Chapter Fifty-Eight: Did He Just Blush?

The sudden embrace left Jiang Muwen utterly bewildered—she hadn’t said anything, so why had Wen Yichen suddenly hugged her? Wen Yichen’s hold wasn’t tight; he simply wrapped her gently in his arms. His embrace was warm—so warm that Jiang Muwen no longer wanted to push him away.

Her head was nestled against Wen Yichen’s chest. He wore many layers, making him soft and comfortable to hold. There was a faint fragrance on him, soothing and reassuring. To Jiang Muwen, this boy was like a treasure, someone she wished she could hide away in a jewel box.

The firework sounds in the distance gradually faded, and the noisy air drifted into tranquility.

“Wen Yichen…” Jiang Muwen called out tentatively to the boy before her.

Her soft, gentle voice quietly tore a small opening in the serene atmosphere.

“Hmm?”

“Why did you… suddenly decide to hug me?” At last, Jiang Muwen voiced her confusion. What had gotten into Wen Yichen to make him embrace her so abruptly?

As soon as her words fell, Wen Yichen became the one puzzled: “Wasn’t it you who asked me to hug you?”

“I… didn’t…” she replied.

The air was instantly filled with silence again, though this time it was a different kind of quiet.

Jiang Muwen carefully tore at that small piece of sweetness, and Wen Yichen quickly filled it with awkwardness.

“…”

After a moment, Wen Yichen awkwardly lowered his arms and instinctively stepped back two paces, putting some distance between himself and the girl.

The corridor, now devoid of its dazzling lights, returned to its former silence and dimness. Wen Yichen gazed at Jiang Muwen, his eyes deep, holding a trace of confusion: “Didn’t you… ask me to hug you?”

As soon as he finished, Wen Yichen grew embarrassed, his ears tinged red as he looked at the girl before him, flustered.

Could it be… he’d misheard? That shouldn’t be possible… he’d listened twice.

“Did I say that?” Jiang Muwen looked at Wen Yichen in surprise. Judging by the relationship between the two of them now, she didn’t yet have the courage to directly ask Wen Yichen for a hug.

“What did you say just now?”

“I said—should we call our parents…”

Clearly, she’d said “parents,” but Wen Yichen had heard “hug.”

The boy stood stunned for a moment, then an inexplicable blush crept across his face—what a spectacle he’d made of himself.

Wen Yichen coughed deliberately, trying to act as though nothing had happened, awkwardly turning to open the door: “It’s up to you…”

“What did you think I said?” Driven by curiosity, Jiang Muwen followed Wen Yichen to the door, lifting her gaze, eager to know the answer.

“Nothing…” Wen Yichen replied as he opened the door—was he so fond of the girl beside him that, after mishearing her, he’d rushed over to hug her without even thinking?

The door opened, revealing darkness inside. The world seemed to return to its former peace.

People had waited so long for midnight, exchanging blessings and celebrating together, but after the clock struck twelve, everything returned to its original state—as if nothing had ever happened.

Wen Yichen turned on the living room light, picked up the remote, and switched on the television. Then he lazily settled into the sofa.

“Why are you standing there? Come sit.” Wen Yichen glanced at Jiang Muwen standing nearby, then naturally patted the sofa.

“We’re… watching TV?” Jiang Muwen looked at Wen Yichen, as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Or do you want to study?” Wen Yichen’s gaze returned to the television, watching the flickering images while idly flipping through channels.

Wen Yichen’s words reminded Jiang Muwen of the Christmas gift she’d received—the one Wen Yichen had given her, though he always refused to admit it.

She looked at Wen Yichen, not responding directly, but quietly took a seat beside him. Seeing how intently he watched the screen, she feigned casualness and asked, “How much did you spend on that Christmas gift set?”

“Not much, just a hundred or so.” Wen Yichen answered without hesitation.

The next second, his hand paused on the remote, and his expression froze.

Oh no, he’d said something he shouldn’t have…

“Wen Yichen—so it really was you!” Jiang Muwen sat up excitedly. Wen Yichen had played dumb for so long, but tonight he was finally exposed.

It was this clumsy boy who had gifted her an entire set of exercise books for Christmas, carefully removing all the answer keys.

The more Jiang Muwen thought about it, the angrier she became. After she spoke, she grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at Wen Yichen.

The unexpected pillow caught Wen Yichen off guard. He raised his hand to block it, looking as if he’d suffered some grievance: “Jiang Muwen! How can you treat your Christmas Santa like this!”

As he spoke, Wen Yichen picked up a pillow himself and tossed it back at Jiang Muwen.

“You call yourself Santa? You’re a devil!” The more Jiang Muwen thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She caught the pillow and swung it at Wen Yichen.

And so, the two of them, exchanging words and laughter, found themselves engaged in a pillow fight—no one could have imagined that two nearly grown children would be chasing each other around the house with cushions.

For a moment, their laughter drowned out the sound of the television. Finally, Wen Yichen stopped running, halting by the sofa with his mouth slightly open, ready to declare a truce.

He stopped so suddenly that Jiang Muwen was caught off guard. She wanted to stop with him—but while her mind wished to pause, her body couldn’t keep up. Before she could even cry out, she stumbled and fell towards Wen Yichen.

In the next moment, Jiang Muwen dragged Wen Yichen down onto the sofa with her.

Luckily, there was a pillow between them; otherwise, Jiang Muwen would have landed right on top of Wen Yichen.

The awkward pose left both of them flustered.

“...”

“...”

They stared at each other, wide-eyed, their minds completely blank.

At that moment, the television was broadcasting a late-night talk show. The surrounding silence was broken only by the host and guest’s conversation, one line after another, stirring even more confusion in their hearts.

Jiang Muwen stared dazedly at Wen Yichen, both of them still holding traces of panic and uncertainty in their eyes. She could even feel her heart pounding wildly—as if, in the next second, it might leap out of her chest.

The soft light spilled across Wen Yichen’s face, painting a faint blush over his cheeks. This Wen Yichen—she had never seen him like this before. Wait… was he blushing?