Chapter 41: Crying

The lights were off in the bedroom.

The white gauze curtains were drawn, offering a faint glimpse of the distant city lights.

The room was quiet, save for the sound of their breathing and the faint hum of the central air conditioning.

Lu Nanting had never seen this proactive side of her; he was completely stunned!

The two of them had similar habits; to ensure white teeth, they liked to brush after meals.

Even though they both used the same mint flavor, once they exchanged, it seemed as if each had their own distinct taste.

Gu Lanxi’s kiss was pure emotion, devoid of technique. Before long, she was breathless, and the two had to pull apart.

Seeing her retreat, Lu Nanting’s heart beat like a drum. Without hesitation, he slid his hands under her armpits to hold her steady, then cupped her head with his large hands, turned her around, lifted her legs, and pulled her against his front.

Lowering his head like a tiger descending a mountain, he leaned in and kissed her back!

Lips pressed together, hair intertwined, the room was thick with ambiguity.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Lanxi sensed something was wrong. Feeling a flicker of fear, she gripped his shoulders and tried to shift upward.

Lu Nanting immediately held her tighter: "Don't move, let me hold you."

Gu Lanxi didn't dare provoke him; she rested her head in the crook of his neck, acting exceptionally well-behaved.

Lu Nanting held her tightly. Both of their hearts raced as they stood locked in an embrace.

Heat, scalding warmth, suppleness, and strength.

Heavy breathing, thin loungewear, warm soft skin, firm muscles, slightly protruding veins...

The male physique is fundamentally different from the female.

Seeing that he wasn't calming down but was instead becoming more intense, Gu Lanxi grew terrified and couldn't help but push him.

Lu Nanting immediately set her down, muttered a hoarse "Goodnight," and walked straight out the door, turning right into the guest bedroom.

The master bedroom door was open, and the guest bedroom door was also open. Before long, Gu Lanxi heard the sound of running water coming from next door.

Gu Lanxi silently closed his door, returned to the master bedroom, locked it, and then threw herself onto the bed.

When she had learned the phrase "unable to restrain one's emotions" as a child, she always thought the person who invented the term must have lacked self-control.

If the whole world were made of excellent individuals with high self-control like her, that term would never have been born.

But, it seemed she had a slight misunderstanding of herself.

Gu Lanxi rolled over and lay on her back, feeling her mouth go numb and her face flush with heat.

The unfamiliar changes in her body made her curious, but more than that, they made her afraid.

Irritated, she stripped off her damp pants, took a quick shower, and returned to bed. Gu Lanxi pulled the quilt over her face in annoyance, feeling embarrassed.

She had practiced martial arts since childhood, and deep in her bones lay a ferocity that other girls lacked; once her soft exterior was stripped away, she was a total bandit.

She didn't even know what she might do when her emotions boiled over.

Deep down, she knew exactly what kind of person she was, but she refused to admit it.

Not only would she not admit it, she would turn the tables.

"Men are like dogs—once they take a bite, they want another!"

Lu Nanting had charged into the next room like a soldier under fire; he didn't even have time to lock the door before rushing into the bathroom.

A young man in the prime of his youth, kissing the person he loved repeatedly in the dark of night—it would be abnormal if he *didn't* have a reaction.

To be honest, at the critical moment, he felt it was a miracle he could control himself!

After all, they were a legally married couple.

By the time Lu Nanting finished, showered, and lay in bed, Gu Lanxi had already fallen asleep.

Perhaps influenced by the events before bed, Gu Lanxi began to dream in the middle of the night.

Despite it being a hot summer, she dreamed of things from winter.

That was when her relationship with Lu Nanting was at its best.

Their schools were far apart, but Lu Nanting always found an excuse to come see her.

Upon meeting, he would first press a warm cup of milk tea into her hands, then hold her and lean down to kiss her forehead.

It was like a dragonfly skimming the water—a light touch, yet it left ripples in her heart that refused to fade.

Occasionally, there was no milk tea, but perhaps a bag of freshly roasted sugar-coated chestnuts.

When he brought nothing at all, he would grab her hand and stuff it into his pocket.

"Here, to keep you warm."

When the first snow fell, they happened to be walking on the sports field. By the time their toes were freezing, they still couldn't bear to part.

He would press her behind a poplar tree and kiss her carefully.

On snowy days, his lips were slightly cool, but his breath was scorching...

The day they broke up, it was also snowing.

They had met at a mutton hotpot restaurant. When Lu Nanting arrived, he was holding a bouquet of roses; their fiery red color was more burning than fire itself.

She endured and endured, but she ultimately couldn't help herself, covering her face and bursting into tears.

He thought she was merely moved, but she produced a thick stack of medical records and broke up with him...

Lu Nanting had always been a proud person, the precious treasure of the Lu family. Knowing that every day she spent with him was filled with immense pressure—that she had even physically fallen ill due to psychological stress—he was completely stunned.

In the end, he laughed and cried simultaneously and simply ran away.

As it turned out, when she had composed herself and came out, she saw Lu Nanting waiting for her outside with red eyes, saying he wanted to take her to see a psychological expert...

Gu Lanxi had dreamed of the details of that day for years.

She wanted to change herself, to change their ending; she wanted to happily finish the meal with him, then gracefully accept that bouquet, and finally walk back to school arm-in-arm with him, kissing him in the snow and saying goodbye...

But the version of her in the dream could do nothing.

She could only leave him behind in that winter night, time and time again.

When Gu Lanxi woke up crying, she realized her pillow was soaked.

She checked the time: 3:00 AM.

Her eyes were dry and aching, her nose was stuffed, and she was incredibly thirsty.

Gu Lanxi got up, intending to go out for a glass of water.

The moment she opened the door, she was startled!

She jumped back, taking a defensive stance, before realizing it was Lu Nanting.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

His voice was raspy and his nose sounded stuffed, but there was a hint of tenderness and reproach in his words that she hadn't noticed.

"I heard you crying."

But he couldn't push the door open, so he could only wait anxiously at the entrance.

"Impossible! This house has excellent soundproofing!"

Lu Nanting couldn't help but laugh.

"How can you be so cute!"

Her first instinct wasn't to deny that she had been crying secretly in the middle of the night, but to emphasize the house's soundproofing.

A person who was clearly very intelligent, yet possessed a dorky side in daily life that often made people chuckle.

"Don't always use words like that to describe me," Gu Lanxi said displeasedly.

Lu Nanting immediately took her hand.

"My hearing is sharp, a natural talent. So, don't talk bad about me in a whisper in the future, or I'll hear you."

He managed to steer the topic back.

Gu Lanxi let him hold her hand. She sniffled and rested her forehead against his chest, not wanting to speak.

Listening to his strong, powerful heartbeat, her drifting emotions finally settled and found a place to rest.

It was undeniable that before opening the door, she had felt so sad she thought she might die, but seeing Lu Nanting waiting at the door gave her the feeling of being resurrected on the spot.

Their fingers interlaced. Lu Nanting didn't ask why she was crying; he simply led her to the kitchen island and poured her a glass of warm water.

After drinking, Gu Lanxi returned the favor and poured him half a glass.

Once he had finished, she led him back toward the bedroom.

The lights remained off, and there was no conversation throughout the process.

It wasn't until they were standing in the hallway, after a long silence, that Gu Lanxi squeezed out a sentence: "Thank you."

*Thank you for coming back to me.*

"We will both be fine. Don't be afraid, okay?"

Lu Nanting gave her a hug and urged her into the room: "It's still early, go back to sleep for a bit!"

"Mm, goodnight."

They entered the room and locked the door.

Lu Nanting sighed, merely watching her, saying nothing.

A traumatic childhood requires a lifetime to heal.

Her lack of a sense of security was not her fault.

***

Yesterday, I didn't finish a steamed bun. Feeling it wasn't polite to leave it at someone else's house, I secretly took it to my room and put it on the nightstand, planning to eat it when I got hungry.

Unbeknownst to anyone, I split one meal into two, solving it in installments.

I am truly brilliant.

As it turned out, when the morning bun reached the afternoon, it was no longer a bun.

It was the heart of a scumbag.

Good heavens! It was hard as a rock!

My goodness, if that girl were from the North, she wouldn't have struggled to swallow it.

Because she could swallow an overnight bun.

To my northern comrades: if a bun accidentally gets hard, how else can you eat it? I've learned, so I'll have a way next time.