Face Turned Pale
Lin Chuan naturally understood what milk powder coupons were for. As a man who hadn’t yet consummated his marriage, hearing such a phrase immediately made his mind leap to thoughts of babies—then, inevitably, to the *process* of making a baby. With Su Su so close by, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity…?
Alas, dreams were rich, but reality was harsh.
His injury ensured that nothing could happen, but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering—or his body from responding.
“Go to sleep,” Lin Chuan muttered abruptly, ending the conversation before it spiralled further. He couldn’t risk his thoughts running wild.
Su Su, always considerate, assumed he was tired. She stopped talking and took her down jacket, placing it over their thin blankets. The guesthouse’s bedding was far too thin, and with Lin Chuan’s recent blood loss, she worried he might get cold.
Lin Chuan, however, had been drinking red dates and goji water for days, and his blood flow had already recovered to the point of being overactive. He didn’t feel cold at all, but since Su Su meant well, he accepted it without a word.
That said, Lin Chuan was right about one thing: the guesthouse’s beds were miserable. Su Su, accustomed to sleeping on a warm kang stove-bed in the village, was uncomfortable almost immediately. The cold draft creeping up from below made her shiver.
Lying there with her teeth nearly chattering, she considered what to do. Then Lin Chuan’s voice broke the silence. “Put your coat under you, and come sleep under my blanket.”
“Hmm?” Share a blanket?
Su Su blushed at the suggestion but was too cold to refuse. Following his advice, she laid her down jacket under herself, then hesitantly climbed into Lin Chuan’s blanket. Although she felt shy, he was turned away from her, which made it slightly less awkward.
Once under the covers, Su Su immediately realized how warm Lin Chuan’s body was. Men always seemed to run hotter than women—it was like having a personal heater. She couldn’t help but snuggle closer, though she was careful to keep her cold feet away from him.
Lin Chuan noticed anyway. Proactively, he shifted his legs back and lifted them slightly, deliberately placing his feet near hers. “Warm your feet,” he murmured.
“Thank you… Are you sure I won’t hit your injury?” Su Su asked hesitantly.
“You won’t,” Lin Chuan replied, his voice already a little hoarse. Though he was wearing thermal clothing, he could feel the softness of her body pressed against his back. He knew perfectly well what those parts of her were, and her close proximity was driving his imagination wild.
No, I can’t think about this. Sleep. Sleep! Lin Chuan commanded himself.
Fortunately, the exhaustion of the day—and the long car ride—soon caught up with him, and both of them drifted into a sweet, dreamless sleep.
—
The next morning was a bit awkward. Su Su woke up first, realizing that her hand was resting on Lin Chuan’s stomach and that her entire body had somehow curled up against his lower back during the night. The position was incredibly… suggestive.
Lin Chuan, who had been awake for a while but stayed still to let her rest, spoke softly. “You’re awake?”
“Mmm… Ah!” Realizing her position, Su Su quickly pulled her hand back and tried to scoot away, only to nearly tumble off the bed. Thankfully, Lin Chuan reacted quickly, grabbing her collar and pulling her back up. The unfortunate consequence? One of her shirt buttons popped off, exposing a significant bit of her chest.
Su Su, flustered and oblivious, patted her chest with relief. “Phew, that was close. Thanks for saving me!”
“…Your button,” Lin Chuan muttered awkwardly.
“Huh?” Su Su glanced down, turning crimson when she saw the damage. Scrambling to retrieve the button, she stammered, “I-I’ll go get some water to wash up!”
Fleeing the room with her face burning, Su Su fetched water and returned to find that Lin Donghe and the soldier were already outside, brushing snow off the car. Apparently, they’d already eaten and were ready to depart.
Why so early? she grumbled internally, hurrying back inside to help Lin Chuan wash his face.
“Ladies first,” Lin Chuan insisted stubbornly.
“What does it matter who goes first?” she argued.
“I have wounds and medication,” he replied calmly.
Oh, right. Su Su immediately remembered she’d applied a face mask the night before and hadn’t let him wash it off yet. Panicking slightly, she checked his face carefully. Surprisingly, it looked much better. The swelling had gone down significantly, and the dark bruising had lightened.
Could that face mask have been this effective? She wondered, astonished. Perhaps it was because Lin Chuan had never used such products before, so the results were dramatic. Either way, she resolved to continue using them. With a little care, she’d turn him into the most handsome man in the village.
As they left the guesthouse, the young soldier couldn’t help but exclaim, “Captain, your face looks much better! It’s even a little brighter than before.”
“It’s because my wife gave me some medicine,” Lin Chuan said proudly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Su Su stifled a laugh. In this era, no one knew what a face mask was, so it was easy to pass it off as “medicine.” Still, the way Lin Chuan seemed to brag about it was inexplicably cute.
—
Two hours later, they arrived at the commune, but the road into the village was blocked by heavy snow. With no other choice, they hired a donkey cart for the final stretch. The soldier insisted on accompanying them, as his orders were to ensure Lin Chuan made it home safely.
The journey on the donkey cart was treacherous, with frequent stops to rest the animal and navigate the icy paths. By the time they reached the village, the entire Lin family was waiting outside to greet them.
Mother Lin nearly burst into tears when she saw her son hobbling down from the cart, albeit intact. “As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters,” she said, wiping her eyes.
Father Lin looked Lin Chuan over carefully, patting him on the shoulder with relief. “Good, good. You’re home now.”
Lin Hai, Lin Chuan’s younger brother, quickly stepped forward to help his brother walk. “Big Brother, let me help you to the back courtyard,” he said. Then he turned to Su Su. “Sister-in-law, do you want to go inside first or to the back?” Su Su smiled warmly. “Let’s all go to the back together. It’s been a long trip—everyone needs to rest.”
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