Chapter 23: Want to Try the Real Him
Time seemed to have stopped at that moment.
Wen Xian just gazed at his face so close at hand, at his dense black eyelashes, at his slightly drooping eyelids, at his unattainably high nose bridge...
This was the first time the two of them had been so close.
But it came so unexpectedly, so suddenly.
She saw every inch of his face clearly, even the small scar slightly covered by the black fine hair on his temple.
A wind blew.
It tousled her hair.
It seemed, it also stirred her...
A flicker passed through the depths of Wen Xian's eyes, rarely revealing a touch of profound and inexplicable meaning.
The cigarette was lit by his slight inhale, and a faint crimson light glowed; as he left, the smoke spilled from his nostrils.
His voice seemed to have been smoked through, and when he spoke again, his voice was deep and hoarse, "Got a light, thanks."
After he spoke, he turned around, the cigarette clamped back between his lips, his hands resumed their busyness.
Wen Xian hadn't moved at all.
She just looked at him: "..."
He was wearing a black T-shirt, the sleeves rolled up. With a slight flex of his arm, the blue veins surfaced, his hands holding the grinding tool were slender yet powerful, clearly defined.
Wen Xian stared at those hands and suddenly remembered a phrase someone had once told her.
Men with thick and long fingers...
That part, too.
...
Wen Xian took two steps back, her captivating eyebrows and eyes slightly squinted, dark and brooding as if something tumultuous was stirring in the depths.
One hand across his chest, the other holding the cigarette deeply inhaled.
Making every effort to suppress a certain desire within herself.
Lu Xiao, he looked truly capable.
She had experienced that before.
But whether he actually was capable, she wanted to experience it again...!
＊＊
Every time Wen Xian thought about telling Lu Xiao about her departure, she was inexplicably interrupted.
By evening, the team members had also returned.
The cafeteria aunt's young son was there again, and so were the little wolf pups in the yard. Compared to the desolation and loneliness of the Uninhabited Area, this was a rare bustle.
Wen Xian hadn't spoken to Lu Xiao again that afternoon; he had been busy all along.
From the upstairs window, she could see him occasionally wiping his forehead, his thin clothes not enough against the heat.
By dusk, the smoke from auntie's cooking wafted, and he had finally completed the last of his work.
It was time for dinner.
As Wen Xian came down from the second floor, Lu Xiao had just come back from the courtyard.
His features were stern and handsome, but his short black hair was slightly damp with sweat.
Everyone was almost seated at the dinner table, and seeing him come in, the aunt quickly handed him a clean towel, "Oh, after a busy afternoon, go wipe up, wash and have some hot food."
Lu Xiao took the towel, wiped his face, and was just about to go inside when suddenly—
a figure came down from the second floor.
The figure made one pause slightly.
Wen Xian was dressed exceptionally beautifully tonight.
She would leave early in the morning.
At this moment, she wore a wine-red spaghetti strap dress.
The dress had a certain off-the-shoulder style, showing off a large expanse of her delicate collarbones, the thin straps hanging on her smooth, fair shoulders.
The tailored dress flowed down her fair thighs, just covering her knees.
Her long hair was charming, slightly wavy, her skin contrasting sharply with the retro wine-red dress, making her skin appear even more delicate.
Her lips, a touch of red, both tempting and enticing.
At this moment, she was unspeakably beautiful.
Lu Xiao just stood there, watching her, step by step, come down.