Chapter 21 Don't be afraid, I'm here
Lu Zhaoxue dragged her heavy body back to Jingyou Garden step by step. She immediately prepared hot water and scrubbed her skin again and again, as if only in this way could she wash away the disgusting filth.
Only when her skin turned red and hot, and she could no longer smell anything unusual, did Lu Zhaoxue slump weakly in the bathtub, her eyes filled with despair and humiliation.
At night, Lu Zhaoxue lay on her bed and drifted off to sleep, but she was caught in an endless nightmare. A bone-chilling cold and suffocating despair enveloped Lu Zhaoxue, as if they were about to devour her completely.
Lu Zhaoxue struggled desperately, but she couldn't escape the dream. She could only watch helplessly as darkness gradually engulfed her, with only one thought in her mind: she was about to die.
Just as Lu Zhaoxue was on the verge of collapse, a pair of warm and strong hands suddenly reached out, tightly gripped her wrists, and forcibly pulled her out of the boundless darkness and cold.
A gentle call rang in Lu Zhaoxue's ears, filled with deep worry. Chu Siheng saw that Lu Zhaoxue's brows were furrowed and her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he knew that she had had another nightmare.
Chu Siheng carefully reached out and gently patted Lu Zhaoxue's cheek, his voice extremely soft: "Ah Xue, wake up, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Lu Zhaoxue suddenly opened her eyes and saw Chu Siheng's worried face. Only then did she gradually come back to her senses from the nightmare.
But then, everything that happened between her and Chu Huaiyu yesterday, those humiliating scenes, flooded her mind like a tidal wave. Lu Zhaoxue trembled and subconsciously avoided Chu Siheng's gaze.
After a long while, Lu Zhaoxue finally managed to suppress her panic and guilt and looked nervously at Chu Siheng.
Chu Siheng's gaze was gentle and worried as it fell on her face, filled with undisguised concern. Meeting his gaze, Lu Zhaoxue felt as if something was blocking her heart, making her feel suffocated.
Lu Zhaoxue forced a smile, her voice slightly hoarse: "Siheng, I'm fine."
Looking at Lu Zhaoxue's pale face and the lingering fear in her eyes, Chu Siheng sighed softly, "Ah Xue, you don't need to pretend to be strong in front of me."
Chu Siheng reached out and wiped the cold sweat from Lu Zhaoxue's forehead. Lu Zhaoxue felt as if she had been burned, and her heart tightened suddenly.
Lu Zhaoxue said softly, "Siheng, you don't need to worry about me. I just... let me rest a little longer."
A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Chu Siheng's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
Chu Siheng carefully tucked the blanket around Lu Zhaoxue, then turned and walked out the door.
Outside the door, Lu Zhaoxing stood in the yard with disheveled hair and a bewildered expression, muttering to himself, "What's going on? Am I seeing things...?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Siheng walked over to Lu Zhaoxing and asked with some confusion, "Zhaoxing, what are you talking about?"
"I...I don't know either! I just woke up with a really uncomfortable head! And it felt really heavy!" Lu Zhaoxing said with a wronged expression.
Chu Siheng thought Lu Zhaoxing had also had a nightmare, which was why he said that. He reached out and gently rubbed Lu Zhaoxing's head, and said softly, "Zhaoxing, if you are not feeling well, go back to sleep for a while. Your brother-in-law will light some calming incense for you."
"I don't want to. How about you play with me for a while, brother-in-law? Okay?" Lu Zhaoxing blinked her big, bright eyes and said to Chu Siheng in a coquettish tone.
Chu Siheng was both amused and exasperated. "Okay, brother-in-law will play with you. How about we play cricket fighting?"
"good!"
When Lu Zhaoxue woke up again, she went outside and saw Lu Zhaoxing holding a cricket in his hand, his face full of joy.
Looking at her younger sister's innocent and carefree demeanor, and then at Chu Siheng's gentle profile, Lu Zhaoxue asked with a smile, "What are you playing that makes you so happy?"
"Sister!" Lu Zhaoxing immediately walked to Lu Zhaoxue's side, excitedly showing off the cricket in her hand, and saying things like how amazing her brother-in-law was.
After hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue felt even more grateful to Chu Siheng. Chu Siheng looked at the two sisters' happy faces with warm eyes and said softly to Lu Zhaoxue, "It's windy outside, let's go inside so we don't catch a cold."
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