71: By the way, he was the only man in the RV.

How long had it been since she was touched by a man like this?

After her husband passed away, she had poured all her energy into her work and raising her daughter.

In the dead of night, there was loneliness and longing.

But she always suppressed it with reason.

She was a doctor and a mother; she needed to maintain her decency and dignity.

But now, the alcohol had stripped away all pretenses, exposing her most primal instincts.

Those hands continued their movements, shedding all her constraints.

Han Qing felt a wave of coolness, followed by being covered by a warm body.

That body was strong, powerful, and carried a familiar scent—it was Qin Lin.

This realization gave Han Qing's mind a momentary flash of clarity.

Qin Lin?

How could it be Qin Lin?

Right, he was the only man on the RV.

She should push him away, she should scream, she should resist.

But her body reacted in the opposite way.

Her arms involuntarily wrapped around his neck.

Her body instinctively drew closer.

Reason was still struggling, but desire had already gained the upper hand.

Alcohol, darkness, loneliness, and a long-suppressed longing... all of these mixed together to form an irresistible torrent.

Han Qing's reason snapped completely.

Now all her senses... were overwhelming her like a tsunami.

She let out a suppressed whimper, her fingers tightly gripping Qin Lin's back.

Then, nothing else mattered.

All those things she usually had to consider were thrown to the back of her mind.

Only physical instinct and the most primal desire remained.

Han Qing began to respond.

At first, it was awkward and hesitant, but as the pleasure accumulated, her response became increasingly passionate.

In the darkness, deprived of sight, her other senses became exceptionally sharp.

She could feel every muscle in Qin Lin's body and every bit of force he applied.

She could hear his heavy breathing and suppressed moans.

She could smell the strong masculine scent on him.

It all drove her crazy.

The alcohol blurred her sense of time.

She didn't know how long the process lasted.

Each time took her further from reason and closer to instinct.

Han Qing felt as if she were being thrown into the clouds and then into a free fall.

She held onto Qin Lin tightly, her nails sinking into his skin.

Then, it was all over.

A heavy sense of exhaustion hit her, which, combined with the effects of the alcohol, caused her consciousness to sink rapidly into darkness.

Before losing consciousness completely, Han Qing had only one vague thought:

It's over.

Everything is over.

But strangely, this thought didn't bring panic.

Instead, there was a sense of... relief.

As if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.

Then, she fell asleep.

The room fell completely silent.

Only the sound of two people breathing, rising and falling in tandem.

Qin Lin was still pressing down on Han Qing, his body weight making it a bit difficult for her to breathe.

But he was also exhausted; the alcohol plus the intense exercise had drained all his energy.

His consciousness hovered between wakefulness and sleep.

For a few moments, he felt something was slightly off.

The feel of this body beneath him... really didn't seem like Lin Wanwan at all.

And that scent, that reaction, that... but the alcohol and fatigue quickly drowned out these doubts.

Whatever.

It's already happened anyway.

Qin Lin rolled over and pulled the warm, soft body into his arms.

Her body fit against his perfectly, every curve aligning seamlessly.

It felt very comfortable.

More comfortable than holding Su Yuran or Lin Wanwan.

Qin Lin thought dizzily, and then his consciousness sank into darkness.

Outside the window, the Eternal Night continued.

The blizzard battered the RV's shell, making a rustling sound.

Inside the vehicle, it was as warm as spring.

In Room 000, two people slept in each other's arms.

Their naked bodies were entangled like a real pair of lovers.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring room 003.

Han Yurou rolled over, muttered something in her sleep, and continued to slumber.

Han Qing was awakened by a sharp pain.

It wasn't the dull ache from her foot injury.

She was already used to that pain.

It was another... tearing sort of soreness.

This sensation was familiar, yet so foreign that it startled her.

Her consciousness, like a diving bell submerged in the deep sea, slowly floated to the surface.

The first thing to return was her sense of touch:

She felt she was holding something warm and solid.

Her cheek was pressed against it, and she could feel a steady heartbeat and the rise and fall of breathing.

Is it Yu Rou?

Her daughter sometimes had nightmares and would crawl into her bed in the middle of the night.

Han Qing thought groggily and reached out to feel.

The texture was wrong.

Yu Rou's body was slender and soft.

But this body... was broad, solid, and had distinct muscle lines.

And the body temperature was high, almost scorching.

Han Qing's breathing hitched.

She snapped her eyes open.

The Morning Light Mode had already started, and the room was filled with soft, simulated natural light.

Her vision went from blurry to clear, and the first thing she saw was a male chest.

Solid pectoral muscles with several... scratch marks on them?

Those scratches were fresh and red, extending menacingly within her sight.

Han Qing's gaze slowly moved upward.

Adam's apple, chin, lips, bridge of the nose.

Finally, the closed eyes—it was Qin Lin.

Boom—

Her mind went blank.

She froze as if struck by lightning.

All the blood seemed to rush to her head in an instant, only to recede the next second, leaving behind a cold numbness.

It wasn't a dream.

She was really lying in Qin Lin's bed, holding him.

Both of them were... naked.

She could feel the sensation of their naked bodies pressed closely together under the sheets.

She could feel the weight of his arm draped over her waist.

She could feel the soreness of her own body and certain unspeakable sensations.

Memories of last night flooded back like fragments, yet remained blurry.

Alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol.

Hot pot, laughter, crying.

Qin Lin helping her leave the living room, the dark corridor, the door opening... and then chaotic snippets:

Touching, kissing, entangling, intense pleasure.

And that long-lost feeling.

Each snippet made Han Qing's face burn hotter and her heart sink further.

Heavens... what had she done?

She was Han Qing, thirty-seven years old, a doctor, Han Yurou's mother, and an elder in the team.

She should have been rational, she should have exercised restraint, she should have kept her distance.

Yet she was lying in the bed of a man seventeen years younger than her, naked.

A tide of shame overwhelmed her.

But following that was panic—what if someone found out?

What would Yuran and Wanwan think of her?

What would Yu Rou think of her?

How could she still face the team in the future?

Her dignity as a doctor and her decency as a mother were all shattered on the floor.

She had to leave.

Now, immediately, right away.