After dinner, Xu Shen quietly gathered his and his brothers' utensils, placed them in the sink, and silently washed them before heading upstairs to their room.
This time, Qin Lian didn't stop them. She simply ate her meal as they took care of their dishes, letting them be.
The children had seen too much in their lives. If she tried to get close to them too soon, they would only push her away.
After finishing her meal, she began clearing the table.
Seeing her tidying up, Xu Yinchen stepped forward and said, "Let me do it. You should go upstairs and change your clothes, you must be tired."
Qin Lian paused, suddenly aware of how exhausted she was.
Earlier, she hadn't noticed, but now the weariness was creeping in, making her head feel light.
She unconsciously touched her forehead and winced in pain. Her wound was still fresh, and the pain flared up again.
No wonder she felt a little dizzy.
She glanced down at her clothes and realized she was still wearing the same outfit she had traveled in.
No wonder she felt sticky and uncomfortable.
Setting the dishes back on the table, she nodded. "Then… Thank you. I'll go upstairs and take a bath."
As he picked up the dishes, Xu Yinchen hummed in response and added, "I put your backpack in the bedroom upstairs. It's on the right side."
Qin Lian blinked in surprise. She hadn't even noticed when he had taken her backpack upstairs.
Was it when he went to call the children for dinner?
For a moment, she stood there, touched. It was a small gesture, yet it meant more than she had expected.
She had never experienced someone taking care of her like this. She had always lived alone, learning to rely on herself.
Even when she was in a relationship, she was the one making all the effort, believing that this was just how love and relationships worked.
She never expected her boyfriend to take care of her or put her first. She didn't want to become a burden on him.
Their relationship had always felt mechanical, routine, almost devoid of warmth.
They only met on Sundays, as she worked six days a week and even had a part-time job on her only day off.
Still, she made sure to call him every day, maintaining the connection even when life was busy.
She had thought he was a supportive, understanding boyfriend, someone who never got angry just because she was busy.
Even though he made no effort in the relationship, just his presence had been enough for her.
But who would've thought that while he gave her less than the bare minimum, ignoring her calls, making no effort, doing nothing, he was busy cheating on her with her best friend?
That bastard.
The mere thought of him made her blood boil again, but when her gaze landed on Xu Yinchen's handsome face, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
It's alright.
Let bygones be bygones. Such scumbags don't deserve her attention.
She watched as Xu Yinchen carried the dishes to the kitchen to clean them.
A warm smile tugged at her lips as she turned and headed upstairs, with a strange flutter stirring in her chest.
….
Upstairs, there were two rooms: one on the left side of the corridor and one on the right.
At the end of the hall were a bathroom and a separate toilet.
In rural areas, it was uncommon for houses to have proper bathrooms and toilets inside, let alone separate, and Qin Lian couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
Her gaze fell on the closed door of the children's room. She sighed softly, then turned and entered the bedroom on the right.
The bedroom was spacious, with a double bed in the center, a wardrobe to one side, and a simple desk and chair by the wall.
The room held only the bare necessities, lacking the personal touches that could make it feel more homely.
She walked toward the bed and picked up her backpack. Only then did she notice the neatly tucked bedsheet.
It was clean and appeared new. Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she chuckled softly. "Did he even change the bedsheet when he placed the bag here?"
Shaking her head with a faint smile, she grabbed her cotton pajamas and fresh underwear before heading to the bathroom for a much-needed bath.
___
After taking a bath, Qin Lian entered the bedroom and froze when she saw Xu Yinchen standing in front of the open wardrobe.
His unexpected presence in the bedroom caught her off guard. Instinctively, she touched the towel wrapped around her damp hair.
Because of the wound on her forehead and the bandage wrapped around her head, she hadn't been able to wash her hair properly. Still feeling sticky and uncomfortable, she had tried to rinse the ends as best as she could.
"Ah! I… didn't pack any towels in my luggage. That's why I took new ones from the wardrobe. You were downstairs, so I couldn't ask," she explained quickly, worried he might have been looking for towels.
Noticing his surprised expression, she hesitated and asked, "I used two towels. Are there no more towels for you? I'm so sorry. I should have checked first."
Xu Yinchen turned to her, his gaze lingering as he took in her freshly bathed appearance.
Her cheeks carried a soft, rosy flush, her cotton floral pajamas clinging delicately to her frame, simple yet unintentionally alluring.
The undone collar of her shirt revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her smooth skin, while the towel atop her head held back her damp hair, leaving her slender neck exposed.
A few droplets of water shimmered against her skin, catching the light and drawing his eyes, making his breath hitch for a moment.
He pursed his lips, quickly averting his gaze. "You don't need to ask. It's alright."
Without saying anything, Xu Yinchen left the room, leaving Qin Lian alone in the room.
After he left, her gaze landed on the double bed in the middle of the room, and a wave of embarrassment swept over her.
"Are… we… going to sleep together tonight?"
She couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. After all, she had come here as his bride, they were technically husband and wife.
But… They had just met today. He wouldn't try anything, right?