Your lifeline is about to float away, Xu Zhouzhou. What are you still dawdling for?
Xu Zhouzhou grumbled inwardly at herself.
Gu Beizheng glanced at her mumbling expression and asked, “Do you have curtains? Let’s hang some curtains.” The windows were bare; it didn’t matter for a grown man, but it probably wasn’t convenient for a girl.
Xu Zhouzhou snapped back to reality and said, “Oh. Let me look.”
Back at the Educated Youth Center, the windows were just pasted over with newspaper. When had she ever used curtains?
Xu Zhouzhou rummaged through her bag but couldn’t find any cloth suitable for curtains, so she shook her head. “No.”
“My house has some! Teacher Xu, I’ll go home and get them for you,” Xiaotao chimed in excitedly. She turned to run back, but Gu Beizheng grabbed her. “It’s getting dark. I’ll go back with you.”
After Gu Beizheng and Xiaotao left, Xu Zhouzhou sat on the bed in a daze. Gu Beizheng was leaving soon.
She was clearly aware of her predicament. That Lu Shijie harbored ill intentions toward her, and his mother wasn’t someone to be trifled with either. Yesterday, she had really lost her temper and had a big fight with her. They were only leaving her alone temporarily because of Gu Beizheng’s presence.
Once Gu Beizheng left, she would be isolated and helpless here. Gu Beizheng was the only person she could trust and rely on right now. She couldn’t hesitate anymore, otherwise her very survival would be uncertain.
A sudden clap of thunder outside startled Xu Zhouzhou out of her daze.
She got up and looked outside. It was raining; bean-sized raindrops were falling, turning into a downpour in moments. Thinking Gu Beizheng and the others probably wouldn’t come back, and seeing the school gate was still open, Xu Zhouzhou found a piece of waterproof cloth, draped it over her head, and went out to close the gate.
She clutched the cloth with one hand and pushed the iron gate with the other. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, her grip loosened, and the cloth flew away. Ignoring it, Xu Zhouzhou pushed the gate with both hands.
Just as the gate was about to close, a large hand suddenly reached out.
Startled, she looked up sharply. It was Gu Beizheng; he had come back.
“Why did you come back?” The rain was pouring down, making it hard to keep one’s eyes open.
Gu Beizheng turned back to close the gate, grabbed her arm, and shouted, “Get inside first.”
The two ran into the room. In that short distance of just over ten meters, they were soaked to the bone.
Xu Zhouzhou wiped the water from her hair and looked at Gu Beizheng. “Why did you come back again?”
“Xiaotao made me bring the curtains to you.” Gu Beizheng held a bundle of light blue cloth in his hand.
“Oh. It’s raining; tomorrow would have been fine too.” Xu Zhouzhou looked up at Gu Beizheng.
Xu Zhouzhou was wearing a goose-yellow cotton shirt. Wet through, it clung tightly to her body, outlining the round contours of her chest and a soft waist that looked like it could be held in one hand.
Gu Beizheng lowered his eyes and took in the whole view. The scene from his dream last night rushed into his mind. His throat tightened, and he tore his eyes away with difficulty.
“I… I’ll hang the curtains for you first.”
He went out to the utility room next door, found a length of wire, a hammer, and some nails. He hopped onto the table by the window, hammered the nails into the wall, and threaded the wire. Xu Zhouzhou handed up the curtain cloth she was holding.
After Gu Beizheng threaded the curtains and drew them closed, he turned sideways and looked down to ask, “Take a look, is this okay?”
Xu Zhouzhou stood below the table, looking up. When Gu Beizheng turned sideways, her eyes fell right on the spot a few inches below his abdomen. Gu Beizheng’s clothes were also soaked through; his trousers clung to his body, outlining a spectacular shape.
Xu Zhouzhou froze for a moment. Two words popped into her mind, and her face flushed red instantly.
Seeing the change in her expression, Gu Beizheng looked down. His midsection tightened abruptly, and he hurriedly jumped down from the table.
Xu Zhouzhou’s heart skipped a beat, mimicking the bounce of that certain something.
“What are you looking at?” Gu Beizheng barked in a low, displeased tone.
“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean to,” Xu Zhouzhou said apologetically, looking up. Suddenly, she felt a chill and sneezed.
Gu Beizheng glanced over her. “Your clothes are soaked too. You should change.”
Xu Zhouzhou looked down. Indeed, she didn’t look any better than he did.
“I’ll go to the doorway,” Gu Beizheng said, then walked straight out to stand under the eaves.
Her wet clothes clinging to her body were indeed uncomfortable. Xu Zhouzhou found some clean clothes, walked to the bedside, and took off her top. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the window open with a loud bang.
Hearing the noise, Gu Beizheng at the door instinctively turned his head. What met his eyes was a frightened little face and a flash of snow-white skin.
He froze for a second as if possessed, then quickly turned back around. He felt his blood surge through his body, and his breathing grew rapid.
Xu Zhouzhou frantically closed the window and changed her clothes. Walking to the door, she said, “I’m done. Come inside, don’t stand out in the rain.”
Gu Beizheng steadied his breathing and turned to walk into the room. Xu Zhouzhou had changed into a pink shirt and black trousers. Her hair was let down over her shoulders, making her skin look fair and rosy.
“The rain is too heavy. Wait a while before you go.” Xu Zhouzhou took out a towel and handed it to him.
Gu Beizheng took the towel, rubbed it roughly over his head a couple of times, then wiped down his shirt.
His clothes clung to his body, faintly outlining the hard, firm lines of his pectoral and abdominal muscles.
Glancing at the change in his lower body, Xu Zhouzhou’s mind raced. This man had feelings for her. If she were a bit proactive—on a dark and stormy night like this, with dry wood near a blazing fire—she didn’t believe any man could remain indifferent.
Didn’t the original female lead force herself on him and sleep with him first? Then, out of a sense of responsibility, he married her, leading to love after marriage. She wasn’t looking for love or anything like that; she just wanted him to take responsibility. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?
She swallowed hard. Just as she was deep in thought, a godsent clap of thunder roared. Xu Zhouzhou let out a cry and seized the opportunity to throw herself into Gu Beizheng’s arms.
With a soft body in his arms, Gu Beizheng’s entire body grew even harder. He parted his lips slightly to pant, holding his arms stiffly, afraid to lower them.
Seeing he made no move, Xu Zhouzhou pulled back from his embrace and said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry, I was startled.”
Gu Beizheng slowly took two steps back. He crossed his hands holding the towel and slowly placed them in front of his body to cover himself, saying in a husky voice, “You should rest early. I’m leaving.”
“But it’s still raining.” Xu Zhouzhou tugged at his sleeve.
“It doesn’t matter; this bit of rain is nothing.” As a soldier, he was long accustomed to braving the wind and rain. He didn’t know what had possessed him earlier to agree to come inside.
Seeing Gu Beizheng was determined to leave, Xu Zhouzhou called out in a low voice, “Gu Beizheng, I still have something to say to you.”
T/n : *Auntie Smile*