tourism festival brought a lot of sponsorship to the mountain village. When everyone went to inspect it, I went along as an accompaniment. Not only Wang Sihong, but also Chu Zhen was with us.

The villagers were very welcoming, as I've built a good rapport with them over the past two years. Lai Di was especially happy to see me back; she's the most hardworking and academically gifted child, and I have a bit of a soft spot for her. This time, I bought her and her younger brother new clothes, some food, and some common medicine for her grandmother. The investors who came with me also donated a library and sports equipment to the school.

The village chief was very happy that everyone was investing, and since I brought him, he trusted me a lot. He signed the contract without even reading it. Of course, I did read the contract carefully and checked it with a law firm to see if there were any improprieties.

The delegation booked a hotel in town, but Wang Sihong and Chu Zhen didn't go, so I took them to the school dormitory.

"You lived here for the years you taught in the rural area?" Wang Sihong looked at the surroundings and found it hard to believe.

"Hmm, I'm used to it~" I started a fire and began boiling water. Although I had been away for a while, the house was still very clean. It was clear that these kids had helped me clean up quite a bit on a regular basis.

"Lin Dang, I never expected you to be teaching here. Back then, you were our goddess, admired by so many!" Wang Sihong joked with me, unaware of my relationship with Chu Zhen.

"What do you mean by 'back in the day'? Isn't it the same now?"

"Yes, yes, now it's even more out of reach. Is there anything you need to do? I'll take care of it."

Wang Sihong and I were chatting and laughing, while Chu Zhen was in an awkward situation. He stood silently in front of the door, but his face was unusually gloomy.

"Have some tea!" I brewed the tea and served it to Chu Zhen.

"What kind of tea is it? It tastes good," Chu Zhen asked, taking a sip.

"I don't know either. Let the investors name it for me. I picked and cooked it myself."

"I never would have guessed~" Chu Zhen exclaimed, then stopped talking. I knew he hadn't expected that the girl who used to burn even steaks and survive on instant noodles every day had become so capable.

Seeing that I was in the dormitory, the people around brought me food, which solved my problem since I was just worrying about dinner.

"You used this water to wash vegetables before?"

"Yes, this is spring water, it's unpolluted and very clean."

"Let me do it, it's too cold~"

Chu Zhen picked up the basket from my hand and started washing the vegetables. I still remember how he used to forbid me from touching cold water or drinking cold boiled water, saying that a woman's body must be kept warm.

"No wonder you're so thin, it's all vegetables! You used to love meat!"

"It's alright. I'm the kind of person who's easygoing. If there's meat, I'll eat meat; if there's no meat, I'll eat vegetables. And if there are no vegetables, I can get full just by drinking water!"

"What if there's no water at all?"

"Then I'll just breathe the air, and in winter I can drink the northwest wind too~"

Chu Zhen was amused by me and looked at me with a silly grin. I didn't suppress my emotions either and smiled back. I liked Chu Zhen's smile; it was warm and could penetrate my heart.

Wang Sihong tended the fire, Chu Zhen cooked, and I became the idle one, standing aside to peel some mountain produce for them to try. With their combined efforts, they actually managed to prepare a whole table of dishes, the most sumptuous meal I've ever had here. Usually, when I'm alone, I just boil some vegetables and that's enough.

Even though there was no meat, Chu Zhen still habitually put vegetables in my bowl. Wang Sihong looked at us thoughtfully.

Dinner was sorted out, but accommodation became the problem. There was a dormitory room with an empty bed, but it seemed impossible for two grown men to squeeze into one bed!

"You go over there, Lin Dang and I will stay here." Chu Zhen arranged the accommodation. Wang Sihong looked at me, and seeing that I didn't say anything, he went to another dormitory.

"How do you usually take a shower?" Chu Zhen looked at my dormitory room, which didn't have a bathroom at all.

“Use that basin, just for wiping and rinsing!” I pointed to the basin at the corner of the wall.

Chu Zhen picked up the basin and brought in hot water.

"You go ahead and wash, I'll go boil some more water." With that, she left.

Well, I'm used to it. The first thing I did when I got back to City A was to go to a bathhouse with Yan Yan. That day was the first time I asked a bathhouse attendant to scrub my back. To be honest, the grime on my body covered the entire bed, and Huang Yan Yan still teases me about it to this day.

After a quick wash, I went outside to get some water, and there was indeed a lot of smoke coming from Chu Zhen's place.

"Let me do it!" I took the firewood and started cooking. With practiced movements, the fire quickly became blazing.

While Chu Zhen was boiling water, I started tidying up the dormitory. My dormitory has two beds, but since I live alone, I used the other bed to store miscellaneous items and books. I put my things elsewhere. Although it was March or April, the season when spring is in full bloom, the temperature on the mountain was still quite low. I spread the straw from under my bed onto the other bed. I really don't know if Chu Zhen, such a refined man, can get used to such a bed. I also took one of my cotton-padded coats and spread it on the straw, then made the bed sheet. To avoid embarrassment, I lay down on my own bed and started pretending to be asleep.

Listening to Chu Zhen's movements, before pretending to be asleep, I had forgotten that Chu Zhen also had to clean and wash in this room. Hearing the noise, I deliberately turned over and moved to the side of the wall. After a while, Chu Zhen went out to get water, and I heard him return to the room.

However, to my utter surprise, Chu Zhen got into my bed. I had just turned to my side, giving him enough space, and now it was too late to change positions. My heart was pounding and my breathing became rapid.

Chu Zhen lay down, turned to his side, and ruffled my hair with his hand. Then he wrapped his arm around me, just like countless times before. I felt that embrace I had longed for, that familiar warmth and scent. After three years, I felt it again. I didn't move, continuing to pretend to be asleep. But Chu Zhen's hand started to wander, slowly slipping inside my clothes. If I continued to pretend, it would be deliberately indulging him. I reached out and grabbed his hand as it moved upwards.

"Lin Dang~" Chu Zhen called me softly.

"Um?"

"Let's stay the same as before, okay?"

I remained silent. His indifference, and the woman in the passenger seat that day, were knots in my heart that I could never shake off.

Chu Zhen didn't get an answer, nor did he continue to ask. He just hugged me and held my hand tightly, as if he wanted to pull me into his heart.

I don't know when I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was already resting my head on Chu Zhen's arm. When I opened my eyes, I saw Chu Zhen's tender and affectionate eyes.

"You're awake!" Seeing that I didn't push him away, Chu Zhen gently kissed my forehead. For a moment, I had a strange feeling that we were still the same as before, just like countless times when I woke up in his bedroom.

"Did you get enough rest?"

"Yeah, I've been looking at you all night, and I feel like I can't get enough of you." Chu Zhen is good at flirting, I knew that before, and I thought all of this was only for me, but now I'm not sure if there are others involved.

"Lin Dang, you've suffered these past few years~" Chu Zhen patted my head.

"It's not bitter, you'll get used to it~" I smiled back. I slept very soundly. It was almost eight o'clock, and the students were about to start class. This was not a good influence, so I urged Chu Zhen to get up.