Chapter 2888: Small Town Infrastructure Construction Proceeding Happily 08

Huo Zhaoye followed the arm that was being held, turning his head to look.

Jin Chen on the bed was still asleep, lying on his side, body slightly curled, brows tightly furrowed; his already pale complexion, in the moonlight streaming through the window, looked almost translucently white, his lips moving soundlessly as if murmuring something, but the words were indistinct.

The hand gripping Huo Zhaoye's wrist was ice-cold and still trembling uncontrollably.

"Jin Chen?" Huo Zhaoye's heart tightened; he lowered his body, leaned in, and lowered his voice to ask, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Jin Chen gave no response, as if sunk in a nightmare he couldn't wake from.

Huo Zhaoye's gaze followed the trembling hand to Jin Chen's left wrist exposed outside the blanket, moonlight shining on the skin.

The totem on the inner wrist faintly glowed, like a dark fire beneath the skin ignited, the edge lines twisting slightly as if alive, oozing a bloody hue.

Huo Zhaoye inexplicably reached out, wanting to touch the reddened skin around the pattern; as his fingertip barely made contact, the unconscious Jin Chen gripped Huo Zhaoye's hand tighter, even in his dream letting out a stifled groan of pain, "It hurts..."

Huo Zhaoye's fingers jerked back as if scalded, shocked that the skin temperature was astonishingly high, burning his fingertips to numbness—not a burn a normal person could endure, but like fire seeping from the bones.

If such a burning sensation fell on an ordinary person, the skin would likely split and flesh rend, eliciting a cry of pain.

But Jin Chen merely clenched his lower lip, tossing and turning in the nightmare, cold sweat soaking the bangs on his forehead.

Jin Chen's murmurs were broken and intermittent, mixed with fractured gasps, so fragile they seemed to shatter at a touch.

Huo Zhaoye's heart sank; he sat again beside the bed and, with his backhand, tightly gripped Jin Chen's trembling, icy hand.

"It's all right… it's all right…"

Jin Chen still showed no sign of waking, but seemed to ease slightly, pulling Huo Zhaoye's hand toward his chest.

Huo Zhaoye, caught off guard, was pulled forward, half his body pressing against the bed's edge.

Afraid that struggling free would hurt Jin Chen, he merely adjusted his posture, half his body leaning sideways against the bed, his other hand unconsciously reaching out to pat Jin Chen's shoulder and back soothingly.

In his painful haze, Jin Chen leaned a little closer toward him.

Huo Zhaoye, already off-balance, was thus tipped entirely sideways, half his body falling onto the bed.

The two suddenly found themselves extremely close.

Huo Zhaoye half-supported himself; Jin Chen lay curled on his side, face buried in Huo Zhaoye's neck, scorching breath heating the skin, his wrist temperature alarmingly high.

Huo Zhaoye tried to pull away, but Jin Chen held his hand fast, his whole body pressing closer, as if only by clinging to him could the pain ease a bit.

Moonlight poured through the half-open window, clear and cold, falling on Jin Chen's pale face, revealing the fragility usually hidden beneath his cool demeanor, and piercing Huo Zhaoye's heart.

Huo Zhaoye lowered his eyes, gazing at Jin Chen's lips, still pale even in sleep, and finally could not bring himself to pull away.

Never mind. After a moment of stalemate, Huo Zhaoye sighed resignedly.

He told himself, just make do for the night.

Huo Zhaoye adjusted his posture to make himself less uncomfortable, yet still kept his hand covering Jin Chen's wrist and the hand that was gripping him.

He clearly intended to stay somewhat alert, always watching Jin Chen's condition.

But whether it was fatigue from night patrol, the night being too quiet, the moonlight too gentle, or the steady breathing and faint sandalwood scent of the person in his arms being too soothing…

His eyelids grew heavy, finally sinking into darkness, and he too fell asleep.

After a long while.

The person originally in a deep sleep on the bed slowly opened his eyes; his pupils were clear, with no trace of the grogginess of just waking from a nightmare.

The moonlight shifted, illuminating half his cheek; Jin Chen turned his head to look at the already soundly asleep Huo Zhaoye beside him.

When Huo Zhaoye slept, the fierce, wild sharpness between his brows faded considerably, making him look utterly unguarded.

Jin Chen, without using any technique, gently pulled Huo Zhaoye inward, drawing the hand that had been covering his wrist over and wrapping it around his own waist, forming an embrace-like pose, as if Huo Zhaoye were actively hugging him in his sleep.

In his sleep, Huo Zhaoye unconsciously tightened his arms.

Jin Chen let him hold him, his gaze dropping to the inner side of his left wrist.

He raised his right index finger; its tip glowed with a faint light as he touched the wrist's marking.

Tsk, it really does hurt.

Jin Chen closed his eyes again, burying his face in Huo Zhaoye's neck, which radiated warm body heat, letting that vitalizing breath envelop him.

——

Next morning.

The habit formed from years of patrol made Huo Zhaoye open his eyes alertly the instant morning light streamed through the window.

Before his consciousness fully returned, the first sensation was an unprecedented warmth, a fullness imbued with another person's body heat and breath.

His arm felt numb, as if he were holding something in his embrace…

Huo Zhaoye lowered his gaze, meeting the fair skin of the neck, his mind going blank for a moment.

Jin Chen lay on his side in the crook of Huo Zhaoye's arm, his black hair messy and spread over the pillow, while Huo Zhaoye's arm firmly encircled Jin Chen's waist, drawing him into the embrace.

Their bodies pressed together, even able to feel each other's temperature through the thin clothing.

This posture looked, from any angle, as if he were the one actively holding the other tightly.

At that moment, the person in his arms twitched his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes.

Jin Chen lowered his gaze, looked, then lifted his eyes to meet Huo Zhaoye's, his expression calm but bewildered.

Huo Zhaoye: "……"