A hearty laugh seemed to have exhausted the pent-up frustration that Lin Wanwan had been holding in for days.
When the laughter finally subsided, she still lingered in Xiao Che's arms, her face flushed from laughing so hard, and there were still physiological tears in the corners of her eyes. She looked like a satisfied cat that had just had a good meal.
The atmosphere inside the sleeping quarters was warm and tranquil.
The coldness and oppression brought about by the previous Cold War have completely dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented intimacy and tranquility born from open and honest communication.
However, after the laughter subsided, a new, faint worry quietly crept into Lin Wanwan's heart.
She leaned against his chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat. After hesitating for a long while, she whispered in an almost coquettish tone, with a slight nasal twitch:
"But I... am still afraid."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che's body, which had relaxed, tensed up slightly again.
He lowered his head, looking at the little woman in his arms, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness that he himself was unaware of.
"What are you afraid of?"
Could it be... that his "core declaration" wasn't powerful enough? Or is it that his "dark history" is so embarrassing that it makes her fundamentally doubt her husband's intelligence?
Lin Wanwan snuggled closer to him, finding a more comfortable position.
She said sullenly, "I'm afraid... even without 'them,' I'll still 'guess'."
There was a hint of self-doubt in her voice.
This Cold War made her realize a problem very clearly.
She relied too much on that "cheat code".
She became so dependent on it that once she lost it, she became an insecure and pathetic suspicious person.
She would overthink all night over a single, unintentional frown from him.
He could make me feel heartbroken for half a day because of a single unintentional remark.
She was afraid, afraid that such a "misunderstanding" would happen again in the future. After all, you can't see into someone's heart; who can truly and completely see through another person?
"Guessing all this time is exhausting..." she complained softly. "And what if I guess wrong again someday?"
Will there be another huge, earth-shattering argument then?
If this continues, even the deepest feelings will likely be worn away by this endless suspicion.
Hearing her words, Xiao Che fell silent.
He did not immediately refute, nor did he say anything empty like "I believe you".
He simply held her quietly, seemingly deep in thought about the core issue she had raised—the one concerning their future relationship.
Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, Lin Wanwan started to feel a little uneasy again.
Does he...do he also feel that this is an unsolvable problem?
Just as she was feeling extremely uneasy, Xiao Che suddenly released his grip on her.
Lin Wanwan's heart suddenly felt empty.
What...what does he mean by that?
She looked up somewhat uneasily, only to see Xiao Che looking at her with a serious expression.
Then, he did something that surprised her.
He reached out and gently took her hands in his.
His palms, large and warm, with calluses from years of practicing martial arts and holding a pen, completely enveloped her slightly cool little hands.
His eyes held an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.
“Wanwan,” he said, looking into her eyes, each word clear and distinct, “you don’t need to guess.”
Lin Wanwan was taken aback: "...Huh?"
No need to guess? What should we do then? Should we make him wear a note on his forehead every time he goes out, saying "Today's mood: Sunny"?
As if seeing through her nonsensical complaints, Xiao Che's lips curled into a very faint, slightly awkward smile.
"I will tell you later."
After saying that, he began his first on-site teaching of "artificial voice pack".
He held her hand, looked into her eyes, and began his clumsy, proactive "inner monologue" in an extremely stiff tone, as if reciting court policy essays.
"I..." He cleared his throat, seemingly unaccustomed to this direct way of expressing himself, his ears turning red again, "I... am very happy tonight."
Lin Wanwan: "..."
She blinked, momentarily stunned.
Seeing that she didn't react, Xiao Che thought he hadn't explained himself clearly enough, so he braced himself and added:
"Because... the misunderstanding has been cleared up. I no longer need to read those... damned novels."
When he mentioned the word "storybook," he was clearly gritting his teeth.
Looking at him, who was clearly shy to death but was trying his best to keep a straight face and seriously "report" his inner thoughts to her, Lin Wanwan felt a warm current instantly flow through her body.
She suddenly realized that the clumsy emperor in front of her, who was trying hard to learn the "language of love," was a hundred times more adorable than the arrogant, hypocritical emperor whose expressions she could see.
She couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Xiao Che's face darkened instantly.
"What are you laughing at now!" he snapped, exasperated. "I'm so seriously trying to solve this problem, and she's still laughing?!"
"It's nothing," Lin Wanwan quickly suppressed her laughter, mimicking his earlier serious tone, and said, "I... am also very happy."
Xiao Che was taken aback by her imitation, and the slight anger on his face instantly dissipated, leaving only helplessness and doting.
Looking into her smiling eyes, he felt an unprecedented tenderness and peace in his heart.
He took her hand and pulled it to his chest, placing it against his heart.
He felt the heart pounding for her beneath his palm, and his voice became low and gentle.
"I... am very tired."
He spoke slowly, this was the first time he had so honestly revealed his exhaustion to her.
"In these three days, I have won in the court, but I feel... I have lost the whole world."
Lin Wanwan's heart was struck hard by his words, feeling a sour and swollen sensation.
"but……"
He held her hand tighter, and gently pressed his forehead against hers again.
"...Holding you in my arms makes me feel safe and secure."
At this moment, the bedroom was so quiet that one could hear each other's heartbeats.
Thump, thump...
Each sound, clear and powerful, seemed to express the same sentiment.
Lin Wanwan's eyes welled up with tears again.
She knew that from this moment on, a completely new, more stable way of getting along between them, one that didn't need any "additions," had been officially established.
She no longer needed to "guess" what he was thinking.
Because he was willing to tell her.
Looking at his handsome face so close to hers, and at the unyielding tenderness in his eyes, she suddenly felt a mischievous urge.
“Your Majesty,” she asked deliberately in a businesslike tone, “then, if I want to know anything else in the future, can I… ask at any time?”
Xiao Che was taken aback, but then he understood what she meant.
Looking at the sly smile in her eyes, he sighed helplessly, yet willingly indulged her "taking an inch and wanting a mile".
He slowly curved his lips into a smile, and in a tone of boundless affection and solemnity, gave her a promise that would give her peace of mind for the rest of her life.
"From now on, if you want to know anything, just ask."
He paused slightly, looked into her bright, sparkling eyes, and, word by word, clearly and explicitly, formally "appointed" himself to her.
"I……"
"...It's your 'emoji'."
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