CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 109: DON’T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE!

"Ugh, I feel so uncomfortable, my body is all sticky."

"I need a bath!"

Ye Manman believed her mind was still clear. She initially wanted to check if He Chen was drunk, but the sticky clothes clinging to her made it impossible to ignore.

She had no time to verify He Chen’s drunkenness and forgot that she needed to wait for He Chen to boil water before taking a bath. So, she still nestled in He Chen’s arms and started tugging at her collar.

Wearing many layers in winter, most of the rice wine had spilled onto her collar. Since it was just a small cup, the liquid was absorbed by the clothes below the collar, which made Ye Manman feel extremely uncomfortable.

She forcefully tugged at that piece of clothing, and soon a small patch of fair skin emerged, dazzling He Chen’s eyes, making them seem like they were about to shoot fire.

He hurriedly pressed down her hand, the soft and delicate hand in his palm gave He Chen’s heart a fierce shock.

He felt as if he was about to be consumed by flames and hurried to carry the constantly muttering Ye Manman, who demanded a bath, into the room.

Ye Manman still had some sense left.

She sat at the edge of the bed and saw the brand-new bath barrel in the room, and He Chen, bent over with a flushed face, wiping her face.

"He Chen, I want to take a bath."

She didn’t have much strength. Originally, she wanted to grab his hand to stop wiping her face, but her limbs were too soft, so Ye Manman gave up.

It wasn’t until this moment that she realized her grand plan had failed.

And it failed badly.

Not only did she fail to get He Chen drunk, but she also got herself muddle-headed.

What a disgrace.

She slowly pondered over the entire situation, and just as she finished thinking, the effects of the alcohol hit her again. Feeling miserable, she continued to tug at her collar, humming.

He Chen didn’t dare to stay by her side anymore. After confirming she wouldn’t take off her clothes, he quickly rushed out to boil water.

Crouching in the kitchen, constantly adding firewood, He Chen’s mind kept replaying all the earlier images. He almost accidentally poked the pot clean out of the stove.

Seeing the firewood almost fill the stove, he quickly withdrew his hands and continued squatting like a fool, watching the water in the pot gradually boil.

The bath barrel was large, and He Chen boiled three pots of water, adding a bucket of cold water, to fill it halfway. However, the water temperature was just right, enough for Ye Manman to get in.

He intended to adjust the water temperature and then wait outside, but Ye Manman asked him to close the door.

"He Chen, you need to stay here to help me. I’m drunk and might accidentally drown."

Countless white mist rose above the bath barrel, and because of it, the entire room seemed to lose its chill.

He Chen stood a short distance from the door, back facing Ye Manman, his heart pounding like a drum.

He dutifully closed the door and inexplicably considered whether all the doors in the house were locked.

Then He Chen heard the sound of rustling behind him and Ye Manman’s footsteps getting closer.

With each step she took, He Chen felt his heart rising to his throat, as if it might just jump out with the slightest carelessness, his heart beating wildly.

"He Chen~"

"The bath barrel is too high, I can’t get in, help me."

A fair and tender little arm appeared around his waist, pulling at his clothes.

He could seemingly feel a faint warmth on his back, and He Chen’s body was completely paralyzed.

"I, um, um, how about stepping on a stool?"

He Chen’s mouth started to fumble as he spoke, stumbling over the words, with everything above his neck turning red, his eyes flushed with blood, looking like a shrimp boiled in hot water.

He knew the bath barrel was somewhat high, making it difficult for Ye Manman to climb in, so he placed a small stool next to it.

Ye Manman was too muddled to notice.

His reminder made Ye Manman open her eyes wide with effort to see the small stool.

Initially, she wanted He Chen to hold her and help her into the bath, but this straightforward guy was entirely clueless.

Ye Manman didn’t know if she was angry or what, and with a light hum, she turned around, stepped on the stool, and entered the bath barrel.

He Chen’s tightly clenched body barely relaxed a little when he heard the sound of her entering the water, yet he still stood back to Ye Manman, daring not to move, like a statue.

As Ye Manman soaked, her slightly clearer head started to muddle again.

She remembered He Chen’s stubborn refusal to turn around to look at her and suddenly felt angry and particularly wronged. Then she burst into tears.

"Wah... He Chen, do you not love me anymore..."

"Is it because you think I’ve gained weight and don’t want to hold me, wah..."

The heat from the water was making her already muddled head spin even more. Ye Manman felt the grievances in her heart well up like a spring. Thinking about her efforts to get He Chen drunk and how he didn’t appreciate it, she wanted to beat him up.

Hearing her question, crying even more sorrowfully, He Chen was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. His feet almost couldn’t resist turning around, but he gritted his teeth and held back, just loudly explaining while standing where he was.

"No, Manman, I, I love you. It’s not that I dislike you. I, I just..."

"Just what?"

Ye Manman sobbed, raising her hands to cover her ears, "You’re lying! You just don’t love me anymore! You don’t even want to look at me!"

He Chen dared not turn his back on her any longer. Those feet that seemed nailed to the ground finally moved.

Teetering on the tumultuous waves in his heart, he took two steps to the side of the bath barrel, fearing to see anything he shouldn’t. He quickly squatted down, trying to maintain a position where he could only see her from the neck up.

But even so, the water in the bath barrel was so clear that despite the mist in the air above, He Chen inevitably saw some things.

Blushing and extremely embarrassed, he squatted beside her, explaining while his mind raced frantically.

"I just feared you wouldn’t want me to see... I"

"How could I not love you? You are the person I love the most under this sky, it’s just that I’m afraid you wouldn’t want..."

Even though he knew that Ye Manman was currently drunk and might not remember any of this when she woke up, He Chen still seriously explained.

He also didn’t want Ye Manman to regret it after sobering up the next day, regret being seen by him or something. That would weigh heavily on He Chen’s conscience.

After all, he was the one who said he would always respect her, so he certainly couldn’t go against his word when she was drunk.

He didn’t want her to be unhappy, nor did he want her to regret it.

He Chen slightly lowered his eyes, leaving just enough in his peripheral vision to ensure that the person in the bath barrel wouldn’t drown due to confusion.

Suddenly, in his sight appeared an arm with droplets of water, soaking in the water, turning a translucent rosy white.

She extended her hand, using a single finger to lift his chin, forcing him to raise his head.

He Chen was filled with tremors, unable to hide the panic and astonishment in his eyes, his lips quivering intensely, yet not a single word could escape his mouth.