Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

That evening, Zhou Jingchen glanced at the clothes she had changed out of in the bathroom and, as usual, washed her underwear and hung her clothes to dry.

Wenxi didn't scold him anymore. She just blushed, lay on the bed, covered her head with the blanket, and secretly peeked at him through a gap.

Zhou Jingchen was very tall, with a lean and muscular physique that was handsome and upright, exuding a strange sexual tension.

His hands were also very beautiful, with large palms, long fingers, and well-defined knuckles...

Wenxi suddenly felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck. Remembering the warmth of his large hand on the back of her neck, her face turned red inch by inch under the blanket.

Seeing him finish hanging the clothes and turn around, she immediately sewed the quilt closed and huddled in the darkness.

The footsteps grew closer. Zhou Jingchen stood by the bed and tried to pull the blanket over her head, but couldn't budge it.

"Don't you feel bored?" he asked.

She released her grip, gently bit her lower lip, and looked at him with her bright, clear eyes.

Zhou Jingchen suddenly felt a strong urge to kiss her again. He lowered his head, his lips stopping abruptly just two or three centimeters from hers. He gently rubbed her cheek, his voice soothingly and tender: "Go to sleep." He lay back down on his bed and turned off the light.

The shameful noises from the next room from the previous night were no longer coming.

The night was quiet.

Nobody can sleep.

-

On their third day in Haizhou, the two planned to visit the aquarium and the museum.

After having seafood noodles for breakfast, we went to the local museum. It was crowded during the holiday, and there was a queue to get in. Zhou Jingchen has a disability certificate, so he took Wenxi with him into the fast lane.

The museum has three floors, and the two of them started from the top floor and visited from top to bottom.

Wenxi, dressed in a white dress and carrying a small crossbody bag, exuded youthful energy. She glanced at the artifacts superficially, her mind far from being on them.

Today, her gaze kept uncontrollably falling on his sharp, thin lips... as if some kind of magic was attracting her.

Wenxi was absent-minded. Her fingertips lightly brushed against a glass cover, and through the reflection, she saw Zhou Jingchen standing behind her, leaning on his cane.

"This artifact is a 'gold-inlaid silver comb with concentric circles'," he suddenly said. "I've seen it in a book."

Wenxi snapped out of her daze and looked down to examine the object inside the glass case—

It was a remarkably exquisite silver comb. The gold inlay technique outlined an intertwined concentric knot pattern. The edges of the comb back were decorated with a honeysuckle scroll pattern, the lines flowing and gentle. The characters "昭" and "婉" were engraved in tiny characters on the inside of the comb teeth.

Wenxi asked, "Is there anything special about this artifact?"

Zhou Jingchen, leaning on his cane, took two steps forward and stood beside her, explaining the story behind it:

"This is an artifact from the Southern Dynasties. A general named Xiao Zhao was injured in battle after falling from his horse. He was rescued by a commoner woman named Su Wan, and the two fell in love. Before leaving to fight, the general had someone carve this silver comb from his family's heirloom silver plaque as a token, promising Su Wan: 'Once I have pacified the northern frontier, I will definitely return to marry you.'"

Eight years later, when he returned from the war, he was told that the woman had fallen ill from longing for him, and that she had died from her injuries sustained in the raid on their village by Huairou soldiers six months earlier. Later, Emperor Wu of Liang, in an attempt to win over Xiao Zhao, wanted to marry his princess to the general, but he refused. He remained unmarried for the rest of his life. After his death, he was buried with Su Wan. In 89, their tomb was excavated by archaeologists, and the gold-inlaid silver comb with concentric circles was found on his chest.

"Huh?" Wenxi was taken aback.

Then he complained, "Seriously, they were buried peacefully, why dig up their graves? It's like the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, which was originally colorful, but faded quickly after being exposed to oxygen, resulting in its current appearance. These two people were deeply in love and buried together, and now their graves have been dug up, and their tokens of love have been stolen and displayed. This is just too inappropriate."

Looking at her adorable expression, Zhou Jingchen chuckled, "What you said makes sense, but everything has two sides. If the government doesn't excavate and protect them, then tomb raiders will, and many cultural relics will end up abroad. This is a complicated issue, and it's not something we can decide."

"Oh..." Wenxi stared quietly at the artifact, murmuring, "But, are there really such devoted people in this world? One waited for the other for eight years, and the other couldn't live without her, remaining unmarried for life..."

The glass dome reflected the handsome silhouette of the young man behind her, and Wenxi's gaze involuntarily fell once again on his thin lips.

Zhou Jingchen stared at her for a long time without responding to her words.

-

On the recommendation of a local taxi driver, the two went to an authentic seafood restaurant for dinner.

Besides seafood dishes, the restaurant also features Shanlan wine, brewed by the owner herself.

This wine is made from drought-tolerant glutinous rice and has a fragrant aroma and a delicate, mellow taste. Especially in summer, when chilled, it has a refreshing, sweet and sour flavor and is very popular among locals.

Wenxi had never drunk much alcohol before, and she thought both baijiu and beer were hard to drink. But now, she was tasting this sweet wine, which tasted like a beverage, for the first time, and she loved it.

Zhou Jingchen was restrained and rational, and only drank two small glasses.

Shanlan wine is indeed delicious, but he doesn't drink too much. He only takes a small sip of anything other than Wenxi wine, and he also considers that the two of them shouldn't both get drunk while traveling.

Wenxi imitated Wen Zhiting's usual way of drinking at home, taking a bite of food, picking up a small cup, squinting her eyes, and taking a sip, seemingly enjoying it.

The restaurant owner gave her a thumbs up: "Young lady, you have a good capacity for alcohol." The praise made her even more excited, and she drank one glass after another with the boldness of a newborn calf, ignoring Zhou Jingchen's advice and drinking until her cheeks were flushed.

Back at the hotel, Wenxi was already unsteady on her feet as she went upstairs. She seemed a little dazed and her upper body was swaying.

When Zhou Jingchen opened the door, she leaned against him and pointed to the overhead light, asking, "Why is the light bulb dancing disco?"

Zhou Jingchen chuckled helplessly and half-embraced her as they entered the room.

He helped her take off her shoes and socks, touched her flushed cheeks, and asked, "Can you still take a shower?"

"Hmm," Wenxi pouted slightly, exhaling a faint scent of alcohol, "I'm not drunk, Zhou Jingchen. You underestimate me too much."

He said, "Or we can just go to sleep."

"No, I feel uncomfortable if I don't take a bath." Wenxi squinted and reached out to take off her skirt.

The moment her fair shoulders were revealed, Zhou Jingchen's pupils contracted slightly, and he hurriedly turned around, his fingers gripping his cane even tighter.

Thunder rumbled outside the window, and dark clouds gathered, as if the weather was about to change.

Wenxi had been drinking and was feeling very hot all over. She took off her skirt and staggered barefoot to the bathroom to take a shower.

Zhou Jingchen picked up her clothes from the ground and put them aside, then prepared a nightgown and a change of underwear for her.

After a while, the sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped. Wenxi couldn't find her change of clothes, so she stood inside calling Zhou Jingchen's name.

She had barely spoken when the bathroom door was pushed open a crack, and Zhou Jingchen handed her the clothes.

Wenxi chuckled, like a female hooligan, and brushed her fingertips across the back of his hand before taking the clothes.