A tiny foot-washing basin.
Musen's feet dared not move an inch.
They were completely occupied on both sides by Ming Yue's small feet.
Above the wooden barrel floated some flower petals and herbs, complementing the pale, beautiful long legs of the girl.
Ming Yue's legs were like flawless premium white jade, not a single imperfection in sight.
Musen appeared a bit rough in comparison, with some hairs on his legs.
Ming Yue, looking on, couldn't help but want to reach out and tug at them.
"What are you doing?" Musen swatted her hand away.
"So much leg hair, it doesn't look good at all."
"Why does a big man like me need good-looking legs?" Musen glanced at her.
Ming Yue bent her eyes and smiled, "Then do you prefer them clean and tidy, or hairy ?"
"Yao Mingyue, you're getting bolder by the day."
Musen looked at her, thinking to himself, you're trying to play coy with me, as if I don't know what you're like?
Even smoother than her legs.
Musen didn't want to continue this banter with this dirty-spirited vixen.
He wanted to retract his feet.
But as soon as he moved, two small feet reached over, clamping his feet from left and right.
In the water, the delicate soft touch felt as if it had doubled, making Musen feel like he had fallen into a helpless state of bliss.
"The soak isn't done, you're not allowed to leave."
Ming Yue wasn't shy about the contact between them; although she verbally complained, she clamped very tightly with her feet.
Feeling Musen's slightly rough feet, the subtle hardness of bones and the power of some prominent veins gave her a sense of the charm uniquely belonging to men, especially this particular young man.
Being intimate with someone you like can indeed be very addictive.
"Yao Mingyue, in ancient times, if an unmarried girl's feet were touched by a man, she would have had to hang herself with a white silk upon returning home."
Musen shifted his legs and found that Ming Yue, thin as she was, had quite a bit of strength.
Ming Yue giggled: "There would be no problem if you ended up marrying me, right?"
As she spoke, her eyes twinkled, and she continued, "Moreover, hasn't a certain someone also been handsy with another young lady? Why aren't you afraid she might not bear it when she gets back?"
Yao Mingyue was speaking rather "harshly" now, but Musen could feel her soft feet pressing down on him a little more firmly.
But how should I put it, this degree of pressure is at most a foot massage.
She was naturally talking about An Nuannuan.
Speaking of this, Musen truly felt a bit guilty.
"Special circumstances require special treatment."
Musen answered without any expression.
The girl was physically incapacitated, and he simply extended a helping hand out of love, definitely not taking any advantage.
"Haha, what a double standard man."
Ming Yue stepped on him again, feeling sour inside every time she thought about him being intimate with another woman, her eyes almost flickering with a hint of dark light.
To tell the truth, she was really envious, really jealous, the kind of jealousy that was hard to control.
She even thought about whether she should just tie Musen up and take him away... Even if she couldn't tie him up, if they were to turn raw rice into cooked rice, both families would know about it, and under pressure, they might force him to take responsibility.
And even if Musen really changed drastically, his true nature couldn't be altered.
Musen was actually a very greedy person.
All along, the reason why Musen allowed himself to be fooled by Ming Yue was that he was not content with merely being childhood friends.
Especially when other boys pursued Ming Yue, his jealousy and insecurity became even more intense.
So, before Musen had even figured out what the true difference was between childhood friends and lovers, he chose to confess because he wanted to claim Ming Yue for himself as soon as possible.
Thus, any fish that can be caught is one that bit the bait out of greed.
But Musen was never one to hit and run after having his fill.
A promise from childhood, he had kept it for six years.
If the two truly turned raw rice into cooked rice, even if Musen was reluctant, he would not simply ignore her.
Had it been a few months ago, Ming Yue might have actually gone through with it.
Her heart felt a bit chaotic, and she also had some revelations; even if she managed to control him this way, could they truly obtain the happiness and security they desired?
Perhaps it would only lead to their hearts gradually drifting apart.
To like and to be liked.
Ming Yue suddenly remembered what Nuannuan had said.
"If possible, I want to be someone he could like..."
Yes, if one can marry someone they love in this lifetime, that's tremendous fortune indeed.
To love someone, you must first learn to give...
Ming Yue hadn't understood before, but now, she had some moments of sudden clarity.
She had experienced some things during this time.
When Musen suffered heatstroke at school and was taken to the infirmary, she rushed over without hesitation to care for him, and the surprise and complexity that showed in Musen.
The gratitude and gentleness in his eyes when she smashed up the school storehouse to help him collect evidence.
That feeling couldn't be bought with any amount of money.
It was also a side of Musen she had never seen before, something genuinely his.
And all that happened today...
Ming Yue suddenly felt that perhaps her methods and thoughts had indeed been too naive before, and too self-righteous.