Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

And the stranger before her, Wen Zhi watched as he transformed into Shang Hexing.

Her face filled with disbelief, she raised her other hand to touch his face.

He did not shy away but let her do so.

Feeling her fingertips inching across his forehead, eyelids, nose, and finally resting on his lips, warm and soft to the touch, she did not move for a long time.

Shang Hexing asked her, "Does he look like him?"

Wen Zhi nodded, "Yes."

It was his face, identical!

Shang Hexing was pleased with her reaction. The distance between them was close, their breaths intimately mingling, making the atmosphere very subtle.

Especially since the cabin’s light was already dim, his tall figure shadowed half of the light, and she, petite, was enveloped in his embrace, beautiful yet fragile.

As Wen Zhi stared at his face in a trance, she heard him ask a rather peculiar question, "Is this the life you imagined?"

Wen Zhi’s eyes filled with confusion, "What?"

The man said deliberately, "Beside the rain, by the wind, walls devoid of anything, impoverished to the brink."

These Four phrases, separately understood by Wen Zhi, made sense. However, coming from Shang Hexing’s mouth, they suddenly became incomprehensible to her.

Wasn’t this where he was living right now?

Why would he depict such a terrible environment as the life she desired?

Who would long for such an impoverished life...

Ah, incorrect!

She suddenly recalled the previous dream, where her father had left her a large sum of money, but the condition to receive that money was—to leave Shang Hexing.

What had she said then?

She seemed to have said—even if it meant living a hard life, she wouldn’t leave Shang Hexing!

Hard, life!

Could it be... this was the hard life she and Shang Hexing were living in the dream??

Wen Zhi gasped in surprise but made no sound, and as she looked around, she realized the cabin’s setting perfectly matched the three phrases Shang Hexing had just used:

Beside the rain, by the wind,

Walls devoid of anything,

Impoverished to the brink.

So, this was the hardship of the hard life in her dreams...

Shang Hexing took Wen Zhi’s hand out of the gourd, her fingertips still slightly red, but she felt no pain.

He put the gourd aside, pulled a wooden stool for her, "Sit."

Wen Zhi sat down hesitantly.

Shang Hexing took the kettle off, replaced it with a pot, expertly added water, and covered it to begin preparing tonight’s dinner.

Wen Zhi watched him work systematically, calling out to him softly, "Shang Hexing?"

He responded, "Hmm."

Wen Zhi asked, "What are we having for dinner?"

Shang Hexing, "Rice is scarce, we’ll make do with watery rice, I’ll go hunting tomorrow."

Wen Zhi’s eyes widened, her voice rising, "You need to hunt?"

Shang Hexing nodded, "There’s no sustainable work here to maintain a living, hunting provides sustenance, enabling us to survive."

Wen Zhi’s mood became dejected, "That’s too harsh."

Shang Hexing glanced at her, "I won’t let you starve."

Wen Zhi pursed her lips and remained silent.

The porridge was ready, and Shang Hexing served her a bowl, reminding her twice, "It’s very hot, don’t eat in a hurry."

Wen Zhi obediently nodded, "I got it."

When the porridge cooled down a bit, Shang Hexing sat down too. He had been busy the whole time and was a bit sweaty; his muscular shoulders and arms exuded a strong hormonal scent.

Wen Zhi swallowed, not looking at the porridge, but at his bare-chested torso.

She, holding the porridge, asked him, "Will you leave here?"

Shang Hexing handed her a spoon into the bowl, "We will leave."

Wen Zhi asked, "Tomorrow?"

Shang Hexing replied, "I don’t know."

Wen Zhi picked up a spoon to stir the porridge in her bowl and said softly, "Life here will be very hard."

Shang Hexing grunted in response.

Wen Zhi took the opportunity to ask, "Then will you stay with me here and endure these hard days?"

Shang Hexing took a sip of porridge. His expression unchanged, he said indifferently, "A hidden life in the wilderness, isn’t that the life you wanted?"

"Of course not," she answered without hesitation.

At her words, Shang Hexing smiled. Even in the dire environment, it didn’t affect his appearance; a casual smile still extraordinarily captivating, his charm from the foreign land bewitching.

He finished his porridge in one breath, put down his bowl, and said to her, "Wherever you want to be, I’ll be with you."

Then he stood up to make the bed.

All around was silence, only the occasional crackling sounds of the burning firewood. Wen Zhi bowed her head to drink her porridge; she could almost hear her own heartbeat speeding up...

The wooden cabin was drafty. Shang Hexing utilized every possible board for cover, which helped a bit but wasn’t a long-term solution.

The windows were ’shut’, and the bed was made; the burning firewood managed to keep the indoor temperature from getting cold, relatively warm in fact.

Shang Hexing pointed and said, "You sleep on the bed."

The wooden bed was very small, only about one and a half meters wide. It would be crowded for two adults. Unsure of where he would sleep, Wen Zhi asked, "And where will you sleep?"

Shang Hexing looked at her leisurely and asked, "Where do you hope I’ll sleep?"

Wen Zhi bashfully pointed to the bed.

He responded, "Okay."

Compared to his directness and dominance in every previous dream, this time in the dream, he was like he was genuinely settling down with her, accommodating her subtly, treating her well, following her ideas, and prioritizing her wishes.

He lay on the bed without making a move, quietly sleeping on the outer side, not overstepping boundaries, nor touching her physically.

It was Wen Zhi, however, who felt restless, tossing and turning.

The wooden bed had a low tolerance for weight, creaking with every movement. The blanket was very thin, covering mostly Wen Zhi and leaving only a corner on Shang Hexing.

During one of Wen Zhi’s many tosses, her foot accidentally kicked his leg. She stiffened for a moment, seeing that he didn’t react, then raised her head to look at him.

He knew she was afraid of the dark, and didn’t turn off the light, also making it convenient for her to get up at night.

Now as Wen Zhi moved closer, although he didn’t open his eyes, he could sense her approaching, the faint breath puffing against his face, and soon, her restless hand landed on his chest, brushing lightly like a feather...

When Wen Zhi boldly moved her hand down further, Shang Hexing accurately caught her wrist.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, who was so close, and warned in a husky voice, "Stop it."

Wen Zhi shyly asked him, "Don’t you want it?"

He pretended not to understand, "Want what?"

In past dreams, he was distinctly assertive and passionately ardent; this time, he was like a monk, unswayed by her flirting.

She decided to take more initiative, leaning over his chest and said something incredibly bold, "I want to have your baby."

Shang Hexing’s eyebrows slightly raised.

Once Wen Zhi began to flirt wantonly, she unleashed her true nature, her words becoming increasingly bold, "Shang Hexing, shall I bear you a mini you with tied-up hair, sounds good?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Shang Hexing’s smile curved up, "Then we should also have a mini you with short hair."

What she referred to was a daughter.

What he referred to was a son.

Wen Zhi thought for a moment, then decided, "Then let’s have three! Shang Hexing, shall I have three for you, would that be okay?"

Shang Hexing asked with a smile, "What do you think you are?"

Wen Zhi traced circles on his chest with her finger, "A woman only bears children for a man she loves; if she doesn’t love him, she would rather die than bear his child."

Suddenly, Shang Hexing grabbed Wen Zhi by the waist and before she could react, flipped her beneath him.

This movement was loud, the wooden bed creaking loudly, followed by silence.

Wen Zhi blinked, looking at the man above her, his breathing heavy.

His expression bore extreme restraint, his voice growing hoarser, "Are you saying these words because your lust has clouded your judgment, or do you..."

The last few words were so hoarse, she could barely hear them, but she still made out what they were.

Or do you—"really fallen in love with me?"