Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

His chest pressed against her back, and through the two thin layers of clothing, his body temperature was clearly felt.

Arya's body slowly softened from its stiffness.

She snuggled closer to him, her back pressed against his chest and her buttocks against his lower abdomen.

Lin Yu rested his chin on the top of her head, his breath spraying onto her hair.

"Are you still cold?" he asked.

"Hmm..." Arya's voice was muffled and nasal: "It's still cold."

Lin Yu tightened his arms, holding her even closer.

His palm covered the back of her hand, his thumb gently stroking between her fingers.

Her fingers were icy cold, and he rubbed them one by one, from the fingertips to the base.

After rubbing for a while, Arya's hands warmed up.

But her feet were still cold; her toes touched his calves, making his muscles tense.

Lin Yu stretched out his leg, clamped her foot between his calves, and pressed her sole against his calf.

Arya's toes curled up slightly, then slowly relaxed, pressing against his skin for warmth.

The coolness seeped in from my calves, like a small piece of ice on my skin.

Lin Yu didn't move, just held it there.

About two and a half minutes later, Arya's whole body warmed up.

But she still snuggled closer to Lin Yu, as if she wanted to embed herself into his body.

Arya rolled over to face Lin Yu, buried her face in his chest, and clutched his clothes with both hands.

"Hold me tighter..." she murmured, her voice muffled, as if talking in her sleep.

Lin Yu tightened his arms.

Her body pressed completely against his, her soft chest against his chest, her thighs against his thighs, and her knees against his knees.

Through the thin fabric, I could feel every rise and fall of her body, every inch of its temperature.

Her breath brushed against his collarbone, warm and with a faint sweetness.

Lin Yu glanced down at her.

Arya's eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembled slightly, the blush on her cheeks had not yet faded, and her lips were a little redder than before, slightly parted.

The neckline of her nightgown had shifted during her movement, revealing a section of her shoulder and collarbone. The fair skin below her collarbone shimmered softly in the warm light from the fireplace.

Lin Yu withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes.

The rain outside lessened a bit, and the sound of the rain changed from a pounding down to a drizzling down, hitting the roof with a muffled sound.

The fire in the stove crackled, and the firewood burned to its end, collapsing in half.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of two people breathing in sync.

Arya's body gradually warmed up, changing from icy cold to warm, like a piece of jade being warmed, soft and warm against his chest.

Her breathing became steady, no longer rapid, and breathed on his chest in short, rhythmic gasps.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yu was almost asleep.

But Arya seemed to feel it wasn't enough; in her dream, she frowned and unconsciously groped with her hand.

A more sustainable heat source has been found.

Arya's brow relaxed, and she murmured, "So warm..."

As she spoke, she nestled her head into Lin Yu's arms.

Lin Yu looked down at her.

She was sleeping soundly, breathing steadily, with a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, as if she were having a sweet dream.

Lin Yu placed his hand on Arya's hand, trying to pull her hand away.

But Arya held on tightly, as if she had grasped some precious treasure and refused to let go.

Lin Yu paused for a moment, then withdrew his finger.

Forget it.

Her fever hadn't subsided, and she was in a daze, probably unaware of what she was grabbing.

Lin Yu closed his eyes.

The touch, warm and soft, came through the fabric as her fingers encircled it.

Her fingers twitched occasionally, as if she were unconsciously caressing them.

Lin Yu's breathing became heavier.

But he didn't move; he just lay there.

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided, from a drizzle to a pitter-patter, until finally only the sound of water dripping from the eaves remained.

The fire in the stove had completely gone out, but the embers still glowed with a dark red light. The room wasn't cold, and the two of them huddled together, the bed warm as springtime.

Lin Yu didn't know when he fell asleep.

......

Arya woke up as dawn broke.

Light seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a thin white line along the edge of the bed.

She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Lin Yu's face.

He lay beside her, on his side, with one hand under his head and the other on her waist.

His eyelashes drooped, his nose was high and straight, his lips were slightly pursed, and his breathing was steady.

It was so close that I could see the fine downy hairs on his face.

Arya paused for a moment.

Last night's events slowly came back to mind.

Heavy rain, a tree hollow, Lin Yu has arrived.

He carried her back, changed her clothes, and then...

Her face flushed red.

Then he crawled into bed and hugged her.

She snuggled closer to him, and he held her even tighter.

And then...

Arya felt something in her hand.

It feels very substantial and is warm to the touch...

It also carries a certain...pulse?

Arya's mind went blank.

She slowly lowered her head and lifted a corner of the blanket to look inside.

At this moment, her hand was gently holding Lin Yu's.

She circled it with her fingers, her thumb resting on it, and her knuckles unconsciously rubbed against it.

Arya's mind went blank.

She released her hand as if burned, pulled it away, and shrank it to her chest.

My face was burning hot.

She didn't dare look at Lin Yu's face, turned her back to him, and buried her face in the pillow.

The pillow was cold, but her face was burning hot.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.

She closed her eyes, her mind filled with the image from just now.

It was so big, so hot, that her hand could just barely grasp it, but it was still a bit difficult...

Arya buried her face even deeper, her ears turning bright red.

She cursed herself in her heart.

How could you... how could you do such a thing?

He must have sensed it, right?

Wouldn't you think she's a shameless woman?

Arya gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, her nails digging into the fabric.

After a long while, she slowly lifted her head from under the pillow.

The breathing behind him was still steady; Lin Yu was still asleep.

She breathed a sigh of relief and slowly turned around.

Lin Yu was still asleep, in the same position, breathing steadily.

The morning light fell on his face, making him look very quiet, like a big boy.

Arya looked at his face, and her heartbeat gradually calmed down.

His eyebrows, his nose, his lips.

When she's asleep, she doesn't have that enigmatic smile she usually wears; she looks very well-behaved.

Arya's fingers twitched, as if she wanted to touch his face.

The finger was extended halfway before being pulled back.

"No, what if I disturb Mr. Lin Yu... that would be very awkward," Arya thought to herself.

She bit her lip and stared at Lin Yu's face for a long time.

A tenderness flashed in her eyes, and then, as if possessed, Arya slowly moved closer.

Her lips brushed against his cheek.

It was very light, like a feather brushing against you.

Touch and then leave.

Arya shrank back under the covers, her heart racing again.

She turned her back to him, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and curled up into a ball.

A few seconds later, she couldn't help but turn around and glance at him again.

Lin Yu did not wake up.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed.

Arya quietly lifted the covers and sat up.

My ankle still hurts a little when I put my foot on the ground, but it's much better than last night, and I can walk.

She glanced back at Lin Yu on the bed and tucked his blanket in.

Then she picked up the coat from the bedside, put it on, and walked out of the room barefoot.

The ashes in the living room stove were still emitting a little heat, so she added two more pieces of firewood, and the fire started again.

What's on the kitchen stove?

Arya walked over and saw a dark brown wooden food box, finely crafted with brass trim around the edges.

There was a note on top of the food box.

She picked up the note; it was written in Lin Yu's handwriting.

"Eat if you're hungry. Don't wait for me. I've already eaten. Don't move your feet. I'll heal you with a magic potion."

Arya's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the note.

She opened the food box.

Inside were steak, mushroom soup, vegetable salad, and a small basket of crispy toast.

The food box was imbued with a temperature-regulating magic, keeping the food warm, and the aroma wafted out with its heat.

Arya brought out the food and sat down at the table.

She scooped a spoonful of soup into her mouth, the umami flavor of the mushrooms melting on her tongue, and a warm sensation flowing down her throat.

It's warm and feels very comfortable.

She ate another piece of steak; the meat was tender and juicy, bursting with flavor in her mouth.

It was delicious, better than anything she had ever eaten in her life.

It wasn't because the ingredients were expensive, but because Lin Yu brought them back for her.

Arya lowered her head, and tears fell into the soup bowl.

I can't explain why I'm crying.

Perhaps it's because I'm sick and more vulnerable, perhaps it's the fear of almost dying in the forest last night, or perhaps it's just because of that sentence on the note.

"Eat if you're hungry, don't wait for me."

It was a very ordinary sentence, but after her parents died, no one ever said it to her again.

She has lived alone for so many years. When she is hungry, she cooks for herself, and when she is cold, she wraps herself tightly in the quilt. No one has ever cared whether she has eaten or is cold.

Arya wiped away her tears and took another sip of soup.

Tears started falling again.

She ate and cried at the same time, her tears flowing into her mouth, salty and mixed with the umami flavor of the soup, making it hard to describe the taste.

But just as she was engrossed in eating, a hand landed on her head.