Chapter 31: This Scene... Is This Something Someone Like Me, Who Has Never Been in a Relationship, Can Watch for Free?

The light from the hospital corridor spilled obliquely through the glass windows, casting patches of varying lengths across the floor.

Lu Xiaoman held Lu Mingxi in her arms, standing still as she watched Shang Linyuan’s retreating figure turn the corner of the corridor. Only then did she lower her head to stroke the wisps of hair at the nape of her son’s neck. "Does your neck still hurt?"

Lu Mingxi shook his head, his small hand clutching her collar as he nestled closer into her embrace. "Grandpa doctor was so scary just now."

"That’s only because Grandpa was worried about you, Xiaoxi."

Lu Xiaoman smiled, her fingertips brushing over the bruise on his neck that had yet to fully fade. The sense of relief she had felt upon realizing the doctor’s misunderstanding was quickly eclipsed by a surge of heartache.

When Shang Linyuan pulled the car up, a thin sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. He reached for the car door to help the child, but stopped mid-motion, turning instead to hold the frame for Lu Xiaoman. "Take your time."

As soon as they were in the car, Lu Mingxi grew drowsy. His head lolled onto Lu Xiaoman’s shoulder, his eyelashes still damp with unevaporated moisture. Lu Xiaoman shifted her position, trying to make him more comfortable, but her cast-encased arm got in the way. After two failed attempts, she sighed.

Suddenly, Shang Linyuan leaned over, his warm breath brushing against her ear. His movements were gentle as he reached out to support the child in her arms, tucking a cushion from the backseat behind Lu Mingxi’s neck. "That should be better."

The proximity was overwhelming. Lu Xiaoman could smell the faint scent of cedarwood on him, mingled with the sterile aroma of the hospital—an unexpectedly pleasant combination. She instinctively pulled away until her back pressed against the car door, only to realize his hand was still lingering near the cushion, his fingertips mere centimeters from her hair.

"Thank you," she whispered, her gaze fixed on the child’s peaceful sleeping face, not daring to look up.

As Shang Linyuan withdrew his hand, his fingertips brushed against her cast with a fleeting, almost imperceptible touch. His voice dropped to a soft tone. "When is the cast coming off?"

"In two weeks."

He glanced at her thoughtfully and, as he started the car, took care to switch the music to a gentle piano melody. The cabin fell into a quiet, filled only by the sound of Lu Mingxi’s steady breathing and the soft hum of tires on the pavement.

As soon as the car stopped downstairs, Shang Linyuan hurried to open the door. Lu Xiaoman unbuckled her seatbelt, intending to carry Lu Mingxi out, but the little boy clung tightly to Shang Linyuan’s arm, refusing to let go. "I want Uncle to carry me! Uncle, come home with us!"

Lu Xiaoman frowned, reaching out to pry the boy’s hands away. "Be good, Xiaoxi. Uncle has things to do."

"No!" Lu Mingxi buried his face into the crook of Shang Linyuan’s neck, kicking his little legs against the man’s waist. "Uncle promised to build blocks with me!"

Shang Linyuan lowered his gaze to the little rascal in his arms, then looked up at Lu Xiaoman, a hint of hidden amusement in his eyes. "Since I promised the child..."

"Our place is small; it’s not convenient," Lu Xiaoman said stiffly, but she was interrupted by a sudden cough from Lu Mingxi.

The boy lifted his face, his eyes red and watery as he looked at her. "Mommy, I’m scared to take a bath by myself..."

Before he could finish, Shang Linyuan was already carrying him firmly toward the stairwell. Lu Xiaoman watched their retreating figures, a sense of frustration bubbling in her chest, yet she resigned herself to following them. *Sigh, I can’t let the child get worked up and make his cough worse.*

Once inside, Lu Mingxi immediately directed Shang Linyuan to fetch his bucket of blocks from the cabinet. He himself refused to be put down, staying in Shang Linyuan’s arms while sneaking a tug at Lu Xiaoman’s hem and winking at her.

Lu Xiaoman was so exasperated by his antics she almost laughed, but she kept a straight face as she went to the bathroom to run the water. "The water is ready, Xiaoxi. Come down and wash up."

She placed his change of clothes on a stool by the bathroom door. As she turned, she bumped straight into Shang Linyuan, who was standing at the doorway holding the child. The man’s tall frame seemed to fill the narrow corridor, and the scent of cedarwood, mixed with the breeze from outside, washed over her.

Lu Xiaoman instinctively stepped back, but her lower back hit the vanity, and she hissed in pain. Shang Linyuan reached out to steady her, but the moment his fingertips touched her clothing, he was interrupted by Lu Mingxi’s next move.

The little boy suddenly reached for the showerhead on the wall, but lost his grip; a spray of water splashed out instantly.

"Hahaha!" Lu Mingxi laughed mischievously.

Lu Xiaoman was drenched. Her cotton loungewear, already light and thin, now clung to her skin like a damp cloud. Droplets tracked down her jawline, soaking into her chest in uneven patterns like ink spreading on rice paper, then trickling down her slender waistline until they vanished into hidden depths.

She furrowed her brows, tiny beads of water hanging from her long lashes. In the warm, yellow