<h4>Chapter 345: Chapter 345: Walking the Muddy Road Together</h4><h4></h4>


    He Xing finished rolling up Fu Han’s pant legs and looked up at her with a slight smile, "Why are you touching my hair?"


    Although his smile wasn’t the kind to light up the whole room, to Fu Han it was more dazzling than the sunlight above their heads. His smile was radiant, brilliant like a sunflower, capturing one’s attention at first nce.


    A smile unconsciously crept onto Fu Han’s face. She teased him yfully, "What, is your head so precious that others aren’t allowed to touch it?"


    "That’s right," He Xing’s smile deepened as he took Fu Han’s hand, helping her up, "Haven’t you heard? A man’s head and a woman’s foot should only be seen, not touched."


    "Then why did you still roll up my pant legs just now?" Fu Han mumbled, feeling rather indignant.


    He Xing affectionately ruffled Fu Han’s hair, "Yes, your feet can only be touched by me, and my head can only be touched by you. Isn’t that fair?"


    Scenes from period dramas she had watched shed through Fu Han’s mind—once a man and a woman had physical contact, especially if a man saw a woman’s feet, they were bound to fall for each other eventually.


    She also thought of yesterday’s wedding and their current status as betrothed.


    Fu Han felt her face getting hotter and was grateful for the bandages covering it, so even if her cheeks blushed, no one would notice.


    What she didn’t know was that to He Xing, he only needed to nce at her eyes to urately guess whether she was blushing or not.


    Perhaps even Fu Han didn’t realize that when she blushed, her eyes became exceptionally tender, like an endless ocean, and He Xing was the man who could never escape this sea; of course, he never had the desire to flee.


    With a heart softened to a mush, he held her hand, and they strolled along the muddy path outside the market.


    The two, one impably dressed in formal attire and the other in a patient gown with a face wrapped in bandages, seemed mismatched no matter how one looked at them.


    As a result, almost everyone they passed turned to look at them, but they only had eyes for each other. Even when their gazes asionally met with those of passers-by, they simply looked away indifferently.


    If one could ignore the unpleasant smell of the market, the scenery here was actually quite nice. In the old urban area, the buildings were six stories high with brick-red exteriors, and windows draped with loads of clothing.


    A wall’s thickness away in the hospital, an Osmanthus Tree was nted every few meters. Branches stretched out from within the hospital grounds, their crooked shapes adding a unique charm to the scene.


    The autumn breeze continued to blow gently. Some osmanthus flowers fell with the wind, and on the ground were small, delicate blossoms. It was a pity to see them lying in the mud.


    After walking for about twenty minutes, they reached Main Street which was much cleaner, though more crowded.


    The shops along the street were all open—clothing stores, essory shops, fruit stalls, milk tea shops, cafes, restaurants—you name it.


    Music drifted out from the open doors of the stores: rxing tunes, passionate songs, sweet love bads, and even melodies tinged with sorrow. Simply by listening, one could taste the myriad vors of life.


    He Xing tightened his grip on the small hand in his palm, smiling at Fu Han, "Xiaohan, are you hungry?"


    She hadn’t noticed until he asked, but once he did, Fu Han indeed felt hungry. Following his gaze, she realized they had stopped in front of a restaurant.


    Fu Han nodded, "Considering the time, it’s about time for lunch. Let’s eat before we go back."


    "Exactly my thought," He Xing’s eyes and brows brimmed with smiles. To be precise, ever since Fu Han touched his hair, his smile hadn’t faded.


    On their way, they had seen several restaurants, but the one they ended up at was thergest near the hospital.


    Last night, when He Xing had ordered food for Fu Han, it was from this restaurant. She had tried some and remarked that the vor was good, which he remembered.


    The two entered the restaurant hand-in-hand. An attendant promptly greeted them, and He Xing requested a Private Room. Skimming through the menu, he ordered all of Fu Han’s favorite dishes.


    Fu Han walked upstairs. The restaurant seemed clean; the Lobby below was packed with customers, suggesting the ce was quite decent.


    Her eyes surveyed the area; although their Private Room wasn’trge, it could easily amodate six people or more. For just the two of them, it was more than sufficient.


    The wallpaper inside the Private Room was spotless, adorned with an oil painting of ady holding flowers. The vibrant colors added vitality to the room.


    The window of their Private Room faced the street, offering a view of the diverse crowd passing by the restaurant, each person in a hurry. They were mere passers-by in each other’s lives, with no one pausing for another.


    Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Fu Han’s waist. Without turning, she knew it was He Xing. She tilted her head back to rest perfectly against his shoulder.


    He Xing nuzzled her forehead with his cheek, "Xiaohan, what are you thinking? Can you tell me?"


    Fu Han let out an inaudible sigh, "I’m thinking that although we say ’together forever’, people are independent beings, passers-by to others. In this world, nothing trulysts forever."


    For a moment, the smile vanished from He Xing’s face, but it reappeared the next second. "Xiaohan, even though we are independent beings, we live inmunities. We have our own thoughts, make our own judgments. If we feel lonely, we can seekpanionship; if we want to share, there will always be someone willing to listen. Do you know that?"


    Fu Han tilted her head and smiled, "He Xing, what you really mean to say is, no matter what, you will always be by my side, right?"


    "My clever Xiaohan," He Xing smiled and tightened his hold around her waist.


    If He Xing knew that there was no smile on Fu Han’s face at that moment, how would he have felt? Certainly, he wouldn’t presume the issue to be so easily resolved.


    The dishes were served quickly. While notparable to five-star hotel fare, the food was quite good, akin to homemade cuisine, and it suited Fu Han’s pte.


    She ate her meal at a leisurely pace, elegantly—the epitome of ady. In terms of etiquette, Master He had once arranged for both Fu Han and He Xing to receive formal instruction. Table manners were ingrained in their very bones,ing naturally, effortlessly.


    Anxious that Fu Han might not eat well, He Xing kept putting food onto her te, urging her to eat more with frequent gentle reminders.