Chapter 15: Cold Shower

Wen Ci felt both nervous and expectant. There was only one room left in the guesthouse—didn't that mean she would be sleeping with Huo Jingyuan tonight?!

The two of them walked into a room on the third floor of the guesthouse.

There was a medium-sized bed, accompanied by two single armchairs, and an independent bathroom near the entrance equipped with a water heater.

Haishi was the provincial capital of the Northwest region with boundless development potential; even the guesthouses were equipped with water heaters to facilitate bathing for officials.

Seeing the water heater, Wen Ci's eyes gleamed with pleasant surprise.

She had thought she would have to boil water to bathe. Taking a set of clothes from her luggage, she curved her eyes and curled her lips into a smile. "Do you want to wash together?"

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan's expression turned to one of shock.

Immediately, his wheat-colored skin flushed with a visible redness, looking much like a Red Fuji apple.

"You... I..." Huo Jingyuan began to stammer nervously.

Wen Ci quickly explained, "Didn't they say the water heater shuts off at a certain time in the evening? If we don't wash together, there might not be any hot water left in a little while."

"It's fine."

The guesthouse bathroom was shielded by only a single door. As Huo Jingyuan sat in the armchair listening to the sound of running water, his body couldn't help but grow restless and hot.

From his vantage point, he could see the shadow behind that door.

Huo Jingyuan lowered his gaze, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. His body gradually heated up, and a profound desire, being desperately suppressed, flickered in his deep eyes.

Wen Ci hummed a little tune happily while enjoying her hot bath.

She had had quite enough of the green-skinned train. After washing for nearly half an hour, Wen Ci noticed the water temperature beginning to drop.

She promptly stepped out, changed her clothes, and exited the bathroom.

The moment she stepped out, Wen Ci met Huo Jingyuan's gaze. His eyes were brimming with a spring-like tenderness as he stared at her intensely.

Wen Ci curled her lips. "Comrade Huo, there's no more hot water."

"I can take a cold shower," Huo Jingyuan replied.

The weather in the Northwest in June was not cold. A cold shower could suppress his desire. Looking at Wen Ci's damp, beaded hair, he asked, "Do you need me to help dry you off?"

In the past, he had seen many married couples do exactly this.

"You can."

Wen Ci sat sideways on the edge of the bed. Huo Jingyuan took a dry towel, placed his hand against her damp hair, and gently wiped it up and down.

Gazing at the fair skin of Wen Ci's nape, Huo Jingyuan's hot palm couldn't help but stroke it lightly. He slowly leaned closer, his eyes as deep as an abyss.

"Wen Ci."

His voice was low, as if he were desperately suppressing something.

Reason triumphed over desire. After drying her hair, Huo Jingyuan said, "I'm going to wash up." Leaving only those words, he fled in a frantic rush.

Wen Ci watched his retreating figure, shaking her head with a smile. *How can he resist temptation? I wonder if his stamina is as impressive as they say.*

When Huo Jingyuan had been stroking the back of her neck, she had felt the scorching heat radiating from his body and thought things would proceed naturally.

Instead...

The cold water drenched Huo Jingyuan from head to toe, gradually suppressing the heat in his body.

Huo Jingyuan stared at the ceiling. Even though he and Wen Ci were now a legally married couple, a marriage still required a period of emotional adjustment.

He would not use his status as Wen Ci's husband to force himself upon her!

Inside the bathroom, Huo Jingyuan ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back. Just as he was about to apply shampoo, the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Wen Ci was sitting in the spot where Huo Jingyuan had been sitting earlier.

(End of Chapter)