The Road Home

Chapter 24

Inside the room there was only a trace of light.

Outside, separated from them by only a single pane of glass, were temperatures of minus ten degrees Celsius and lower, but the bed sheets were still damp and hot from being wrapped around the both of them.

That night, when he arrived at the scene and watched as some people arranged the evacuation of the crowds, Lu Yanchen had stood smoking beside the window in a corner of a second-floor corridor. By his feet had been a garbage can stuffed full with different kinds of household and day-to-day trash. Into his lungs he had inhaled a deep drag of smoke, which had felt as if it was making its rounds through every part of his insides. He had been thinking about her, and what he had thought about were actually some vivid, sensuous images. Prior to heading down, he had recollected that pleasure for a little while. After he had done so to his heart's content, he had gone downstairs and then no longer dared to even think about her in the slightest. Gui Xiao, this name and the person, was too able to distract his mind.

The scent of her hair and its ends. The curve of her lips. The tones of her light moans and their several changes in pitch that slipped forth when certain places on her were touched... And occasionally, she would be overtaken by the moment and involuntarily reach her hand downwards and touch his body.

He could not let himself think about those, for the instant he did, he would regret it—regret that he had not taken things to that final step. From when she was young to now when she was an adult, from when she was a young girl to now when she was a grown girl, he had never known what it felt like to seek those sensual pleasures and make love with her. If he truly were to die, this would almost be the greatest regret of his life.

But now, since his luck had not been so bad as to end up being killed in the line of duty with his military boots still on, there really should be nothing about which to have qualms.

How to do the deed is something all grown adults know.

When they really were doing it, though, it was not as easy and wonderful as one would imagine.

The ends of Lu Yanchen's hair were drenched with sweat, and the mark on his shoulder was still there from when Gui Xiao had bitten down fiercely on him. He leaned his right palm into the wall at the head of the bed, his throat feeling as if it had been scoured by sandpaper, aching and dry as he tried to call her name.

Pleasure that he could not restrain soared up abruptly in him. Their first one.

Gui Xiao's eyelashes were completely dampened, and gently they fluttered. Every one of her fingers quivered slightly as her hands hugged his nape. All the strength in her entire body seemed suddenly to have been sucked from her. "Lu Chen... Lu Chen." Aside from calling his name, she did not know what to say.

Lu Yanchen brought his face down and nuzzled it against her sweat-covered one, quietly asking, "You really did cry?"

"Mm-hmm..." It had hurt crazily.

Gui Xiao turned over in the bed. Having just recovered from a great illness, this tiring-out that she had received was utterly equivalent to getting every bone broken and then reset once again. Everywhere ached. She did not know whether she hurt more inside or outside. In any case, just like when they were young and she had simply sat waiting for him to finish cooking so she could eat, and then, after the meal was finished, been in charge only of staying by his side and acting cute or chatting with him, she now did not lift a finger or bother to take care of anything.

Lu Yanchen picked up his pants and slipped them on. With his upper body still bare, he was coming and going beside the bed. He washed and warmed a towel and wiped her body down from top to bottom with it. With napkins, he as much as possible wiped the bed sheets clean. Then he went and had a hot shower himself. When he came back, he saw Gui Xiao curled up and leaning against the head of the bed, looking at her mobile phone.