Chapter 190: Bathing Together

Wen Jingxing stood firmly by the doorway this time, letting the cold wind pierce through his collar, slip into his cuffs, and chill his entire body.

Song Wanning was unaware of it, but Wen Jingxing knew very well.

One of the reasons Grandpa Sha had taken Xiao Mi in was because he noticed that the child had a certain probability of triggering the ability to foresee the future.

Although even Grandpa Sha had not been able to figure out the reason over the years, the things Xiao Mi occasionally let slip unintentionally always turned out to be remarkably accurate.

Then, whom would A-ning fall in love with?

Could it be him?

Yet, he had stayed by A-ning’s side for so long, and A-ning had never shown any sign of deep affection for him; how could her feelings suddenly change?

Could it be that during the recent period when he occasionally wasn't by A-ning's side, she had encountered an exceptionally outstanding young man who had stirred her heart?

While his mind was wandering, Song Wanning finished her shower and returned, immediately donning her loose pajamas with the thick coat he had given her draped over her shoulders.

Song Wanning walked up to him and asked with a puzzled look, "Why didn't you go inside? Aren't you cold standing out here?"

"I was waiting for you, so I'm not cold."

Song Wanning glanced into the room, and seeing that the bed was only half made, she said, "I'll make the bed. You go take a shower."

"Alright." Wen Jingxing grabbed his clothes and went out, without even taking the kerosene lamp.

She hurriedly picked up the lamp and chased after him to hand it over. Returning after dropping off the lamp, Song Wanning made the bed while wondering why Wen Jingxing had suddenly become so strange, looking completely absent-minded.

After finishing the bed, Song Wanning sat at the edge, waiting for Wen Jingxing to return. Perhaps due to being in the mountains, the signal was rather poor, and her short videos kept lagging and stuttering.

Finding it uninteresting, Song Wanning exited the app and checked the time, only to find that quite a while had passed, and Wen Jingxing still hadn't returned.

Growing somewhat worried, she draped the thick coat back over her shoulders and decided to go look for Wen Jingxing.

Her eyesight was quite good, allowing her to see clearly even without a light source, so she didn't disturb the old monk and Xiao Mi, making her way forward through the dark alone.

When she reached the hot spring, she found the area pitch black. Coupled with the mist surrounding the hot spring, even her sharp eyesight was hindered.

Song Wanning tentatively called out, "Jingxing, are you there?"

Apart from the rushing sound of the water, there was no other movement around her.

The ground beneath her feet consisted of smooth stones, and having rushed out in slippers, Song Wanning had no choice but to rely on her memory and cautiously move forward.

However, the stones, constantly enveloped in mist and hidden from the sun, were exceptionally slippery. When Song Wanning stepped down, her heel landed slightly off-center, causing her slipper to instantly skid as she stepped squarely onto the smooth surface of a stone.

Immediately, her center of gravity shifted, and she toppled sideways.

Song Wanning let out a soft gasp. Figuring she was about to crash into a pile of stones, she instinctively threw out both hands to protect her head.

Yet, the anticipated cold and hard impact never came. Instead, a warm liquid instantly enveloped her entire body.

Song Wanning immediately realized she had fallen into the water, and a sense of relief washed over her.

Falling into water meant getting soaked at worst.

Submerged in the warm spring water, Song Wanning felt no discomfort at all, and even found it somewhat pleasant.

She knew how to swim and could hold her breath for a long time, so being in the water a bit longer posed no problem. Instead of struggling, she allowed her body's weight to gradually sink her beneath the surface.

Just then, Song Wanning saw a dark figure materialize before her and approach her rapidly.

Neither of them could open their mouths underwater.

Without knowing who the newcomer was, Song Wanning tried to dodge to the side, but the newcomer, as if sharing telepathic insight, swam toward the same side.

The next second, Song Wanning felt her waist firmly encircled by a familiar embrace, pulling her upward toward the water's surface.

This time, Song Wanning didn't evade; she willingly let the person bring her up.

Furthermore, to help the person carry her up more easily, she took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing even closer against him.

With a splash of water, Song Wanning broke the surface, gasping heavily for fresh air.

"Jing... Jingxing."

Brushing her wet hair back behind her head, Song Wanning grabbed Wen Jingxing's arm and pulled herself back to the edge of the spring, with only her legs still submerged in the water.

Yet, the man in the darkness remained silent.

Instead, she heard a few metallic clinking sounds and the rustling friction of fabric.

The next second, a light flared before her eyes.

It was the kerosene lamp.

Wen Jingxing, stripped to the waist, sat directly across from her with the lamp between them.

Song Wanning couldn't help but steal glances at Wen Jingxing's perfectly sculpted and sturdy physique, her gaze tracing the lines of his muscles downward step by step.

From his collarbones to his chest, past his abdominal muscles, right down to the edge of the white cloth.

Unbeknownst to her, Wen Jingxing had wrapped a bath towel around himself at some point.

Wen Jingxing noticed the young woman's restless gaze. It was one thing for her to take in his physique entirely, but as her eyes lingered on the white bath towel, why did he feel a flash of disappointment in Song Wanning's eyes?

Actually... he didn't mind being completely unclad.

However, he was afraid of frightening his A-ning.

His A-ning was someone who only looked bold; when it came to actual execution, she turned as timid as a mouse.

"Are you cold?"

Wen Jingxing asked abruptly.

Song Wanning hadn't expected his first words to be a question about her well-being; she had thought he would reprimand her instead.

"Not at all." She shook her head.

The surroundings were warm, and even with her clothes soaked through, she didn't feel a hint of chill.

"You weren't frightened or choking on water, were you?"

Song Wanning shook her head again. "Neither. It's just that my hair, which I finally managed to blow-dry, needs to be dried all over again, and I only have this one... pair of pajamas."

Hearing that she was completely unharmed, Wen Jingxing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, there was one matter he needed to settle with his A-ning first.

Thus, Song Wanning watched as the man, whose expression had just been normal, suddenly shifted his tone.

"Why didn't you stay properly in bed and rest? What were you doing coming out here?"

"I saw you hadn't returned for so long, and I was a bit worried."

Wen Jingxing smiled helplessly. "I'm a grown man; nothing's going to happen to me."

"I just thought I'd come take a look... I didn't expect to slip..."

"Alright, as long as you're safe."

Wen Jingxing gently patted Song Wanning's head.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: he and A-ning had soaked in the Fate-Binding Spring together once more. Didn't that make it even more certain that he and A-ning would never be separated in this lifetime?

Yet, at the thought of Xiao Mi's words, the smile on Wen Jingxing's face faded slightly. What if the person A-ning grew to like wasn't him?

Seeing the man opposite her remain silent, his gaze fixed on her pupils deepening by the moment, Song Wanning felt a twinge of guilt. "I won't run around blindly next time."

Wen Jingxing suddenly reached out, cupping Song Wanning's hands in his own. "A-ning, there's something I want to ask you."

He decided that instead of driving himself crazy with wild guesses, he would simply ask her directly.

"What is it?" Song Wanning asked, somewhat startled.

"Have you met anyone lately toward whom you feel a special fondness?"

"Huh? Why are you suddenly asking me that?"