Mu Zhan had only grabbed Wen Mingyu’s clothes for a moment before snapping back to his senses and immediately letting go, as if he had touched something terrifying.
It was indeed terrifying—the craving for the warmth, softness, and that faint sweet scent.
If anyone found out, it would be like exposing his weakness to the other person, giving them the chance to control and hurt him.
Mu Zhan’s face tensed again, and he radiated a chill that felt even colder than before. Despite his youthful, childlike features, he carried a coldness harsher than most adults’.
Wen Mingyu noticed him step back and looked down to gauge his expression, but his eyes were downcast, his lips tightly pressed together. He couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed, upset, or something else entirely.
Concerned, Wen Mingyu crouched down. The cramped space caused his backside to hit against the wall, nearly sending him tumbling. His reflexes made him grab Mu Zhan’s hand, which was damp and a little warm.
Mu Zhan reacted sharply, jerking his hand away so forcefully that Wen Mingyu stumbled backward. He landed squarely on his bottom this time. It didn’t hurt, but his pants were soaked through.
Wen Mingyu glanced back. Wearing wet pants was uncomfortable and could easily lead to a cold, so after a moment’s thought, he decided to strip off his clothes too. He quickly splashed some warm water over himself to feel better.
Mu Zhan hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. The cold expression he had worked so hard to maintain just moments ago cracked instantly. Shock flickered across his face, followed by panic. He turned his head away, shifting his gaze elsewhere.
Wen Mingyu casually explained, “My clothes got wet. It’s almost bath time anyway. You don’t mind if we wash together, right?”
Even if he did mind, what else could he say? Wen Mingyu had already acted first before asking.
So Mu Zhan stayed silent, his head lowered.
Wen Mingyu helped him wash his hair without hesitation or embarrassment, treating him entirely like a younger brother in need of care. His heart ached for his situation, and when rinsing, he feared that his wound might hurt, so he moved with utmost caution. After squeezing out some shampoo, his small hands slowly rubbed Mu Zhan’s scalp, creating a soft white lather, resembling an amateur massage.
Wen Mingyu reminded him as he rinsed the foam, “Close your eyes, or the shampoo will sting if it gets in them.”
This time, Mu Zhan obediently shut his eyes.Quicklytoo.
Mu Zhan’s hair was quite long, making the washing process rather laborious. Yet Wen Mingyu didn’t show a trace of impatience. Instead, he was intensely focused, gently lifting a lock of hair and letting it glide naturally between his palm and thumb. It was silky and cool to the touch. The sensation was so astonishingly pleasant that he found himself reluctant to let go.
As Wen Mingyu washed, he couldn’t resist playing with it for a moment, constantly praising him, “Your hair is so smooth and pretty.”
Mu Zhan endured it for a moment before finally snapping and yanking his hair back. People from the past placed great importance on their hair, with beliefs such as “one’s body and hair are gifts from one’s parents” and the concept of “tied-hair spouses.” While Mu Zhan didn’t hold these beliefs as sacred, he was still influenced by them. Having his hair played with felt odd, and he couldn’t understand what was so appealing about touching it. He certainly wouldn’t do such a thing to himself.
“Wash yourself,” Mu Zhan said coldly.
“Oh,” Wen Mingyu, having been rejected, nodded and didn’t touch him again, not wanting to annoy him further.
He bathed quickly. Short hair meant less fuss, and they took turns under the shared showerhead, finishing almost at the same time.
Only when it came time to dress did Wen Mingyu suddenly remember he had brought just one set of pajamas, since he had planned for Mu Zhan to bathe alone.
Left standing there awkwardly, Wen Mingyu stammered, “After you get dressed, could you grab me a set from the closet?”
He opened the door to leave and saw Wen Mingyu hiding behind it, poking out his fluffy little head and urging softly, “Hurry up, it’s cold.”
Mu Zhan didn’t respond, but his pace unconsciously quickened.
He strode to the wardrobe that was right beside the dorm door. Leaving would be simple.
But now wasn’t the time.
He glanced at it once before gathering all of Wen Mingyu’s clothes, not even skipping the underwear. This was the thing he found most baffling. Putting them on felt odd and uncomfortable, but since Wen Mingyu seemed fine with it, he pretended to be calm, not wanting to show his discomfort.
When he handed over the clothes, only a pale, slender arm stretched from behind the door, trembling slightly from the cold. It snatched the clothes swiftly, and soon the rustling sound of fabric filled the air.
Would someone really go through discomfort just to help someone else?
Mu Zhan stood motionless outside the door.
After a while, Wen Mingyu emerged and looked slightly taken aback. “Were you waiting for me?”
Mu Zhan froze. He hadn’t…
But Wen Mingyu already assumed he had, and he had missed the best chance to deny it. He was practically pushed into the dorm room. Wen Mingyu added, “No need to wait; it’s cold on the balcony, and with your hair this long and wet, you’ll catch a cold easily.”
“Hurry up and dry it first.”
Wen Mingyu handed Mu Zhan a strange-looking device he had never seen before. He didn’t know how to use it, but if he revealed that, he would definitely arouse suspicion.
He took it but hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
Wen Mingyu misunderstood his pause, and his protective instinct kicked in. “Shall I dry it for you?”
That solved his dilemma. Mu Zhan nodded.
Sensing that Mu Zhan disliked having his back turned to someone, he stood to the side to blow-dry his hair.
The cool, black hair strands rested in his palm as warm air gently blew over them. The sound was soft, and the sensation was soothing. His hair dried quickly, becoming light and airy, even lulling him into a drowsy state.
Mu Zhan closed his eyes briefly but quickly forced them open warily, staying alert. Falling asleep so carelessly could be dangerous.
Seeing him like this, Wen Mingyu couldn’t help but smile. He looked like a sleepy cat squinting contentedly. He whispered softly, “It’ll be dry soon. You can sleep then. Just hang in there a bit.”
Mu Zhan stiffened his expression. This childishly soothing tone made him extremely uncomfortable. He replied coldly, “I’m not sleepy.”
Wen Mingyu replied lightly, “I am.”
While blow-drying his hair, he played with the silky strands for a while longer until it was mostly dry. Only then did he stop, leading Mu Zhan to the sink to brush his teeth before heading back.
“Do you want to sleep on the inside or the outside?”
Wen Mingyu asked him naturally.
Mu Zhan’s eyes instinctively flickered to the upper bunk, which was just a wooden plank.
Wen Mingyu shook his head immediately, “No.”
Mu Zhan thought for a moment, then stated firmly, “Outside.”
Getting off the bed would be easy, and he could leave anytime.
Wen Mingyu had no objections. He let him lie down, turned off the light himself, and then, by moonlight, made out the rough outline of the bed. He slowly climbed into bed, rolled over Mu Zhan, and fell into the inside part of the bed. He lifted a corner of the quilt and quickly burrowed under the covers.
This was an unremarkable small town in the South. Winters brought no snow; temperatures never dipped below freezing. Naturally, there was no central heating, and the chill cut right through the bones. Every time Wen Mingyu crawled into bed, he couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably until the warmth finally reached his bones.
It wasn’t that there were no solutions. This era had plenty of high-tech products, but they all cost money. The orphanage was not large, and with so many children, allocating funds for such things was difficult. They only had the most primitive electric hot water bottles, small in size but very warm. Through continuous improvements, they had become quite safe. And most importantly, they were cheap. They were long-obsolete relics after all, used only by people in remote areas trying to save money.
Wen Mingyu wedged a hot water bottle between them, pressing Mu Zhan’s hand against it.
The bottle was small, leaving other parts still cold. Normally, it would take a while to warm up, but with two people in the bed, the warmth spread quickly.
Feeling cozy, Wen Mingyu closed his eyes and murmured, “It’s so nice to have you here. It got warm right away.”
It’s so nice to have you here.
Mu Zhan heard these words and felt a bit dazed… with him here, could someone truly feel good?
His hand was pressed against something soft and fluffy. It seemed to be filled with liquid that dipped slightly under pressure. The texture was indescribably soft and warm—likely serving the same purpose as the gilded, carved hand warmers in the palace.
Mu Zhan pondered, yet found himself drifting into a daze.
Dappled moonlight and the streetlamp’s glow filtered through the glass balcony door, casting pale patterns across the floor, severed by the shadow of the railing.
Through the patches of light, Mu Zhan could faintly make out Wen Mingyu’s face. His eyes were slightly narrowed in warmth, reminiscent of the white cat he had once seen in the halls of the imperial concubine. In winter, it would curl up on the carpet, basking lazily in the warmth of the underfloor heating, its tail curled and swaying slowly. One couldn’t help but follow its movements with their gaze, tempting them to reach out and stroke it.
He had not cared for the concubine, nor could he say he had ever truly liked that cat. The concubine treasured it dearly, rarely allowing anyone to touch it. Yet for some reason, it suddenly came to mind now.
It was not bedtime yet, and outside, children were running and playing down the corridor, laughing and giggling, creating a noisy, lively scene, in sharp contrast with the quiet inside the room, as if two worlds were separated by a single door.
“Can’t sleep?”
Seeing him lying there with his eyes wide open, utterly still, Wen Mingyu uncontrollably asked. His hand, resting on the hot water bottle, gently tugged at his fingers.
Mu Zhan flinched and pulled his hand back, his body instinctively edging toward the side of the bed.
Wen Mingyu hurriedly caught his hand, stopping him. “Don’t move; you’ll fall off.”
Indeed, Mu Zhan’s back was already perched precariously on the edge of the small bed, about to roll off. This was a single bed meant for one child. It was fine for one person, but two would have to squeeze together on the small frame.
Mu Zhan froze stiffly, then withdrew his hand. He said coldly, “I won’t move.”
Seeing that he didn’t move again, Wen Mingyu exhaled in relief. He playfully tapped his fingertip. “Move a bit closer over here, or you’ll fall in your sleep.”
Mu Zhan knew that if he didn’t listen, Wen Mingyu would surely come over to pull him again. So, he decided to shift himself slightly inward. An almost negligible distance.
“A bit more.”
Mu Zhan pressed his lips tightly together, an indescribable irritation stirring within him. His fingertips itched where they had been touched, and he couldn’t help but curl up.
His face remained cold as he scooted a bit more. He closed his eyes, silently signaling that he was going to sleep and he didn’t want to talk.
Wen Mingyu said nothing more.
After about half an hour, the outside grew quiet. Thinking Mu Zhan was fast asleep, Wen Mingyu studied him for a moment before carefully lifting a corner of the quilt. He crept out of bed, his feet landing softly on the cotton mattress. He tried not to make a sound, staring intently at his feet, careful not to step on Mu Zhan.
He gripped the bedrail, tiptoed off the bed, dashed to fetch something, then shuffled back slowly. He paused beside the bed, studying Mu Zhan intently before reaching out to lift a corner of the quilt.
Mu Zhan had his eyes closed, but he was not actually asleep. He could never relax in an unfamiliar environment. Hearing the faint sounds Wen Mingyu was making, Mu Zhan’s hand beneath the quilt clenched into a fist, ready to strike at any moment if Wen Mingyu tried to attack him.
He had observed Wen Mingyu’s hands and feet, which were soft and pliable, clearly untrained in martial arts. Moreover, he knew the vulnerable points on the human body and was not worried about being overpowered by Wen Mingyu. It was precisely for this reason that he dared to bathe and sleep alongside him.
He remained alert, feeling a hand lifting the quilt, then slowly rolling up his pajamas. A paste was applied to his wound, its coolness easing the pain.
ChiFu: thank you for waiting everyone, I’m working on this bit by bit so it kinda took so long to post TT internship is killing me…
If you enjoy this chapter, you may tip some kofi to ChiFu~