Winter nights always came quickly. After Xu Xiuxiu had coaxed Song Chengguang to sleep in the side bed, she rubbed her tired neck and turned back to the master bedroom.
Inside the master bedroom, a dim yellow light was on.
When Xu Xiuxiu pushed the door and entered, she saw Song Yuanhuan earnestly reading at the desk. His expression and posture were that of a downright honest man, but Xu Xiuxiu, who had come to know him more and more, understood that at this moment, Song Yuanhuan's mind might be wandering!
She took a towel and leisurely walked to the bathroom to freshen up. Half an hour later, after a hot shower, Xu Xiuxiu, with her black hair damp from the bath, was now wiping away the water droplets with a towel. Despite her efforts, a few playful droplets still managed to escape, trickling from the edge of her ear down her enticing collarbone. The most up‑to‑date version is on *.
From the moment Xu Xiuxiu finished freshening up and walked into the bedroom, Song Yuanhuan's eyes hadn't left her. He seemed to be earnestly reading, but his secretly peeking glances had already betrayed his true intentions. Xu Xiuxiu, who was naturally sensitive to external factors, sensed his gaze and turned her head, looking at him with curiosity.
Upon seeing Xu Xiuxiu turn around, Song Yuanhuan immediately dropped his gaze to pretend to read, making Xu Xiuxiu's calm smirk even more evident as she secretly laughed at his all-too-obvious attempt to deceive.
Song Yuanhuan, always watching Xu Xiuxiu, couldn't help but feel annoyed as he sat at the desk brooding, frustrated that despite all the mental preparation, he still hadn't dared to take her to bed. He couldn't believe how timid he had become, a Vice Admiral that he was.
"It's getting late. You should finish your reading and get some sleep too!" Xu Xiuxiu said, having dried her wet hair, and she clumsily climbed onto the large bed. It was her first time away from a bunk bed in the military without Song Chengguang, the little night light, and she felt awkward, not knowing what to do, so she decided to climb into bed early and pretend to sleep.
"Okay," Song Yuanhuan replied, seeing that Xu Xiuxiu had pulled the quilt over herself and wrapped up tightly. He looked down at his book, and after a long time, unable to discern any logic from his reading, Song Yuanhuan anxiously closed the book and stood up from the desk.
Although Xu Xiuxiu was lying in bed, all her nerves instinctively focused on Song Yuanhuan's movements. The sound of the book closing was not loud, but in the quiet night, she heard it clearly, and the sound of the chair moving seemed like a reminder, making her breathe even more cautiously.
"I'll warm you up with a hug." Song Yuanhuan then snuggled his head against Xu Xiuxiu's shoulder and finally sighed contentedly, seeming very satisfied with their current closeness.
Xu Xiuxiu felt a flush of heat rush to her cheeks at his words. "I'm not used to sleeping while holding someone, please let go of me first." Xu Xiuxiu continued to struggle, vaguely afraid of what might happen next, her mind filled with risqué thoughts, feeling nervous yet somewhat expectantly excited.
She felt extremely ashamed of these feelings, while simultaneously unable to control the contradictions within her heart.
She tried to justify to herself confidently that she was Song Yuanhuan's wife, that Song Yuanhuan had restrained himself for over half a year without touching her, a considerable feat for any man, nearly saint-like! She knew it would be normal for Song Yuanhuan to make a move; after all, she was his wife, and the law explicitly demanded that spouses fulfill their marital duties.
However, though she could understand this in her mind, her body remained timid. Xu Xiuxiu thought this was why she couldn't convince herself; after all, she wasn't the real wife. In her previous life, although she had been a spinster of advanced age, she was still a virgin without any experience. She felt at a disadvantage and was scared of the confused reaction that might let Song Yuanhuan notice something was off. What if he realized she was not his real wife in the middle of it? Stopping halfway would be unbearable!