She just made a self-deprecating comment, hoping the atmosphere wouldn’t get too sensual.
Rong Shaoze felt a bitter taste in his heart upon hearing this; he bore a great deal of responsibility for her becoming so thin.
He remembered the first time he saw her, she wasn’t nearly this thin.
In just a few short months, she had lost a lot of weight, all because of the suffering and hurt he had inflicted upon her, causing her to steadily grow thinner.
With a pang in his eyes, he pulled her into an embrace, letting her lean into his arms.
"Don’t lose any more weight, or it will pain my heart. Eat more, you look prettier when you’re a bit plumper."
The atmosphere seemed to have grown even more romantic.
Lin Xinlan smiled and pushed herself away from him, then added more food to his bowl: "Eat up, the food will be cold and not as tasty in a bit."
"Okay." He understood her intent and, not wanting to make her feel too awkward, picked up his chopsticks and ate everything she had served him.
They went to bed early that night, but every night, Rong Shaoze couldn’t sleep.
With thoughts of his deceased father swirling in his mind, his heart always felt heavy.
His relationship with his father was not particularly deep, but neither was it distant.
That man was still his father, and it was impossible for him not to grieve his sudden death.
Thinking back on all these years, it seemed like they had never really spent quality time together, nor had they shared simple father-son joys, which filled him with regret.
If only he had known this day would come, he should have stayed at home and spent more time with his parents.
Lying awake, unable to sleep, Rong Shaoze quietly turned over, facing Lin Xinlan, and reached out to hold her gently. Suddenly she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.
"Can’t sleep?" she asked.
"Yeah, did I wake you?" Since she was awake, he simply held her tightly in his arms, without worrying about waking her up.
Lin Xinlan leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and felt an unaccustomed sense of security.
It was as if someone who had never felt safe finally found a harbor they could rely on for comfort.
Her face obediently rested against his chest, and she softly spoke, "I can’t sleep either. Even though I was so tired during the day, once night comes, sleep eludes me."
Both of them had concerns weighing on their minds, and this invisible pressure made it naturally hard to fall asleep.
"If you can’t sleep, let’s talk for a while." Rong Shaoze suggested and began to ask her, "You’ve never talked about your parents. What kind of man was your father?"
Lin Xinlan’s eyes flickered before she replied naturally, "My parents were very ordinary, just like millions of other ordinary families. But when I was ten, my father passed away."
Rong Shaoze looked at her with surprise. "I had no idea, Xinlan, I should learn more about your family."
A feeling of panic briefly flickered through Lin Xinlan’s heart, but she calmly said, "If you want to know, you can ask me, and I will tell you."
She worried that if he started investigating on his own, Xiaocong’s matter would no longer be a secret.
Although he would be a good father, she knew she and he would not stay together forever, and she didn’t want Xiaocong to enter his world.
His world was anything but ordinary, and all she wanted was for her child to have an ordinary life.
Rong Shaoze mistook her words as a willingness to let him understand and become familiar with her past, which delighted him.
This was a good start. When someone is willing to tell you about their past, doesn’t it mean that they have a good relationship with you and trust you a lot?