Fog Returns to the Capital

If anything in Chapter 25 makes you uncomfortable, please let me know.

……

After stammering through her words, Li Wu lowered her head.

She would always unconsciously lower her head in his presence.

After listening, Zhou Jinghuai's gentle and refined demeanor remained unchanged. He gave a soft "hmm" and then asked, "What are your thoughts on the future?"

An indescribable emotion welled up in Li Wu's heart.

She nodded slightly, her voice becoming even softer and lower, "I want to earn more money so I can continue studying."

In fact, apart from the initial period of hardship and displacement when she struggled to even eat and maintain her daily life, she would download and purchase relevant materials and online courses from websites when she had a little more money. She would also buy supplementary teaching materials to work on her own.

She was afraid that if she didn't keep up with the knowledge for a long time, she would lose touch with it and forget it, so she would do practice questions every night.

Her original plan was to take the exam next year, or at the latest the year after.

However, she didn't tell anyone.

"It's good to be able to keep moving forward."

Zhou Jinghuai concluded.

He didn't mention her past at all. He only said that it was good that she could keep moving forward.

Later, when Zhou Jinghuai asked Li Wu to wash up, Li Wu obediently went without asking any questions.

She always listened to him.

Li Wu stayed in the bathroom for a long time.

Zhou Jinghuai had showered in another room and was wearing a black bathrobe, casually tied around his waist. After dealing with two emails, he noticed that Li Wu hadn't come out yet.

After waiting a while longer without any movement, just as I was about to put down my laptop, a small figure appeared in the aisle.

Half of his body was almost entirely hidden in darkness.

The girl looked at him cautiously, her eyes moist, like those of some soft, clean little animal, with a hint of timidity.

"come over."

Zhou Jinghuai spoke.

The deep, calm voice seemed to be tinged with the languor of the night, carrying a leisurely nonchalance.

It was exceptionally beautiful.

Li Wu's fingers twitched slightly. She paused there for a moment before walking towards Zhou Jinghuai.

She didn't have any clean clothes when she went to take a shower. After she quietly expressed her embarrassment, Zhou Jinghuai gave her one of his white shirts.

Very big.

But it can only barely cover it up.

A pair of long, slender, and straight legs peeked out from under the hem of her shirt, like glistening white jade.

Li Wu's skin was a beautiful, cool white, natural skin tone, which looked even whiter than the white shirt she was wearing.

Why didn't you dry your hair?

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her long, wet hair draped over her shoulders and asked in a gentle voice.

"I...I don't know where the wind is..."

Whether from nervousness or something else, Li Wu's voice trembled slightly. Yet it was also very light and clear, as if it had been washed by mountain spring water under the moonlight, soft and clean.

Hear the words.

Zhou Jinghuai put down his laptop, got up, and went to the bedroom. When he returned, he was carrying a hairdryer.

When Li Wu reached out to take it, Zhou Jinghuai simply told her to sit down on the sofa.

It wasn't on the highest setting. A gentle, comfortable breeze brushed against her scalp, and a warm current seemed to flow into Li Wu's heart, gradually spreading to her limbs and bones.

This must be the first time Zhou Jinghuai has done something like this.

Li Wu sensed his lack of skill, but he kept his movements very slow and gentle throughout.

After Li Wu's hair was almost dry, Zhou Jinghuai turned off the hairdryer and put it aside. When he turned to look at Li Wu, he saw that her eyes were slightly red.

"..."

Zhou Jinghuai paused slightly, "Did I hurt you just now?"

"no no……"

Li Wu hurriedly shook her head in denial, "I must have been suffocated by the steam in the bathroom just now."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinghuai did not expose her obvious lie, but simply said, "If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Wu's eyes seemed to redden even more, and she unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

After a few seconds of silence.

Li Wu looked up at Zhou Jinghuai, her fair face still showing signs of life, though the redness in her eyes hadn't completely faded.

She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and looked somewhat docile and gentle.

She said, "This is the first time someone has ever blow-dried my hair."

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.

In the end, Zhou Jinghuai simply raised his hand to pat her head, his eyes somewhat deep, and said in a low voice, "It's getting late, get some rest."

"and you?"

Li Wu subconsciously asked a question in return.

After she finished speaking, she realized that her words had a different meaning, and unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

The original snow-white shirt barely covered her legs, and with her nervousness, she unconsciously clenched it lightly, making it even shorter.

The vast expanse of snow-white, delicate skin was dazzling.

But rather.

Her bright eyes were still fixed on Zhou Jinghuai.

"..."

Her face still looked somewhat immature and young; she was really just a little girl.

Zhou Jinghuai was speechless for a moment.

After a moment of silence, he simply said, "I'll rest too."

……

The guest room where Li Wu stayed.

It's hard to describe how Li Wu felt that night. It was the biggest and most luxurious room Li Wu had ever slept in, and the bed was the most comfortable and softest, but Li Wu still couldn't fall asleep all night.

When I woke up the next morning.

Zhou Jinghuai, who was sitting on the sofa reviewing financial reports, looked over when he heard the noise, paused for a moment, and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

“…I’m a bit sensitive to sleeping in unfamiliar beds,” Li Wu murmured.

She had already looked in the mirror while washing up, and there were two big dark circles under her eyes, making her look nothing like someone who had had a good night's sleep.

After replying.

Li Wu stood there, somewhat at a loss.

She finally went over in her slippers when Zhou Jinghuai called her over.

These are Zhou Jinghuai's new slippers.

It is wide and large.

Li Wu made a pattering sound as she moved.

She hadn't noticed it last night, but today, as soon as Li Wu heard the voice, she immediately became even more cautious in her movements.

When Li Wu walked up to Zhou Jinghuai, she heard him say naturally, with a calm and refined expression in his gentle eyes, "You'll get used to it."

The last note fades.

Li Wu's entire body stiffened for a moment.

[...I have trouble sleeping in a new bed.]

You'll get used to it eventually.

But before Li Wu could react to the meaning behind Zhou Jinghuai's words, she heard him ask again, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"...I'm not picky."

Li Wu said subconsciously.

She paused, then quietly added, "As long as I'm full, that's fine."

Zhou Jinghuai paused slightly in his hand holding the newspaper, glanced at her, then put down the financial report and stood up.

As he led her toward the restaurant, he slowly and deliberately offered his assessment.

"They're quite easy to raise."

(End of this chapter)