Yurong slightly furrowed her brows. Saying it like this does seem to make sense. If he did really grope her, she wouldn't be completely unaware. And if he wanted to reach into her pajamas to undo the buttons, it would actually be easier to just feel through the pajamas from the front.

"This... even if you're doing it for my good, but... what about that?" Yurong blushed.

"What 'that'?"

"Why did you just... press my hand with such a disgusting place..." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

It was then that Li Yan realized it. So it was these two actions combined that made her a bit annoyed. He felt both amused and helpless: "You're a doctoral student. Do you have no knowledge of physiology? This was just a normal reaction from a man. I was afraid you'd get cold, so I stayed close to you to keep the bed warm, not daring to move all night, to the point that I slept numb. When you woke up, I woke up too, but you reached back there to touch me. I thought you wanted to tease me or trick me, so I played along. Who knew you'd think of something else!"

"...!"

Zhang Yurong was speechless. Is that even possible? I didn't reach back to touch you; I was worried you might be up to something. But explaining this is just troublesome, and it hurts feelings too. Since realizing it was just a misunderstanding, her embarrassment and anger dissipated.

"Alright, time to get up. Can't be bothered with you!" Yurong said, wanting to sit up and get dressed, but the fact that she'd have to change her pajamas and her bra was unbuttoned inside made it a bit hard to do in front of him. "You get up first!"

Li Yan shook his head and asked, "Did you just say... if I had the courage and the thought, and straightforwardly dealt with you, you wouldn't blame me? Are you serious about that?"

Zhang Yurong's expression changed, then she said calmly, "Yes, it's true. We're still legally married; if you did that, it's within your rights. Even marital rape doesn't often get reported or successfully prosecuted nowadays. So rest assured, I wouldn't blame you, but I would hate you!"

Hearing her mention even marital rape took all the fun out for Li Yan. Was it necessary?

"You can also rest assured, whether it's within marriage or outside of it, I have no interest in rape..."

As Li Yan said this, he couldn't help but think of Wen Qianyi. When he was with her, it was indeed a bit forceful—though later she consented, the whole process was half-push and half-yield. He also thought of Qianyi's tears, and his mind cleared. Forget it, let fate take its course. If we can be together, we can be together. There's no need to make it sad and tearful.

He got up first to get dressed. "Last night I was worried you weren't used to the cold here. Since that wasn't an issue, there's no need for it again. It made us both sleep poorly. Tonight, let's stick to our own blankets; I won't touch you again."

Hearing him say this, Yurong opened her mouth, wanting to say that wasn't what she meant, that she was okay with a bit of intimate contact between them. It just had to progress gradually; too much would still be a challenge. But such matters are really hard to explain, so she could only remain silent and watch him.

Soon, Li Yan was dressed and went out, leaving space for her to change.

Left alone, Yurong didn't immediately change clothes. She lay in the bed dazed, feeling the warmth beside her, left by Li Yan's body. Despite her nervousness last night and difficulty falling asleep, once she was asleep, she slept soundly until morning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so still during the night.

She reached out to touch where Li Yan had lain, feeling that last night, and when she awoke just now, it was truly warm. Unlike a heater, it was a warmth that directly connected to her heart.

Was he really worried I'd be cold, so he warmed me with his body all night?

She quietly asked herself, finding an answer in her heart without even needing a response. She opened her pajamas, saw the unbuttoned bra inside, and couldn't help but chuckle softly. This guy... did he realize that wearing a bra to sleep is uncomfortable? Does this mean he's experienced, or does it mean he's attentive and considerate?

She moved her body again, lying where Li Yan had lain, feeling the warmth he left behind. Thinking of what he said before leaving, she again smiled bitterly to herself. This guy is quite the fool. Does everyone need to be as proactive as Yagami Light? I didn't refuse, which meant consent. I said even if you did that, I wouldn't blame you. What more could I say?

She asked herself, knowing that in any situation, she couldn't say things like 'come on, take me,' and now she could only let things develop naturally. In fact, she had already changed significantly, from initially disliking and ignoring Li Yan to now being able to calmly sleep in the same bed with him, it was already a big change.

After lying a while, she heard footsteps and voices outside and realized where she was. The environment here was different, with not much personal space. He would surely come back soon, and if he saw her lying in his spot... wouldn't he tease her to death? He even might get carried away.

Yurong hurriedly and quickly changed clothes. After getting up, when she saw Li Tang and Wang Suzhen, she couldn't help but blush a little. They knew she and Li Yan had been married for nearly a year, but now they witnessed firsthand that she spent a night with him.

(Thanks for yesterday's tips: cfs generator, a thousand times a thousand times, Cavalry, Yagami Light II, kimi-j, dongmin8061, Cp Pampas, Illusion Breaker, Ajackson) (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log on to www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author, support legitimate reading!)