Xu Cheng’an was momentarily dazed by her smile. He gave a light cough. “I should go.”
Wen Wan seemed to remember something. “Wait, wait—don’t go. I’ll be right back.”
After saying that, she ran toward the room.
As she turned, her hair fluttered, brushing across Xu Cheng’an’s cheek.
Soft, ticklish, fragrant.
But his heart was in disarray.
Xu Cheng’an felt as if her scent still lingered in his breath when Wen Wan came running out of the room.
“Keep this key with you. I have a bad memory—I’m afraid one day I’ll forget to bring it and won’t be able to get home.”
There were no fingerprint locks yet. She had no friends or family here, so the spare key could only be given to Officer Xu.
Xu Cheng’an’s expression froze for a moment. He couldn’t tell if this girl was smart or simply careless.
Who just hands their house key to someone?
Seeing that he didn’t take it, Wen Wan grabbed his hand and placed the key into his palm.
In Xu Cheng’an’s dry, broad hand lay a small key, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
They had known each other for less than two days, and she already dared to leave him her key.
Wasn’t she afraid…
Afraid that he might be a bad person?
After all, not everyone in the police force was good.
“I only trust you!” Wen Wan looked into his eyes and repeated it.
As she spoke, she leaned closer, her eyelashes trembling slightly—pure yet alluring.
Xu Cheng’an felt surrounded by her soft fragrance, his ears burning. He quickly averted his gaze, afraid she might notice his unusual reaction.
“Alright, I’ll keep it for you. Lock your doors properly. Don’t open the door for anyone at night—not even neighbors,” Xu Cheng’an reminded her again.
Later, when he returned to the station, he would ask Officer Zheng, who was in charge of the cotton mill area, to keep an eye on her.
“Don’t worry. I won’t open the door for anyone except you.”
She had just moved here and didn’t trust the neighbors yet. Opening the door carelessly could lead to trouble.
Xu Cheng’an: …
When Xu Cheng’an turned to leave, he walked too quickly. Only after exiting the alley did he stop, wondering if she had locked the door properly.
Wen Wan locked the front gate and bolted the room door as well. The unfamiliar environment still made her a little uneasy.
She hadn’t married into the Wu family, had reclaimed the property left by her grandparents, and had cut ties with Wen Qingfeng. That counted as changing the original host’s fate, right?
She wondered how long Wen Qingfeng would be sentenced. The longer, the better—so she could enjoy some peace.
And then there was Lin Zhenzhen, the novel’s female lead.
Her character setting was that everyone loved her, and whatever she wanted to do, someone would always help her.
Given the personalities of that mother and son, they would definitely seek revenge.
She had to prepare early and not fall into their schemes again.
It was only 1975 now. There were still two years before the college entrance exams would be reinstated. If she could get into university, she could completely break free from her original family and start a new life.
Or perhaps, by then, she would have already gone back.
Wen Wan spent most of the night thinking about her future plans, not even remembering when she fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already past ten.
She stretched lazily. The bedsheets didn’t feel very comfortable, and the blanket wasn’t soft enough.
Later, she’d buy some better fabric to make new covers. The curtains needed replacing too.
After drinking some spiritual spring water, Wen Wan took an apple from her space.
The space had a preservation function—no matter how long she stored seasonal fruits, they were always as fresh as if just picked.
She made do with breakfast, not feeling like cooking.
Looking at the duvet cover soaked in water and now incredibly heavy, Wen Wan couldn’t help but rub her forehead.
Without a washing machine, how was she supposed to wash this?
She changed into shorts, stepped into the basin, and began stomping on the cover. After a few rounds, she still had to rinse out the detergent.
She couldn’t wring out the water properly—it was far too heavy. By the time she finished washing it and hung it up, her clothes were soaked, like she had just been drenched in rain—completely disheveled.
Standing in the yard, Wen Wan felt like crying.
Damn that Lin Zhenzhen. If she wasn’t qualified for university recommendation herself, why hold a grudge and write her into such a terrible novel?
She was the dignified young lady of the Wen family, who had never done manual work in her life. Yet now, in the prime of her youth, she was here washing duvet covers in this miserable place.
When the knocking came, Wen Wan didn’t even want to respond.
A coal factory worker was delivering coal to the station. Xu Cheng’an suddenly thought of Wen Wan and asked the worker to spare a cart of honeycomb briquettes, bringing them over during his lunch break.
Coal was rationed for each household. Without preparing enough for winter in advance, it would be impossible to buy later.
After knocking for a long time with no response, Xu Cheng’an thought she had gone out.
The coal delivery worker was about to arrive, and he couldn’t have him waiting outside, so Xu Cheng’an used the spare key to open the door.
What he saw inside stunned him.
Wen Wan’s shorts reached her knees—not particularly short—but her fitted T-shirt, fashionable for the time, clung tightly to her body.
Soaked with water, it pressed against her curves, accentuating her full chest and slender waist.
Combined with her fair, long legs, the visual impact was overwhelming.
Xu Cheng’an froze for a moment, then quickly shut the gate and turned his back.
His heart pounded, his face flushed.
His breathing became rapid, and his whole body suddenly felt hot.
Before he could tell her to change clothes, Wen Wan had already run over and thrown herself into his arms.
“Officer Xu!” Her voice was choked.
She felt miserable. Ever since stepping into this era, everything had been going wrong.
Her soft warmth and delicate fragrance made Xu Cheng’an’s body go rigid, not daring to move.
After a long moment, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, “Go back to your room. The coal delivery worker is outside.”
Only then did Wen Wan come to her senses. She softly acknowledged and ran back into the room.
She had treated Xu Cheng’an as a lifeline, just wanting some emotional comfort, forgetting how disheveled she looked.
Back in the room, Wen Wan covered her face with both hands, her heart racing.
She had lost her mind—what had she just done?
She had actually thrown herself into Xu Cheng’an’s arms.
Even if she wanted to seduce him, she should at least dress nicely first. What was that just now?
She must have looked ridiculous.
Xu Cheng’an watched her disappear, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.
The coal delivery worker had arrived and was checking the address.
The two worked quickly, and Xu Cheng’an neatly arranged the briquettes for her convenience.
After sending the worker away, Xu Cheng’an saw the still-dripping duvet cover on the line and understood why she had been completely soaked.
He washed his hands, then re-wrung the sheets and hung them up properly.
He had intended to say goodbye, but thinking of the awkward moment earlier, he gave up the idea.
He hadn’t done all this for her thanks.
He just felt that it wasn’t easy for a young girl living alone.
Better to head back to the station first.
Wen Wan changed into fresh clothes, combed her hair, and stood in front of the mirror, making sure she looked presentable before stepping out.
But Xu Cheng’an was no longer in the yard, nor in the kitchen. The briquettes were neatly stacked.
The duvet cover had been wrung again, hanging without a single wrinkle.
The water in the basin had been poured out.
Everything was arranged neatly by the sink.
But Xu Cheng’an was nowhere to be seen.
He had already left.
Wen Wan looked at the closed gate, a clear sense of loss washing over her.
Had she scared him?
Would he stop paying attention to her from now on?