He wrung out the handkerchief, and warm water droplets slid down his wrist, shimmering in the candlelight. "Close your eyes," he whispered, his fingertips carefully wiping her red, tear-stained eyes.
In the misty air, her eyelashes were wet and stuck together, like butterfly wings dampened by night dew, trembling gently with his movements.
"I bought some osmanthus cake, it's still warm," he whispered close to her ear, his voice deliberately feigned ease. "Want to try some?"
Shen Jintang shook her head, her hair brushing against his chin, tickling him.
She gripped his sleeve even tighter, the fabric crumpling in her palm.
Gu Zhixing simply sat down next to her, and the bed creaked under the weight.
His palm gently patted her back, as if soothing a frightened fledgling.
Gradually, he felt the tense body in his arms soften little by little.
Shen Jintang groped for his hand, her icy fingertips squeezing between his fingers, holding it tightly, as if grasping the only piece of driftwood in a storm.
Gu Zhixing grasped her hand in return, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
Outside the window, a bright moon quietly climbed to the treetops. The candle wick flickered and popped softly in the quiet room.
The two nestled together quietly, neither speaking, their breaths mingling and sounding exceptionally clear in the night.
Shen Jintang's fingers suddenly tightened, and her nails unconsciously left a few faint white marks on the back of Gu Zhixing's hand.
Will you leave me?
Her voice was as light as willow catkins floating in the air, as if it would dissipate at the slightest touch.
Gu Zhixing did not answer immediately, but instead completely enveloped her hand in his palm.
His thumb gently caressed the pulse beating on the inside of her wrist, where it was warm and delicate.
"No," he said firmly.
The flickering candlelight cast the intertwined shadows of the two people on the mottled wall, creating a dark, indistinguishable mass.
Gu Zhixing stared at the shadow in a daze, suddenly wishing that this moment could last indefinitely.
In this small, humble room, there were no worldly views, no cruel twists of fate, only the coolness of her fingertips and the warmth of his palm.
The crescent moon outside the window quietly climbed up the window frame, casting a sliver of silver light on the blue brick floor.
Shen Jintang's breathing gradually became steady, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed, as if she had accepted the fact that she was blind.
"I'll go get you some water to wash your feet."
Gu Zhixing said softly.
Shen Jintang's fingers trembled slightly, but she finally let go.
Her eyes remained open, but they were like glass veiled in mist, staring blankly into the void of darkness.
Only when the sound of the wooden basin gently hitting the ground did her thick eyelashes tremble slightly, as if she were awakened from a long dream.
Shen Jintang's ankle suddenly sank into a warm embrace, startling her so much that she trembled all over.
"what you do?"
She instinctively tried to pull back, but his well-defined hand held her firmly, the strength of which was neither too light nor too heavy, yet it rendered her unable to move.
The water in the wooden basin sloshed gently, making a soft "splashing" sound.
Her toes accidentally brushed against his palm, touching the thin callus that had formed from days of hard work, and she immediately curled her toes up like a startled mimosa.
"Wash your feet." Gu Zhixing answered matter-of-factly, his voice slightly hoarse with fatigue, yet strangely reassuring. "The water is just the right temperature."
His fingertips brushed against the skin on the instep of her foot, sending a slight shiver through her.
Shen Jintang gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, the fabric crumpling into a ball in her palm.
The darkness magnified every touch—the force of his left hand supporting her heel, the warmth of the water he splashed with his right hand, even the lines on his fingertips were clearly visible, sending shivers down her spine.
A drop of water slid down her ankle, and she could almost imagine how it meandered across her pale skin, shimmering in the candlelight.
"Don't dodge." Gu Zhixing suddenly closed his fingers and held her foot, which she was trying to pull back, in his palm.
His rough fingertips caressed the old wound on the sole of her foot, sending a tingling sensation through her. "Is the water temperature alright?"
Shen Jintang's ears burned, and she nodded haphazardly.
The water rippled with her unconscious struggles, and the reflected candlelight danced on their intertwined shadows, like disturbed fireflies.
"Almost there..."
Her voice trembled, and her toes curled up involuntarily.
"Don't move." Gu Zhixing's voice was lower than usual, carrying an air of unyielding authority.
He suddenly released her hands, wrapped her wet feet in a cloth, and moved as gently as if handling fragile porcelain. "Dry them off, or they'll catch a cold."
Shen Jintang was taken aback.
His movements were so practiced that she suddenly realized that during the days she was unconscious, he had been taking care of her in this way all along.
The thought made her ears burn even hotter, and her neck flushed a faint pink. She dared not think any further.
In the darkness, their breathing mingled.
She felt Gu Zhixing's damp fingertips hovering in mid-air. In the end, he simply tidied her stray hairs, his movements as light as brushing a feather, yet they stirred a bittersweet warmth in her heart.
"Go to sleep."
Gu Zhixing picked up the wooden basin and walked outside. Shen Jintang heard the soft rustling of his clothes, followed by the splashing sound of water in the courtyard.
He must have been washing himself in the yard.
She listened to the sound of water unconsciously until it gradually disappeared outside the door and footsteps sounded, then she breathed a sigh of relief.
The warmth of Gu Zhixing's body still lingered in the bedding, mixed with a faint herbal scent, lingering around the nose.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
