Chapter 194: Warming the Body

Words : 1214 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

The wind was howling outside, and the rain hit the windows like tiny pebbles, producing a sharp crackling sound. But inside the house, it was quiet and dark, with only a few candles illuminating the room. Under the warm glow of the candlelight, the young girl’s eyes shimmered like water. Her delicate face appeared even softer, like a harmless little deer. Cheng Lie’s gaze fell on her red lips. In the flickering light, they gleamed faintly with a soft luster, full and petal-like. In this kind of light, in this kind of atmosphere, it could truly tempt someone to sin. Yun Shifei had no clue about the desires silently burning within Cheng Lie at this very moment. She was still shocked by what Cheng Lie had just said. He had come out in such dangerous weather because she was afraid—wasn’t he frightened himself? Yun Shifei had always seen Cheng Lie as a child—a fragile boy trapped in his own world, someone who wouldn’t even realize if he got hurt. Despite her cowardice, she would always try to protect him. But now, she realized he might not be exactly as she’d imagined. He understood her fear and came to accompany her. This boy seemed more perceptive than she’d thought. For a moment, Yun Shifei’s thoughts were a mess. She couldn’t figure out whether Cheng Lie was clever or not. She had been drying his hair, but now, holding the towel in her hands, she didn’t know what to do next. She simply put the towel down, stood up, and walked over to the window, pretending to check if it was securely shut. Truthfully, her mind was in turmoil. She felt that this couldn’t continue. If it did, she might fall for him. In fact, the moment Cheng Lie said those words, her heart had already started to feel differently. This feeling of liking someone was a bit peculiar. It was like a little bug crawling on her heart, tickling her—a bit uncomfortable, yet strangely indescribable. Though she’d experienced love before in her past life, the feeling was nothing like this. Back then, her love for Mu Chengzhu had been almost obsessive. Seeing him made her mind go blank. His approval had driven her to do so much for him, her emotions completely overtaking her, leaving no room for reason. But now, she seemed clearer-headed. Loving someone wasn’t the same impulsive madness it had been in her past life. Instead, it was more cautious. Was this because her past wounds had been too deep? Yun Shifei felt momentarily conflicted. And Cheng Lie remained silent, quietly watching the girl’s silhouette. Truthfully, he hadn’t needed to say those words earlier. By saying them, he was deliberately probing Yun Shifei’s feelings. He had always been annoyed that Yun Shifei treated him like a younger brother, always caring for him. Clearly, he was older than her by several months. So just now, he had intentionally tested Yun Shifei. Predictably, Yun Shifei wasn’t that oblivious—her emotions instantly unraveled a bit. In the dim environment, the boy’s thin lips curled slightly. He had already cast his net, and there was no chance she could escape now. Soon, Yun Shifei calmed her emotions and came over to Cheng Lie. "Let me walk you home. It’s too dark; it’s dangerous." She thought the Cheng Family was quite odd. How could they let Cheng Lie go out alone in this kind of weather? Wouldn’t they be worried? Then again, on second thought, maybe it wasn’t entirely impossible. Perhaps the Cheng Family wouldn’t mind if Cheng Lie ran into trouble. Thinking about this, Yun Shifei grew quite concerned. She glanced at the weather outside again. Letting her walk Cheng Lie home—she was scared too. The wind outside was strong enough to feel as if it could pick up trees. If anything fell on them on the way, it would be terrifying. After being reborn, Yun Shifei cherished her life deeply. Any situation she deemed dangerous, she avoided doing unless absolutely necessary. Ah, she probably treasured her life more than anyone else in the world. Cheng Lie looked at Yun Shifei’s timid expression and couldn’t help but say, "How about you walk me home, and then I walk you back?" At that moment, Yun Shifei suddenly thought of the phrase "infinite nesting dolls." Ha... Back and forth, never-ending. "Then..." Yun Shifei frowned slightly. "What should we do? Why don’t you stay at my house?" Yun Shifei was pondering how to solve the situation and didn’t even notice how naturally the two of them were conversing. Or maybe she had already gotten used to Cheng Lie’s occasional responses, treating them as perfectly ordinary. Her suggestion made a slight, uncontrollable smile appear in Cheng Lie’s eyes, though he quickly concealed it. He didn’t respond to Yun Shifei. At this point, he was waiting for Yun Shifei to work it out on her own. Without him answering, she would definitely weigh the pros and cons and settle on a compromise. Soon enough, Yun Shifei told Cheng Lie, "It seems that’s the only option unless we wait for Uncle Cheng and the others to come looking for you." She figured the Cheng Family wouldn’t actually leave Cheng Lie at her house. In a while, when Cheng Lie didn’t return, they would send someone to bring him back. Pretty smart. Cheng Lie suddenly flopped onto the sofa. His movement startled Yun Shifei. She stood up and walked toward him, her tone laced with worry she couldn’t hide. "Cheng Lie, what’s wrong? Are you sick?" After all, his clothes were still a little damp. If he didn’t change out of them soon, he could very well catch a cold. "Should I get some of my dad’s clothes for you to wear?" She thought about how she had always fetched Yun Tiancheng’s clothes for Cheng Lie, finding it amusing. Luckily, her dad was generous and never minded. But Cheng Lie suddenly grabbed her hand, stopping her. The boy’s hands were scalding, radiating heat that made Yun Shifei instinctively want to pull hers away. She suddenly remembered—Cheng Lie was no longer a child. He wasn’t unintelligent; he simply avoided dealing with people. Perhaps his intelligence wasn’t any different from the average person. Yun Shifei didn’t understand autism very well, but given Cheng Lie’s future abilities, even with autism, he might still outshine others. Thinking of this, Yun Shifei forcefully jerked her hand away, feeling somewhat resistant. "What’s wrong?" she asked. Cheng Lie sensed the strong resistance in the girl’s actions, and his expression darkened a bit. As expected, she still refused to accept him. To her, he was no more than a younger brother she cared for. Whenever he tried to show even a hint of intimacy, she would become frightened and flee. It had happened one or two times before. But he wouldn’t settle for this sibling-like relationship. "I don’t need that," Cheng Lie said as he stood up. He walked over to Yun Shifei. Before Yun Shifei could react, the boy suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Warm me up," he whispered. "Just like I warmed you up last time." Though he appeared slender, he was much taller and bigger than Yun Shifei, effortlessly pulling her into his embrace.

Chapter 194: Warming the Body

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