Chapter 22 Should I touch it?
Wen Zhi's eyes were still red, and her curled eyelashes were slightly wet with tears as she stared blankly at the man in front of her with a complicated expression.
Whom are you thinking of?
He didn't react for a moment, staring at Song Juelan for a while before remembering the question the round-faced aunt sitting in the front row had asked.
Therefore, the "he" that Song Juelan mentioned most likely refers to her... ex-husband.
Wen Zhi almost lost control of her expression.
I don't know where Song Juelan got the idea that he was missing his ex-husband.
Although he felt confused, he quickly thought through all the sad things that had happened recently, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.
It seemed that the round-faced aunt had stirred up sad memories, and the sight of the bus full of lively families of three had triggered her emotions.
Song Juelan clenched her fists tightly, as if trying her best to control some kind of emotion, and finally whispered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up."
Wen Zhi shook her head somewhat guiltily: "It's not your fault."
He secretly rejoiced that Xiao Tang next to him had fallen asleep as soon as she got in the car, otherwise he would have definitely given himself away when answering the round-faced aunt's question.
Once Song Juelan learns the truth, she might turn on him on the spot.
Wen Zhi could hardly imagine the consequences.
After the brief conversation, the air froze again.
Song Juelan stared down at a point on the ground, her cheerful mood from setting off that morning completely gone.
For some reason, he didn't want to see Wen Zhi heartbroken over that person.
Perhaps it was because, as Wenzhi's friend, he didn't want her to remain immersed in the sadness of the past.
If that person were still alive, and Wen Zhi still couldn't forget him, he might support Wen Zhi going back to find that person, after all, Xiao Tang is still too young and can't lose her father.
But that person is no longer alive, and no matter how much Wen Zhi can't let go, it only adds to her sorrow.
Song Juelan's handsome features grew increasingly serious as he fell into deep thought.
If Wen Zhi realizes that the person's position is not so irreplaceable, perhaps it can help her get over it.
But this is clearly not an easy task.
Otherwise, Wen Zhi wouldn't still be unable to let go of the past after so long.
This was the first time Song Juelan had encountered such a difficult problem. His brows furrowed more and more as he tried to analyze it using problem-solving strategies.
To replace Wen Zhi's ex-husband means to let Wen Zhi know that what that person can do, others can also do.
Moreover, it's best to do better than that person.
In Wen Zhi's mind, that man was Xiao Tang's father, the pillar of the family, and also—
Song Juelan's expression froze almost imperceptibly.
—He is also Wen Zhi's partner.
This seems like an impossible task.
Even after getting off the bus, Song Juelan still hadn't solved the problem, and he felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
The entrance to the water park was packed with people, with countless tourists and tour groups squeezed together, making it difficult to even turn around.
As soon as Xiaotang got off the bus, she immediately regained her spirits, her eyes sparkling as she looked around. She almost ran off with an old man selling helium balloons.
In the blink of an eye, the little dumpling beside Wen Zhi disappeared, and she immediately felt a pang of panic.
The next moment, Song Juelan's tall figure walked against the flow of people from not far away, with a very conspicuous giraffe helium balloon floating beside him.
The string of the hydrogen balloon was firmly tied to a chubby arm. Xiao Tang hopped over, the giraffe above her head like a conspicuous marker.
Wen Zhi had never seen such a large helium balloon before, and she wondered if Song Juelan had deliberately chosen the biggest one.
He tried to suppress his laughter, put on a stern face, and wanted to tell Xiaotang that she shouldn't run around.
Song Juelan rubbed Xiaotang's head: "I've already talked to him."
Xiao Tang realized she shouldn't have run off like that, grabbed Wen Zhi's clothes, apologized in a childish voice, and even tried to give him the giraffe balloon.
Wen Zhi almost couldn't suppress her smile as she pushed away the enormous giraffe and refused, "You can wear it yourself."
Besides their family, other families also had children who ran away. They searched everywhere and broadcast messages to find them, and it took more than half an hour to find them.
The tour guide dared not linger at the entrance any longer and led them to the hotel that had been booked in advance.
In the hotel lobby, Zhu Zhenghao finished the formalities at the front desk, took a stack of room cards, and gave one to each family.
When he approached Song Juelan and Wen Zhi, a hint of hesitation crossed his face as he tentatively asked, "Would you like to book another room?"
They prepared a deluxe double room for each family, with enough space for two adults and one child to sleep comfortably.
However, Song Juelan and Wen Zhi's situation is different from other families, and it's not appropriate for them to sleep in the same bed.
Wen Zhi took the room key, not paying attention to the room type written on it, and thought for a moment: "The rooms here must be very expensive."
This hotel is a water park-themed hotel, extremely popular and not cheap, but for him, staying in one room is no big deal.
Zhu Zhenghao turned to look at his friend, who had a very strong sense of boundaries.
Song Juelan was silent for a moment, then uttered two words: "No need."
Zhu Zhenghao's eyes widened slightly.
He didn't believe Song Juelan couldn't afford it. If Song Juelan wanted to, he wouldn't even blink an eye if he booked the entire hotel.
But he didn't say much in front of Wen Zhi and walked away with a complicated expression.
After distributing the room keys, the tour guide told everyone the meeting time and then asked them to go back to their rooms to put down their luggage and rest for a while.
This themed hotel is like a miniature water park, with a huge transparent aquarium in the center of the lobby, murals of cartoon dolphins and whales in the elevator lobby, and blue wave patterns on the carpets in the corridors.
As soon as Xiaotang stepped into the hotel, her mouth was agape as she excitedly looked around.
Reaching the room door, Wen Zhi took out her room card and stuck it on the doorknob; the door clicked open.
Pushing open the door, he was first dazzled by the room's gaudy decorations before finally noticing the large bed in the center.
Behind her came Xiaotang's delighted "Wow!" Her small figure ran to the big bed and hugged the dolphin plush toy on the bed tightly.
Wen Zhi glanced at Song Juelan beside her.
If Song Juelan didn't want to share a bed with them, he would pay for another room, since Song Juelan had come with them.
However, Song Juelan's expression remained unchanged as he walked steadily into the room and placed the large and small bags he was carrying on the sofa.
There's still half an hour until the meeting time, so you can rest in your room for a while.
Wen Zhi casually picked up the itinerary sheet handed out by the tour guide, glanced down at today's activities, and her expression changed slightly when her eyes swept over the small print at the top.
[Friendly reminder: To ensure safety during the activity, it is recommended that parents have basic swimming skills.]
No one told him he needed to know how to swim before he signed up.
Song Juelan, who was standing next to him, had also picked up an itinerary and quickly glanced at all the items.
As if sensing Wen Zhi's concern, he said, "It's enough if one of them can swim."
Wen Zhi finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
When it was time to meet, the tour guide first led everyone to the restaurant for lunch, and then we lined up to enter the water park.
The water park was bustling with activity, filled with parents holding their children's hands. A cartoon sculpture stood in the center of the fountain, while on the other side, a water roller coaster roared past, accompanied by laughter and screams.
The park was divided into several areas, one of which was reserved by the swimming pool as the venue for this event.
The sun was blazing, and the water shimmered with a golden light, creating an atmosphere as lively as a boiling pot of water.
The children chattered excitedly as they played in the water by the pool, while the parents actively discussed the next activities.
The tour guide, holding a microphone, announced the rules for the first activity.
This project is a water-based relay race. The rules are simple: one parent carries the child from the starting point to the middle platform, and then another parent starts from the platform and carries the adults in the same group to the finish line.
The challenge and the highlight is that the first leg of the journey is in shallow water, where children are being transported, while the second leg is in deep water, where adults are being transported.
As soon as the tour guide finished speaking, the crowd erupted in a flurry of activity, with families gathering together to discuss their options.
While Wen Zhi was still pondering the rules, she heard Song Juelan's calm voice.
“You take Xiaotang to the middle, and I’ll take you to the finish line.”
This seems to be the only feasible method.
Wen Zhi nodded without hesitation, completely trusting Song Juelan: "Okay."
They quickly came up with a solution in just a few words, while those around them were still discussing it intensely, as if they had encountered a major problem.
Wen Zhi quietly pricked up her ears and eavesdropped on the discussion of the family next door, only to find that they were struggling with what to do for the second leg of their journey.
The first leg of the journey was for children and was in shallow water, so it was relatively easy. However, the second leg of the journey became much more difficult.
The rules said that they could use the props in the park, so they all planned to have one person sit on the inflatable boat and the other person pull it from the front.
Wen Zhi turned her head, gestured for Song Juelan to come closer, and then whispered what she had heard into his ear.
The warm breath gently sprayed onto Song Juelan's earlobe, and her ear quickly turned a light red.
After hearing Wen Zhi's "little tidbit," his expression remained unchanged; he simply said, "I'll carry you across."
Wen Zhi's eyes widened slightly, and then she remembered that the person in front of her swam as easily as breathing, so carrying someone on his back shouldn't be too difficult for him.
Thus, their second tactical discussion ended in just three sentences.
The tour guide gave them ample time to discuss strategies and change into their swimsuits; the competition was about to begin in half an hour.
Wen Zhi doesn't like sunbathing. After changing into her swim trunks, she put on a pure white T-shirt, the wet fabric of which was somewhat transparent.
Xiao Tang was already lying on the floating board, kicking her feet happily in the water, looking at Wen Zhi with anticipation: "Zhi Zhi! That uncle said the first place winner gets a toy!"
His short finger was pointing directly at Zhu Zhenghao on the shore.
Wen Zhi was well aware of her own abilities, so she ignored the prize that was glittering in the sunlight and stubbornly said, "It's just a toy. I'll buy you one when we get back."
Anyway, he didn't really want it.
The water in the shallow area only reached an adult's calves; it was crystal clear and warmed by the afternoon sun.
At the starting point, all the children were already lying on the floats, their little hands gripping the floats tightly to prevent them from falling.
Parents stood in the pool, holding onto the edge of the floats, ready to go.
The tour guide walked around the shore to make sure everyone was ready, then raised one hand high.
"Beep—"
The hand fell swiftly, followed by a sharp whistle.
All the parents immediately started walking in the water, pushing the floats forward.
The water resistance was too great, and everyone could not move quickly. Occasionally, a cry of surprise would be heard, as someone lost their balance and fell into the water.
Adhering to the principle of safety first, Wen Zhi took each step very steadily, which inevitably slowed her down a bit.
Xiao Tang puffed out her cheeks and kicked her short legs hard in the water, using all the skills she had learned during this time to lighten Wen Zhi's burden and prevent her from falling to last place.
However, the number of people surpassing them is still increasing.
Several parents had already reached the other side, carried their children onto the platform, and then stepped into the deep water to begin the second leg of the journey.
Xiao Tang exerted all her strength, her little face turning red, and finally touched the platform on the other side, climbing up on her hands and feet.
Several children who arrived first stood on the platform, excitedly shouting encouragement to their parents in the deep water area.
Wen Zhi wiped the water droplets from her face, looked up, and saw Song Juelan standing in the deep water, quietly watching them. There was no trace of anxiety on his face, which inexplicably made her feel at ease.
"Careful." A long, slender hand reached out, palm up, and steadily offered it to him.
Wen Zhi grabbed that large hand and carefully stepped into the deep water.
The pool water seemed bottomless, rising up to his shoulders before he could finally stand firm.
In the shallow water, it was fine, but once in the deep water, Wen Zhi's legs went weak, and he subconsciously hugged the strong arm that was supporting him.
All the other parents had already left, leaving only them standing there.
Song Juelan gently placed one hand on his waist and asked, looking down, "Will you hold your breath?"
Wen Zhi nodded hesitantly.
Although he hasn't tried it, pinching his nose should solve the problem.
The next instant, he was firmly supported by a large hand on his thigh, lifted up, and straddled on Song Juelan's back.
He paused for a moment, then reacted quickly by hugging Song Juelan's neck, his legs instinctively clamping around the other's waist.
The smooth skin on the inside of my thighs pressed against the other person's firm waist without any barrier, and I could clearly feel the burning heat.
"Hold your breath." Song Juelan only said these words before plunging into the water.
Wen Zhi quickly hugged Song Juelan's neck, pinched her nose with one hand, and her whole body sank into the water.
The person beneath him had taut muscles, breaking through the water as steadily as a swimming fish.
The water was swaying, and all I could hear was the splashing sound of water. I couldn't feel anything except the person beneath me.
Wen Zhi instinctively squeezed her legs together, pressing herself against Song Juelan, afraid of being thrown off.
The two were separated by only a thin layer of fabric. The muscles were hard and hot when they exerted force, pressing against his chest and stomach. Every movement caused Wen Zhi to rise and fall with them.
Just as he was about to lose his breath, the person beneath him stopped, supporting him at the base of his thighs with one hand, and pulled him out of the water.
Wen Zhi's mind was still a bit confused, and she thought Song Juelan had asked him to come out for some fresh air.
As soon as they took a deep breath, they realized that everyone was behind them, and the finish line was right in front of them.
He was stunned for a moment and didn't react immediately.
It wasn't until Song Juelan supported his thigh with one hand and carried him steadily ashore that they realized they had won the game.
Xiao Tang had already run over with her short legs, looking at them with starry eyes: "Zhi Zhi and Brother Jue Lan are so amazing!"
The other children also looked on with envy.
When Wen Zhi came to his senses, he realized that he was still on Song Juelan's back, and Song Juelan did not seem to be trying to remind him at all.
He quickly released his grip on Song Juelan's neck and hurriedly got off Song Juelan.
Xiao Tang had already run off in a flash, rushing impatiently to the prize box, while Zhu Zhenghao watched this scene with mixed feelings, covering his eyes that were being blinded by the light.
Wen Zhi turned to look at the swimming pool behind her. Apart from them, no one else had reached the finish line yet.
In the deep water, all sorts of things happened. Some people dragged their inflatable boats for ages and were still stuck in the same place. Others swam around for ages, only to find their boats had already capsized when they turned around.
But they didn't dare try Song Juelan's method, because not everyone could move freely in the water while carrying an adult on their back like he could.
The competition attracted many tourists from the park to watch. After watching the entire competition, their eyes were drawn to the two players who performed the best.
Wen Zhi was completely unaware of this, and was still standing on the shore watching the other people's competition with a happy smile, pursing her lips and chuckling to herself.
Suddenly, everything went dark, and a soft towel was placed over him. Song Juelan helped him dry his still dripping hair before handing him the towel.
Wen Zhi withdrew her gaze from the pool, remembering that if it hadn't been for Song Juelan, he would probably still be struggling in the water right now.
He couldn't help but exclaim, just like Xiaotang, "You're amazing!"
She was carrying such a big person on her back, yet she could still swim so fast.
Song Juelan paused, and a faint blush appeared on her neck.
He inappropriately thought of Wen Zhi's former partner.
Can that person lead Wenzhi to victory like he did?
The clothes that Wen Zhi gave him at Wen Zhi's house that day should have belonged to that person.
Judging from the size of his clothes, the man wasn't particularly tall or strong. He probably would have had a hard time carrying Wen Zhi on his back, let alone helping her win the competition.
Song Juelan stared down at the towel in her hand, wondering why she had thought of these things.
It was as if she wanted to outshine the person in Wen Zhi's heart.
Wen Zhi was drying her hair, and she was also a little lost in thought.
He suddenly remembered that when Song Juelan's muscles were tense in the water, the touch felt pretty good.
But he was too nervous at the time and didn't notice it at all, only realizing it now.
His gaze unconsciously swept over those neatly defined abs, then moved upwards, unexpectedly meeting a pair of dark eyes.
Their eyes met suddenly, each lost in their own thoughts, neither able to decipher the complex emotions in the other's eyes.
A moment later, Song Juelan suddenly asked, "Want to touch it?"
A note from the author:
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Thanks to Jiaoyue and MM for the landmines~
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution!
Reader, Yuhe, and Jiuniang 10 bottles; Tingxiaonu 9 bottles; Lagougou 5 bottles; Masiguoren 4 bottles; Sakura Ice Lychee 3 bottles; Xixiu and Samael 2 bottles; Wen Weiyan, Liyu, Qiuzhi, Yunduanyao, Wenroujiliang, Haofeiya, Xiaoyu, and Qi Sili's Little Dog 1 bottle
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