Both of them were taken aback by the unexpected accident. Zhu Longwei quickly apologized and tried to brush off the awkwardness, blaming himself for the accident. "I'm so sorry, it was clumsy of me."
Tan Xiuying reassured him with a soft smile. "It's alright, accidents happen. Don't worry about it."
Confused by Zhu Longwei's sudden reaction, Tan Xiuying couldn't help but wonder what had caused him to withdraw his hand so hastily. His warm touch and uneasy demeanor were unusual for her, and it made her curious about his true feelings. She couldn't quite grasp the situation and found herself contemplating the possible reasons behind his behavior, which seemed to be more than just a simple accident.
"Well… why didn't you hold onto it properly!? That's alright, Miss Tan. I'll have them make another one." He attempted to divert her attention from the strange moment they had just shared.
Zhu Longwei bent down to pick up the broken fragments, trying to hide his slight embarrassment. He swiftly cleaned up the mess before excusing himself to attend to something urgently, leaving Tan Xiuying alone in the room.
A moment later, he returned with another bowl of warm hangover soup and placed it on the bedside table. With a slight bow, he hurriedly left the room, giving Tan Xiuying some space to rest and recover.
This completely shocked Tan Xiuying. It probably didn't matter till now because she normally drank in modern times when she was alone. She was able to tolerate alcohol for an entire year.
She had anticipated that the alcohol level of the rice wine would make it simple for her to maintain her composure, but the unanticipated aftereffect was much stronger than she had anticipated. Who was weaker here, the alcohol or the person inhabiting this body?
Tan Xiuying reached out and grabbed the bowl of warm soup from the bedside table, taking in its comforting aroma. It was a simple chicken soup, but the spices infused it with a strong and delightful fragrance. After savoring the warm soup to soothe her hangover, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted back to sleep.
In the dead of night, she jolted awake as thunder and lightning raged outside. As her senses returned, she scanned her surroundings in disbelief. Suddenly, her thoughts went to Zhu Longwei, who was still sleeping outside. What if he got drenched in the rain?
Summoning her strength, Tan Xiuying hurriedly got up and staggered towards the door. Despite her unsteady body and throbbing head, she made her way to the front door. Upon opening it, she scanned the area. Under the dim light of the lantern on the porch, she saw Zhu Longwei huddled in a corner, looking visibly uncomfortable.
Feeling bad, Tan Xiuying went over and called him, "Master Zhu..."
Zhu Longwei slowly inched, then opened his eyes. "Miss Tan... what's the matter? Why did you wake up? Startled by the sound of thunder?"
Agreeing with a nod, she spoke, "Master Zhu, I believe I've rested enough. You can use the room for yourself. Please get some rest there. I can sleep on the chair."
He looked at her indifferently. "Sure, you don't mind?"
She nodded again.
"I can't bear to let you sleep outside in this bad weather. After all, I still have a heart."
"Alright, thank you then." He turned around and then spoke again with a faint smile. "I'm a gentleman, Miss Tan. I won't misbehave with you. Trust me."
She was stunned and held back her embarrassment.
Zhu Longwei stood up, shook off the dust and dirt from his clothes and stepped into the room.
Tan Xiuying followed a moment later and closed the door, wearing a bitter smile. The circumstances had forced her to set aside her pride.
Inside the small bedroom, she noticed a small wooden chair. She glanced at it, and a wry smile appeared on her face.
While Zhu Longwei had already fallen into a deep sleep, Tan Xiuying was struggling with herself, trying to fight off sleepiness. She was determined not to make any careless moves that could lead to an embarrassing incident because of the broken rickety chair. However, despite her efforts, tiredness overcame her, and she eventually drifted into a deep sleep on the chair.
A while later, it started raining again. Zhu Longwei woke up from the cold and instinctively looked around for Tan Xiuying. The lights in the room had gone out, leaving it dimly lit. Knitting his brows, he saw her curled up in the wooden chair, fast asleep.
Unable to bear the sight of her sleeping uncomfortably, Zhu Longwei carefully picked her up in his arms and gently laid her on the bed. She made a slight writhing movement and groaned softly, but he didn't want to disturb her. He then lay down beside her without making a sound, trying his best not to wake her up.
As she shifted closer to him, Zhu Longwei allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.
As they lay there together, Zhu Longwei thought to himself, 'All right, we're just going to warm up a bit. After all, Miss Tan, you need a long rest after your crazy and miserable journey.' He wished she could find comfort and peace in his presence.
However, he found himself unable to close his eyes during that time. The awkward and strange feeling he suddenly experienced kept him wide awake. Sharing the same bed with a young girl he barely knew was an entirely new situation for him.
Despite his efforts to find rest, he couldn't shake off the unsettling emotions that washed over him, making sleep elusive. The weight of responsibility and propriety weighed heavily on his mind, preventing him from finding the rest he desperately needed.
As the first light of dawn broke, a chorus of birds perched on the wooden banisters of the porch, filling the air with their melodious and joyful songs.
Zhu Longwei's heart started pounding as he opened his eyes and saw Tan Xiuying resting her head on his shoulder. A strange feeling suddenly washed over him as he caught her sweet scent for the first time. He couldn't help but wonder why this girl always emitted such a strange and alluring fragrance.
He observed the girl from a close distance, her face illuminated by the morning sun. Her skin was smooth and glowing, and her long, curled eyelashes framed her expressive eyes. Her well-defined eyebrows resembled a crescent moon, and her sharp nose added to her refined features. Her lips were a captivating shade of red, enticing enough to tempt any man to plant a kiss on them...
He hastily averted his eyes and shifted awkwardly, the unfamiliar feeling startling him. He shook his head, trying to shake off the ridiculous thoughts in his head. However, he couldn't deny the fact that he was still a normal man, and the emotions swirling within him were hard to ignore.
At this moment, Tan Xiuying jolted awake, her mind racing with questions. Since when had she been lying in bed with Zhu Longwei? She couldn't stop thinking about it. As far as she could remember, she fell asleep in that rickety chair until morning. How had she ended up in the bed last night?
With a rush of relief, she hurriedly jumped out of bed, now fully awake. Casting an inquisitive gaze at her own body and then at Zhu Longwei, she was relieved to find that they were both still fully clothed!