After finishing her bath, An Ran came out and saw Mu Xingfeng sitting on the bed in casual home clothes, his hair still a bit wet, clearly having just finished his bath as well.
While drying her hair, An Ran scrutinized him and asked, "Instructor Mu, where did you take your bath?"
"The guest room," Mu Xingfeng said, taking the dry towel from An Ran’s hand and personally drying her hair.
"There’s a guest room?" An Ran’s eyes lit up. Did that mean she wouldn’t have to share a bed with Mu Xingfeng in the same room?
Mu Xingfeng seemed to know what she was thinking and pressed her little head, saying, "Don’t even think about it. Don’t forget our current relationship," he said. Seeing the little girl’s eyes dim, he added, "Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you."
He would wait for her to fall in love with him and willingly open up to him.
After drying An Ran’s hair, Mu Xingfeng went downstairs to get a glass of milk. The little girl was too thin and had lost a lot of weight over the past month.
When he returned to the room with the milk, he saw the little girl had already gotten into bed, taking up what seemed to be a strategic position, and had wrapped herself in most of the blanket. At this moment, she was showing her little head and looking at him warily.
Mu Xingfeng shook his head helplessly and walked over, "Drink the milk before you sleep."
An Ran took the milk and drank it in one go. As soon as Mu Xingfeng got into bed, she lay back down and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
"It’s very cold outside, are you really going to let me sleep ?" Mu Xingfeng asked, staring at the little woman.
"Is there another blanket?" An Ran asked weakly. Sharing a blanket with Instructor Mu really gave her no sense of security.
"No," Mu Xingfeng answered decisively, then asked, "Don’t you trust my character?"
An Ran thought for a moment and finally loosened the blanket.
Mu Xingfeng directly pulled the blanket over himself, and An Ran had to scoot over and over until she couldn’t move any further.
Mu Xingfeng smiled to himself without saying anything and turned off the light.
The darkness enveloped them entirely. Listening to the steady breathing beside her, An Ran inexplicably felt at ease. She seemed no longer afraid of the dark and gradually her tense heart relaxed.
Recalling the past couple of days, An Ran felt like she was dreaming. Yesterday, she was still in dire straits, but today, under Mu Xingfeng’s protection, she had lived the most unrestrained day in her eighteen years. Gradually, drowsiness overcame her.
Mu Xingfeng, listening to the long, steady breaths of the little girl beside him, knew she had fallen asleep.
It seemed that the little girl was much less wary of him than he had imagined.
Turning on the light, he saw the little girl’s serene sleeping face. Mu Xingfeng leaned over and gently kissed her forehead, his lips quirking up slightly, "Good night, wife."
Early the next morning, the Mu family sat at the breakfast table. Grandma Mu looked over at the sound and, upon seeing An Ran, her eyes crinkled with a smile, "Ran, come and have breakfast."
Seeing Grandma Mu’s smile, An Ran’s gloom from earlier vanished. Mainly because Grandma Mu looked so much like her own grandmother. When she was little, every time her grandmother saw her, she would call her Ran.
"Good morning, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt," An Ran greeted the Mu family as she came downstairs. Old Mr. Mu and Mu Zhenzong nodded at her, while He Yushu waved her over, "Come have breakfast. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Very well," An Ran replied, feeling the presence of the man just two steps behind her, but thinking to herself: Just a bit startled in the morning.
As she spoke, she had reached the bottom of the stairs and when she was about to head toward the dining table, she suddenly felt something heavy on her leg. Looking down, she saw a little dog that had run in from somewhere, wagging its tail and holding onto her leg.