Translator: 549690339
Bai Youwei comfortably enjoyed a meal of vegetable porridge.
The porridge was thick and sticky, leaving her mouth a little gooey afterward. She soaked a couple of mint leaves in the jar, taking a few sips of the mint water. It was refreshing and cool, making her feel even more comfortable.
Shen MO was outside checking the condition of the off-road vehicle. After tinkering around with it, he came back sweating. Upon entering the house and seeing Bai Youwei comfortably lounging on a thick and soft latex mattress, sipping cool water, he couldn’t help but chuckle, “You sure look comfortable.”
“Happiness comes from such contrasts,” Bai Youwei, cradling the jar, replied with a grin. “Watching you guys bustling around, working in the sun and tired, while I just chill inside eating and drinking, is quite comfortable for me.”
After a few seconds, Shen MO said, “As long as you’re comfortable.”
Being comfortable meant she wouldn’t trouble him. The current routine was to make sure she was well-fed and taken care of every day, so he could eventually return her unscathed to her mother one day…
What would she be like afterwards?
This question momentarily distracted Shen Mo.
It was hard for him to imagine, given Bai Youwei’s personality, how she would fare in such a world.
“Hey,” Bai Youwei, hugging the stout glass jar, beckoned him over with her small hand.
She handed him the jar. “Aren’t you thirsty? Here, have some water.”
The water looked crystal clear and refreshing, with two or three mint leaves floating, giving off a cool-green hue.
“Where’d you find this?” Shen MO, accepting the jar with one hand, asked.
Bai Youwei pointed out the window, “There’s a whole bunch growing behind the dorm building.”
“We can pick more when we have time. Mint leaves have good anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, ” he said nonchalantly, before drinking the water straight from the jar.
Bai Youwei just watched him swallow.
After a while, she confidently took his other hand and gently squeezed it.
As Shen MO quietly drank and said nothing, he cast a severe glance at her.
This warning was lost on Bai Youwei.
She pretended not to see it, continued pinching his hand, prodded at the thick calluses on his palm with her soft fingers, and was quite amused.
“Last time I touched it, I thought it was pretty interesting… like a dog’s paw,” she said.
What kind of a strange comparison was that?
Bai Youwei took his hand and placed it against her face, enjoying the rough feel against her skin. The coarseness offered a unique experience for her.
Feeling is always mutual.
She could feel him, and he could feel her – quiet, soft, compliant…
Shen MO watched her silently. The sweetness of the water and the coolness of the mint infused the air, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere. He wanted to break the mood but considering her rare moment of vulnerability, he let her be.
Suddenly, there was a synchronized gasp from upstairs:
The two of them were jolted back to reality.
Shen MO paused for a moment, looked at Bai Youwei, then withdrew his hand,
“I’ll go upstairs and see what’s up.”
Bai Youwei frowned at the ceiling, turned away dismissively, and began studying the patch of mint plants outside the window without bothering to acknowledge him.
Shen MO watched her for a moment before putting down the jar and leaving the room.
The sound of his footsteps gradually faded.
Bai Youwei remained facing away, her eyes flitting here and there, her gaze ultimately landing on the jar on the table.
She picked up the jar, comparing its size with her own hand, thinking of how easily he had held it with one hand. She then brought it close to her and sniffed where he had drunk.
There was no particular smell.
She reached into the jar with her slender finger and plucked out a mint leaf, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. She found the absence of his presence somewhat dull…