Xie Mingzhu curled herself into a tight ball, not daring to move an inch, terrified of waking Huo Xuan and causing awkwardness between them.
When she lifted her head just slightly, she could see his smooth chin and the clean, sharp line of his jaw.
Huo Xuan was only twenty-two years old. But after several years in the countryside, exposed day after day to wind and sun, he no longer looked like the elegant, refined young man he had been when he first arrived.
His skin had turned a healthy, sun-kissed tan, and years of hard physical labor had built his body into something firm and solid.
Xie Mingzhu still clearly remembered how he had looked back then — fair-skinned and slender, a delicate youth.
Yet in just a few short years, life had transformed him from a boy into a man.
With her cheek resting against his chest, even through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could feel the hard muscle beneath and hear the steady, rhythmic beating of his heart.
For no clear reason, she suddenly found herself struggling to breathe.
Her cheeks slowly grew warm, then hot.
She raised a hand to touch her face and felt her own pulse racing fast.
His scent filled her entire nose, making her feel light and tingly all over, as if every limb had turned soft and numb.
Her breathing grew quicker and shallower. She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to let her thoughts wander into anything improper.
But the moment her eyes shut, the image of Huo Xuan bathing in the courtyard the other day popped straight into her mind.
She squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to empty her mind and push those thoughts away. Yet the scent in her nostrils only seemed to grow richer — clean, strong, and pleasant — and the picture of him refused to fade.
On ordinary mornings, the outdoors was always noisy: voices talking, the team leader blowing his whistle, dogs barking, donkeys braying, all blending together into a lively hubbub.
Today, however, because of the rain, the only sound outside was that of raindrops pattering against the roof and falling onto the ground. Nothing more.
Xie Mingzhu felt as if all her senses had suddenly grown sharper.
Right beside her ear, Huo Xuan’s heartbeat was strong and solid. It was no longer slow and steady; it was speeding up, thump-thump-thump, loud enough to echo in her head.
Soon after, his breathing also turned deeper and faster.
She knew he was awake.
She felt him shift slightly, trying to move the arm she had been resting her head on. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and froze completely.
Both of them were fully awake now, yet neither dared to move from their positions.
Outside, the rain fell in a soft, steady drizzle; inside, the air hung thick with quiet intimacy and unspoken tension.
In truth, Huo Xuan had woken the very moment Xie Mingzhu opened her eyes.
He felt a twinge of regret. He had told himself he would get up once she was warm enough, but the moment he closed his own eyes, he had drifted off to sleep.
Now things had turned out like this, and he wondered what she must be thinking — whether she would believe he had taken advantage of her while she slept.
He had planned to wait for her to get up first, but she remained still.
Feeling her warm breath brushing against his chest, a tingling sensation shot up his scalp and spread through his whole body, leaving him weak and light-headed.
The situation was undeniably awkward, and even Huo Xuan found himself at a loss for what to do next.
Xie Mingzhu, for her part, decided to wait it out — whoever lost their nerve first would be the one to break the silence.
Just as she made up her mind, her stomach let out a loud rumble.
It was impossible to hide, pressed as closely as they were, and Huo Xuan heard it clearly.
A low chuckle escaped him.
“Are you hungry?” His voice came from above her head — deep, rich, and still husky from sleep. The soft laugh vibrated through his chest, warm and thick, seeping through her hair and sending a shiver down her spine, making her ears burn hot.
She felt as if she had fallen ill, her whole body turning strangely limp and weak.
“Huo Xuan…”
Her voice came out soft and breathy, gentle enough to be mistaken for a whisper — nothing like her usual tone. She immediately clamped her mouth shut.
But Huo Xuan replied softly, “Hmm?”
The sound rose slightly at the end, carrying a quiet, irresistible warmth.
Xie Mingzhu suddenly felt as though she was sinking deeper and deeper, completely lost in the moment.
She gave a small cough and fell silent again.
“I’ll go make breakfast.”
Huo Xuan sat up and glanced down at his wristwatch. “It’s still early. You didn’t sleep well last night — rest a little longer, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
Xie Mingzhu quickly turned away, facing his back, and pulled the blanket over her head. “Mmm,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the fabric.
Seeing her reaction, Huo Xuan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
He had felt a little awkward himself, but seeing her even more flustered helped ease his own unease.
It proved that she did care, at least somewhat. If she felt nothing for him, she would never have acted this way.
Thinking of this, his spirits lifted considerably.
He dressed quietly and slipped out of the room.
Only when there was no sound left outside did Xie Mingzhu finally poke her head out from under the covers.
She took a few deep breaths, but the fresh, clean scent of soap that clung to Huo Xuan still filled the whole room, and her heart refused to slow down.
There was no way she could fall back asleep. She sat up, ran her hands through her hair in frustration, threw on her outer coat, and got out of bed.
When she opened the door, the rain was still falling steadily.
Carrying an umbrella, she walked over to the dormitory next door, only to find that half its roof had already collapsed.
The sight made her heart skip a beat in alarm.
Huo Xuan had truly been lucky yesterday. Though the roof was only thatched straw, the supporting beams were solid timber. If one of those heavy, thick logs had fallen straight down, anyone beneath would have been crippled at best, or worse.
Letting out a long breath of relief, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.
Huo Xuan was there, rolling out dough for dumplings. When he saw her, he asked, “Not going back to sleep?”
Xie Mingzhu still felt a little flustered, but seeing him act as if nothing unusual had happened overnight helped her calm down. She collected herself and nodded. “I slept quite well last night.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she almost bit her own tongue.
It sounded far too suggestive — as if she had slept well only because Huo Xuan was there beside her.
Just as she scrambled to think of something to say and smooth over the awkwardness, Huo Xuan spoke again.
“I’ll make dumplings for you — cabbage and egg filling.”
Seeing that he hadn’t seemed to notice her earlier slip, Xie Mingzhu let out another quiet sigh of relief.
“You still remember I like cabbage and egg dumplings?” she asked softly.
Huo Xuan lifted his head and looked directly into her eyes. “I’ve always remembered everything you like.”
Seeing the gentle smile on his face, Xie Mingzhu felt a little dazed.
She disliked ginger, which was why she never cared for meat-filled dumplings. Back when her mother was alive, whenever she made pork and cabbage dumplings for the family, she would always prepare a separate batch with only cabbage and egg just for her.
After marrying Qin Haoyu, however, none of his tastes matched hers in the slightest.