Having just met and kissed in the kitchen made her feel somewhat embarrassed.
She didn’t know how to face him.
She lifted her hand, hesitating several times without pushing the door open.
Maybe she should find another place to sleep for the night?
Just as she thought about it, the door was opened from the inside, and Lu Hualiang’s clearly defined face appeared before her.
Seeing her poised to turn away and leave, his eyes darkened, "Why didn’t you come in when you came back?"
"I... I remembered there were some herbs I hadn’t finished sorting out, forget it, I’ll do it tomorrow."
After saying that, she walked in.
Lu Hualiang stared intently at her retreating figure, his gaze vigilant as if he was guarding against his wife having an affair!
Xia Weibao felt uncomfortable all over under his gaze.
"It’s late, let’s go to sleep first, whatever it is can be discussed when we get back."
As she spoke, Xia Weibao laid down on the bed.
After a month without seeing her and finally getting the chance, Lu Hualiang didn’t want to go to sleep so soon.
He still wanted to do something more meaningful.
However, seeing how she looked, indeed very tired, he didn’t bother her further.
He reached out to hold her in his arms and then turned off the light to sleep.
The beds in the village couldn’t compare to those in the city; they were all wooden planks and very uncomfortable to sleep on.
Xia Weibao was someone accustomed to comfort.
Although she had been roughing it while roaming Jianghu in the past, after entering the palace, Emperor Xia Liang had doted on her, providing only the best for her needs.
At Lu Garden too, she always had the best and never suffered.
Her body had become somewhat pampered, and now lying on such a hard bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
And she hadn’t bathed.
The conditions here were bad, and the water could likely be contaminated; she didn’t dare to bathe.
Already having a fixation on cleanliness, this made her even more sleepless.
Lu Hualiang held her and felt like he was holding a rolling ball, rolling about in his arms.
"Is it because the bed is too hard?"
Indeed, the bed was a bit hard, making it uncomfortable to sleep on.
Xia Weibao nodded, "A little."
It wasn’t that she was being picky, but she had never slept on such a hard bed, and it felt uncomfortable.
Lu Hualiang lay flat, holding her and letting her lie on top of him.
One arm encircled her waist, and the other gently patted her back, "Sleep now."
Xia Weibao’s heart suddenly softened.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her head into his chest.
Xia Weibao was held in Lu Hualiang’s embrace as she slept through the night, only to be rudely awakened the next day by a series of urgent knocks on the door.
"Dr. Weiliang, Dr. Weiliang!"
The calling voice was urgent, and from the sound of the knocking, one could tell that the person was excited.
The fact that they went from calling her Dr. Weiliang to Dr. Weiliang indicated just how thrilled they were!
Having slept deeply in someone’s arms, Xia Weibao was only awakened by the knocking and then realized that she was entirely clinging onto Lu Hualiang.
Her head rested on his arm, her hands around his neck, and her body half-pressing against him.
The most embarrassing part was that one of her legs was draped over his waist; the posture was uncommonly harmonious.
"Dr. Weiliang, Dr. Weiliang, are you awake?"
The knocking outside continued, and Xia Weibao suddenly became fully alert and sat up abruptly.
How could she have overslept, blaming it all on Lu Hualiang!
Every time she was by his side, she would sleep like a dead pig.
And now, look, someone was at the door. If they found out she was hiding a man in her room...
Moreover, hiding a man in a plague outbreak area—how desperate would she have to be to do such a thing!
She couldn’t afford to lose face that way!
So, she kicked the just-awakened Lu Hualiang onto the floor, then quickly jumped off the bed.
She pushed Lu Hualiang under the bed, "Director Lu, could you please hide for a bit?"