Huo Tao hurriedly tried to pull back his leg.
“No need. It’s just a small effort.”
Shen Guoguo grabbed a small towel and quickly dried Huo Tao’s legs and feet.
Huo Tao’s legs hadn’t been used in five years—they were pale, yet surprisingly still muscular.
Relying on her experience from slaughtering pigs, Shen Guoguo could guarantee that when Huo Tao’s legs were healthy, they’d be no worse than those of a world-class soccer player.
Strong, steady, and full of a sense of security.
What a pity.
“These legs of yours… what did the doctor say?”
Huo Tao’s face flushed slightly—not because of her question about his injury.
It had been five years; he was long used to it.
Rather, it was because his legs were resting on Shen Guoguo’s lap…
“The doctor examined everything from bones to muscles countless times. They couldn’t find any problem, but I just can’t control them.”
Shen Guoguo frowned. Wasn’t this paralysis?
It was usually caused by nerve compression in the lower body.
Still, she could understand—this sort of thing fell under traditional medicine, and in this post-apocalyptic world, traditional medicine had long vanished.
She patted Huo Tao’s calf with her small hand. “When conditions are right later, I’ll take a look for you.”
“Alright.”
Huo Tao assumed she was just saying it casually to cheer him up and responded perfunctorily.
Silence fell again.
After a while, Huo Tao spoke first. “Sleep. Don’t worry, I… won’t…”
“Mm-hmm, sleep.”
She knew he couldn’t, but there was no need to say it out loud.
Out of consideration for his pride as a man, Shen Guoguo quickly changed the subject.
After washing up, she climbed onto the metal bedframe.
There was only a thin blanket and a large quilt on it.
Just getting up there made her knees ache.
Once she lay down, she felt uncomfortable again.
Not to mention how hard the metal bed was—the thin bedding was practically useless.
Her small clothes also felt a little tight.
She’d noticed something was off earlier when she arrived.
After all, she had leveled up—from A to C—it felt unfamiliar, stifling even.
Lying there, all she wanted to do was relieve herself a little.
But…
Click.
The light went off.
Shen Guoguo suddenly found herself uneasy in the darkness.
Huo Tao rolled his wheelchair to the side of the bed.
After a bit of rustling, she felt warmth beside her.
The “single bed” was about one and a half meters wide—comfortable for one, cramped for two.
Mostly because Huo Tao was… big.
When he lay down, her left arm touched the wall and her right brushed his arm.
Heat radiated from his body, carrying the raw scent of a rugged man.
“Sorry,” came his slightly low voice in the dark.
“Uh… it’s fine, it’s fine.”
Shen Guoguo wanted to roll toward the wall but felt it would seem deliberate.
So she turned to the right instead, lying on her side. That gave her a bit more space.
Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see Huo Tao’s side profile under the faint reflected light from the metal wall outside.
The prominent brow ridge, tall nose bridge, moderately thin lips, square and strong jawline… and that Adam’s apple.
Suddenly, she felt hot.
She lowered her head, quietly shifted down a bit, and reached under her shirt for some relief.
Huo Tao’s entire body stiffened.
Shen Guoguo felt comfortable, but when she moved, her warm breath landed right on his left shoulder.
Huo Tao froze completely.
“How about we buy another bed tomorrow?”
“No, better not. Beds are too expensive.”
“Alright then. Good night.”
In the dark, Shen Guoguo mumbled to herself, then closed her eyes.
She was truly exhausted—so much had happened in a single day. Just accepting the fact that she had transmigrated had already drained her mentally.
She’d meant to organize the remaining fragments of the original host’s memory before sleeping.
But unexpectedly, with Huo Tao’s scent lingering at her nose, she fell asleep in three seconds flat.
Hearing her steady breathing, Huo Tao turned his head slightly.
As a high-level warrior, he could still see faintly in the dark.
A smooth forehead, long eyelashes, delicate nose, slightly parted lips…
She looked fragile, yet today she’d stood in front of him more than once.
She’d said they should buy a bed—but luckily, she had no money.
He didn’t even know what he was thinking. When he came back to his senses, dawn was already breaking.
At some point, Shen Guoguo’s small hands had wrapped tightly around his arm.
Seeing her frown a little, Huo Tao quickly shut his eyes and pretended to sleep.
In her dream, Shen Guoguo was hugging her Doraemon pillow, rolling on the bed.
This pillow… the fabric felt oddly nice.
Her hand unconsciously rubbed up and down along Huo Tao’s arm.
Huo Tao: …
Realizing something was off, Shen Guoguo’s eyes snapped open.
What she saw first was a muscular elbow, an Adam’s apple, and a well-defined chest.
Gulp.
She couldn’t help swallowing a few times.
Carefully, she pulled her hand back.
Above her head, Huo Tao’s lips curled up slightly as he secretly resolved to maintain his physique.
But when he thought of his legs, a sigh rose from his chest again.
Shen Guoguo peeked through a narrow slit in her eyes. Seeing that he didn’t react, she slowly sat up.
Born single all these years, she’d learned plenty of “theory” online…
This was her first time sleeping beside a man—but pure sleeping! Just sleeping!
Damn it!
Quietly lifting the blanket, she tiptoed off the bed.
She tried to get down from the foot of the bed, but the room was tightly built—the foot was blocked by a metal cabinet, so she could only climb over Huo Tao.
Should she wake him?
Looking at his handsome sleeping face, his hands properly resting over his stomach, she couldn’t bear to.
Carefully, she climbed over his lower legs.
Why did a man need such long legs anyway?
And this annoying blanket—her short legs could barely stretch across.
Her body wobbled slightly; she steadied herself with one hand—landing somewhere… awkward.
Quite impressive…
Startled, Shen Guoguo looked up. Seeing Huo Tao still asleep, she exhaled in relief.
It seemed his long legs—and more vital functions—had no reaction.
After getting out of bed, she carried the washbasin and cup quietly out of the room.
Only then did Huo Tao open his eyes.
Blushing, he lifted the blanket and looked down, muttering under his breath, “Pathetic.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Shen Guoguo had just pushed the door open and caught his mumble.
“N-Nothing!” Huo Tao quickly pulled the blanket over his stomach.
“Oh.”
Shen Guoguo picked up the towel and turned to leave again to finish washing up, mumbling as she went, “Huo Tao, get up. I’ll cook you something nice.”
“Mm.”
Huo Tao took a deep breath, silently recited a few essays from the old era, and then got up.