Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

Chapter 80: Snuggling with him

Chapter 80: Snuggling with him

“Who would meet an old friend and light a bonfire in the woods late at night?”

“It’s only a half-hour walk from the foot of the mountain, but you make people worry and search all over the mountain?”

“In this pitch-dark place, do you, with all your preciousness, feel comfortable?”

Wen Zhi clearly didn’t believe his words and immediately started bombarding him with questions.

The light from the bonfire reflected on Shang Hexing’s face, and he looked at her gently, with a hint of a smile at the corners of his eyes, “Am I as precious as you say?”

Wen Zhi nodded, “Of course, you are.”

Shang Hexing then asked her, “How precious?”

Wen Zhi thought carefully and answered him, “Very valuable.”

Shang Hexing’s eyes twinkled with even more amusement, “Just valuable?”

“What else then?” Wen Zhi’s face held a trace of seriousness, “Fighting crime requires evidence, counter-terrorism needs a list, and quelling rebellions just needs coordinates. With such a high position, who would dare to harm you, causing trouble in Lin City? That would destabilize the entire Lin City.”

A trace of surprise appeared in Shang Hexing’s eyes, “You can analyze all that?”

Wen Zhi grinned, her smile beaming, “It’s not really analyzing; it’s the fact. Also, why did you come to the mountain and refuse to leave?”

Having said that, she looked at him.

Shang Hexing just picked up some dry twigs and threw them into the bonfire, where sparks rose with the smoke and swiftly disappeared.

He looked at the bonfire, but his words were meant for Wen Zhi, “Private matters.”

Wen Zhi muttered softly, “You just mentioned meeting an old friend.”

Shang Hexing smiled lightly, “Then you didn’t believe that, did you?”

“I don’t quite believe your words now,” Wen Zhi sensed that he probably just didn’t want to talk about it.

It was likely truly his private matter.

He certainly didn’t mention the reason for not descending the mountain anymore, only consoling her, “No need to worry, the private itinerary in Lailin City hasn’t been made public, and everyone around me is trustworthy.”

“Really trustworthy people?” Wen Zhi repeated his words, her tone questioning and somewhat peculiar.

Shang Hexing stared at her quietly for a moment, then asked, “What are you trying to say?”

“I…”

Wen Zhi weighed in her heart whether to speak, but she also feared that it was just her own sensitivity, projecting her feelings onto others.

After much deliberation, she still raised a point, “I find Secretary Xu quite strange.”

The light from the fire on Shang Hexing’s face flickered, and he asked, “Strange in what way?”

Wen Zhi said, “Chen Zhu was very anxious, running about trying to find you, but Secretary Xu seemed not at all concerned about your safety.”

And…

Wen Zhi remembered when she sneakily went to the back mountain while Chen Zhu was negotiating with the monk, and briefly looked back, she unexpectedly met Secretary Xu’s gaze.

He clearly saw her entering the mountain.

But he neither stopped her nor alerted Chen Jinhai. She thought at that moment, if he had spoken up, Chen Jinhai would have tried hard to stop her, and she wouldn’t have been able to smoothly enter the back mountain.

Now she expressed all these suspicions to Shang Hexing, but his reaction was very calm, seemingly without any suspicions.

“I’m not trying to incite discord; I’m just telling you what I saw. Secretary Xu is your person, and you know best about him,” Wen Zhi said, looking at his expression.

Shang Hexing closed his eyes briefly and told her, “Hmm, I understand, you are considering my welfare.”

Wen Zhi’s smile faded, and she softly bit her lower lip, turning her face away.

Shang Hexing, knowing she was shy, changed the subject by asking, “Did it take you half an hour to get here?”

Wen Zhi immediately turned back towards him and nodded, “About that, it’s nighttime after all, and I didn’t dare walk too fast, conservatively it would normally take about twenty minutes.”

Shang Hexing, “Coming alone, you’re quite brave.”

Wen Zhi cupped her cheeks in her hands, whispering softly, “Not a very big coward, I guess.”

Shang Hexing turned his head to look at her, “Hmm?”

Wen Zhi fell silent again.

Shang Hexing withdrew his gaze and didn’t ask her any more questions, silently throwing a few more tree branches on the fire to keep it from going out.

He did this very naturally and adeptly as if he had done it countless times before.

Wen Zhi felt touched inside, seeing many aspects of Shang Hexing’s approachability over the past two days, whether it was staying and eating in the temple or building this fire.

The dry firewood crackled and popped as it burned.

Wen Zhi, drawn by the sound, took a few more glances at it; a spark shot out far, and with a ‘pop,’ it flew towards her. Before she could react, Shang Hexing’s hand was already in front of her, “Be careful, don’t let the sparks get into your eyes.”

Wen Zhi grabbed his hand, “What about your hand? Are you okay?”

He drew back his hand, stroked it slightly, and said indifferently, “It’s fine.”

After a moment’s pause, he then asked her, “Have you had dinner?”

Wen Zhi nodded, “Yes, I have.”

It was preferable to eat earlier rather than later in the temple, and it wasn’t long since she had come out of the Vegetarian Hall when Chen Jinhai came to find her.

At the time, she had wondered why Shang Hexing hadn’t gone to eat at noon and still hadn’t gone in the evening?

Seeing that the atmosphere had quieted down, she asked him again, “What about you?”

This time, Shang Hexing remained silent.

Wen Zhi extended a finger and poked his stiff arm, “Haven’t you eaten yet?”

Shang Hexing said, “I have.”

Wen Zhi: “What did you eat? Air?”

Shang Hexing couldn’t help but laugh slightly, “Wen Zhi, do you suddenly feel that I’m easy to talk to and won’t do anything to you?”

Wen Zhi pursed her lips, looking very serious, “Blow your top in anger?”

Shang Hexing watched her quietly for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out his hand towards her.

Wen Zhi reacted and tried to dodge.

But she was still a step too slow.

His palm pressed against the back of her head, and his arm gathered strength, pulling her forward. She fell into his arms, her hands pressing against his chest, pleading, “I won’t ask anymore, I won’t ask anymore; after all, you’re the one who is hungry, not me.”

Shang Hexing said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Wen Zhi paused.

He looked towards something behind her; something was moving in that direction, but it was unclear. He became alert and said in a low voice to Wen Zhi in his arms, “Stay close to me.”

Wen Zhi wasn’t foolish and sensed something was off in his tone.

She wanted to look back, but Shang Hexing reminded her, “Don’t look around recklessly.”

Yet driven by curiosity, Wen Zhi couldn’t ignore his warning. As soon as she turned around, she saw a pair of eyes as big as bells coming closer.

“Ah—”

Wen Zhi screamed, immediately plunging into Shang Hexing’s arms.

Shang Hexing tightened his embrace around Wen Zhi, freeing one hand to grab a tree branch from nearby and threw it in that direction.

A dark shadow moved backward but didn’t leave.

This time, Shang Hexing saw clearly; it was a wild monkey from near the waterfall, likely following Wen Zhi earlier, hiding and eavesdropping on their conversation for a while.

“It’s a wild monkey.” Shang Hexing’s words fell into Wen Zhi’s ears.

Closely embraced, the warm breaths from him caressed her, Wen Zhi lifted her head from his embrace. The light from the fire flickered across his face, leaving her unclear about his expression.