232: Chapter 231 Aftermath

The night fell like a perfectly tailored piece of black silk, gently and quietly covering the entire Shelter, draping a layer of mysterious veil over this small world.

After a long day of work, Lu Fan and An Lan, like two weary birds returning to their nest, lay lazily on the familiar and warm heated brick bed.

The warm heated brick bed felt like pairs of gentle yet powerful hands, kneading away the fatigue from their bodies one stroke at a time, giving rise to a sense of comfort and peace.

Suddenly, a bolt of Lightning seemed to flash through Lu Fan's mind.

He suddenly remembered An Lan mentioning his sleep-talking earlier, and his curiosity was instantly piqued, as if scratched by an invisible little hand.

He gently rolled over to face An Lan and asked with a hint of nervousness and full of curiosity, "An Lan, do I talk in my sleep every night?"

An Lan had been comfortably closing her eyes, immersed in this moment of peace and relaxation; hearing this, she slowly opened her eyes.

A mischievous smile involuntarily played on the corners of her mouth as she deliberately drawled, "Hmm... you say things occasionally."

Hearing this, Lu Fan's curiosity grew even stronger, and he followed up, "Then what do I say? Tell me quickly."

An Lan's eyes darted around as she deliberately kept him in suspense.

She lightly tapped her chin with her finger, her head tilted slightly, pretending to be deep in thought.

After a good while, she couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, her eyes squinting into crescent moons and her dimples faintly appearing. "I still remember one night when we were sleeping soundly,"

As she spoke, An Lan gestured exaggeratedly, her arm shooting up into the air. "Suddenly, you raised your arm like this, which gave me quite a fright! Before I could even recover, you started shouting 'ta ta kai, ta ta kai' at the top of your lungs, like a soldier charging into battle. It was so loud it was hard not to wake up!"

Hearing this, Lu Fan felt his face burn as if ignited by a fire, turning red from his ears to his cheeks. He felt extremely embarrassed, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

livestream room.

"I don't know, he just came charging at me shouting 'ta ta kai, ta ta kai'."

"Gosh, getting caught shouting chuunibyou lines is so embarrassing, even if it's in a dream."

"Suspected true cause of The Rumbling's activation."

"Lu Fan: I'm dead, don't disturb; burn paper if there's something."

Lu Fan covered his face in distress and mumbled, "No way... how could this happen? Why would I say that?"

However, he forced himself to stay calm, cleared his throat, and asked with feigned composure, "Is there anything else? Don't hold back."

An Lan finally managed to stop laughing, sat up, and recalled seriously, "There was another time, last time, you said you were about to marry your fiancée and couldn't go out drinking anymore... As for anything else, I haven't heard it yet."

Hearing this, Lu Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; at least he hadn't said any world-shaking secrets.

He patted his chest and put on an air of nonchalance, joking, "It seems my dreams are quite rich; they could be a grand play. Maybe one day I'll dream of commanding thousands of troops and saving the world!"

An Lan couldn't help but laugh again, her eyes sparkling as she said, "You never know, maybe you really will become a great hero in your dreams one day."

The two chatted back and forth, their laughter drifting freely through the quiet night, traveling far and wide, adding a touch of warmth and joy to the silent night.

The next morning, the early sun, like a mischievous child, peeked through the cracks in the window, playfully scattering golden spots of light on the heated brick bed as if urging them to get up.

Lu Fan and An Lan had been so engrossed in their conversation last night that they slept until the sun was high in the sky.

The aftereffects of the Underwater Escape and rowing finally manifested at this time.

Relying on his decent physical fitness, Lu Fan could barely endure the soreness throughout his body.

With every movement, his muscles felt like a temperamental child, tightening slightly as if protesting the excessive fatigue.

But An Lan was just an ordinary girl, and her body was already aching intolerably. It felt like being pricked by countless small needles; she felt uncomfortable all over.

Even a simple movement like rolling over became incredibly difficult, requiring great effort with every move.

Lu Fan slowly climbed up from the heated brick bed first, his movements cautious for fear of accidentally pulling a sore muscle.

After a brief stretch of his body, which was as stiff as a wooden board, he stepped lightly to the stove to cook noodles.

The stove fire crackled as it burned, the vigorous flames dancing happily, reflecting on his face and adding a sense of homeliness to the slightly chilly morning.

Before long, the steaming noodles were ready, and a rich aroma filled the entire room.

Holding the bowl of noodles, Lu Fan walked briskly to An Lan's bedside with a gentle smile and said softly, "Come, have some noodles. After eating, I'll take you to the hot spring for a soak to relax properly."

His tone was like coaxing a beloved child.

An Lan weakly propped up her upper body and leaned against the head of the bed.

Watching Lu Fan feed her the noodles spoonful by spoonful, her heart felt warm, and the original soreness seemed to lessen slightly.

She ate the noodles bite by bite from Lu Fan's hand, feeling exceptionally satisfied with every mouthful.

After finishing the meal, Lu Fan helped An Lan walk slowly to the shed.

Lightning had long since grown impatient, and seeing his master approach, he pawed the ground excitedly.

From time to time, he let out a joyful neigh, as if telling his master how much he missed him.

Lu Fan first carefully helped An Lan onto Lightning, his movements so gentle he feared hurting her.

"Wait, I have some medicinal herbs by the head of my bed; take them with you."

An Lan suddenly remembered something and turned to say to Lu Fan.

Lu Fan hurried back to the room, brought out the fresh herbs, and asked curiously as he mounted the horse, "What are these? They look quite ordinary."

An Lan smiled and explained patiently, "I gathered these from the fields last night. These herbs are specifically for treating muscle strains. Crushing them and applying them to the body can effectively relieve muscle soreness."

Along the way, Lightning ran swiftly, as if racing against the wind.

Lu Fan's arms wrapped around An Lan's waist, firmly grasping the beast-hide reins from the front.

A gentle breeze brushed past, blowing their hair and bringing a hint of coolness, also dispersing some of their fatigue.

Soon, they arrived at the Mountaintop Hot Spring.

Before they even reached the hot spring, they heard a flurry of chirping and chattering, exceptionally lively.

It turned out that the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey troop was also here, jumping and frolicking in the trees near the hot spring like a group of lively little actors performing a wonderful stage play.

Lu Fan guessed that their nest must be nearby.

The Monkey troop was very happy to see the two of them, crowding around excitedly like a group of enthusiastic little fans.

Some skipped and hopped around them, while others chirped and chattered, as if warmly welcoming their arrival.