Liu Zhiheng realized what Duan Wujiu intended to do by carrying her. Though her body hadn’t fully recovered, her mind had already cleared.
She grabbed the front of Duan Wujiu’s robe, quickly stopping him.
But as soon as she spoke, her voice came out soft and trembling, sounding completely off. “Xuelang, don’t… I’m not ready yet…”
Even though she was saying words of refusal, her voice was thick with ambiguity—it didn’t sound like rejection at all, but more like feigned reluctance.
Duan Wujiu curled the corner of his mouth, looking at the woman whose face was flushed, his gaze deepening.
He lowered his head, kissed Liu Zhiheng’s burning cheek, nuzzled her ear with his nose, and whispered softly, “A Heng doesn’t seem unwilling.”
Liu Zhiheng’s body was scorching hot. She now deeply understood just how abnormal her constitution was—just a kiss and a hug, and she felt as if she had taken some kind of drug.
Heaven knew how strong-willed she was to be able to muster such resilience and utter words of refusal at this moment.
“No, it’s not that… My mind and body are separate. My body is a bit special—it easily gets aroused when touched…”
Apart from her father and younger brother, she had only been in contact with Xie Tinglan and Duan Wujiu. With both of them, just a touch would leave her weak all over, her eyes brimming with tears. So her judgment shouldn’t be wrong.
“Aside from my father and younger brother, it seems… whenever I’m touched by any other man, I… I have a reaction…” Liu Zhiheng said with some shame. “You can smell lies, right? Then you should know I’m not lying…”
A trace of disappointment flashed in Duan Wujiu’s eyes. It was as if he had been thrown into icy water—his boiling heart instantly cooled.
Was that it?
So it wasn’t because of him—it could be anyone?
Duan Wujiu placed Liu Zhiheng by the bedside, his eyes darkening as he withdrew the earlier shimmering light from his gaze. It was unclear what he was thinking.
Liu Zhiheng also felt utterly ashamed. He must think she was some shameless woman…
She felt even more ashamed because the heat in her body hadn’t subsided yet—the sensation of tiny ants crawling over her skin lingered stubbornly.
She could only grit her teeth, clutch the bedding tightly, restrain the hard-to-suppress arousal, and lower her eyes, not daring to look at Duan Wujiu.
“I understand. I won’t force A Heng.”
“Mmm…”
“A Heng, from now on, only let me touch you, okay?” Duan Wujiu suddenly spoke.
Liu Zhiheng looked up, surprised, and stared at Duan Wujiu.
“Huh?”
“Don’t you think this about me is… not good?” Liu Zhiheng asked in surprise. “Don’t you think I’m shameless?”
Men of this era probably all thought that way, right?
Duan Wujiu sighed softly, then suddenly crouched in front of Liu Zhiheng. Placing his hands on either side of the bed beside her, he looked up at her from below.
“How could that be? A Heng is wonderful no matter what. A Heng already said—A Heng’s mind and body are separate. It’s not like A Heng would be like this with just anyone.”
Duan Wujiu’s tone was so gentle and obedient, and the way he looked up at Liu Zhiheng was so pure and devout…
“I’ll wait for A Heng. When A Heng is willing in her heart to let me touch her, then only let me touch her, okay?”
He wanted to possess A Heng completely—not just her body, but her heart as well…Liu Zhiheng’s heart felt as if it had been struck again, shattered into pieces, impossible to gather back together.
She felt so happy…
Her Xuelang was indeed different from other men of this era—so adorable.
“What should we do now?” Duan Wujiu looked at Liu Zhiheng with concern, then asked somewhat awkwardly, “You… are you feeling alright?”
Liu Zhiheng’s face flushed even redder. She nodded and said, “Why don’t you go outside and sweep the snow? I’ll be fine if I stay alone for a while.”
She could endure it!
Seeing Liu Zhiheng like this, Duan Wujiu smiled and reached out to pinch her nose, but thinking of her special constitution, he restrained himself.
“Then I’ll go outside. Call me if you need anything.”
Liu Zhiheng nodded, and only then did Duan Wujiu get up to go sweep the snow.
As soon as Duan Wujiu left, Liu Zhiheng threw herself onto the bed, hugging the blanket and rolling around.
Embarrassed, ashamed, and yet so happy.
Xuelang was truly too gentle!
Duan Wujiu closed the door behind him. Once outside, the gentle expression on his face turned cold and somber.
What did A Heng mean earlier when she said she couldn’t bear being touched by other men? Could it be that someone else had touched A Heng before him? Who was it?
Just the thought of this made him angry. Aside from her father and brother, he truly wanted to chop off the hands of anyone who had ever touched A Heng…
Xie Tinglan left the county school early in the morning and took an ox cart home.
What was he doing? Catching an affair?
But the ox cart was already halfway there, and turning back was impossible.
In any case, he had to return to the village. Xie Tinglan thought to himself, he might as well go see Liu Zhiheng. Hadn’t the county magistrate told him to keep an eye on the Liu siblings?
Yes, it was to avoid offending the magistrate. At least before he left Pingzhou, that Magistrate Sun still had some use.
Upon arriving at Peach Blossom Village, Xie Tinglan first went home.
After all, it wouldn’t be appropriate to visit someone without a reason, so he deliberately brought a basket of charcoal before heading to the Liu household.
The Liu family lived at the foot of North Lao Mountain, on the outskirts of the village. In winter, there was little to eat in the mountains, and with the heavy snowfall, the closer he got to the Liu household, the fewer people he encountered.
By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, there was almost no one around.
Xie Tinglan couldn’t help but think that her home was indeed suitable for hiding a man.
As he neared the foot of the mountain, Xie Tinglan saw from a distance that the gate of the Liu household was open. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked when he saw the person sweeping snow at the entrance.
There really was a man…
Duan Wujiu, who was sweeping snow in the courtyard, had long noticed someone approaching.
As a martial artist, his hearing was exceptionally sharp.
As the person drew closer, he caught the man’s scent—a mix of earth and rust.
Compared to the scents Duan Wujiu had encountered in his life, this man’s smell wasn’t unpleasant, but it was far from the clear, crisp scent of A Heng.
Hmm, although the man’s scent wasn’t repulsive, Duan Wujiu still didn’t like it.
In fact, the fact that the man’s scent wasn’t unpleasant made Duan Wujiu dislike him even more. Because he had a strong premonition that this man was here to see Liu Zhiheng.
Duan Wujiu straightened up and glanced at the man walking toward him.
Hmm, not bad-looking either.
Even more annoying…And so, just as Xie Tinglan was heading towards the Liu family’s courtyard, he saw the man sweeping snow enter the house and then turn around to close the courtyard gate.
Xie Tinglan paused his steps and raised an eyebrow.
He had clearly seen him just now, yet deliberately closed the door.