N-A-A Chapter 133 By the Window
Chapter 133 By the Window
At first, it was a sharp pain. The medicine, mixed with the heat of his palm, penetrated the skin and irritated the wound.
Su Wanwan bit her lower lip, her fingers gripping the bed sheet beneath her tightly.
Bai Rongbei kneaded the dough very carefully, applying even pressure.
He pressed his thumb against the edge of the bruise and pushed it little by little toward the center, dispersing the congealed blood.
After the pain subsides, there is a feeling of heat.
The pungent smell of the ointment filled the air, mingling with his clean scent.
Su Wanwan slowly relaxed her tense body. She secretly opened her eyes a little and looked out through the gap in her eyelashes.
Bai Rongbei squatted on the ground, his head slightly lowered, with a few stray hairs hanging down from his forehead.
His entire attention seemed to be focused on that small patch of skin under his hand, his gaze almost serious.
The warm yellow light outlined his strong eyebrows and high nose bridge, and the lines of his chin were taut.
As she watched, the embarrassment Su Wanwan felt strangely faded away.
Instead, a fine, indescribable warmth flowed slowly from the spot where his palm had been soothing her to her entire body.
He massaged very carefully, from the sides of the waist to the lower back, thoroughly massaging every area he felt might be affected.
At first, Su Wanwan's body stiffened due to the unfamiliar touch, but later, she felt that the just-right force dispelled the fatigue in her muscles and bones, making her feel so comfortable that she was a little drowsy.
The only sounds in the room were the rustling of hands against skin and the two people's soft breathing.
After a long while, Bai Rongbei finally stopped what he was doing.
The bruise had been rubbed until it was red and hot, and it didn't look so scary anymore.
"Alright," he said, withdrawing his hand, glancing at the remaining ointment on his palm, and standing up. "If it still hurts tomorrow, massage it again."
Su Wanwan quickly pulled down the hem of her clothes to cover her waist. Her face still flushed, she lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you..."
Bai Rongbei walked to the washbasin stand and washed his hands with the remaining cold water in the basin.
The water splashed.
Su Wanwan sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, her mind a jumbled mess.
So much happened tonight. He told me about his heavy past, that kiss on the rooftop, tinged with tears and the smell of alcohol, and just now... he was rubbing medicine on her.
Just then, Bai Rongbei returned, holding a wrung-out wet towel in his hand.
"Wipe your face." He handed her a towel.
Su Wanwan took the towel and applied the cool, moist towel to her face, which made her feel a little better.
She wiped her face and neck clean and handed the towel back to him.
Bai Rongbei took it and casually draped it over the back of the chair.
He sat down beside her, the bed slightly sagged.
The two sat side by side, neither of them speaking for a moment.
The light from the kerosene lamp cast their shadows close together on the opposite wall.
"Are you still afraid?" Bai Rongbei suddenly asked.
Su Wanwan was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was asking about what happened after she heard his stories.
She shook her head: "I'm not afraid anymore." After a pause, she added softly, "It's just... I feel sorry for you."
Bai Rong turned his head to the north to look at her.
Her eyes were slightly lowered, her cheeks had a soft curve, and her eyelashes cast a light shadow under her eyes.
The tip of my nose is still a little red; I don't know if it's from crying earlier or from the pain just now.
A certain part of his heart felt like it had been gently brushed by a feather, tickling and soft.
"It's all in the past," he said, his voice deeper than usual. "Just think of it as a story, don't be afraid."
Su Wanwan raised her head and looked at him.
His eyes were deep, reflecting her image and a hint of emotion she couldn't quite make out, but they were warm and reassuring.
She nodded slightly: "Mm."
Outside the window, the wind in the Gobi Desert seemed to have subsided, leaving only a long, empty wail.
A dog barked twice in the distance, but quickly fell silent.
Late at night.
The wind was stronger up in the attic than downstairs, making the window frames rattle slightly.
But neither of them felt the cold as they embraced.
Lin Weiwei felt a heat rising all over her body, from the inside out, as if Bai Si'an had set her on fire.
Lin Weiwei was out of breath, her head was spinning, as if it were stuffed with cotton.
Her fingers tightened around his shoulders, her nails digging into his taut muscles through the fabric of his shirt.
Bai Si'an stepped back slightly, giving her a moment to breathe. Their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling hotly.
"Bai Si'an..." Lin Weiwei's voice trembled, with a softness she herself didn't realize, "You...you mustn't..."
"Don't what?" he asked, his lips almost touching hers, his voice low and hoarse.
"Not here..." Lin Weiwei regained some of her composure, her eyes glancing at the boundless night outside the open window. "What if... what if someone..."
"This house has been empty for a long time, no one comes," Bai Si'an said, kissing her lips again. "And, you see..."
He loosened his grip on her slightly, gesturing for her to look out the window.
Lin Weiwei followed his gaze.
Apart from the starry sky and the blurry outline of the Gobi Desert under the moonlight, there was nothing else.
The nearest lights were hundreds of meters away, indistinct and vague, like another world.
"Only the stars can see it," Baisian whispered in her ear, his warm breath filling her ear canal. "The stars won't tell anyone."
Lin Weiwei felt a mix of laughter and embarrassment at his words, and playfully punched him, saying, "You have so many twisted logics!"
Bai Si'an grasped her hand, and through his shirt, she could feel his heart pounding powerfully, fast and heavy, just like hers.
"So, do you like it?" he asked, his eyes fixed on her, his gaze burning behind his glasses.
Lin Weiwei stopped talking, buried her face in his neck, and gently bit him.
Bai Si'an chuckled softly.
He held her tighter, kissed her again, and gave her no chance to be distracted.
The only sounds in the attic were the wind, the soft rustling of lips, and their increasingly heavy heartbeats and breaths.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Bai Si'an finally released her.
Lin Weiwei leaned against him, her body limp and she had no strength left.
Bai Si'an held her close, resting his chin on the top of her head, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky outside the window.
The starlight shone in his eyes, making them sparkle.
"Tired?" he asked, his fingers stroking her hair lightly.
"Mmm..." Lin Weiwei responded vaguely, snuggling closer to him to find a more comfortable position.
He was warm and smelled nice, which made people feel at ease.
"Shall we go back?" Bai Si'an asked again.
Lin Weiwei shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist: "Let's stay a little longer... it's quiet here."
Bai Si'an stopped talking and simply hugged her tighter.
The two nestled together quietly, gazing at the eternal starry sky outside the window. Time seemed to slow down, slow enough to count each other's heartbeats.
The night wind continued to blow, carrying the dry scent of distant sand.
The last few lights in the distant camp went out one by one, and the entire Gobi Desert sank into a quiet darkness, with only the starry sky shining brightly overhead.
Lin Weiwei's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. In Bai Si'an's arms, she felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and drowsiness.
In her daze, she thought of Wanwan and Commander Bai in the next courtyard, wondering what they were doing at that moment.