Chapter 67: So Soft.

The two of them held each other quietly for a long time, until Gan Qiongying felt her ear, which was pressed against Lihua’s chest, go numb, and her waist ache from staying in the same position for too long. Only then did she move again.

She tried to get up.

But she didn’t succeed.

Lihua was holding her incredibly tight. It was only now that Gan Qiongying realized that Lihua’s body, which looked like it only had a thin layer of muscle, was actually so strong. When he exerted force, he could probably strangle several of her in one go.

Lihua’s breathing was steady now, as if he had fallen asleep, but the strength in his arms hadn’t relaxed.

Gan Qiongying struggled to lift her head from his embrace and looked up along his chin. His eyes were closed.

She wriggled slightly, trying to get off Lihua, but even after managing to move his arm from her waist, she was quickly pulled back again.

Lihua opened his eyes, clear and alert, with no trace of sleepiness at all.

Gan Qiongying and Lihua stared at each other for a moment, and a sudden inspiration struck her: “How about… we change positions?”

Lihua’s ears turned red. No matter how much he liked it, holding her any longer felt a bit excessive.

But when Gan Qiongying suddenly suggested changing positions, it struck right at his heart. He simply turned over while still holding her, shifting them from lying flat to facing each other on their sides.

Gan Qiongying’s aching waist found relief, and she rubbed her numb ear against Lihua’s shoulder. From Lihua’s perspective, she nestled her head against his arm, curling up into a small, adorable ball.

Gan Qiongying yawned. Once her ear stopped tingling, she stopped moving and naturally rested her hand on Lihua’s waist.

If the God of Wealth liked hugging, then so be it. Hug away.

Gan Qiongying even added this new discovery—“Lihua likes hugging”—to her list of daily interactions with him in the future.

The guiding principle was “fulfill every request.”

As for what Lihua was thinking or why he was doing this, Gan Qiongying didn’t bother analyzing it.

Her brain was already overworked from analyzing the plot all day. Trying to untangle the messy relationships of one woman and five men on her own was no small task.

And damn it, there wasn’t even overtime pay.

Her only source of income was the God of Wealth in her arms—the capital and reliance for her future escape. Forget just asking for a hug; even if Lihua made more outrageous demands now, Gan Qiongying would agree and actively cooperate.

Besides, Lihua’s embrace was tight but exceptionally pure. He didn’t have any inappropriate physical reactions, so Gan Qiongying wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

And after being in this world for so long, didn’t Gan Qiongying need hugs and closeness too?

She needed it more than anyone.

A lonely, unfamiliar world, struggling at every step, a garbage plot, a puppet brother…

If she weren’t so open-minded, she would’ve jumped off a building long ago!

Come to think of it, Lihua was one of the few people who could help her relax.

The other was Manyue.

Gan Qiongying held Lihua’s firm yet not soft waist, her mind wandering.

At Princess Hui’an’s birthday banquet this time, the Emperor should have attended. Princess Hui’an was their only remaining relative, and it would have been inappropriate for the Emperor not to come, both emotionally and logically.

But the Emperor truly didn’t come. Gan Qiongying didn’t even hear any eunuchs announcing the Emperor’s gifts. Yet, upon second thought, it felt all too normal.

Empress Dowager Kou Ning’an, that old witch, would never give the Emperor any chance to get close to the imperial clan. She was terrified that the Emperor might gain even the slightest bit of power and turn the world upside down.

Gan Qiongying planned to ask Princess Hui’an tomorrow whether the Emperor had sent anyone over.

Gan Qiongying lay drowsily in Lihua’s embrace, her arms wrapped around something warm at a constant thirty-seven degrees, and she quickly grew sleepy.

In her dazed state, Gan Qiongying thought it was a good thing Gan Lin hadn’t come, especially since the Regent was here.

Not long ago, Gan Qiongying had dug through Duan Rong’s memories and discovered that in the storyline, the Regent—damn him—beat people.

He beat the Emperor.

Though it was subtle, not a straightforward memory, Duan Rong seemed to have seen dark bruises on Gan Lin’s body after the Regent had come and gone from the palace.

Gan Qiongying nuzzled deeper into Lihua’s embrace, shifting to a more comfortable position, relaxing her thoughts as she prepared to drift off to sleep.

The memories of Duan Rong in her mind were sometimes so vivid she felt them as if they were her own, while other times they seemed hazy and indistinct, like a reflection in water.

But that was how people were—only the more unusual or significant memories stood out sharply, while the less remarkable ones only resurfaced when triggered by a “similar memory node.”

There was no end to troubling thoughts in a day, but Gan Qiongying had a good mindset and didn’t dwell on them, soon falling asleep.

After she fell asleep, Lihua remained awake.

He had an appointment at the third watch tonight.

The third watch was approaching, yet he lay on his side, burying his face in the disheveled hair of the person in his arms, unwilling to get up.

Only when San Jiu imitated the sound of birds outside did Lihua reluctantly loosen his arms from around Gan Qiongying’s soft body.

He thought she was like a Li Nu, impossibly soft all over, and she… she was so docile. Aside from trying to speak at first, which Lihua had stopped, she hadn’t said anything afterward. She hadn’t even asked why he had suddenly acted this way, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to be like this.

Did she enjoy such embraces too?

Lihua slowly relaxed his hold on Gan Qiongying’s body. The friction of the fabric against her skin caused a faint, ticklish sensation, like tiny insects crawling over her.

He let go halfway, then pulled her back into his embrace.

So soft.

He looked down at Gan Qiongying. Her face was flushed with sleep, her hair tousled, but her narrow, slightly upturned phoenix eyes, which were so lively and full of charm when open, now looked gentle and obedient when closed.

So obedient.

She lay nestled in the crook of his arm, her hand resting on his chest, her fingers slender and pale, tinged with a faint pink from the warmth of sleep.

So adorable.

Lihua’s heart felt as if it had melted into a pool of water, slowly seeping out through his senses.

A flash of lightning streaked outside, followed by the pitter-patter of rain against the windowpanes.

Lihua wanted even less to keep his appointment. The damp air seeped faintly through the window, and with the soft, warm body in his arms, he felt utterly languid. What appointment?

He pulled the quilt from behind him and draped it over himself and Gan Qiongying.

This was truly sharing a bed and pillow.

By the flickering lamplight in the room, Lihua gazed down at Gan Qiongying’s innocent sleeping face, his breath falling so close it was less than a finger’s width away.

But he always restrained himself from actually touching her. He believed that stealing a kiss would be an offense—it had to be when Gan Qiongying was awake and willing…

Realizing what he was thinking, Lihua soon felt his mouth go dry.

He truly was a principled and dignified gentleman, but he was also a normal man. He didn’t want to sneak a kiss from Gan Qiongying in such a dishonorable way, so he could only trace the lines of her brows and eyes with his gaze over and over again.

But this was undoubtedly like quenching thirst with poison.

Soon, the space between his nostrils was filled with the indescribable scent of soap mixed with the warmth of her body, rising like steam.

It couldn’t exactly be called fragrant, but as it lingered in Lihua’s nose, it made him grow hotter and hotter.

First, he instinctively held Gan Qiongying tighter, but soon he felt the heat gathering in an unspeakable place. Lihua froze for a moment, then startled, quickly letting go of her!

If Gan Qiongying had been awake at that moment, she would have seen the utter disarray and shame-filled look in Lihua’s eyes.

She would have also discovered that not only was he not indifferent to desire, but even the God of Wealth had his own longings—and his desires were as strong as his business acumen, with quite a notable prowess.

However, Gan Qiongying was dreaming of the Duke of Zhou, sharing steamed pork dumplings with him in her sleep.

After his own private turmoil, Lihua awkwardly bundled up the quilt and tucked it into Gan Qiongying’s arms as a substitute for himself, then got out of bed with a grim expression.

Just then, San Jiu’s birdcall changed to another pattern and drifted in again.

Lihua draped a long robe over himself and went to the back window, opening it. His eyes were filled with displeasure, but his tone was low and hoarse as he said, “What’s the rush?”

San Jiu: “Eldest Young Master, the time has passed.”

Did Lihua not know the time had passed? He just didn’t want to go.

But now, he was even more afraid to return to bed.

So he replied gloomily, “Coming.”

Zhongli Zhengzhen had parked the carriage in Hongmian Forest during the day, prepared in advance. By now, he had waited so long that his backside had gone numb from sitting in the carriage. Finally, he saw a small side door in the distance open, and two figures—one holding a lantern, the other an umbrella—walked unsteadily toward him.

But he probably would never have guessed that the reason he was able to meet his brother tonight was because Lihua’s restless heart was burning, and he had come out to vent his frustrations.