It was the first time that Luca had to lie outdoors with no regard to her image. She wondered if she


    would have to spend the night with Luke here.


    If the rain continued, it would not be very convenient for Jason and the others to find them…


    After lying for some time, Luca thought that the hard stone surface was quite ufortable. She


    slowly flipped to the other side and happened to meet Luke’s gaze.


    She was surprised. When did he start looking at her?


    “Are you ufortable?” Luke noticed that she was not lying still. Perhaps it was caused by the injury


    on her waist.


    “No, it’s just that the surface is quite tiring to lie on. I just wanted to change sides,” Luca half-closed her


    eyes to avert his gaze.


    Lying on the other side was a little easier on her back, but her clothes were wet, so it was not very


    comfortable.


    She did not mind the wet clothes too much, but she knew that Luke was a clean freak.


    Even though Luke was sitting there calmly, Luca could guess that he was seconds away from freaking


    out.


    “Mr. Crawford,” Luca called out softly.


    “Mm,” Luke replied. He was not in the mood to talk.


    “Why did youe to Mount Jadeite today?” Luca asked. She thought that it was quite awkward if they


    did not say anything. She also wanted to know if he had instructed Tina to invite her.


    If that were the case, what did he want from her?


    “Exercise,” Luke said. As busy as he might be at work, he would find some time to exercise.


    He did not want to lose out in any aspect of his character.


    He looked at Luca and saw that her eyes were still half-closed. Was she suspecting that he had


    deliberately arranged the hiking trip?


    However, he had not arranged for them to meet up. He did not know that Tina was going to Mount


    Jadeite too.


    The only event he arranged was the swimmingpetition the day before. He did not expect that Luca


    would recover so quickly from the ident.


    Usually, someone who had suffered a leg cramp and nearly drowned would be out ofmission for


    one or two days. He was surprised that Luca was already fit enough to go hiking the next day.


    Luca thought for a bit and realized that it might have been a mere coincidence.


    She shifted a little to find a better position but realized that Luke was still looking at her. Immediately,


    she stopped moving.


    The rain became heavier. Gusts of wind battered the gazebo, and Luca shivered.


    Her clothes and hair were still wet. If this went on, she thought that she would freeze.


    The wind in the fall was not asfortable as that in summer.


    Luca discreetly reached behind her and tried to massage her back.


    It was not asfortable as someone else doing it, but it did bring some relief to the difort on her


    spine.


    Luke noticed what she was doing. He stood up.


    Luca watched him walk around the table and stop behind her. Thinking that he wanted to leave, she


    immediately stood up. “Where are you going, Mr. Crawford?”


    Luke sat down on the stone bench next to her and said as though issuing amand, “Lie down.”


    Luca looked at her, hesitated for a few seconds, and finallyy down.


    Her back was still facing him…


    Her clothes were dark-colored. Even though they were soaked through, they did not show the skin


    underneath. In any case, she had already given birth to four children for Luke, so he had already seen


    whatever there was to see…


    Luca tried to keep that thought in mind so that she did not feel so awkward.


    The next moment, she felt Luke’s warm palms wrap around her waist.


    Instinctively, she tried to dodge.


    “Don’t move,” Luke said softly and continued to wrap his palms around her waist.


    Luca dared not move. All the muscles in her body were tautly stretched, and her attention was focused


    on the pair of palms around her waist.


    Even though her clothes were wet and cold, she could still feel the warmth from his palms.


    Luke was massaging her back. He was not doing anything else.


    “Is this the part where you hurt yourself?” He asked.


    The voice that came from her back made the tips of her ears grow hot. His fingers were exactly on the


    spot she had bumped into the tree. The massaging made her a lot morefortable.


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    “Mm,” Luca replied very softly. Her voice was slightly shaking.


    After knowing that he had found the right spot, Luke lessened the strength on his fingers. He did not


    know the extent of the injury, so he was not going to press too hard.


    He continued to massage Luca without saying a word.


    Luca guessed that it would be another half an hour before her phone was dry enough to be turned on.


    Luke’s hands did not stop for the next half an hour, and Luca was bing more and more


    embarrassed. The moment Luke’s hands stopped, she immediately sat up.


    “Doesn’t it hurt anymore?” Luke noticed the deftness in her movement. He would have thought Luca


    was faking her injury if he had not seen her crash into the tree with his own eyes.


    “It feels a lot better…” Luca realized that she had moved a little too quickly and wondered if Luke


    thought she was pretending.


    Luca sat down on the stone bench. After stretching her back muscles too abruptly, they began to hurt


    again.


    Luke did not say anything.


    The sky began to darken. Luca looked at her phone and tried to turn it on to no avail. Perhaps it had


    been soaked in the rain for too long, and the internal parts were still wet.


    She did not know what time it was.


    She nced at Luke and noticed that he was wearing a wristwatch like he always did.


    “What time is it, Mr. Crawford?” She asked.


    Luke nced at his watch and replied, “Three o’clock.”


    “It’s already three o’clock…” Luca mumbled. Her training made her able to withstand hunger, but


    Luke…


    ‘He has gastric problems…’


    If the rain continued through the night, would Luke be able to bear with the hunger?


    “Are you hungry?” Luke asked.


    Luca shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”


    Of course, she was lying. She did not eat a lot at breakfast, and she had been hiking for half of the day.


    The food in her stomach had long been digested.


    However, she could bear it.


    Luke did not say anything. He took out the bottle of water that he had bought at the stall and drank a


    mouthful.


    Luca remembered that she had a bottle of water too. She took it out from her backpack but hesitated.


    At the stall, she had also bought two sachets of glucose powder. She dissolved one of them in her


    bottle and handed the other to Tina.