"You're back? Did you manage to buy it?"
"I got it, it's the same as the one you used before." Jiang Jianhuan handed over the bottle of cooking wine he had been carrying all the way. Su Mo opened the bottle and poured it into the already cooked ribs.
"Did you buy it at a convenience store?" he asked casually, and Jiang Jianhuan hummed in agreement. Remembering the little incident from before, she hesitated for two seconds, then suppressed her thoughts.
"Are you almost ready to eat?"
"Just two more minutes." Su Mo took the food out of the pan and plated it. Seeing her expectant look, she smiled and couldn't help but lean over and peck her on the corner of her mouth.
"Be patient."
"Mmm." She lowered her eyes and smiled.
Perhaps because of the anxiety he had felt that day, Jiang Jianhuan lay in bed for a long time that night, unable to fall asleep. He could only unconsciously press himself close to Su Mo, drawing warmth from him.
As if sensing her unease, Su Mo hugged her even tighter, nuzzled her forehead with his chin, and asked in a low voice.
Can't sleep?
“No…” Jiang Jianhuan tightened her grip, buried her face in his shoulder, and murmured.
The night was deep and silent; their hearts pounded softly, rising and falling slowly, their breathing almost in sync.
Jiang Jianhuan gradually calmed down, and sleepiness slowly crept in. He drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
The darkness was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, but a sliver of light seemed to seep in, revealing a tall man wearing a baseball cap above, whose face was obscured.
She began to tremble uncontrollably, overwhelmed by fear and panic, feeling a suffocating despair.
She reached out and struggled incessantly, trying to escape, but all she could see was darkness with no way out, enveloping her like a net she couldn't break free from.
The scene was bizarre and chaotic, with countless strange fragments flashing through my mind. Reality and illusion intertwined, creating a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere, almost reaching a breaking point.
Jiang Jianhuan suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath. He hadn't fully recovered from the dream he had just had, and all he could see was a hazy darkness, with only the indicator light from the power strip by the bed emitting a faint glow.
She blinked slowly, turned around and buried herself in Su Mo's arms, her hands tightly gripping the fabric of his pajamas around his waist.
The slightest noise woke him up instantly. He stirred and embraced her, his voice still sleepy, murmuring incoherently.
"What's wrong...did you have a nightmare?"
Jiang Jianhuan leaned against his chest and gave a haphazard reply. Su Mo perked up a bit, half asleep and half awake, and reached out to touch her face, his fingertips gently tracing her contours.
Suddenly, his fingertips touched a damp spot at the corner of her eye. Su Mo abruptly opened her eyes.
"You cried?" He lowered his head and asked softly, his voice barely audible.
Jiang Jianhuan turned her head away, buried her face in his neck, and mumbled something.
"I don't know... I probably accidentally did it in a dream..."
Su Mo remained silent for a moment, then patted her head.
"Then go back to sleep."
Neither of them spoke, they held each other quietly in the darkness. After being startled awake, Jiang Jianhuan would always take a long time to fall back asleep, silently listening to Su Mo's heartbeat, letting the panic slowly dissipate with time.
She closed her eyes and felt a sense of peace within herself.
Su Mo gently patted her shoulder, one pat at a time, as if soothing a baby, wanting her to fall asleep quickly. His face was serene, his eyes tightly closed, as if the movement was unconscious.
Jiang Jianhuan had been in one position for too long, so he moved slightly. Just as he turned around, he heard Su Mo say something.
"Still not asleep?"
"Why aren't you asleep either?" Jiang Jianhuan asked, tilting her head back. The little bit of sleepiness she had just managed to muster vanished without a trace.
"I wanted to wait for you to fall asleep first." Su Mo gazed at her, their faces not quite clear, but Jiang Jianhuan could clearly feel his gaze. She immediately closed her eyes.
"Then I'm going to sleep."
A few seconds later, Jiang Jianhuan heard a long sigh from above, and then he was spun around and pinned down by Su Mo.
"Since we can't sleep, let's do something to help us fall asleep."
He lowered his head and kissed her; her lips were warm and soft, and her breath was hot.
Jiang Jianhuan let out a soft moan, wrapped her arms around his neck, and responded slightly.
Under the thin blanket, two bodies gradually intertwined, the collision of hardness and softness slowly filling the anxious heart.
Jiang Jianhuan tilted his head back, his eyes half-closed, his mind filled only with pure and innocent desire.
The room stopped moving. They didn't know when it had happened. Su Mo was still on top of her. The two of them were panting in each other's arms, their skin sticking together and covered in sweat.
He kissed her ear unconsciously, his breath hotter than his body temperature.
"Jianhuan... let's get married."
His tone was light and casual, yet it revealed nothing of casualness; it was as if something he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time, finally being revealed at this moment.
The words echoed in his ears and lingered in the quiet, dark air. Jiang Jianhuan reacted very slowly, his heart skipping a beat.
She opened her eyes blankly, her mind a jumbled mess, seemingly having lost the ability to speak. Her lips moved, but she didn't know how to answer.
"Hmm?" Su Mo seemed to be getting impatient, so he turned his head and kissed her, urging her on.
"I..." Her eyelashes trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only managed a slow smile.
"good."