Chapter 21 "A little sore and swollen".

Jin Huan stared at him blankly.

She might get a little emotional when talking about the past, but she has long since learned to regulate her emotions. After all, she is no longer a child and knows that these things are not worth crying over.

Tears are a way to release emotions, and she used to like crying, but that would no longer be the reason.

Jin Huan opened her mouth, but then stopped herself, embarrassed. It wasn't good to openly discuss her bad habit, and Zhong Yan knew it too.

Mr. Zhong is a very good person, so good that he can tolerate even her bad habits.

But...but I'm sorry to bother you...

Her face flushed as she thought about it.

Zhong Yan was still looking at her. Seeing that she seemed about to speak but hesitated, he said calmly, "Jin Huan, is calling someone 'daddy' something shameful?"

Of course, we can't say that the gentleman is shameful!

Jin Huan was able to immediately retort, "No!"

“That’s alright,” Zhong Yan said. “You can shout that anytime you want.”

To put it bluntly, Zhong Yan tacitly approved of and accepted what she called her bad habits, and he also tried to tell her that these were all permissible things in his eyes.

Remember what he said after you blush.

Zhong Yan said slowly, "Call me whatever you like."

Sir, daddy or something.

Or you can just call him Zhong Yan, it doesn't matter.

His permission was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for Jin Huan.

Ah, no, that's not right.

This is still important.

Jin Huan could sense that Mr. Zhong treated her more like a junior, more like a daughter than a wife. He would tolerantly coax the child to play and let her do whatever she wanted... that was their relationship.

She confessed her feelings to him many times, saying "I like you" countless times, every word of which came from the heart, but he never said it back.

Jin Huan only hoped that Mr. Zhong would like her even more than he does now.

That would be good.

Jin Huan replied softly, "I understand."

The movie on the screen was nearing its end, and the finale was unexpectedly peaceful. There was still more than half an hour until midnight, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.

Jin Huan's mind was no longer on the movie. From the moment she started watching, she had been adjusting her breathing, trying to calm her inexplicably fast-beating heart. Otherwise, she really felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

The flush on her face was slowly fading, and Jin Huan's secret breathing became shallower and shallower. She moved her head on his lap, and then moved it again. The originally smooth, wrinkle-free fabric was now covered in several creases, like the Princess and the Pea's bed, with the edges of the creases digging into her cheeks.

Jin Huan pursed her lips, lifted her head from his embrace, and whispered, "Sir, your legs are very hot."

It was hotter than the temperature of her face, Jin Huan could feel it.

Zhong Yan's body temperature has always been a little lower than normal. He exudes a gentle aura that seems to seep into his skin, making it always feel cool.

It's a bit too hot now.

Not knowing if it was only his thighs that were hot or if his whole body was like this, Jin Huan's first thought was that he might have a fever, and then she heard Zhong Yan respond in a very low voice.

"Yes, it's very hot."

Jin Huan lifted her head from his lap, placed her hands on her sides, looked at Zhong Yan with concern, and reached out to touch his forehead.

Zhong Yan indulged her, letting her reach out and place the back of her hand on his forehead.

Enjoy yourself fully and experience it thoroughly.

The temperature on my forehead was okay, not as hot as my thighs.

What illness causes localized fever?

Jin Huan was thinking, and then she looked down. The soft fabric was vaguely stretched out of shape, probably because the edge was pressed against the fabric, and she could see a slight curve.

Jin Huan realized what was happening.

There's no such thing.

She rested her knees on the edge of his thigh and slowly moved forward. Jin Huan's brows were still slightly furrowed, and she seemed to be thinking about something, still looking worried.

Go and hold his hand with joy.

Zhong Yan's hand was placed beside his leg, and in the dim light, the faint blue veins on the back of his hand could be seen. Jin Huan's breathing became shallow, and before she could speak, she heard Zhong Yan gently comforting her.

"It's okay, it's just a little sore and swollen."

He rarely experienced this tingling sensation, and was on the verge of it because the head had been restlessly rubbing against him. Out of consideration for her feelings, he didn't stop it, until the head rubbed against him and made it get hotter and hotter.

Zhong Yan has always readily accepted the right to control her own body.

Therefore, he was able to try to coexist with this soreness.

Jin Huan said worriedly, "There must be some connection between them..."

More than worrying about Zhong Yan, she was concerned about the durability of the fabric of these pants. Unlike jeans, which are made of a very sturdy material, these pajama pants seemed to have very poor durability.

Jin Huan reached out and hugged his neck, looking at his face so close to hers. He remained calm, even with a faint smile on his face. However, his features were not fully relaxed, and only these details revealed a slight difference.

Her knee touched it, and she instinctively tried to dodge but stopped. Jin Huan secretly gasped for breath. She looked at Mr. Zhong in front of her and said to him carefully and earnestly, "Sir, why don't you come in?"

Zhong Yan looked at her, saying things like a child, and replied softly, "The New Year is coming soon, is it...is this how it is for the New Year?"

We bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

Staying up all night on New Year's Eve means just that.

The Zhong family upholds traditional values. From the time Zhong Yan can remember, he has always stayed up all New Year's Eve in a proper manner. For the older generation, staying up all night is a way of cherishing time, while for the younger generation, it is a way of praying for the elders. No matter how old Zhong Yan gets, he always returns to his ancestral home to stay up all New Year's Eve.

This was true before, it is true now, and it will certainly be true in the future.

Jin Huan didn't feel there was anything wrong with it; the New Year was a good day, a time to do something fun.

She was taking it very seriously, as if she were doing something very important.

Zhong Yan's only act was breaking principles.

He sighed softly, his breathing becoming very slow and deliberate, and said helplessly, "Jin Huan, why is it like this?"

Jin Huan sat down and knelt slightly on his lap, holding his neck with her hands. To avoid putting all her weight on him and hearing his voice, she shyly buried her head in his shoulder.

It's been a week, she's recovered long ago, and she's fine now.

Jin Huan had been thinking about a "second time" and when to come.

Zhong Yan didn't say anything; he tacitly approved of her actions.

Letting her try it herself to see how far she won't get hurt might not be a bad thing, since experiencing it firsthand is much more useful than just talking about it.

“Be careful even when you’re playing alone.” Zhong Yan patiently warned her, his hoarse yet magnetic voice causing Jin Huan’s back to tremble slightly in sync with the audio. He continued, “Be mindful of your limits.”

Last night they said that the rooms here don't have that feature, but it's not that they really can't have it. How could such a big place as the ancestral home really not have it?

However, Zhong Yan was worried that he might lose his composure when he was slightly drunk.

He didn't want to frighten Jin Huan or scare her.

Clearly, she didn't think being frightened was a bad thing; on the contrary, she was very interested, curious, and wanted to see more.

As midnight struck, a year had passed. This was their first New Year after getting married, and they spent the entire day "together."

The so-called meaning of the New Year.

The sound of fireworks still echoed outside, but it sounded very distant, as if it came from beyond the world. Zhong Yan leaned close to her ear and whispered against her cheek, "Happy New Year."

Jin Huan's voice was even softer as she replied, "You too, Happy New Year."

In fact, this kind of New Year is really happy, and I enjoy it very much.

The sounds outside gradually subsided. It must have been long past midnight, and the whole world became completely quiet. Jin Huan still held his neck tightly with both hands and asked softly, "Are you still sore?"

She seems to care about this a lot, and even more about it.

Zhong Yan neither nodded nor shook his head; he replied in a hoarse voice, "This will be better."

It will get better, but it's not better yet.

Jin Huan kissed the corner of his mouth: "...Then I'll try harder."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yan's eyes darkened and he lowered them slightly as he pressed his fingers against the roots of her hair.

Jin Huan sleeps like a little pig at night.

Staying up all night to celebrate the New Year is already exhausting, but later she was so exhausted that she couldn't get up at all. She nestled in Zhong Yan's arms, her breathing heavy, to the point that even if there was thunder or an earthquake outside, she wouldn't wake up.

Zhong Yan cupped her face in his hand, looking down at her. She lay motionless in his arms with her eyes closed, so docile that one wanted to touch her nose to feel her breath.

But her body softened completely with each breath, becoming as soft as a puddle of water in my arms.

Zhong Yan gently pinched her cheek.

When Jin Huan woke up in the morning, she turned over and found herself still in Zhong Yan's arms.

She flipped from the back to the front, her forehead bumping into his chest. Her dazed mind belatedly cleared, she opened her eyes, paused for half a second, then smiled, almost bumping her head into his chest again.

Zhong Yan had been awake for a while, but he didn't get up, which was unusual, because the person in his arms was sleeping peacefully, and he didn't want to disturb their sweet dreams.

I must have slept well last night. I fell asleep like this in his arms, and I'm still like this in his arms now.

Good children and proactive good children.

They look the same, yet they are different.

The outside temperature is very low this season. It feels like the snow is melting and still absorbing the cold. On mornings like this, waking up to a warm bed is already a blissful experience.

"Your arms are so warm, like a fireplace." Jin Huan pressed her feet against his calves; her skin was much softer than his, like a cat lying on its back, and she sighed softly.

Zhong Yan couldn't help but tighten his arms.

“It’s eight o’clock now,” Zhong Yan said. “I’ll sleep until nine at the latest and then go to wish my grandfather a Happy New Year.”

He is the only child of his generation and he always pays his respects to his grandfather on time every year. This year he is actually late, but it doesn't matter. His grandfather won't mind.

Oh, it's eight o'clock.

Ahhhh! It's eight o'clock!

Jin Huan suddenly opened her eyes. She remembered that Zhong Yan had mentioned that his grandfather's daily routine was very regular, unchanged for ten years, even during the New Year.

She was terrified, as if someone had stepped on her.

Zhong Yan knew what she was worried about, and he comforted her in a low voice, "Grandfather won't care about this."

Not to mention that a well-behaved child like her is most loved by elders. Even if she makes a small mistake, it is completely harmless and understandable.

Jin Huan was momentarily stunned when she heard him say that, and met his gaze. She asked blankly, "Isn't it just that it has a bad influence?"

Zhong Yan saw her expression and chuckled softly, his chest heaving.

"There are no outsiders... what impact would it have?" Zhong Yan recalled her overly cute reaction. Even though she was scared, she still took the initiative. When she really realized her size, she only hesitated for half a second. She secretly cheered herself up, hugged his neck, and called him "Mr." and "Daddy."

If you're playing by yourself, then take your time.

Zhong Yan stroked her hair, twirling strands in his hand, and then said, "Oh right, I forgot to give you a New Year's red envelope last night."

It had been prepared in advance and placed under her pillow. Zhong Yan thought it was only natural for her dad to give her a red envelope for the New Year, so he prepared it for her.

Jin Huan reached out and touched the outer seal of the red envelope. It felt cool and thick. She had thought that she wouldn't receive any red envelopes this year since her aunt wasn't around, but she was surprised to find that she still received one.

"Thank you." Jin Huan was pleasantly surprised.

Zhong Yan smiled gently.

After a pause, Jin Huan seemed to remember something, and almost instinctively blurted out, "Thank you, Daddy!"

The way she addressed him at that moment gave Zhong Yan a strong urge to abandon "ethical norms" and mess with her.

He exhaled slowly, calming the impulse.