Chapter 291: Lean on a Warm Shoulder
Bai Ruozhu forced back the tears and nodded heavily at Jiang Yichun, saying, "You’re right, and thank you!"
The tears filled her big eyes, making them wet and glistening. Looking up at him in such a manner revealed a side of her he never seen before, reminiscent of a docile deer, compelling a sense of tenderness.
Jiang Yichun extended his hand towards her face, but stopped halfway, fearful of making her uncomfortable. Instead, he ruffled her hair gently.
"Fool, you don’t need to be polite with me." His voice was hushed, permeated with deep affection.
Although Bai Ruozhu had a lot on her mind, she noticed his action and felt a warmth cascade over her. Having someone like him there to support and help her was truly a blessing. She no longer had to shoulder everything alone.
"Also, I admit I approached you initially with an ulterior motive, though I wasn’t clear on what it was at the time. I later realized that I was attracted to you, and I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted to be around you, listen to you talk, and watch your every move." Seeing Bai Ruozhu fall silent, he became worried, afraid she would still find him suspect.
Did he need to sacrifice his dignity to investigate a case?
Bai Ruozhu lowered her head, and unexpectedly clung to his clothes, burying her face in his shoulder. Jiang Yichun was taken by surprise and felt his heart flutter wildly, a surge of joy coursing through him.
"Don’t move, I just want to lean on your shoulder!" Bai Ruozhu said in a soft voice that held a hint of a sob.
Jiang Yichun already had his arm raised, ready to pull her into his embrace, but with her recent command, he froze, leaving his arm suspended in the air.
Bai Ruozhu trembled slightly as she leaned on his shoulder and began to cry. She’d always heard that when one cries, a solid shoulder to lean on was essential. Now, she finally understood.
He was tall and his shoulder was lean. The contact wasn’t particularly comfortable, but it gave her a sense of security. After crying, she felt much relieved and her mood slowly began to calm.
She wanted to lift her head and wipe her tears, but found herself drawn to the warmth of his shoulder. She decided to lean against it a little while longer. Only then did she notice his arms still suspended in the air. She stifled a laugh, finding this silly side of him surprisingly endearing.
Her hand, holding onto his clothes, was now very close to his heart. In the quietness, she could hear the strong and steady pulses of his heart. However, the rate seemed a little fast?
Bai Ruozhu was feeling much better, and whispered, "Thank you," into his shoulder.
Jiang Yichun, realizing she wasn’t crying anymore, finally gathered up the courage to wrap his arm around her. Their bodies jolted closer, his earnestness forcing her body to press tightly against his.
Bai Ruozhu’s face flushed, his warm embrace overwhelming her, leaving a tingling sensation across her body. She felt almost weightless.
It was said that when you touched your fated lover — when your energies matched — even a simple touch would produce electricity. She didn’t believe in such unscientific theory, but now she was forced to.
But at that moment, she sensed a change in him that alarmed her and hurriedly pulled away, retreating to her side.
Jiang Yichun retreated behind the table, using it to shield his body. His face was tinged a light pink and he clenched his teeth, chastising himself. He dreaded Bai Ruozhu finding out, worrying she might think he was a perverse lecher.
He didn’t know that Bai Ruozhu was from a modern era, a mature woman who had been busy studying and working overseas without any romantic encounters. However, it didn’t mean she was ignorant of relationships between men and women. Even without watching any explicit films, with the prevalence of the internet, she definitely must know about those things.
Therefore, in Bai Ruozhu’s eyes, while feeling embarrassed, she wouldn’t find it revulsive. Jiang Yichun was young and full of life, it was only natural for him to have such reactions. Besides, considering her figure, if there were no reactions from him, she would worry that there might be a problem on his part.
Bai Ruozhu cleared her throat. Stray thoughts began to cloud her mind.
Jiang Yichun’s scent lingered in her nose. Suddenly, she remembered the scent from when she was giving birth. Abruptly lifting her head to look at him, she asked, "Are you still keeping things from me? Why did I smell your scent when I was giving birth?"
Jiang Yichun’s face, already flushed, turned a darker red. He was reluctant to meet Bai Ruozhu’s eyes directly, but her intense gaze and her insistent tone compelled him to confess, "You had a massive bleeding after childbirth."
"What?" Bai Ruozhu was taken aback. She had been suffering from qi and blood deficiency postpartum. At the time, she had chalked it up to blood loss during labor and didn’t think it was due to postpartum hemorrhage.
"I didn’t peek at you! It was an emergency, and I couldn’t get the female doctor. Besides, I was not sure she would be able to save you, so I had no choice but to administer acupuncture to stop the hemorrhage." Jiang Yichun’s voice got increasingly fainter with each word, and he dared not even glance at Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu was dumbfounded. During postpartum, she was lying there with her legs spread out, covered in blood. The sight must have been gruesome, and he saw everything!
Isn’t there a saying that men who witness childbirth develop psychological barriers? Wasn’t he disgusted? Bai Ruozhu felt anxious, followed by an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. She wished she could slap herself — why did she need to delve so deep? It would have been better to remain oblivious.
But once she considered the grave danger she was in at that time, she felt a surge of gratitude towards him. If he hadn’t stepped in to help her, she wouldn’t have been as fortunate.
"Thank you." Bai Ruozhu’s voice was barely audible, it was almost like a cat’s meow.
"I told you, there’s no need for courtesy." Jiang Yichun wished he could disappear into a hole in the ground, afraid Bai Ruozhu would be angry. He quickly said, "You should rest. I will leave now."
Bai Ruozhu, dying of embarrassment, not knowing how to face him, hurriedly said, "Alright, you should rest soon as well."
Jiang Yichun more or less escaped the room. Only when he was a good distance away did he stop to catch his breath. His face was burning hot, and a similar heat enveloped his lower body. He was uncomfortable but he also felt an odd satisfaction. Soon he laughed at his cowardice. He should have bravely told her, "Now that I’ve seen everything, you’re mine!"
He shook his head with a bitter smile. He thought Bai Ruozhu would most likely kick him out.
Bai Ruozhu closed the window, and only after a while did her face return to normal, though she felt extremely unsettled.