The next morning, when the two met in the living room, the atmosphere was still subtly awkward and unnatural.
Meng Ruozhao had faint dark circles under her eyes, apparently having slept poorly.
When she saw Pei Jiangmu, she subconsciously looked at his arm first.
"Does the wound still hurt? Do you need to change the dressing?"
Pei Jiangmu shook his head. He seemed to be in better spirits than her, but his eyes always followed her, observing her with a kind of cautiousness.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. Didn't you sleep well, sister?"
"I'm fine."
Meng Ruozhao avoided his gaze and turned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"I'll make breakfast today."
Breakfast was spent in a quiet silence.
It wasn't until Meng Ruozhao was about to go out that Pei Jiangmu seemed to muster up the courage to call out to her, "Sister..."
"Hmm?" Meng Ruozhao turned back.
"The 'charging'," his voice was very soft, his eyes flitted about, and the tips of his ears turned red. "Does it start today?"
Meng Ruozhao was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.
Looking at his expectant yet shy appearance, the heavy scenes from last night seemed to fade a lot.
Her heart softened, and she nodded. "Yes. We'll talk about it when I get back tonight."
A brilliant smile instantly bloomed on Pei Jiangmu's face, as if he had received the most precious promise in the world.
"Okay! I'll wait for you to come back."
Throughout the day, Meng Ruozhao was a bit absent - minded on the set.
Yi Mo noticed her abnormality and came over during the break to ask with concern.
"Ruozhao, what's wrong? You seem out of it. Didn't you rest well last night? Or did something happen?"
Looking at Yi Mo's concerned eyes, Meng Ruozhao felt a desire to confide.
About Pei Jiangmu's illness, about last night's thrilling events, and about that promise...
All these things were weighing on her heart, making her feel at a loss.
But in the end, she held back.
Pei Jiangmu's illness was his privacy, and she couldn't tell others without his permission, even her best friend.
She shook her head and forced a smile.
"It's okay. There was a sudden power outage in the apartment last night. I got a bit scared and didn't sleep well."
"Power outage? Are you okay?"
Yi Mo asked worriedly.
Early this morning, they learned from the property management that the power outage was because someone was constructing near the community and dug through a cable.
After an emergency repair, the power had been restored.
"I'm fine. I was just startled."
Meng Ruozhao changed the topic and started talking about the costumes.
But her thoughts would involuntarily drift back home, to Pei Jiangmu, who she didn't know what he was doing at the moment.
Was he in a stable mood today?
Did his wound still hurt?
Would he be bullied at school?
This inexplicable concern even surprised herself.
After work, she even declined Yi Mo's invitation to have dinner together and rushed back to the apartment in a hurry.
When she opened the door, the room was filled with the aroma of food.
Pei Jiangmu was wearing an apron and was just taking two plates of exquisitely arranged spaghetti out of the kitchen.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, he looked up, and his eyes instantly lit up, like a big dog that had been waiting at the door for its owner to come home.
"Sister, the spaghetti is just right. I timed it perfectly."
He seemed to be in a great state, with a warm and bright smile.
The gauze on his arm had been replaced with a smaller waterproof dressing. He looked fresh and domestic, showing no trace of the broken and crazy appearance from last night.
Meng Ruozhao looked at the steaming spaghetti on the table and then at his expectant eyes. A certain corner of her heart suddenly softened.
"So you asked me when I'd be back just to time the cooking of the spaghetti?"
She put down her bag, smiled at him while changing her shoes.
Pei Jiangmu didn't say a word, just lowered his head shyly and smiled.
The atmosphere at dinner was much more relaxed than in the morning.
Pei Jiangmu seemed to deliberately create a lively atmosphere. He told her interesting things that happened at school and asked about her work on the set, never mentioning last night or his illness.
Meng Ruozhao cooperated with him, and her mood gradually relaxed.
It wasn't until after dinner, when they had finished cleaning up the dishes together, that the moment of that subtle "promise" finally arrived.
The air in the living room seemed to become a bit thick again.
Pei Jiangmu was standing beside the sofa, his hands nervously wringing together. His eyes wandered, his cheeks were slightly red, looking tangled as if he wanted to remind her but didn't dare to speak.
Meng Ruozhao looked at his appearance and found it a bit funny and also a bit heart - softening.
She took a deep breath, walked forward actively, opened her arms, and said softly, "Come on. It's 'charging' time."
Pei Jiangmu's eyes suddenly lit up, as if filled with stars.
He was almost impatient, but tried his best to control his strength. He took a cautious step forward and gently embraced her.
This hug was different from last night's hug, which was full of despair and comfort.
It was quieter, longer, and more... heart - fluttering.
Meng Ruozhao could clearly feel the warmth from his chest and his strong heartbeat.
She could also smell the clean fragrance of the shower gel on him. If she smelled carefully, there was also a faint smell of medicine mixed in.
"Did you go to the hospital to change the dressing today?"
She asked softly.
Pei Jiangmu gave a low hum.
His strong arms wrapped around her waist. The strength was gentle but firm, with an undeniable possessiveness.
Meng Ruozhao's cheek inevitably touched his shoulder, and she could feel the strong and tense muscle lines under his T - shirt.
Time passed by second by second.
No one said another word. There was only the intertwined sound of their breathing and the increasingly clear sound of their heartbeats.
Meng Ruozhao originally just wanted to fulfill a comforting promise.
But in this quiet and close hug, her heart began to beat faster uncontrollably, and her cheeks started to burn.
That familiar fluttering feeling emerged again.
Pei Jiangmu was also extremely excited.
He closed his eyes and greedily absorbed the warmth and fragrance from her body, feeling the softness in his arms.
These five minutes were like heaven to him.
Every cell was shouting with satisfaction, but also craving for more.
He had to use all his strength to control his impulse to hold her tighter and kiss the top of her head.
It turned out that self - restraint after getting was far more painful than the madness when not getting.
Finally, the five minutes were up.
Pei Jiangmu almost forced himself to loosen his arms and step back with great willpower.
His breathing was a bit rapid, and there was still an unquelled undercurrent in his eyes, but he tried to squeeze out a clean smile.
"Thank you, sister. I'm fully charged today."
Meng Ruozhao quickly lowered her head, trying to hide her burning cheeks and the chaotic beating of her heart. Her voice was a bit unsteady.
"Okay, that's good. I'll go take a shower first."
She rushed into the bathroom almost as if she was fleeing.
Leaning against the bathroom door, she covered her still - pounding heart with her hand. Looking at herself with a blushing face in the mirror, her mind was in a complete mess.
What on earth was going on?
It was just a hug to help him.
Why was her reaction so strong?
That hug felt so strange.
It was as if they had hugged each other thousands of times before.
In the living room, after she left, the forced smile on Pei Jiangmu's face slowly disappeared.
He slowly raised his hand and looked at the arm that had just hugged her. His fingertips trembled slightly, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes.
Everything was developing in the direction he had expected.