That evening, Harper and Joseph stayed at the Lucas family. Harper and Mia watched a movie in the living room, while the two men were nowhere to be found. On the screen, the main characters were passionately entwined, their intimate actions escalating. Harper felt a bit awkward watching such scenes with her elders.
"It's good to be young," Mia remarked, reflecting on the romance and passion of young love. She leaned in, implied, "You and Joseph are getting along well, aren't you?" Harper blushed, caught off guard by Mia's directness. How should she respond?
"I..." Harper hesitated, unable to form a complete sentence.
Mia, noticing her discomfort, realized there might be something wrong. Despite her initial curiosity, Mia didn't expect to uncover a potential secret.
"Harper," Mia said, whose voice filled with concern and helplessness, "I'll make some soup for you both later. You both work so hard, and it's important to replenish your nutrients." This talented and beautiful couple may just need a bit of extra support. Mia didn't explicitly state it, but she simply hoped that these two children would not disappoint her kindness. Harper, not wanting to refuse the kind offer, nodded in agreement. Time passed, and as the movie ended, it was getting late.
Harper, feeling a bit nervous, made her way to Joseph's room. Tonight, they would be sharing a room again. Normally, in their own house, they maintained a respectful distance, each sleeping in a separate room. While staying at the Lucas family's house, they had to share a room. They had become accustomed to it.
When Joseph came out of the shower, he saw Harper holding a bowl, having just finished the contents. He walked over, towel-dried his hair, and asked, "What was that?" The smell was a bit peculiar. Harper looked up, feeling a bit dazed, her head heavy. "Mia sent over some soup for you," she said, "I thought you might want to drink it while it's still hot." She picked up another bowl from the table and handed it to him, saying, "Here, it tastes good."
Joseph took the bowl, and the stronger scent wafted from it. He furrowed his brow, leaned in for a closer sniff, and examined its contents. It was indeed a nutritious concoction. Joseph gave Harper a strange look and asked in a bad tone, "You want me to drink this?" Harper nodded. "Of course, it's made by your mother. Ms. Miller put a lot of effort into making it."
Joseph's face darkened and he said, "Take it away. I'm not drinking it." With that, he handed the bowl back to her, picked up his phone, and started scrolling through it, his displeasure evident. Harper couldn't figure out what she had done to upset him. She looked at the soup in her hands and felt that Joseph was being ungrateful. Every time they returned, Ms. Miller would be busy preparing something for them. How could he disregard her efforts? Since Joseph didn't appreciate it, she decided to finish the soup herself. Thinking this, Harper drank it all in one go.
Joseph, noticing her action, turned to see her finishing the soup with a determined look. Harper, seeing him watching, held the empty bowl up to him and said, "All gone. There's none left for you even if you want to drink." Her tone was different from her usual obedient self.
But at this moment, Joseph didn't have time to pay attention to these details. He looked at the girl with a flushed face and said, "Tonight, I'll sleep on the couch, and you can have the bed." Harper shrugged. "As you wish." They had never shared a bed before.
Late into the night, sleepiness enveloped them. Harper was in a daze, but suddenly she felt an unusual warmth, her consciousness muddled. At almost the same moment, Joseph, lying on the couch, opened his eyes and his gaze became clear.
In the room, the girl's muffled moans could be heard intermittently. Joseph looked at the time, it was not yet three o'clock. Harper's face was flushed, and she had kicked off most of the blanket, her nightgown in disarray. Her slender legs were faintly visible, entangled with the blanket. Joseph forced himself to ignore the rising heat within him and reached out to feel her forehead. The hot sensation made him furrow his brow. It wasn't just the soup. She had a fever as well.
"Harper?" Perhaps it was the coolness of his hand, Harper instinctively pressed her forehead against it and let out a comfortable hum. Not satisfied, she grabbed his hand and pulled it toward herself. Joseph, caught off guard, found himself being pulled onto the bed.
For a moment, their breaths were close. Joseph closed his eyes tightly, but before he could get up, the delirious girl had already leaned in. His body was cold, and Harper didn't want to let go. She, following her instincts, moved her face to a place that made her comfortable. 'What’s this? Soft, like ice cream.' Harper, in a daze, moved her lips and kissed Joseph.
At that moment, Joseph's body stiffened. The girl's kiss was without any technique, just following her heart, wanting to cool down a bit and be comfortable. He couldn't take advantage of her. Joseph suppressed the continuous impulse and pulled her away, his voice hoarse as he called out, "Harper, wake up." There was no response. Harper was already delirious with fever. Her brows furrowed, uncomfortably shifting around, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
Gritting his teeth, Joseph let out a deep breath, struggled to get up, and went to the bathroom to fetch a basin of water and a towel to help her cool down.
The process was not smooth. He had never known that she would be like this. She was surprisingly strong, using both hands and feet to kick and pull, and behaving just like a child. She clearly remembered eating ice cream just now, so why did it suddenly disappear? "Don't go. I feel terrible." As if getting closer to the ice cream, Harper felt a sense of joy, and with a little effort, she hooked it with her hand, then licked it with satisfaction.
Joseph had been restraining himself all along. At this moment, he lowered his eyes and watched the girl earnestly kissing his face, his breath heavy, his eyes filled with complexity. He wanted to push her away, but his instincts told him to hold her tight. Finally, he took the initiative and reached out to hold the back of her neck, flipping over and pressing her down.