Liu Zhiheng felt she still had a sense of shame—the one truly shameless was Duan Wujiu!
Liu Zhiheng muttered, “You really don’t mind… Aren’t you disgusted?”
“A Heng isn’t dirty, and A Heng’s scent is very pleasant. Now, after soaking in it, the scent has infused the water, making it even more fragrant.” Duan Wujiu pleaded in his silken voice, “I want to be infused with A Heng’s scent. Is that not allowed?”
How could Duan Wujiu spout such flirtatious words so effortlessly? Yet his tone was so sincere, without a hint of teasing or mockery, as if he were making a devout plea.
Liu Zhiheng couldn’t bear to listen any longer. She stood up with a splash, quickly dried herself off, threw on her clothes, and hurried out.
…
Liu Zhiheng emerged from behind the screen, her head lowered as she mumbled, “You should go soak now. The water… the water is still clean… and quite warm…”
Liu Zhiheng averted her gaze, keeping her eyes down as she skirted around Duan Wujiu and sat down at the dressing table to dry her hair.
Duan Wujiu also stood up, smiling as he watched Liu Zhiheng’s retreating figure before heading behind the screen.
Liu Zhiheng pricked up her ears, listening to the sound of Duan Wujiu undressing, followed by the splash of water as he stepped into the bathtub…
Liu Zhiheng’s face flushed crimson. Even though her eyes were fixed on her own reflection in the mirror, somehow, she felt as if she were seeing Duan Wujiu bathing naked.
Her mind began involuntarily producing indecent thoughts again. Liu Zhiheng pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself not to let her imagination run wild.
“A Heng’s scent is truly pleasant,” Duan Wujiu murmured softly.
The mental defenses Liu Zhiheng had just built up crumbled once more…
She really had encountered a male seducer!
Liu Zhiheng opened the window, took a deep breath of the cool air, then closed it again and returned to the dressing table to resume drying her hair.
To keep her thoughts from wandering, Liu Zhiheng began pondering philosophical questions in her mind as she dried her hair:
If God is omnipotent, can He create a stone so heavy that even He cannot lift it?
If someone says they are lying, is that statement true or false?
Confucius said he knew nothing—does knowing that he knows nothing count as knowledge?
Hmm, as she pondered, Liu Zhiheng felt her mind clearing up again, the indecent thoughts driven away.
…
Duan Wujiu could tell—he could sense whether the person outside was using cold or hot water. It had been boiling earlier, but now it had cooled.
Duan Wujiu rose from the water, dried himself off, slipped on his clothes, and stepped out from behind the screen. He saw Liu Zhiheng sitting at the dressing table, drying her hair while lost in thought.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking about, but she was frowning, looking deeply absorbed. Her oval face appeared utterly adorable.
Duan Wujiu walked over, took the towel from her hand, and began drying Liu Zhiheng’s hair for her.
Liu Zhiheng snapped out of her thoughts about whether Confucius truly knew nothing and looked up at Duan Wujiu. He had just finished bathing, his hair still damp, his white inner robe loosely tied. As he bent over to dry her hair, Liu Zhiheng couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of his chest and abdominal muscles.
Well, all that philosophical pondering had been for nothing.
To keep herself from staring again, Liu Zhiheng quickly pulled Duan Wujiu to sit down.
“Your hair is still wet too. Don’t worry about me—dry your own hair.”Duan Wujiu gazed at Liu Zhiheng with eyes so clear they held not a trace of ambiguity, smiling as he asked, “A Heng, will you help me?”
Liu Zhiheng wanted to refuse, but meeting Duan Wujiu’s puppy-like expectant gaze, the words of refusal wouldn’t come out. She picked up the towel and began drying his hair as well.
…
Both Duan Wujiu and Liu Zhiheng were blessed by heaven in appearance, their hair as smooth as silk. As they dried each other’s hair, their strands inevitably tangled, yet because they were so silky, they separated again with just a gentle tug.
“It seems that when A Heng and I marry, if we want to tie our hair together, an ordinary knot won’t do. We’ll have to weave our hair into a braid.”
Duan Wujiu’s slender hands held their hair together, his eyes filled with tender affection as if imagining their wedding scene, a faint smile on his face.
Somehow, looking at Duan Wujiu—so gentle, so attached to her—Liu Zhiheng actually felt like she was the heartless one.
Because she had never thought about marrying Duan Wujiu. She only intended to take care of him for a few months in exchange for some reward money.
Even if she was attracted to Duan Wujiu’s looks, she had never considered having any future entanglement with him.
In a few months, he would regain his memory and forget all about her. He would become the greatest villain in the book, killing without mercy and stirring up storms.
Whether for her own sake or for the safety of her entire family, she should keep her distance from someone like him.
But a voice inside her whispered that Xuelang at this moment was innocent.
Xuelang relied on her wholeheartedly, while she harbored ulterior motives. It was her own fault.
“A Heng, do you know how to braid hair?”
Liu Zhiheng awkwardly shook her head. “I don’t know any needlework… and I’m not really interested in learning…”
“It’s alright, I can learn,” Duan Wujiu said softly, his voice warm as jade. “In the future, I’ll do everything A Heng can’t or doesn’t want to do.”
Liu Zhiheng felt her steadfast resolve finally soften. Her heart was melting.
She thought, it’s only a few months anyway.
She, Liu Zhiheng, was resilient and wouldn’t be swayed by fear of loss. If he forgot, so be it. Even if one day she would lose him, even if she was destined to grieve alone, she wasn’t afraid. She would simply pick herself up and move on.
So, for now, she would be a little kinder to him.
What harm was there in being sincere? Not every relationship needed a definite outcome.
“Alright, from now on, whatever I can’t do, I’ll let Xuelang do it for me.”
The corners of Duan Wujiu’s eyes curved, his gaze growing even more tender and affectionate as he nodded obediently.
“Then, shall I reward you?”
Liu Zhiheng leaned in and, without warning, kissed Duan Wujiu on the lips.
Suddenly, Duan Wujiu felt a softness on his lips. He widened his phoenix eyes in surprise, the teardrop mole at the corner seemingly coming to life.
A Heng had kissed him. Though it was just a fleeting touch, he was certain—A Heng had kissed him.
Liu Zhiheng looked at Duan Wujiu with a smile, a hint of adorable mischief in her expression, as if she had succeeded in her plan.
Duan Wujiu’s gaze fell on her lips—two rosy lips like rouge, naturally red, soft and moist.
He unconsciously swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“The first time I saw Xuelang, I thought his lips would be nice to kiss. And indeed, they don’t disappoint—so soft.”Liu Zhiheng tried to slip away after her teasing, rising to leave.
Duan Wujiu’s ears flushed red at the tips. Seeing Liu Zhiheng stand up, he grabbed her and pulled her back.
Liu Zhiheng spun around and landed on Duan Wujiu, sitting on his lap.
Duan Wujiu held the person in his arms, his tall frame completely enveloping Liu Zhiheng, leaving no gap. Then, he extended a slender hand, pinched her delicate chin, and lowered his head to kiss those rosy, soft lips…
At first, he was merely tasting lightly, cautiously touching.
But even with his memory lost, Duan Wujiu couldn’t change his inherently domineering nature. Soon, the light tasting turned into insatiable hunger.
In the room, only the sound of indistinguishable breaths could be heard…
After a long while, feeling the person in his arms begin to tremble slightly, Duan Wujiu thought he had been too reckless and frightened her. He quickly straightened up.
“Sorry, I was…” reckless…
Before he could finish saying “reckless,” Duan Wujiu saw the expression on the face of the person in his arms.
A Heng gazed at him with affectionate eyes, her face flushed, breathing rapidly and hotly. Her red lips parted slightly, a glistening silver thread clinging to the corner of her mouth, as if she was already overcome with passion, unable to restrain herself.
Duan Wujiu was slightly surprised, but more than that, he was delighted. A Heng actually…
Was she so deeply moved?
“Xuelang…” Liu Zhiheng instinctively called his name.
A Heng’s reaction seemed to ignite Duan Wujiu as well. He felt something explode in his mind.
Duan Wujiu’s gaze darkened, suppressing the surging emotions. He scooped Liu Zhiheng up in his arms and carried her toward the large heated kang bed…