Chapter 24: Holding Part 1

Come inside and sleep?

Ning Ke did not move.

Sleep how? It was one tiny single bed. How were the two of them supposed to sleep on it?

As she hesitated, Yan Yunzhi took another two steps down. With her movement, the hem of her pajamas was vaguely visible beneath her coat.

Ning Ke caught the pajama hem peeking out from under her coat.

Looking closer, this woman had thrown a coat over her pajamas and come out. In this cold. Was she trying to freeze to death?

Ning Ke frowned and walked toward the house: “Aren’t you afraid of freezing?”

Yan Yunzhi: “And you’re not cold standing out here?”

Ning Ke: “I’m getting some air.”

Yan Yunzhi: “Does getting some air take two hours?”

Ning Ke was shocked to hear Yan Yunzhi use such a rhetorical tone. She gave her a startled look.

Yan Yunzhi’s expression was calm, but her brows carried less smile than usual, her gaze cool.

Was she… angry?

Ning Ke thought back: since she had known her, she did not think she had ever seen Yan Yunzhi angry.

What was there to be angry about?

Yan Yunzhi’s solo fans watched this scene with complex feelings:

“No way? Is Teacher Yan angry? I’m a solo fan, honestly I’ve never seen Teacher Yan get angry or flush at anyone in all these years. That time at the airport, surrounded by reporters asking rude questions, she never got angry.”

“Solo fan +1… same, never seen it. They’re so real, I’m about to convert from solo fan to CP fan. The urge to ship is stirring.”

“Come on, come on. Just ordinary colleagues. Anyone would worry if a girl wasn’t back late at night. It’s normal to be annoyed after waiting so long… yeah, definitely.”

As Ning Ke moved, the camera quickly switched to inside the room. Yan Yunzhi’s expression returned to normal, with no trace of the earlier emotion.

Even Ning Ke could not help glancing at her a few times, wondering if she had imagined it.

It was cold in the mountains, but the room had a heater, so it was still warm.

Ning Ke saw the simple drawing hanging at the head of the bed and the scented candle by the bed, and even the sheets had been changed. She suddenly felt awkward.

This bed was no different from Yan Yunzhi’s bed at home… as if she were going to climb into Yan Yunzhi’s bed tonight.

Yan Yunzhi took off her coat and poured Ning Ke a glass of hot water: “Have some hot water.”

Ning Ke took it: “Thanks.”

Ning Ke blew on the water and took small sips. Half a glass drove away the winter night’s chill.

She set the cup down and noticed Yan Yunzhi had been watching her the whole time.

Yan Yunzhi leaned against the table. She wore a beige silk pajama top with a fold-over collar. She was both tall and slim; even in pajamas, her figure could not be hidden. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing slim, elegant wrists.

She took out her hair tie, and her black hair cascaded onto her shoulders. She tucked a strand on the left behind her ear, standing in the warm light—a picture of refined, classical, gentle beauty.

Yan Yunzhi watched Ning Ke, her gaze warm in the lamplight: “I waited for you for quite a while.”

Ning Ke looked away: “I already told you I was just going for a stroll… What’s there to wait for.”

Yan Yunzhi: “Did you run into anyone?”

Ning Ke: “I went to chat with Grandpa He and asked what kind of concert he wanted. Let’s go talk to him again tomorrow.”

Yan Yunzhi hummed, still watching her in the lamplight.

Ning Ke said nothing more, lowering her eyes to look at her own shadow stretched long by the light.

This moment of silence made the audience anxious:

“God, who wouldn’t want to be looked at like that by Sister?”

“This tone, this gaze, still in pajamas—isn’t this seduction?”

“Stop with the lingering gazes! Teacher Yan, make a move, will you? Kiss her, hug her—I’m a VIP, I can watch!”

“It’s late. Shower, sleep!”

“This bed is about a meter wide—relatively speaking, not too narrow. It can barely fit two,” Yan Yunzhi broke the silence first. “It’s late. You shower first.”

Ning Ke was stunned.

…Shower?

She would not have minded, but mentioning “shower” reminded her of that embarrassing incident at home. She had been unsettled for days afterward, and now even hearing the word made her nervous.

The fans were all Sherlocks and quickly noticed Ning Ke’s reaction to the word “shower”:

“Can this single bed get any narrower?!”

“She makes that face when ‘shower’ comes up? OMG did something happen during a shower before?”

“Production team, please weld the camera in place. I’m not leaving this room.”

“The bathroom is outside,” Yan Yunzhi pointed for her. “In the courtyard. Go now—any later, and I’m worried the pipes will freeze.”

Ning Ke: “…Got it.”

After being jostled around in the car all day, dusty and tired, she definitely needed a shower. Otherwise, she would not be able to sleep tonight.

She had not unpacked her luggage in the evening. Fortunately, her pajamas were on top. Ning Ke grabbed her clothes and entered the bathroom, checking the lock several times before showering.

The conditions were simple—just an ordinary showerhead—but there was nothing to complain about.

She quickly rinsed and hurried back to the hut. Just crossing the courtyard left her nearly frozen.

Yan Yunzhi sat by the bed: “It’s late. Get some rest.”

Ning Ke looked at the narrow bed.

One meter. Could two people really sleep on it?

She thought about it: “I’ll ask the production team if there are extra blankets. You take the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Oh no? Little Ning stayed in the bathroom that long just to figure this out?”

“Please no. Sleeping on the floor in this cold? She’ll catch a cold!”

“Isn’t this just keeping distance? What’s wrong with two girls sleeping together?”

“Heh, our Keke has cleanliness issues. Why should someone else get the bed while Keke sleeps on the floor? I’m telling you, if Keke sleeps on the floor tonight, her fans will tear the production team apart.”

“Teacher Yan won’t agree, right?”

Yan Yunzhi: “There are no extra blankets.”

Ning Ke: “I saw two blankets when I came in.”

Yan Yunzhi: “I’m afraid of the cold, so I put them all on the bed.”

Ning Ke: “…”

Yan Yunzhi half-knelt by the bed and pulled back the covers: “You take the inside, against the wall, so you don’t roll off.”

Ning Ke: “I’ll take the outside. You take the inside.”

Yan Yunzhi said okay, then sat down and pulled back the covers.

Ning Ke sighed in resignation and stepped forward quickly, sitting at the head of the bed.

Before lying down, she added: “Don’t squeeze me.”

“Don’t touch me.”

“Don’t pull the covers.”

Yan Yunzhi almost laughed at her tone: “Alright, I won’t.”

Ning Ke finally lay down, facing outward. After a quiet moment, she said: “Don’t press against the wall. It’s too cold; you’ll get sick.”

There were too many little details in this interaction, and the solo fans could not control the chat. The bullet comments became CP fans’ territory:

“Hahaha she finally lay down. Oh my, Ning Keke, you’re such a tsundere.”

“That tone, like a grade schooler laying down rules~~”

“Still softening up and worrying about Teacher Yan, right? Knowing Teacher Yan’s health is bad—she’s worrying about her wife!”

Yan Yunzhi: “Turn off the light?”

Ning Ke: “Okay.”

The moment the light went off, the room went completely dark.

According to the production team’s earlier agreement, when the guests turned off the lights, filming paused.

Bullet comments: ???

“Please, director, I’m on my knees. I’m an adult. Can I pay to watch?”

“The lights are off, so we can’t watch? You’re telling me our Little Ning can resist hugging the soft, fragrant sister? I don’t believe it!”

“I want to watch, I need to keep watching! If you really won’t show me, I’ll throw a tantrum!”

“They cut the camera so fast. I get it now—the production team must be worried about filming 18+ content. Mm, I feel better now.”

While the bullet comments exploded, the screen went completely dark.

The staff announced outside the door that they were done for the day. Ning Ke breathed a sigh of relief—good. This livestream format really kept you on edge.

She maintained her sideways, outward-facing position for a while until her limbs went numb. She shifted her leg, and the moment she moved, she kicked Yan Yunzhi’s leg: “Ah… sorry.”

Yan Yunzhi: “It’s fine. Don’t sleep on your side. The bed’s so narrow; you’ll roll off when you fall asleep.”

Ning Ke hummed and gradually lay flat. As she moved her elbow, it bumped Yan Yunzhi’s elbow. The other’s body heat seeped through her pajamas, making her heart jump. She quickly moved her arm away.

Yan Yunzhi seemed not to notice her little movement and asked softly: “Are you cold?”

Ning Ke: “…Not really.”

They both lay in the dark, neither speaking.

Ning Ke had to admit—sharing a bed with two people was different from sleeping alone.

Last time at the Ning residence, the bed in Ning Ke’s room had been huge. They had each slept on one side with room for two more in between.

But this bed was not like that. It was too small, and the heavy winter blankets made it even more cramped.

Yan Yunzhi’s warmth gradually seeped through the blankets. The room was so quiet that Ning Ke could hear her breathing, and she knew clearly that Yan Yunzhi was not asleep either.

After who knew how long, Ning Ke finally began to drift off.

In her drowsiness, she heard a faint rustling beside her, followed by warm skin brushing across the back of her hand. She jolted awake in an instant, instinctively turning away—forgetting this was a narrow single bed. She rolled right off the edge and landed with a light thud: “Ouch…”

“What happened?” Yan Yunzhi quickly sat up and turned on the light to see her sitting on the floor, palms on the ground, looking dazed.

Ning Ke glared at her, her voice carrying a hint of grievance: “Why did you have to move?”

Yan Yunzhi was helpless: “I just turned over. Same as you.”

Ning Ke: “…”

She pursed her lips. Fine.

No matter how domineering she was, she could not forbid someone from turning over.

“Did you hurt yourself?” Yan Yunzhi moved to the outer edge of the bed and reached out to help her. “Get up quickly. The floor is cold.”

Ning Ke saw her pajama collar hang loosely, revealing her fair collarbone and, faintly, more below… She quickly looked away and avoided Yan Yunzhi’s hand: “I can do it myself.”

Yan Yunzhi suddenly called her name: “Ning Ke.”

Was she so determined to keep her at arm’s length over something as simple as helping her up?

Ning Ke looked up: “Mm?”

Yan Yunzhi looked at her, her eyes deep, like the cold night wind over an autumn pond, carrying the breath of frost and snow.

Ning Ke stood up and took two steps back: “It’s nothing to do with you. I just don’t like people touching me.”

She added another explanation: “It’s like that with everyone.”

Yan Yunzhi: “You weren’t like this with me before.”

Before.

Ning Ke was stunned for a moment before saying: “People change. It’s normal.”

It had been so long; neither of them had ever brought up the past.

Years without seeing each other, and even the best bond wore away with time. Compared to strangers… there was probably little difference now.

After this little incident, neither spoke again.

The lights went out once more, and they both lay flat and still.

Emotions surged silently like a dark tide; memories coiled around them like mist.

In the deep silence of the night.

Ning Ke fell asleep first.

Listening to Ning Ke’s breathing, Yan Yunzhi inexplicably remembered that day before the new year.

She had just returned from her tour and was taking off her coat at the entrance when she heard Ning Ke’s voice calling for someone to open the door.

She went to open the door for Ning Ke.

Ning Ke had been at some banquet, drunk and not fully conscious. She wore a thin spaghetti-strap dress—in such cold weather she only had a black coat over it. She had put on eyeshadow with silver glitter, a touch of sparkling shimmer at the corner of her eye, glistening like a mermaid who had escaped the deep sea to meet her beloved.

The door opened, and Ning Ke stared at her for a long time, as if she could not figure out who this person was or why she was in her home.

After a long moment, she asked: “You’re back.”

Yan Yunzhi hummed: “Just got back. I was going to tell you—tomorrow is Grandpa’s birthday. Are you free?”