"Do you miss me?" Zhou Huaian couldn't help tightening his arms around Lin Wanning. He buried his head in her shoulder, greedily inhaling the unique fragrance that emanated from her.
"Um..." Lin Wanning's face was so red that it seemed blood would drip. Her hands also tightened unconsciously.
Having received a definite response, Zhou Huaian cupped Lin Wanning's face with both hands. He just wanted to kiss her. This longing had accompanied him for countless days and nights.
But before his lips could touch hers, the door was pushed open from the outside by Chen Shufen.
At first, Zhou Huaian was like a wolf whose hunt had been unexpectedly interrupted. His eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, glaring hatefully at the intruder.
But when he saw it was his mother-in-law, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly let go of Lin Wanning's face, turned around awkwardly, and faced his back to Chen Shufen, who had suddenly barged in.
"Wanning, can't you make the bed? Let me help you."
Actually, Chen Shufen had seen everything just now, but she pretended to be very calm, acting as if she had seen nothing. Anyway, she would never allow Lin Wanning and Zhou Huaian to be alone together like this anymore.
"No, no. I'm almost done. Mom, you go and rest first. I'll finish it soon."
Lin Wanning, with a blushing face, didn't dare to look her mother in the eye. Even her eyes were evasive.
"It's okay. Mom isn't tired. I'll help you. You've been busy all day today. You must be tired. Back then, when your dad wasn't sick, if I was tired after work, he would take care of all the household chores."
"Alas, now his health is poor. I don't know when he'll get better."
Hearing her mother's words, Lin Wanning blinked, not knowing what to say. How could she not understand the double meaning in her mother's words?
Her eyes involuntarily glanced at Zhou Huaian's reaction, wondering if this blockhead had understood.
"Auntie, don't worry. I've already asked Xiao Zhao to go back and arrange for a doctor to come and see Dad. And the reason I'm staying here is that I hope I can be of some help when the doctor comes tomorrow."
"And I'll make the bed. I always made my own bed in the army. You've all been tired during the day. Let me do it."
As Zhou Huaian was speaking, his heart was pounding in his throat. He had heard from his subordinates that it was difficult to deal with a mother-in-law. Now it seemed that his ordeal was just beginning.
He quickly bent down, took the quilt from Lin Wanning's hands, and whispered in a low voice, "Let me do it. You go and rest."
But his eyes seemed to be glued to Lin Wanning. Especially when he saw her being led away by Chen Shufen, he looked just like a wolfdog drenched in the rain, lonely, stubborn, and a bit cute.
Even though Lin Wanning wanted to laugh, she had to hold it back. Her eyes were also reluctant to leave Zhou Huaian.
Even after she had returned to her room, her soul seemed to still be in Zhou Huaian's room.
As a result, Chen Shufen had said several things to Lin Wanning in a row, but she didn't hear a single word.
"Wanning, Mom is talking to you. Do you have something on your mind?"
Chen Shufen deliberately raised her voice a bit, and it worked. Lin Wanning was instantly brought back to her senses.
"I... I... I... I don't have anything on my mind."
"I... What could I possibly have on my mind?" After Lin Wanning's excuse, she realized that it was rather jumbled.
"Um... Mom, I was just thinking about something else just now." Lin Wanning blushed and apologized to Chen Shufen embarrassedly.
"It's okay. Mom doesn't mean to blame you. I just want to ask you about your relationship with Zhou Huaian."
"Mom didn't want to leave just now not because I don't like that boy, Zhou Huaian. It's just that Mom thought that for your first marriage, we weren't prepared at all. In such a hurry, we let you get married. At that time, we only thought that you could stay in the city. We didn't consider other aspects at all. Who would have known that you would meet such a brute."
"So this time, I don't want to marry you off muddle - headedly again because of your dad's situation. Although a second marriage isn't as good as a first marriage, as your mother, even if you never get married in your life, I don't want you to get married muddle - headedly again."
Thinking of Lin Wanning's past experiences, Chen Shufen couldn't help her eyes turning red as she spoke. Her hand holding Lin Wanning's tightened involuntarily.
Lin Wanning obediently nestled in her mother's arms. She felt warm and at ease in her heart. Her first marriage had not only brought her harm but also indelible harm to her family.
"Mom, it's okay. The past is over. Let's not think about it anymore. And in the future, we must look forward."
"We can't always shut ourselves in a so - called enclosed space just because of one scoundrel. If we do, how can we discover the beauty of the world?"
As Lin Wanning was speaking, her eyes were full of determination, which was also a determination towards Zhou Huaian.
She liked this man in her heart. She had missed him in her previous life, and in this life, she didn't want to ignore Zhou Huaian because of a blockhead like Gu Zhendong.
At this moment, Chen Shufen seemed to find that her daughter had really grown up. She knew what she wanted and also seemed to know how to walk her own future.
She felt both gratified and sad in her heart. She always thought that her daughter had been forced to mature because she had experienced too many bad things. If it were according to the previous family situation, Lin Wanning should still be an innocent and kind girl.
But then again, it seemed good like this. No matter where she was, she could protect herself.
"Since you're clear - headed, I'll be at ease in the future."
After Lin Wanning had a heart - to - heart talk with her mother, she returned to her own room. Her room was separated from Zhou Huaian's by a wooden board with a big gap in the middle.
Lying in bed, Zhou Huaian tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. With a turn, he found a pair of big, watery eyes blinking at him.
He happily sat up straight. Even Lin Wanning, who was sleeping next door, could feel that Zhou Huaian wished he could crawl through the gap.
"I... I... Um, have you gone to sleep?" Zhou Huaian leaned his body close to the wooden board, just wanting to be closer to Lin Wanning.
Lin Wanning didn't know why, but her heart suddenly started beating faster. But she felt extremely sweet in her heart, a feeling she had never had in her previous life.
"I... I... I haven't gone to sleep yet. Do you have something to say?"