Anna never expected Louis to say such things, let alone wipe her tears away directly.
It had been so long since Anna had encountered this level of intimacy, and she suddenly felt shy, lowering her head. Her face, which had been slightly flushed, instantly turned crimson, and she didn't even have the space to think about her previously chaotic thoughts.
Louis thought Anna was still afraid of these messy matters. He now understood that Anna was afraid of making changes. After all, people who had been at home for too long without going out would always have such psychological barriers.
So he spoke again, "I mean it! Just leave Cicc to me, I'll take care of her! And you've seen it yourself, your contract offers a lot of freedom! You can come back anytime you want! Don't worry about home, just take care of yourself outside!"
While Louis was talking, Anna didn't listen to a word. She still had the scene where Louis gently touched her face just now, replaying in her mind.
Cicc on the sofa had already begun to sneakily watch her parents' interaction. She clearly saw that her mother's face, which was lowered, had a slight smile at the corners of her mouth! And her father kept talking endlessly!
The little Cicc didn't know what was happening, but she knew her mother must be happy now. And her father was still worrying about her mother!
So she pounced on Louis's leg, looked up at him with big eyes, and suddenly said, "Daddy! Cicc wants to sleep with Daddy and Mommy tonight!"
With this statement, Louis was instantly petrified, and Anna, whose neck was already completely red, looked at the little one in astonishment, her heart pounding almost out of her chest.
"Is...is this something you need to ask Mommy about?"
How should he respond to this? Anna was so embarrassed that she was on the verge of collapse. She hastily stood up and walked to the bathroom.
"I...I'm tired, I'll go wash up and get ready for bed first."
Anna fled in a panic, leaving Louis and Cicc staring at each other in the living room.
Louis was at a loss, not knowing what to do. But Cicc, jumping up from Louis's leg, hugged his neck.
"Mama said, as long as Daddy's ready, it's okay!"
"?" Did Anna really say that? Louis turned his head to look at the closed bathroom door, vaguely hearing the sound of washing inside.
Does that mean it's okay?
Louis took a deep breath of the milky scent from the little one, bolstering his courage. He was doing it all for Cicc! Not for anything else!
After a while, Anna came out of the bathroom, quietly returned to the bedroom, and didn't even glance at the sofa on her way past the living room.
Only then did Louis stand up with Cicc in his arms, went to the bathroom to help the little one wash up, and then washed up himself. Only then did he come out with the little one in his arms.
At this moment, his heart began to beat rapidly. It felt like he had walked for a long time from the living room to the master bedroom. Until his footsteps completely entered the bedroom, his mind was blank.
The room was filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance, very fragrant and tempting.
Louis had never experienced such a thing in his two lifetimes! He really wanted to seek help now. What should he do? What should he do?
Anna had already burrowed into the covers as if she were asleep, lying on her side facing the inside. Louis couldn't see her exact expression at this moment, but her crystal-clear, rosy earlobes indicated her current state.
Louis gently closed the door, and the sound made Anna's body tremble slightly, but she still didn't get up.
Louis had completely given up now. Even if he was nervous, it was useless. Just lie down!
Thinking like this, he felt much more relaxed. He put Cicc in the middle, sat down on the other side of the bed, hugged Cicc, and began to tell her a bedtime story.
"Tonight, Daddy will tell Cicc the story of Snow White. A long time ago, there was a cute little princess who was as adorable as Cicc. Her skin was as white and tender as snow, with a rosy hue like a ripe apple. Her hair was as black and shiny as the night sky, so her mother named her Snow White..."
Louis's gentle voice echoed in the room, and Anna's eyelashes twitched slightly. That intense heart gradually calmed down as the story unfolded.
Eventually, she fell asleep without realizing it, and just like her, Cicc also fell asleep slowly in Louis's story.
The night had grown late, and Louis noticed their breathing gradually calm down. Only then did he turn off the light and slip under the covers.
The pillow carried that familiar faint fragrance, and Louis realized for the first time how pleasant a girl's pillow could smell!
After embracing Cicc beside him and inhaling the scent, Louis quickly drifted off to sleep.
The night passed without a word.
The next day, Louis's internal clock remained as punctual as ever. At 6 o'clock in the early dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, he woke up.
Instinctively, he embraced the soft figure in his arms, but then froze suddenly. Since when had Cicc grown so big??
"Gurgle~"
Louis swallowed hard and looked into the covers. But there was no sign of Cicc in his embrace.
Instead, it was Anna!
Louis was completely dumbfounded. When did this happen? How did Anna end up in his arms?
A faint fragrance lingered around his nose, and the warm, soft body in his arms shattered Louis's composure in an instant.
Unconsciously, Louis leaned down until he was close to Anna's delicate face. He could feel her warm breath against his face, which was quite ticklish.
The distance between them was now mere inches, and Louis could even see the rosy glow beneath her smooth skin.
Louis paused there, engaged in intense mental struggle.
Then, he saw her long eyelashes flutter lightly.
Louis was startled and quickly sat up straight again, silently retracting the arm that had been under her neck. He bent over, carefully got out of bed, and hurriedly fled the bedroom.
In the bathroom, Louis wore a defeated expression. What a way to start the day! It was torture!
Little did Louis know, as soon as he left the bedroom, Anna, who had been lying on the bed, opened her beautiful almond eyes slightly, letting out a small sigh of relief.
She covered her flushed face, retreated into the covers, looking like she didn't want to face anyone.
Just as Louis was sitting up, Anna woke up.
She had no idea when she had ended up in Louis's embrace, even mistaking his arm for a pillow! How embarrassing!
Only when she felt Louis's breath on her face did she start to panic.
What was he trying to do? Did he want to kiss her secretly? What should she do?
At that moment, Anna was panicking but dared not "wake" up. She could only continue to pretend to be asleep. Fortunately, Louis stopped in time; otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to face him.
But as soon as Louis truly withdrew, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
Anna didn't know if she was ready. All she knew was that she felt extremely unsettled.
After a long time, Anna, curled up in her blankets, let out a deep sigh. Just go with the flow!
She stayed curled up until 8 o'clock, when she heard the door opening again outside. Then, she got up from the bed, straightened up a bit, and walked out of the room.
Louis was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. When he saw Anna coming out, he awkwardly greeted her.
"Good morning."
Anna's expression was also somewhat awkward. She didn't even lift her gaze to look at him, just softly responded, "Morning."
After saying that, Louis walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
Without much thought, Louis continued to turn around and prepare breakfast. He didn't expect Anna to finish washing up quickly and come straight to the kitchen.
"I'll help you with the cooking," Anna said naturally, skillfully taking the basin from Louis's hand and helping him wash the rice.
Louis was just slightly stunned for a moment before quickly reacting. He gladly accepted her offer and turned aside to start washing the vegetables.
The two of them had a tacit understanding, as if they had been living together as husband and wife for many years.
The small kitchen suddenly felt extraordinarily warm.
Twenty minutes later, a pot of golden porridge and two side dishes were successfully served. Louis took off his apron, washed his hands, and naturally walked into the master bedroom, where Cicc was already sleeping in the corner of the bed. He woke her up gently and lifted her up.
The family enjoyed a pleasant breakfast together.
After breakfast, Anna saw a very beautiful hairstyle that would suit Cicc perfectly. Since Cicc's hair had grown quite a bit recently, she coaxed and tricked her into going out for a haircut.
Meanwhile, Louis skillfully settled on the sofa, took out his phone, and opened TikTok to watch videos.
Summer, air conditioning, Wifi, watermelon, and with the wife and kids not at home.