Chapter 17 Knee Pillow
"Secret recipe." Zhao Chen smiled mysteriously, a cunning glint in his amber eyes. "Exclusive supply, never to be passed on to others." He paused, looked at Yu Ling's satisfied drinking expression, and added, "Every time you feel unwell in the future, I will make this for you."
Yu Ling held the warm porcelain cup, feeling the strange warmth and medicinal fragrance flowing through her body, dispelling the gloom of her menstrual period.
She looked at Zhao Chen's gentle, smiling face, and the slight irritation and depression caused by her discomfort was replaced by a huge sense of happiness, of being well cared for. This man not only remembered her casual mention of menstrual discomfort, but also took the trouble to research an "upgraded" formula... This thoughtfulness moved her more than any expensive gift.
This kind of "little happiness" that is taken care of in meticulous detail is like a trickle of water, silently seeping into every corner of Yuling's life.
She casually complained about the cold air conditioning in her office, and the next morning, a soft, cloud-like cashmere shawl filled her commuter bag. It was an elegant oatmeal color, devoid of any logo, but its delicate texture and exceptional warmth made her fall in love with it. Zhao Chen simply said, "It's just a sample from a friend; it's a waste to leave it lying around."
One evening, she was watching a food documentary and, upon seeing the crystal-clear crab meat and lion's head on the screen, she gulped and casually said, "That looks delicious." The next day, this famous Huaiyang dish, a complex and elaborate dish, miraculously appeared on the dinner table! The lion's head, with its alternating fat and lean texture, melts in your mouth, and the crab meat is incredibly delicious. Zhao Chen, wearing a small whale-shaped apron, looked pleased with herself, "I learned from the video. It's my first time making it, isn't it okay?"
After her period, she was reading on the sofa in the living room when she unconsciously rubbed her sore calves. The next day, a small, exquisite electric foot massage basin appeared next to the shoe cabinet in the entrance hall! The basin was a warm white, easy to use, and came with a fragrant herbal bath bag.
While helping her adjust the water temperature, Zhao Chen "explained": "This is what the landlord left behind. I've never used it. I see in the manual that it has quite a few functions. Want to try it?"
He remembered all her food taboos and preferences. Cilantro was a no-no, animal offal was automatically blocked, shrimp had to be deveined, and when eating fish, he would meticulously pick out all the tiny bones for her.
She likes her coffee sweeter, so he always adds half a portion of syrup to his lattes. She likes crispier potato wedges, so he always pays a few extra minutes to roast them. She likes to curl up in the corner of the sofa when she reads, where she always keeps her favorite soft pillow and gray-blue knitted blanket.
He even memorized the rough pattern of her menstrual period, preparing a heat pack in advance for those days and quietly replacing the cold drinks in her refrigerator with room-temperature soda water. At night, she would find a cup of warm milk on her bedside table, secretly mixed with honey to help her sleep.
These subtle acts of care, as natural as air, are omnipresent. They don't involve grandiose declarations or deliberately romantic gestures, but rather, like the most resilient vines, they gradually entwine and penetrate, gently prying open a crack in Yu Ling's heart, hardened by past experiences.
She began to get used to, even to look forward to, this feeling of being well-cared for. She got used to his scent, his warmth, his silent protection, and his ever-present thoughtfulness. The one-year agreement weighed less and less on her mind, like a feather that could be blown away at any moment.
That night, after taking a shower, Yu Ling put on a soft cotton nightgown and curled up on the sofa in the living room to watch an old movie with a slow pace.
Zhao Chen sat on the carpet next to him, his back against the sofa, his thin silver laptop on his knees, his fingertips occasionally tapping on the silent keyboard, and on the screen was a complex code stream that Yu Ling could not understand.
He was wearing loose grey home clothes, the soft fabric outlined the broad lines of his shoulders and back, the ends of his hair were still a little damp from the shower, and his whole body exuded a lazy and homely atmosphere.
The air was filled with the soothing soundtrack of the movie and the faint scent of cedar shower gel on Zhao Chen's body.
The floor lamp cast a warm glow, enveloping the two of them in a peaceful and cozy little world. A gray-blue knitted blanket lay draped across Yu Ling's knees. The blanket was soft and warm, with a sun-kissed scent.
The movie reached a tender and affectionate scene, with the hero and heroine sleeping in each other's arms. Yu Ling's eyes moved away from the screen and unconsciously fell on Zhao Chen's lowered profile.
He stared intently at the screen, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyelids, his nose straight, his thin lips slightly pursed, his expression calm. Under the blanket, her curled legs were very close to his shoulders.
A thought suddenly and clearly popped into Yu Ling's mind.
Knee pillow…
Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks began to heat up uncontrollably. The lap pillow that he had half-heartedly "asked for" and that had made her run away...
The background music of the movie became soft and tender. Zhao Chen seemed to notice her gaze, paused his fingertips, and tilted his head slightly.
The light fell on his amber eyes, like crushed warm jade, looking at her gently and attentively. He didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, but also a silent, gentle tolerance.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment. Only the faint sound of dialogue in the movie and the gentle breathing of the two people could be heard.
Yu Ling looked at his clear, open eyes, as if filled with starlight, at the soft gray home clothes on his shoulders, at the smooth lines of his neck that were exposed when he turned slightly to the side...
For some unknown reason, she moved.
Without hesitation or struggle, as if being pulled by an invisible force, she gently, with a barely perceptible tremor, carefully and bit by bit, moved her curled legs to the side of Zhao Chen's thighs, where he sat cross-legged on the carpet.
The soft cotton pajama fabric gently touched his warm and firm thigh muscles through the thin home pants.
Then, she adjusted her posture slightly and gently and tentatively placed her curled-up feet in soft socks on Zhao Chen's crossed-legged thighs.
The warm and surprisingly elastic touch was clearly transmitted to the soles of her feet through two thin layers of cloth.
Yu Ling's face instantly flushed red! Like a ripe tomato! She suddenly lowered her head, not daring to look Zhao Chen in the eye. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, almost breaking her ribs! She could even feel her toes curling slightly from nervousness!
What is she doing?! Is she crazy?! She actually... put her foot up there?!
Time seemed to freeze. She could clearly hear the thundering sound of her own heartbeat.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
The expected teasing or triumphant laughter did not come.
Yu Ling mustered up her courage, secretly raised her eyelashes a little, and looked at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen froze completely!
His body remained slightly sideways, motionless. Those amber eyes, always gentle and smiling, as if seeing through everything, were now wide open, clearly reflecting her embarrassment, filled with incredible shock?! And a hint of unexpected, childlike helplessness?!
His fingers gripping the mouse froze in mid-air, their tips turning slightly white. For the first time in front of Yu Ling, that incomparably handsome face revealed such a clear, almost vacant expression! He seemed stunned by this sudden, completely unexpected "benefits"! Even the tips of his ears were visibly stained with a thin layer of red!
The air was eerily quiet, with only the inopportune climax of a romantic and lyrical symphony playing in the movie.
Yu Ling looked at his completely petrified expression, the undisguised shock and dullness in his eyes, his embarrassed look with even his ears red. The shyness and nervousness she had just felt were strangely replaced by a huge, indescribable sense of pride and amusement!
So... he gets panicked too? He gets confused too? He blushes too?!
This man who usually appeared to be so tactical, so gentle and harmless (but actually so unfathomable), was actually completely utterly defeated by a simple action from her?!
The huge contrast made Yu Ling almost laugh out loud! She suppressed her laughter and decided to go all out. She made up her mind and slid down a little more, curling herself up more comfortably. Then, she gently and carefully placed the weight of her head on Zhao Chen's thighs.
Her cheek, pressed against the soft fabric of his gray home pants, felt against the warmth and firmness of his thigh muscles. The pleasant scent of cedar mixed with sunlight instantly enveloped her. She could clearly feel the instantaneous stiffness of his leg muscles, and the sudden acceleration of his powerful heartbeat, palpable even through the fabric!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It beat on her eardrums and cheeks like a drum.
Yu Ling's cheeks were also incredibly hot, but she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, only the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up into a cunning arc.
Zhao Chen remained as stiff as a statue. He lowered his head and looked at Yu Ling, who was curled up on his lap like a cat that had found a warm nest.
Her dark hair fell across his gray home pants. Her profile was soft and graceful, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and her cheeks still had a lingering blush. On his thigh, he felt the soft touch of her feet and the scorching heat of her cheek...
A huge, unprecedented warmth, mixed with an indescribable throbbing, instantly swept through his limbs and bones! His heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by a warm hand, sore, soft, and swollen with pain.
He slowly and extremely stiffly raised the hand that was not holding the mouse, his fingertips trembling slightly. He hesitated, and finally, very gently and carefully, he placed it on Yu Ling's hair scattered on his legs.
His movements were as clumsy as a child touching a treasure for the first time.
The soft and smooth touch of her hair came through my fingertips, like the finest silk.
He held his breath, not daring to move, for fear of disturbing this sudden, heavy, heart-pounding "gift" on his legs.
On the screen, the code flow had long since stopped. He had no idea what was going on in the movie.
It seemed as if the only thing left in the whole world was the soft and fragrant weight on his legs and the deafening, unrhythmic heartbeat in his chest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It shattered all his elaborate disguises and calm appearances.
So... this is what it feels like to be on someone's knees...
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