As noon approached, Lin Xihe stood at the door, watching the relentless downpour. She frowned and muttered to herself, "It seems this rain isn't going to stop today."
Hearing this, Ji Zhuo remained silent, his smiling eyes fixed on the rain, ignoring Lin Xihe's several puzzled glances.
The firewood that was originally piled up next to the stove in the house was almost gone, and the damp and cold air seeped in through the cracks in the door and the window frames, making people's hands and feet icy cold.
Lin Xihe had no choice but to try her luck at Aunt Lin's house when the rain subsided, hoping to buy some firewood. She wrapped her slightly thin clothes tighter around herself and trudged through the muddy water between several neighboring houses, but after asking from one house to another, she still couldn't buy much.
After finishing her dinner, Lin Xihe took out her medical kit from the cabinet and walked familiarly to Ji Zhuo's bedside to change his dressing.
Ji Zhuo wore only a single garment, which clung loosely to his broad shoulders, subtly outlining his muscular physique. He leaned lazily against the headboard, his face still somewhat pale, yet his air of heroic spirit was undeniable.
Lin Xihe walked closer and, without saying a word, began to unbutton Ji Zhuo's shirt.
"The wound is healing well. It seems you won't die. All my efforts these past few days haven't been in vain."
Ji Zhuo's gaze remained focused on Lin Xihe from beginning to end, and seeing her serious expression, the smile on his lips became even more pronounced.
Although Lin Xihe's words sounded awkward at first, somehow, as time went on, he got used to them and even found her straightforward and honest nature quite endearing.
"We're out of wound medicine," Lin Xihe muttered, frowning as she tidied up the used gauze. "We need to buy another small bottle. And now you're spending money on me again. My small business can't withstand this kind of expense. When are you going to repay me?"
She looked up at Ji Zhuo expectantly, gesturing for him to remove the gemstone for her.
However, Ji Zhuo did not understand what she meant.
"It can be done tonight." Ji Zhuo gazed at her, his voice deep and magnetic.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's eyes instantly lit up like dazzling stars, and she blurted out, "You're planning to give me gems today?!"
"Is money all you care about?"
"Yes, a big house, a big courtyard, a hundred servants, countless treasures, and handsome men by my side." Lin Xihe raised her chin, counting on her fingers, and listed them off with a righteous expression.
“Alright, we’ll wait a while for the others, but the last one is just around the corner.” Ji Zhuo raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips, and deliberately puffed out his chest.
"Oh?"
Lin Xihe rolled her eyes without any politeness, completely unimpressed by Ji Zhuo's self-praise.
Are you looking down on me?
"No way, I couldn't hide my true feelings?" She crossed her arms and exclaimed in surprise.
“You weren’t hiding anything at all.” Ji Zhuo looked at her like this, shook his head with a smile, and looked at her with doting eyes.
Lin Xihe didn't want to argue with him any longer, so she quickly and carefully put Ji Zhuo's clothes back on. As she did so, she muttered, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Hurry up and get dressed so you don't catch a cold and cause trouble for others."
After packing up the first-aid kit, she quickly washed up.
When they returned to the room, they saw that Ji Zhuo had moved to the inside of the bed, lying on his side with one hand supporting his head. He looked like he was quietly waiting for Lin Xihe to go to bed. The candlelight was still burning, casting its light on him and outlining his slender figure, adding an air of ambiguity.
Lin Xihe wasn't particularly nervous at first, but when she looked up and met Ji Zhuo's burning gaze, a gaze that seemed to see right through her and melt her heart, her heart started pounding, and her feet felt like they were nailed to the door, unable to move for a moment.
"come over."
Lin Xihe took a deep breath, raised her hand to turn off the light, and used the darkness to bolster her courage before walking unsteadily and nervously to the bedside. She carefully climbed onto the bed, and as soon as she lay down, she hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping herself up tightly and burying her chin in it.
"Why are you so nervous today?" Ji Zhuo's voice was tinged with laughter as he leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against Lin Xihe's cheek.
"No..." Lin Xihe was very stubborn, but her voice trembled slightly due to nervousness, giving off a feeling of trying too hard to hide something.
"Stubborn to the end."
Ji Zhuo chuckled and replied, the laughter echoing in the small space, seemingly a helpless jest at her stubbornness, yet also revealing a knowing understanding of everything.
Lin Xihe quickly adjusted her breathing, trying to calm herself down, and said, "Do I still need to be stubborn? What can you do to me in the state you are now? Go to sleep."
But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sudden chill beside him. In the darkness, Ji Zhuo moved swiftly, flipping over and instantly pinning Lin Xihe beneath him.
"ah!"
Lin Xihe gasped in surprise at the sudden action. In the pitch-black room, she couldn't see Ji Zhuo's face at all, but could feel his presence so close to hers, and she was extremely nervous.
Ji Zhuo lowered his head, his face so close to Lin Xihe's ear that he could feel their breaths mingling. Each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, yet it carried a unique allure: "Don't provoke men in bed."
"I... I didn't provoke you," Lin Xihe stammered, her voice barely audible, tinged with grievance and fear.
Although Ji Zhuo was in pain from his injuries, he endured it without showing any sign of it. Instead, he leaned closer to Lin Xihe, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of seduction, "Want to try? What can I do to you?"
"You...you..."
Ji Zhuo supported himself with one hand, while his other injured hand tightly gripped Lin Xihe's hand.
The scene of their first meeting suddenly flashed through Ji Zhuo's mind. Although he kissed Lin Xihe for the sake of the "poisoning" scene, when he actually touched her lips, he felt that the touch was incredibly soft. A wonderful feeling seemed to have taken root in his heart, and it would pop up from time to time to tug at his heartstrings.
At that moment, he suddenly longed to experience that feeling again, to taste her flavor.
Lin Xihe, however, was clearly too nervous at this moment. Although he was restless and agitated by his uncontrollable emotions, he never had the habit of forcing women. No matter how strong his desire was, he did not want to make Lin Xihe feel embarrassed.
Ji Zhuo suppressed his inner turmoil and tried his best to make his tone sound sincere and earnest.
"Lin Xihe, I can take responsibility for your future. Think about it."
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