Maybe it was because of her period, but Lin Ci’s lower abdomen felt a bit chilly. After Shen Xiyan placed his large hand there, warmth seeped through her skin and spread inside.
Lin Ci instinctively let out a soft hum.
Feeling ticklish, feeling hot, she grabbed Shen Xiyan’s hand, not letting him move it around.
Shen Xiyan didn’t dare say a word, nor did he dare to move. He just swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he lowered his head to look at Lin Ci under the thin blanket.
For most people, the lower abdomen isn’t a particularly sensitive area, but it holds great strategic importance—it can reach for the moon in the ninth heavens or dive to the depths of the five oceans to catch turtles.
Not far away were Aunt, Wenwen, and Qin Sheng, but it seemed that no one had noticed his beastly act.
“So comfortable~~”
Seeing that no one noticed, Lin Ci’s courage grew.
She closed her eyes, her shoulders gradually relaxing, her brows smoothing out. Even the little hand that had been guarding Shen Xiyan’s big hand began to “slack off.”
In the end, she even pulled both hands out from under the thin blanket to cover for Shen Xiyan, letting him obediently keep his hand on her lower abdomen.
The warmth immediately transferred from his hand into her body, chasing away the chill completely.
“This feels way better than a hot water bottle!”
Lin Ci’s little face was flushed red, her big eyes watery. Her voice sounded so sweet it could melt Shen Xiyan’s bones.
But all Shen Xiyan felt was nervousness. He lowered his voice and forced a smile, saying, “If I get caught, Aunt will silence me!”
Lin Ci was amused by his expression, but didn’t dare move:
“Then just don’t get caught, okay? I’m bleeding out here, can’t you cut me some slack?”
Shen Xiyan looked at her helplessly. In his mind, he pictured blood pouring out in torrents. He tried not to think about the strange feeling in his hand and obediently helped her warm her belly.
But seeing her lying under the thin blanket, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“What are you laughing at?” Lin Ci cracked open one eye to sneak a look at him.
“It kind of feels like I’m taking care of my daughter,” Shen Xiyan replied honestly.
“I think of you as a friend, and you want to be my dad?” Lin Ci rolled her eyes, pulled the thin blanket tighter, and closed her eyes again:
“Forget it, I don’t need you to keep me company. You can go.”
Shen Xiyan had just started to pull his hand back when Lin Ci beat him to it, pressing his hand down with her own. Her big eyes seemed to speak:
“Don’t! Just a little longer.”
!!!
Because Lin Ci pulled too hard, and her lower abdomen was so smooth, Shen Xiyan’s hand slipped a bit lower.
It was a dangerous spot. Although still on her lower abdomen, there was a triangular bulge there.
If it had been some other normal girl, his hand might’ve gotten stabbed, but Lin Ci was still smooth-skinned.
Shen Xiyan couldn’t help himself and, almost subconsciously, gave a gentle squeeze. Soft, plump flesh overflowed between his fingers.
Like a ship returning to port, like an old man coming home.
All the cold wind and rain washed away, he plunged into a sea of endless warmth.
!!!
The two of them sprang apart as if shocked by electricity.
Lin Ci felt like her little face was steaming, her head was steaming, and she could almost hear the sound of a tiny train whistle going “woo~” in her ears…
Then she glanced at Shen Xiyan.
Shen Xiyan was rubbing his fingers, which made her grit her teeth.
“Xiyan!!”
Everyone turned to look at them in unison. Shen Xiyan felt a little awkward, a little regretful.
Comrade Chen Duxiu said it best: What was its quality like? Summer Cotton.
The sensation from just now was even better than that.
“What’s wrong?” Aunt asked with concern.
He looked back at her. Her face was red, her usually fair ears tinged pink, small and delicate, looking like she’d been angered to the point of cuteness.
She reached out and poked Lin Ci’s shoulder with her finger, making Lin Ci shiver.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Aunt was suspicious. “Did Xiyan say something to make you mad?”
“No.”
“Then why did you shout?” Qin Sheng stared at her coldly.
Lin Ci played dead.
***
After a long while, she finally raised her little head carefully, glancing sidelong at Aunt. Seeing that Aunt didn’t suspect anything, she let out a long sigh of relief, her tense body relaxing all at once.
Then, bit by bit, she curled up behind Shen Xiyan, quietly and sneakily pressing her little face against his back—where no one could see her, so it just looked like she was resting.
Lin Ci felt his warmth, her face blushing bright red where Shen Xiyan couldn’t see.
Her eyes studied the stitches on Shen Xiyan’s pajamas, her heartbeat pounding like a musical rhythm, over and over.
She really wanted to show off like Qin Sheng, but every time she wanted to speak, she lost her nerve.
Like kissing…
Back in the little grove, she’d often seen couples sneaking kisses—the boy would grab the girl’s head and kiss her, their tongues tangled together.
The first time she saw it, her face turned crimson with embarrassment, and she was shocked for the entire day.
Is kissing really that enjoyable?
Isn’t it kind of gross?
But if it was Shen Xiyan, Lin Ci could understand it. Her body would immediately go soft and weak.
The key was that Shen Xiyan was tall and strong. If he wanted to force a kiss, Miss Lin Ci wouldn’t have the slightest strength to resist.
She could only let him hold her head and plunder her mouth as much as he wanted.
She could let him kiss her all day!
“No, no! Lin Ci, calm down.”
“Are you running a fever?”
Noticing Lin Ci’s breathing suddenly grow heavy behind him, Shen Xiyan turned and looked at her, then suddenly reached over with two fingers, bending them to gently scrape her forehead with the backs of his knuckles.
Her face was very red, and her forehead was burning hot.
“No, you really should go back and get some sleep. You can’t rest here…”
“Mm.”
Lin Ci knew she couldn’t stay any longer—not because she was afraid of Qin Sheng’s “ready to kill” look, but because she needed to go change her underwear.
Yeah, it’s totally normal to change underwear frequently during your period, right?
“It’s fine, it’s just a few steps.” Lin Ci took a deep breath and jogged out of the room. Once outside, she rubbed her cheeks hard, the corners of her mouth lifting in a silent cheer.
In her personality, there was a stubbornness and obstinacy few others understood. For example, if she didn’t like something, no matter how her parents tried to persuade or pressure her, it was useless.
Right now, she wanted to guard the Crooked-neck Tree next door forever, until the end of time, never regretting it.
***
After Lin Ci left, Shen Xiyan ignored Qin Sheng as well and turned to Wenwen. “What do you want to eat tonight?”
“It’s so hot, I don’t really want anything. I’ll just have some porridge with Aunt,” Wenwen said gloomily.
“She’s having porridge because of her surgery… How about we order takeout? Otherwise, we’ll be hungry later.”
“Takeout’s nothing special… I’ll just have some porridge with Aunt…”
“How about we order some Fujianese food?” Aunt said with a smile.
Wenwen shook her head instinctively and replied seriously with total nonsense:
“Fujianese live by the sea, so they taste fishy. Homebodies are better—they’re raised at home all day, and their little bellies sizzle with oil when roasted… Five-layered Pork is just too delicious!”
Shen Xiyan:
Sure enough, asking them was a mistake.
They just made do with whatever food.
After eating, Aunt listlessly returned to her room, and Wenwen lazed on her bed scrolling on her phone.
Only Qin Sheng couldn’t hold back, her pent-up frustration from the whole afternoon making her sneak out when no one was looking.