The rain poured incessantly, washing the mountain path into a muddy mess. The sky grew darker as thick clouds blocked out any hint of light.
Having marched for many years, Xiao Du knew that in such conditions, even if the rain were to stop soon, descending the mountain would still be extremely dangerous. The rain could easily cause landslides, and the people in the nearby villages wouldn’t even know they were there. Fortunately, they had this cave to barely sustain them for the night. However, this wasn’t his original plan…
Feeling a bit disheartened at the thought, Xiao Du turned to see that Yuan Xi’s thin clothes were already soaked through by the rain. He pushed away these jumbled thoughts and realized that the cave was cold and damp. He needed to find some branches to make a fire to dry their clothes and keep her warm.
Thankfully, his experience in the military made it easy for him to quickly arrange a comfortable seating area for Yuan Xi with dry grass in the cave. Then, he braved the rain to collect branches with his knife and even managed to find some wild fruits to bring back. Neither of them had much appetite for dinner, feeling quite famished, but with the fire crackling, they both began to feel a bit warmer.
Seeing him earnestly building a fire with stones and branches, Yuan Xi couldn’t help but smile as she watched. She felt less cold now, knowing he was there with her.
Sitting cross-legged, she nibbled on the sweet mountain fruits, watching him carefully construct a fire pit. Soon, the warm glow of the fire illuminated the entire cave, casting a red hue on his face.
With a piece of fruit in her mouth, she grinned, feeling less cold now. As long as he was by her side, she had nothing to worry about.
She gathered her wet clothes and approached, stuffing some of the fruits into his mouth. Xiao Du, busy building the fire, barely noticed her approach until he heard her voice.
“Quick, take off your wet clothes and dry them,” he instructed, concerned about her catching a cold.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized the awkwardness of the situation. Although they were husband and wife, they were still inexperienced in these matters. Suddenly, disrobing in front of each other felt awkward.
Xiao Du felt his face flush and quickly turned away, pretending to focus on preparing their sleeping area. But he couldn’t help but wonder what Yuan Xi was doing behind him. His imagination ran wild, making his heart race. He scolded himself internally for being so weak, especially when it came to his wife.
He turned back to see Yuan Xi had already removed her outer garment and was now undoing her hair, combing through the wet locks. The sight of her dark hair cascading down, droplets of water trickling down her smooth neck, and the firelight reflecting off her rosy cheeks left him mesmerized.
With a thud, his knife fell from his hand to the ground, snapping him out of his trance. Yuan Xi jumped at the sound and turned to face him, their eyes meeting. Both their hearts raced, feeling the tension in the air. She felt flustered and scolded him gently, “Why are you peeking?”
Xiao Du hastily picked up the knife, feeling embarrassed. But seeing Yuan Xi’s clothing sticking to her body, he felt a rush of heat in his cheeks. He coughed lightly and tried to play it off, “I’ll go prepare our sleeping area over there. You can dry your clothes first.”
He turned away, finding a depression in the cave where he could lay down dry grass for bedding. He heard rustling behind him and felt his heart quicken, unsure of what Yuan Xi was doing. He cursed himself for being so timid and turned back, determined to face her confidently.
Seeing Yuan Xi had removed her outer garment and placed it by the fire, he felt a strange mix of embarrassment and desire. He decided to approach the fire and remove his wet clothes, laying them out to dry. Yuan Xi sat nearby, her cheeks still flushed, and Xiao Du couldn’t help but tease her, “Why are you suddenly shy?”
Yuan Xi rolled her eyes playfully and blushed even deeper, not knowing what to say. The atmosphere between them grew warmer, the crackling fire providing a backdrop for their awkward but endearing interaction.
Xiao Du stoked the fire, deciding it was time to break the tension. He spoke softly, “Shall I help you with your hair?”
Yuan Xi nodded shyly and handed him the comb. As he gently ran his fingers through her hair, trying to untangle the knots, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of affection for her. But to his dismay, the knots only seemed to get worse, forming a tangled mess.
Frustrated, he tried to untangle it, but the more he tried, the worse it became. Eventually, it turned into a tight knot.
Xiao Du’s face darkened as he realized his mistake, stealing a glance at Yuan Xi, who was still sitting by the fire, lost in thought. He let out a sigh and decided to try and untangle it, but every attempt seemed to make it worse. Finally, he gave up and handed the comb back to her, feeling embarrassed.
Yuan Xi was initially filled with tender affection, but suddenly felt a tug on her scalp. Turning around, she saw Xiao Du sweating profusely as he tried to untangle her hair, leaving her dumbfounded.
But the harder he tried, the more tangled her hair became. Yuan Xi finally grew impatient and pulled her hair back, saying, “I’ll do it myself.”
Xiao Du was reluctant to let her feel that he couldn’t handle such a small task, so he tried to pull her back. In the tug-of-war, Yuan Xi stumbled forward and fell onto him. Xiao Du felt her warmth and softness enveloping him, and when he snapped out of it, he found her nestled against his chest, her soft curves pressing against him. He felt a rush of heat throughout his body, his mind going blank, not knowing where to place his hands or feet.
Yuan Xi felt embarrassed and anxious. With only a thin layer of fabric separating them, she could even feel his scorching skin against hers. She instinctively struggled to get up, but the friction between them intensified, igniting a fire within Xiao Du. He finally couldn’t resist and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately.
His hands entangled in her hair as his tongue teased her lips, exploring every corner of her mouth. Yuan Xi trembled as their breaths intertwined. At that moment, Xiao Du felt like he was burning up, and she was his only relief.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he reached into her clothes, feeling the softness he had longed for. Yuan Xi shivered with excitement, her body quivering as he explored her curves. She reached out to push him away, but he held her firmly, whispering in her ear, “Don’t be afraid.”
Yuan Xi slowly relaxed under his mesmerizing voice. After all, he was her husband, the one she willingly entrusted her life to. What was there to be afraid of?
But she still felt a bit awkward. She bit her lip and said softly, “But my clothes are still wet… I’m afraid I’ll wet you too…”
Xiao Du chuckled and nuzzled her nose, whispering, “Then take them off.” Yuan Xi closed her eyes tightly, feeling her heart race as he gently removed her remaining clothes, his warm lips trailing down her curves, sending shivers down her spine. His touch was so soft and smooth that she couldn’t help but sigh contentedly. Rationality had long been thrown out the window, leaving only instinct guiding them in their passionate entanglement.
A sudden sneeze shattered the romantic atmosphere in the cave. Xiao Du looked up incredulously, “Can you catch a cold like this?” Yuan Xi covered her face in embarrassment, not wanting to make such a sound at this moment, but she… was cold.
She endured it as long as she could, but finally couldn’t help but sniffle, the sound echoing clearly in the cave. Xiao Du couldn’t continue any longer, despite his affection for her. He stood up, handing her the clothes that had already been dried, and said, “Quickly put these on, don’t catch a cold.”
Seeing Yuan Xi shrink into her clothes like a guilty child, Xiao Du couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. He realized he had been too impulsive just now. He had planned to give her the best memory of their first time together, not in this cold and gloomy cave.
He furrowed his brows, grateful that he had stopped himself in time. He cleared his throat, forcing himself not to dwell on those passionate moments, and said in a casual tone, “The grass bedding is ready, you should go sleep over there.”
Yuan Xi softly replied, “Oh,” and took a few steps, but then turned back. In a mosquito-like voice, she said, “Aren’t you coming to sleep too?”
Xiao Du was about to respond when he suddenly froze. Yuan Xi wasn’t wearing an inner garment, and her oversized outer garment revealed her curves, still flushed with a blush. He felt his blood boil and quickly looked away, scolding himself for being unable to control himself even at this moment.
Unaware of his inner struggle, Yuan Xi saw him looking down and thought he was angry about what happened earlier. Feeling a bit aggrieved, she adjusted her clothes and lay down in the prepared depression. But she felt cold and lonely without him, tossing and turning but unable to fall asleep.
Hearing her occasional sniffles and sneezes, Xiao Du couldn’t help but turn to look. He saw her lying there, holding onto her shoulders, tears silently streaming down her face.
Immediately feeling distressed, he walked over and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yuan Xi lifted her small face pitifully and whispered, “I’m cold.”
Xiao Du sighed and had no choice but to lie down beside her, still wearing his clothes. Seeing her shoulders trembling, he reached out and hugged her, but hesitated to get too close.
Feeling the warmth from his body slowly seeping into hers, Yuan Xi turned over contentedly, resting her head on his warm chest and closing her eyes in comfort.
But Xiao Du couldn’t calm down. His body stiffened, filled with her fragrance, her softness pressed against him, making every inch of his skin crave more.
Yuan Xi, in a daze, hugged his waist and suddenly frowned, murmuring, “Your… thing is poking me again.” Impatiently, she tried to push it away, but as soon as she touched it, she jolted awake.
Having heard about it but never experienced it, she knew exactly what it was. Blushing furiously, she tried to push him away, but he held her tightly, his eyes filled with restraint and desire. He pleaded hoarsely, “Can I… have a bit more this time?”
The next day, sunlight slowly crept into the cave, illuminating the extinguished firewood. Xiao Du and Yuan Xi tidied themselves up and walked out of the cave, both looking a bit awkward. Xiao Du hovered around her, finally gathering the courage to ask, “Is your hand still sore?”
Yuan Xi immediately blushed and glared at him fiercely before walking ahead. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and found herself lying on his back. Xiao Du turned around and chuckled, “I did promise to carry you down the mountain. A real man keeps his word.”
Yuan Xi pressed her face against his back, feeling the cicadas chirping in the forest and pounding on her heart. Despite feeling a bit shaky and confused, there was a hint of sweetness bubbling up inside her.