Chapter 195: Love Too Intense

Lin Heng handed the ginseng to Xiulan with a smile. “Put this in a wooden box to dry and sell it later. It should fetch at least ten thousand yuan. Be careful with it.”

Xiulan nodded, eyeing him. “Now you’d better tell me how you found it. Don’t tell me it was just luck?”

Lin Heng grinned mischievously. “Help me scrub my back, and I’ll tell you the whole story.”

Xiulan rolled her eyes at him but didn’t refuse.

While Lin Heng was undressing, she took a wooden box from the cabinet, placed the ginseng inside, and left the lid off so it could air-dry on the windowsill.

After over ten days without a hot bath, Lin Heng could hardly stand it anymore. He brushed his teeth, washed his hair, and waited for Xiulan to come help scrub his back.

When Xiulan saw Lin Heng standing there stark naked, she blushed furiously. That thing of his was just too… overwhelming.

Lin Heng shot her a wicked smile. “Come on, help me scrub my back.”

He knew she was shy and didn’t dare tease her too much, or she might refuse altogether.

Blushing, Xiulan walked over, picked up the soap, and began scrubbing his back. Her hands trembled slightly.

Her eyes had just been glued to something she shouldn’t have been thinking about, and only now did she notice the scrape on Lin Heng’s lower back. Alarmed, she asked, “Did you fall on the mountain? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“My hands and ankles too, but they’re fine now. I slipped down a slope by accident,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Xiulan’s scrubbing gentled as she sighed. “I told you to be careful before you left. Why can’t you remember?”

Lin Heng leaned into the comfort. “Actually, the fall was a blessing in disguise. While I was resting afterward, Xiong Ba found the ginseng nearby. If I hadn’t fallen, I would’ve missed it.”

“Don’t you think that’s a good thing?” he asked, turning his head with a grin.

Xiulan scrubbed a little harder and said, “Sure, if a few scrapes get you a hundred-year-old ginseng, it’s worth it. But I worry you’ll get seriously hurt next time. That’s not worth it.”

She hadn’t expected the ginseng to be found like that. Seeing the scrape on his back, her heart ached—he must’ve been in a lot of pain.

“Does it still hurt?” she asked softly.

Lin Heng shook his head. “Not at all. Just a bit itchy. Could you scratch around the edges for me?”

Xiulan scratched the area for him and continued scrubbing. If it was itchy, it meant it was healing—she felt relieved.

Lin Heng lifted his arms and turned to face her with a grin. “Wife, could you help wash the front too?”

Xiulan shot him a glare. “One more word and I won’t even scrub your back.”

“Okay, okay~”

Lin Heng looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Xiulan’s soft hands lathered up the soap and scrubbed his back. It was so comfortable it made him feel like melting.

“All done. You can wash the rest yourself. I’m going to get your clothes.”

Once she finished scrubbing his back, Xiulan quickly set the soap down and darted away, not giving Lin Heng a chance.

She didn’t want her clothes getting wet, and from the look of him, she could tell he was barely holding back.

Lin Heng put on a mock angry face. “You don’t even trust me a little?”

Xiulan gave him a sly smile. “Not at a time like this. I just changed into these clothes—I’m not letting you soak them.”

Lin Heng shrugged and picked up the soap with a grin. “Then I’ll just take good care of my little buddy here.”

Xiulan didn’t reply, just shot him a fierce glare.

After finding his clothes, she placed them on a stool. “Here, I left them for you. I’m going to make dinner.”

“Got it!”

Lin Heng nodded. Even though he was already burning with desire, it was already dark out—he could wait a little longer.

He carefully washed himself clean, added some firewood to the fireplace, and waited for his body to dry before putting on fresh clothes.

After not bathing for so many days, he felt completely refreshed, like he could ascend to immortality at any moment.

He opened the back door and turned on the porch light, then carried the bucket out to dump the water and soak his dirty clothes.

The backyard hadn’t changed much. The sun had come out today, melting most of the snow, though large icicles still hung from the eaves like cones.

The only green in the yard came from the orchids, the true cypress, and the black pine bonsai. They seemed even more vibrant in the dead of winter.

The fish pond was frozen over, making it hard to see inside. Lin Heng grabbed a flashlight and managed to spot the black fish hovering motionless mid-water, while the yellow catfish and carp had sunk to the bottom.

After dumping the bathwater, Lin Heng walked to the front. Xiulan was cooking in the kitchen, and she had brought Xiao Xia in with her.

“Daddy!”

As soon as she saw Lin Heng, Xiao Xia ran over and threw herself into his arms.

Lin Heng scooped her up and kissed her. “My baby’s getting prettier every day.”

Xiao Xia snuggled against his neck and cooed, “Daddy, I want candy~”

“Alright, alright, one piece for you.”

Lin Heng had expected that. He pulled a piece of rock candy from his pocket and popped it into her mouth.

Xiao Xia nestled in his arms, happily sucking on the candy.

Lin Heng walked over to his wife. “Just whip up a couple dishes. I’m starving and want to eat quickly.”

He didn’t just want to eat—he wanted to rest quickly too.

Xiulan nodded. “Almost done. I just added two more dishes.”

She scooped up the stir-fried sour long beans with minced pork and glass noodles from the wok, and also made an egg and daylily soup. Dinner was ready.

She had already added water to the pot to cook noodles for Lin Heng later tonight.

She brought the dishes to the table—besides the two freshly made ones, there was also a cold dish of baby greens and some braised sausage she had prepared earlier.

Lin Heng took a bite of the stir-fried noodles and couldn’t help praising, “Delicious! No wonder you’re my wife.”

Xiulan smiled with her lips pressed together. “Then eat more.”

Watching Lin Heng eat always made her happy.

Lin Heng didn’t hold back—he was starving. He devoured the food like a whirlwind, polishing off the plate in no time, then moved on to the cold greens and daylilies.

Once he’d nearly finished, Xiulan went to cook three bowls of noodles, added the remaining dishes, and it tasted even better.

After scarfing down the meal, Lin Heng leaned back in his chair and let out a satisfied breath.

Xiulan was feeding Xiao Xia and asked, “Want more?”

“No, I’ll feed her. You go eat.”

Lin Heng walked over and took Xiao Xia’s bowl to feed her.

Before she even finished eating, Xiao Xia blurted out, “Daddy, tell me a story!”

Lin Heng chuckled. “Okay, okay, after you finish eating.”

“Yay!”

Xiao Xia immediately began gobbling down her food.

By the time Lin Heng finished feeding her, Xiulan had already eaten and was cleaning up the dishes.

“Leave them. I’ll wash them in the morning,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Xiulan thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright.”

She set the dishes aside, and the three of them headed into the warm bedroom together.

Lin Heng took off Xiao Xia’s coat and laid it on the bed before starting to tell her a story.

Tonight, his heart was entirely with Xiulan—he hoped Xiao Xia would fall asleep quickly.

But after so many days without hearing Lin Heng’s stories, Xiao Xia was completely captivated. She didn’t want to sleep at all.

Though Xiulan told her stories when Lin Heng wasn’t around, hers weren’t as smooth or engaging. Xiao Xia clearly preferred Lin Heng’s storytelling.

Lin Heng’s warm heart began to cool—Xiao Xia still wasn’t asleep.

Seeing Lin Heng’s expression, Xiulan couldn’t help but smile. She whispered gently, “Just keep telling the story. I’ll go warm the bed for you.”

She slipped under the covers and added softly, “No matter how late it is, I’ll wait for you.”

Lin Heng gave his daughter a helpless glance and continued the story.

From 7:30 all the way to 9:00, he kept going until Xiao Xia finally drifted off to sleep, breathing softly.

“She’s finally asleep.”

Lin Heng let out a deep breath, added some firewood to the fireplace, then walked toward the bed.

Just as he undressed and slipped under the covers, a pair of soft hands wrapped around him.

“I thought you were asleep… mmph—”

Before Lin Heng could finish his sentence, Xiulan had already made her move.

She missed him too much to fall asleep. She’d been waiting for him all along.

Lin Heng wrapped his arms around his wife, letting his longing turn into action.

Only after their passionate exchange did he realize just how deep Xiulan’s yearning had run—it had become a flood surging upstream.

That night, the sounds from their room were unusually intense, like a piece of music rising and falling, stirring the soul. It lasted through three waves before finally quieting.

When the moonlight streamed in, Xiulan lay limp in Lin Heng’s arms, her body soft and weak but still clinging tightly to him.

Lin Heng basked in the warmth of her body, enjoying the release of tension, silent for a long time.

After a while, Xiulan regained a bit of strength. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and whispered, “I still can’t sleep. Tell me what you’ve been up to these days.”

“Alright.”

Lin Heng leaned close to her ear and began to speak, his hands absentmindedly kneading the “big meat bun” he loved so much.

“So you guys really brought back that much meat?”

Xiulan was surprised when she heard about their haul.

“Winter’s a good time for hunting. But honestly, the real treasures are the ginseng and musk deer I found,” Lin Heng said with a smile, continuing his story.

Pressed against his chest, Xiulan murmured, “That’s true. My husband is amazing in every way.”

Lin Heng smiled silently, her words filling him with satisfaction.

He went on to share more, and under Xiulan’s persistent questions, he even told her about getting lost that night.

Xiulan immediately hugged him tighter. “That’s so scary. You have to be more careful from now on.”

She was terrified of losing Lin Heng. During the days he was away, she missed him constantly and often found herself checking the door.

“It’s fine. I’m not that dumb,” Lin Heng said with a chuckle.

Xiulan whispered, “Think about how good it just felt. If you don’t treasure your life, you won’t get to enjoy that again.”

“Of course I treasure it,” Lin Heng replied with a grin.

Xiulan nodded gently. “Good. Then let’s get some rest~”

“I want a White Rabbit milk candy before I sleep…”

“We don’t have any, but I can try something else…”

Xiulan leaned in and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.

Eventually, she curled into the crook of Lin Heng’s arm and slowly drifted off, the room filled with the lingering scent of their love.

The next morning, Lin Heng opened his eyes and looked at the woman beside him. A deep sense of peace and contentment washed over him.

Even if he did nothing else, just watching her like this was enough. Her lips were rosy and full, her cheeks clean and fair, her eyelids closed with long lashes curling gently, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned in a peaceful, happy expression.

Sensing his gaze, Xiulan slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the love in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.

Looking into his eyes, she said softly, “It’s so nice to wake up and see you here.”

“Same here,” Lin Heng replied with a wide smile.

They gazed at each other for a while. Then Xiulan laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his, clinging to him like a little kitten.

Lin Heng wished he could stay in this tender moment all day, but his elder brother was still up on the mountain, so he had no choice but to get up reluctantly.

He got dressed, added more firewood to the fireplace, and then turned to watch Xiulan get dressed. Watching her beautiful figure slowly disappear beneath her clothes was a pleasure in itself.

He thought to himself that with her figure, she’d look stunning in a qipao. Unfortunately, there were none for sale in Taibai City. He’d have to wait until they went to Ancheng to buy one for her.

“Sigh!” He couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.

Xiulan gave him a puzzled look. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Heng grinned. “Nothing. Just thinking your figure is amazing. You’d look incredible in a qipao.”

In truth, he was lamenting how underdeveloped this era was. If it were like the future, with so many styles of clothing, he’d buy every one for his wife—just watching her wear them would be a joy.

Xiulan blinked. “Then once we have money, buy one for me and I’ll wear it for you.”

“Deal!”

Lin Heng nodded eagerly. He loved this change in her attitude.

Xiulan finished dressing and took the bedsheet they’d tossed aside last night to soak in a basin. Seeing how damp it still was, she felt a little embarrassed. She might’ve been a bit too enthusiastic last night.

Their love had been too intense—the sheets had soaked up too much.

Lin Heng chuckled to himself. Having a wife made of water was quite the delightful thing.

He got up to check on Xiao Xia. She was still sleeping soundly. Since she’d gone to bed late, her sleep was especially deep.

Xiulan had worried they’d wake her, but despite all the noise last night, Xiao Xia hadn’t stirred at all.

Consider it payback for Lin Heng’s hour-and-a-half-long story session.

After one last glance at his daughter, Lin Heng let her sleep. He washed up quickly, then headed out to the old house to find his father.

When he arrived, Father Lin and Mother Lin had just gotten up, and Caiyun was slinging her schoolbag over her shoulder, getting ready for school.

“Eh? Second Brother, when did you get back?!”

Seeing Lin Heng, she lit up with surprise and ran over to grab his hand.

Hearing her, Father Lin and Mother Lin quickly came out as well.

Father Lin asked in surprise, “Son, when did you get back? Where’s your brother?”

Lin Heng patted his sister Caiyun’s smooth hair and smiled. “I got back last night, but it was too late to see you. My uncle-in-law and the others are still up on the mountain. I came back to ask if you could help carry some stuff.”

“Go round up a couple more people, Dad. Otherwise, we won’t be able to bring everything down. This time, the haul is something else.”

“Two more people?” Mother Lin’s eyes widened.

Caiyun was shocked too. “Second Brother, just how much did you guys catch?”

Lin Heng smiled faintly. “There’s too much to explain all at once. You’ll understand once we bring it back.”

“Alright, I’ll go get everyone now. Your Third Uncle and Lin Hai are both in the house anyway.”

Father Lin didn’t ask any more questions and went out right away to call them.

“I already asked Xiulan to make dinner, so have them come over to my place to eat,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Father Lin waved to show he understood, then quickly walked out of the courtyard.

Caiyun glanced at the watch on Lin Heng’s wrist and beamed. “Second Brother, I’m heading out too. If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.”

“Isn’t it New Year’s Day today? Don’t you guys get the day off?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

“Nope. Just a week or two more, and then we’ll get winter break.”

With a cheerful smile, Caiyun said goodbye and hurried off. Ever since she started school, her personality had become noticeably brighter.

After she left, Lin Heng said a few words to his mother, then went off to find Xiulan.

(End of Chapter)