"An Le..."

In a patch of darkness, Yan Huan opened his eyes blankly.

He lay in the warmth of the bedclothes, the whispers from his mouth trembling into sound.

It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice in the dark that Yan Huan shook off the fear of turning into a snake.

Yet, even so, the scenes from the dream persisted, making Yan Huan feel a tightness in his chest, unable to exhale for a long time.

Instead, a single drop of murky tear slowly fell from the corner of his eye.

He remembered...

At first, An Le was very withdrawn.

She had been lost from her parents for a long time in her childhood, which traumatized her.

She had no friends her age in the South District and often sat alone at the edge of the sandbox.

He felt sorry for her and used a vow to become a couple to pull her out of the shadow of her introversion...

And to this day, she remembers it all.

Yan Huan blankly exhaled the pent-up breath from his chest, adapting to the air filled with moonlight.

Beside the bed, the previously indistinct female statue gradually became clearer...

But at this moment, Yan Huan didn't notice; he just felt unusually thirsty.

Just as he planned to get up, he felt a slight tugging sensation.

So, he turned his head to look at his arms.

And saw An Le curled up there, facing him.

She wasn't taking up space, nor was she crowded; it was as if she found a spot that wouldn't disturb him, curling her body up to feel his warm body, even if just a little.

She was sleeping sweetly at the moment, her face relaxed.

Her slightly chubby baby-like face lay amidst her scattered black hair, her features gentle.

She didn't have the habit of pursing her lips like she did during the day; instead, she slightly opened her small mouth, breathing softly without a sound.

One of her hands subconsciously clenched into a fist, lightly tugging at his clothes, reluctant to let go.

"..."

Yan Huan observed her peaceful sleeping face for a long time, as if at this moment, he finally saw her true form through a process of painstaking unraveling.

Yan Huan thought:

Meow-chan said, the modifier originates from desire.

But, An Le, who was introverted at first, didn't have such desires.

It was his forgotten vows that brought her out of her shell...

And thus, he became her desire.

Was Yan Huan wrong at the beginning?

Not necessarily.

It's just...

Yan Huan felt even more thirsty.

He wanted to get up to grab a drink of water but was worried about waking An Le, who was clutching his clothes.

Just as he was trying to find a way for An Le to let go, he suddenly realized she hadn't been holding on too tightly in the first place.

It turned out, it wasn't a constraint.

With just a gentle pull, she would let go.

"Mmm..."

But as he slightly pulled back, separating from An Le, she seemed to realize something in her sleep and let out a soft, adorable whimper.

Then, the peacefulness that once adorned her face slowly got replaced by unease.

She subconsciously reached out in Yan Huan's direction, but her hand lacked consciousness; reaching only a short distance before she shrank back...

An Le remained in the spot she originally occupied within Yan Huan's arms, not daring to advance nor retreat.

She simply pursed her lips, curling herself tighter, like a tiny ball under the covers.

"..."

Meanwhile, Yan Huan lay on his side, gazing at An Le's sleeping face.

After observing for a long time, he finally spoke softly to the sleeping An Le, almost tenderly, "I'll be right back..."

"..."

She was asleep, offering no response.

Still, Yan Huan had never heard her reject anything he said.

So, even if she were awake, she'd probably just obediently nod and say she would wait for him to return.

"..."

Yan Huan quietly got up, covering the blankets well to prevent any cold air from seeping in from possible gaps.

"Click~"

The second night in Shenxiang was exceptionally peaceful.

Under the moonlight, the pink peach trees danced gracefully, transforming into the delicate skirts of women.

Yan Huan glanced at the clock in the hallway, realizing not much time had passed.

It was the height of the night.

He went to the bathroom and drank several cups of warm water before finally quenching the dryness in his mouth.

"Rustle... rustle..."

He rinsed his cup and walked out from the kitchen, intending to return to his room.

In the night, he glanced at the distant peach trees.

Only then did he notice an old lady of the Jindai family still awake, leaning against the peach tree.

"Mrs. Jindai, are you still up?"

"Oh my..."

The old lady heard Yan Huan's voice and turned her head,

"Haha, when you get older, you tend to sleep less, sometimes tossing and turning for half the night without falling asleep."

She looked at Yan Huan, who was also sleepless, not saying much more but suddenly remembered something and asked,

"By the way, would you like a peach?"

"A peach?"

In the courtyard, Yan Huan looked at Mrs. Jindai curiously, wondering why she asked.

As he walked towards her, he saw her holding a not-too-big, seemingly slightly unripe peach.

Seeing the unripe-looking peach, the corners of Yan Huan's mouth stiffened slightly,

"Is it ripe, Grandma?"

"It's ripe, it's ripe... This tree was originally an ornamental variety, hardly bears any peaches in a year..."

"Ah, then it must be very sour... is it still worth eating, Grandma?"

"Well, you see..."

Mrs. Jindai explained helplessly, holding the peach,

"This tree was planted by my husband and me several years before he passed away, I thought he meant it as an ornamental flower, so I never tasted the fruits, thinking they must be very sour...

"It was only before he passed that I learned he planted the tree so I could taste a peach; he simply bought the wrong variety."

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