On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya prepared to stand up, only to find that her legs were numb from sitting for so long, and she stumbled and fell towards Shen Xinghe in front of her.

Everything happened so fast that she didn't even have time to scream before she lost her balance and fell forward.

Just when she thought she was about to fall awkwardly onto the rocks, she unexpectedly bumped into a slender but strong embrace.

Shen Xinghe almost instinctively reached out to support her.

Zhao Ya's cheek brushed lightly against his clothes, and her nose was instantly enveloped by that familiar scent of cedar, clearer and more real than when she had been meditating.

Through the thin fabric, she could feel the warmth of Shen Xinghe's chest, and his heartbeat, which suddenly became rapid—she didn't know if it was hers or his.

In an instant, a unique aura completely enveloped Zhao Ya's mind.

The scent wasn't from the crisp, clean smell of cedarwood, but rather a warm, clean aura belonging to a young man.

The scent was like sun-dried grass, refreshing after being washed by mountain spring water, with a faint hint of sweat after exercise. It wasn't offensive; instead, it created a hormonal aroma that made the girl, just beginning to experience romantic feelings, frantically disrupting her rationality.

This unexpected event left both of them stunned.

Zhao Ya froze in Shen Xinghe's arms, inhaling his increasingly intoxicating and lingering scent, her cheeks instantly burning hot.

She could feel Shen Xinghe's hands on her shoulders and waist tighten slightly, the force supporting her just right without making her feel offended.

"Are you alright?" His voice came from above, still calm and unmoved, as if this unexpected intimate contact had not stirred any ripples in his heart.

The sound forced Zhao Ya back to reality, forcing her to abandon her greedy desire to linger in the other person's arms and continue to absorb that captivating and pleasant scent.

Zhao Ya tried to stand up straight in a panic, but her legs were numb and she couldn't muster any strength, so she swayed in his arms again.

This slight sway made her feel the lines of his body more clearly; he was slender yet surprisingly muscular.

At the same time, this movement made the captivating masculine scent even stronger as it entered her nasal cavity.

She felt her face burning even more, and even her ears were burning.

"I'm sorry..." Her voice trembled, and she barely dared to look up at him.

Shen Xinghe's voice came from above again, still calm, but seemed a little lower than usual: "It's okay. Your legs are numb, don't move them yet."

He helped her sit down on the rock again.

Zhao Ya kept her head down, not daring to look him in the eye, feeling as if her face was burning hot enough to fry an egg.

The warmth of his fingertips seeped through the thin fabric, like a tiny electric current, leaving a tingling sensation on her skin.

"Take your time to move your ankles around." Shen Xinghe squatted down beside her, maintaining a just-right distance.

Just as Zhao Ya was about to rotate her ankle as instructed, he suddenly reached out and gently grasped her bare calf.

Zhao Ya trembled and almost cried out in alarm.

His fingers were warm and smooth, almost like a woman's, and Zhao Ya was slightly taken aback the moment they touched her skin.

Shen Xinghe had good skin, and Zhao Ya's skin was no less so. When Shen Xinghe's fingers gently touched Zhao Ya's calves, he felt that her skin was as delicate as the finest silk, with the softness and elasticity unique to a young girl's skin. Her calves, which rarely saw the sun, were fair and pink, shimmering with a pearly luster in the sunlight. At this moment, because of his touch, they were visibly blushing with a faint pink hue.

"Let me massage it for you, that will help your blood circulation recover faster," he explained, his voice still calm, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a slight, almost imperceptible tension.

"Hmm~" Zhao Ya responded in a barely audible voice, frozen in place, not daring to move.

She lowered her head, her gaze wandering, until it finally settled on Shen Xinghe's hands that were massaging her.

Shen Xinghe's fingers were fair and slender with distinct knuckles, which contrasted sharply with the delicate skin of her calves.

This intimate contact far exceeded Zhao Ya's expectations, making her both shy and unable to resist the warmth.

The warmth of Shen Xinghe's fingertips spread across Zhao Ya's skin.

The gentle yet firm fingertips pressed slowly against her delicate skin, bringing a wonderful sensation.

She could clearly feel the perfect pressure from his fingertips, which relieved the numbness in her legs without causing her pain, and instead brought an indescribable sense of comfort.

The numbness in my legs gradually subsided, replaced by another, more unsettling sensation.

His fingers moved slowly along her calves, occasionally brushing against her sensitive ankles, causing her to tremble involuntarily.

When his thumb accidentally brushed against the most delicate skin on the inside of her calf, a tingling sensation shot through her head, almost making her weak in the knees.

This accidental touch made her shy and want to escape, yet she also craved more, creating an immense inner conflict.

Shen Xinghe was focused on his movements, his profile appearing exceptionally gentle amidst the spray from the waterfall.

For a fleeting moment, Zhao Ya thought his ears seemed to be faintly red, but perhaps it was just an illusion caused by the light and shadow.

"Are you feeling better?" After a while, Shen Xinghe finally spoke slowly, raising his delicate face and looking at Zhao Ya with his beautiful eyes.

Zhao Ya nodded, then carefully stood up. The numbness in her legs had indeed subsided considerably.

"Thank you." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Her legs were no longer numb, but the heat on her face hadn't subsided at all, and her heart was still beating incredibly fast.

This unexpected intimate contact was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating sweet ripples in her heart.

She secretly glanced at her calf, where the touch of his fingers seemed to still linger. She could even feel that the skin where he had touched was still slightly warm, as if it remembered the temperature of his fingertips and lingered there, its delicate warmth softening her heart.

Zhao Ya stood there, her legs still a little weak, not just because of the numbness from before, but also because of the lingering sensation of Shen Xinghe's fingertips. She secretly glanced at him and found him adjusting his cuffs, his movements still elegant and composed, as if the intimate contact had never happened.

"Let's go." Shen Xinghe raised his head, his gaze calmly fixed on the direction where everyone was.

Looking at the others, they all seemed to be saying, "We're not in a hurry, you two can take your time."

Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao, in particular, couldn't stop smiling like doting aunts.

Su Yuqing had already returned to Chen Mo's side, holding his hand tightly and whispering sweet nothings in his ear, "Looks like there's potential."

Chen Mo glanced at Li Zhe, whose face remained expressionless, and said with a wry smile, "Some are happy, some are sad." (End of Chapter)