Under the Same Roof

Huo Xiao walked into the kitchen. The kettle on the stove was steaming.

He picked up the kettle and poured the water into a large wooden bucket nearby, then lifted the bucket and brought it into the room.

"You can manage with this for now; my conditions here are limited," Huo Xiao placed the bucket on the floor and used a wooden board to cover the window.

He had never thought about the conditions before when he lived alone. Although he would earn full points from the commune, he never used those points.

Huo Xiao thought to himself that he must go to Carpenter Cui's house tomorrow to buy some furniture and supplies.

"Then I'll go out. Don't be afraid. I'll stay outside and watch over you." He scratched his head, not daring to look into her eyes.

When she saw him closing the door for her, she felt at ease.

Finally, she could wash off the sweat on her body. In this hot summer, if she couldn't take a bath, she would surely cry!

After a while, she sat beside the wooden bucket and slowly wiped her body. She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in such a quiet environment.

"Huo Xiao? Are you still there?"

When her voice came from inside, Huo Xiao, who was originally leaning against the doorframe with his eyes closed, woke up from his peaceful thoughts.

"I'm here. What's the matter?"

When she heard his response, she calmed down.

It was strange; they had just met as strangers, yet his voice seemed to possess a magical quality that soothed her nerves.

"It's nothing, I'll be done soon!" She hasted her actions.

"There's no rush. Take your time," Huo Xiao reassured her.

Soon, he heard a soft and rustling sound from inside the room, causing his mind to wander about the scene within. His face instantly turned red from embarrassment.

When she opened the door, she was met with this sight: a flushed-faced man staring at her intently

"What are you thinking about? Seriously!" She pouted and blushed.

Indeed, men were all pigs! Their brains were filled with nothing but dirty thoughts!

Seeing the annoyed expression on her face, Huo Xiao found her adorable when she was angry. He struggled to suppress his nosebleed.

He quickly sidestepped into the room, carried the wooden tub, and walked out as if he were being chased by some ferocious beast.

Looking at his retreating figure, she stomped her feet in embarrassment. She walked to the bed and began arranging the clothes she had taken off.

Huo Xiao put the wooden bucket back in the kitchen and then returned to the room with a broom to clean the damp floor. Unfortunately, the floor made of soil couldn't be cleaned thoroughly, so he gave up.

"You can sleep on this bed tonight. I'll sleep outside." Huo Xiao glanced at the bed and pointed at the door.

"How can you do that? There's nothing outside, how will you sleep?" She rejected his suggestion.

She looked around and sighed at how bare his house was, with nothing but the bare essentials barely holding up.

"It's alright, I'm healthy. Sleeping outside for one night won't be an issue," Huo Xiao said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something and grabbed his arm.

"Quick, go get the wooden bucket I used for bathing earlier. I've thought of something wonderful, but I need to experiment to see if it works."

Confused, Huo Xiao went to the kitchen and brought the wooden bucket into the room as instructed.

Under her instructions, he turned the wooden bucket upside down and placed it on the ground. Then, he placed his clothes cabinet next to the bucket and then used a few wooden planks to bridge the gap.

"Mission accomplished! Quickly try it out to see if it's stable!" Excitedly clapping her hands, she urged him to give it a try.

Huo Xiao used his hands to gauge the general stability of the makeshift bed and found it relatively stable. He then laid out his bedding on it and tried lying down.

"It's quite stable. You're clever, Wan'er!" Huo Xiao praised.

"Alright, stop flattering and get some rest!" She scolded him with a playful glare, then settled into her bed to rest.

"I… I'm going to sleep in the room like this?" Huo Xiao asked in disbelief.

"Where else would you sleep?" She didn't even look at him as she pulled up her blanket.

"….Alright!" Seeing that she was ready to rest, Huo Xiao thought she must be tired after a long day, so he didn't disturb her further.

Her inner world was anything but calm. This was her first time staying under the same roof with a man. In her past life, she wouldn't even dare to think about it!