Shen An’s muttering wasn’t too loud, but not too soft either. It was just the right volume to carry clearly in the quiet room, ensuring Zhao Qingyu heard every word.
“I told you to sleep on the sofa. Why sleep on the floor?”
Zhao Qingyu lay on the bed and quietly rolled over.
But she was lying too far inward. Even turning, the bed’s curve blocked her view. She could only see the wardrobe, not Shen An on the floor.
This bed…
Was too high.
Shen An replied dully, “I’m already lying down. Don’t bother me.”
Zhao Qingyu: ?
Fine, don’t talk then. Freeze to death for all I care!
She rolled back over, grabbed the AC remote from the nightstand, and cranked it to the lowest setting—sixteen degrees—with max fan speed!
Sleep, sleep, sleep. You’ve been sleeping non-stop these past couple days like a pig.
Zhao Qingyu still wasn’t satisfied after setting it to sixteen degrees. She glanced over, but couldn’t see him, so she buried her head in the blanket and grumbled to herself inwardly.
No, it was a curse!
Truth be told, she had been a bit sleepy earlier. After soaking in the bath for so long, exhaustion came easily in that relaxed state.
But only if he wasn’t in the room.
If he were sleeping outside on the sofa, she might have drifted off quickly.
But he was here.
Lying on the floor right beside the bed. She couldn’t see him, but in this not-too-big, not-too-small room, there were definitely two people’s breathing sounds.
So Zhao Qingyu’s sleepiness couldn’t overcome that trace of propriety, that bit of shyness, and her full-blown irritation at Shen An.
Her eyes stayed wide open and bright, sometimes staring at the ceiling, sometimes twisting to look out the window.
Most of the window was covered by curtains, leaving only a small gap. Through it, she could vaguely make out the night sky outside and a faint moonlight glow.
The AC gradually blew cold air, quickly cooling the room to a chill that carried a sharp edge.
Zhao Qingyu couldn’t help shrinking deeper into the blanket.
She figured the sixteen-degree chill would freeze him out soon enough. He’d admit defeat, sneak out quietly, and head to the living room sofa.
But then unease crept in.
What if…
Just what if.
What if he stubbornly refused to leave? Even if he froze to the point of misery, he’d grit his teeth and tough it out?
Zhao Qingyu put herself in his shoes. If it were her, she’d definitely endure it, even if it meant catching a cold or fever, just to avoid losing face and getting mocked.
And him…
He seemed even more obsessed with pride and dignity than she was.
Boys were like that.
He might act shameless and thick-skinned on the surface, but when it came to those subtle matters of self-respect, he wouldn’t yield an inch.
Zhao Qingyu had bumped into that wall multiple times, so she was certain.
Did that mean she had to turn off the AC?
Wouldn’t that make her the first to back down? And on such a hot night, the floor was the only cool spot. Covering up without AC would make her sweat to death.
Zhao Qingyu shook her head. She wasn’t yielding either.
See, relationships between men and women could be so amusing. They could be utterly shameless without limits, yet they’d draw lines over the most random things, stubbornly upholding their pride.
Like two bulls locking horns, neither willing to step back.
Whatever!
Zhao Qingyu decided not to overthink it. It wasn’t her fault anyway! It was all Shen An’s problem.
He was the guy—he should yield to her, right?
It was just one bed~
She’d already claimed it. If he tried to squeeze in anyway, that was on him.
Tucking in the blanket, Zhao Qingyu closed her eyes and silently repeated to herself not to care about him anymore. Let him freeze if he wanted.
He was the one suffering for his pride, not her.
The room grew quieter and quieter. The two breathing sounds were drowned out by the whooshing cold air from the AC.
Zhao Qingyu could clearly feel the temperature dropping. Even huddled in the blanket, she shrank back a little more.
This AC was way too good.
How was the wind blowing so fiercely?
Aah~
Don’t get distracted.
Zhao Qingyu forced her mind to clear. Sleep, sleep. Once she was asleep, none of this would matter.
But how could she possibly feel sleepy now? Let alone fall asleep.
Tossing and turning in bed, Zhao Qingyu kept shifting positions, but sleep still eluded her.
In her haze, it felt like she was back to last night.
Last night, he had slept on the sofa, and she had suffered the same insomnia.
What time was it now, anyway?
Her phone was right there beside her, but Zhao Qingyu couldn’t bring herself to turn it on and check.
The screen’s glow would be too obvious in the dark—it would make noise.
What if… what if he noticed she wasn’t actually asleep?
Or worse, what if she disturbed his sleep?
Argh!
Zhao Qingyu desperately wanted to know the time—how long had she been lying there?
Hmm…
Could it be that he was on the verge of cracking too?
Maybe he was just waiting for her to fall asleep so he could sneak out?
Yeah, that made sense. That way, she wouldn’t catch him, and he wouldn’t lose face.
But she wasn’t asleep!
Zhao Qingyu pouted.
What should she do? What should she do?
Should she pretend to be asleep?
Right! He couldn’t see anyway, and she was under the covers.
So why wasn’t he making a move?
Get up now, sneak out, and she’ll pretend she didn’t see a thing!
She agonized over it back and forth, and another half hour slipped by.
During that time, Zhao Qingyu strained to listen, hoping for any sound from Shen An’s side—ideally, the rustle of him getting up.
But to her disappointment, there was nothing. Shen An’s corner remained utterly still and silent.
What an idiot!
Why couldn’t he think of that?
He was usually so clever.
Zhao Qingyu puffed out her cheeks, panic starting to set in.
What if he actually caught a chill? Hadn’t he been lying there for almost two hours?
Yeah, it had to be about two hours by now.
Maybe… maybe she should just call out to him?
It would put her on the back foot, sure, but Zhao Qingyu couldn’t bear the thought.
Once that concern kicked in, she couldn’t stand for him to suffer even a little.
Just imagining it made her heart ache more and more.
And those wounds on his back… they hadn’t even fully healed yet. Sleeping on that cold, hard floor—wouldn’t it cause complications?
Zhao Qingyu was going crazy.
She kept finding excuses, convincing herself over and over.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Shen An?”
Her soft voice echoed in the quiet room, like a pebble dropped into the sea—only faint ripples, no response.
Zhao Qingyu frowned. ?
No answer?
Ignoring me on purpose, huh!
Zhao Qingyu’s temper flared. “Shen An!”
This time, there was a reaction—a groggy mumble from Shen An: “Mm?”
Zhao Qingyu’s lips twitched. …
“You asleep?”
“Mm?” Shen An’s reply was still foggy, like sleep-talk.
Zhao Qingyu slapped her forehead, feeling utterly embarrassed!
All this overthinking, all this worry for him, and he was actually asleep.
She cursed under her breath: “Fuck!”
Well…
Might as well sleep, then.
Since he was out cold.
Zhao Qingyu got comfortable, shifting to lie flat on her back with eyes closed, chasing sleep once more.
A good while later, she opened her eyes…
Despair filled her face.
She couldn’t sleep…
Really couldn’t sleep…
Why…
“Huff~”
“Huff~”
“Huff~”
Yes, she was wide awake, but faint snores drifted from Shen An’s side.
It was like the difference between heaven and hell, separated by a thread.
Zhao Qingyu buried her face in her hands, finding the whole thing ridiculous—and a little infuriating.
Why was she tossing and turning while he slept like a baby?
No way. If she couldn’t sleep, he wasn’t sleeping either.
Zhao Qingyu puffed her cheeks and rolled toward the edge, then further. From under the covers, a bare, pale foot slipped out.
In the pitch-black room, her dainty foot gleamed like polished jade.
It inched down along the bed frame, blindly prodding at Shen An.
Huh… what was that? Oh, his leg?
Zhao Qingyu didn’t get out of bed; she just used her foot to poke him.
Up it went, until it reached his chest.
Her jade foot paused there, toes curling slightly as it kneaded his shirt.
Still not waking up?
Not waking up, huh! You pig!
She pressed harder.
Was Shen An asleep?
Like hell he was.
The floor was freezing—unnaturally so—and hard as rock.
He could have toughed it out, adapted somehow.
But the sixteen-degree air conditioning Zhao Qingyu had set? That finished him off.
It was so damn cold!
Still, insomnia didn’t stop him from faking it to fool her.
He was sure Zhao Qingyu was in the same boat.
His problem was the physical discomfort; hers was all in her head.
Finally caught her.
Shen An’s lips curved slightly as he stared at the foot rampaging across his chest.
Slowly, he reached out and grabbed it.
On the bed, Zhao Qingyu’s body went rigid.
But Shen An was sly. As he gripped her foot, he mumbled groggily, as if just roused from sleep.
Those mumbles convinced her she’d woken him, so she froze, letting him hold her foot.
One second… two seconds…
Time ticked by, and Zhao Qingyu started to falter.
Shen An behaved himself, just holding her foot.
But her position was exhausting—lying on her side, stretched across the gap to plant her foot on his chest. It wasn’t sustainable.
What to do, what to do…
Zhao Qingyu’s mind raced.
She wanted to wake him, but now that she might have, she chickened out.
Should she pull her foot back?
Would that wake him again?
Wait…
Hold on…
Suddenly, Zhao Qingyu realized something. His hand… it was freezing!
How could he sleep in that cold?
Hmm…
She frowned slightly, cautiously lifting the covers and peeking over with her head.
There, a pair of deep eyes stared right at her foot.
Studying it intently, almost mesmerized.
His eyes.
He wasn’t asleep!
Zhao Qingyu’s brain short-circuited for a second, then snapped back.
Her captured foot lashed out, yanking free and stomping down hard.
“Oof!”
Shen An yelped in pain and caught sight of Zhao Qingyu glaring from the foot of the bed.
“You were faking it?”
Zhao Qingyu stared at him, expressionless.
Well, in the darkness, Shen An couldn’t make out her face clearly anyway.
“I… I got woken up.”
Shen An said earnestly.
“No, you were faking.” Zhao Qingyu insisted.
“Uh, then what about you, Senior Sister? Still not asleep?” Shen An seized the foot again. “Or do you have a habit of dangling your feet off the bed while sleeping?”
Zhao Qingyu pressed her lips together, falling silent.
Now that she was onto him, Shen An stopped pretending. His hand roamed her foot freely, thumb rubbing her tender sole.
So ticklish!
Her toes curled, arch flexing as she tried to wrench free.
But his grip was firm; she could only squirm helplessly.
“Let… let go.”
It took a while, but Zhao Qingyu finally whispered, voice barely audible.
As if Shen An would. He toyed with it like fine jade, glancing up at her with a sly smile. “I get it now. You’re all cold on the outside but warm inside, Senior Sister. You’ve been saving a spot for me, haven’t you?”
Like hell you get it!
Zhao Qingyu’s cheeks burned with shame and anger as she glared, but in the dark, it had no effect.
“Let go!”
“You’re so thoughtful, Senior Sister. I’m the one who’s clueless.” Shen An murmured softly.
Zhao Qingyu hesitated, her tone softening. “Let go first.”
“The floor’s so cold.”
Shen An whined pitifully.
“Then… go sleep outside~” Her voice turned even gentler.
“I don’t wanna sleep outside.”
Shen An hugged her foot closer. “I wanna stay like this.”
“You…”
Zhao Qingyu turned her head away. “No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“So cold…”
“……”
“Stop playing pitiful. It’s not gonna work.”
“But I just wanna come up and sleep. No funny business.” Shen An lowered his head and planted a soft kiss on the pale back of her foot.
That kiss sent a shiver from the depths of her soul.
Her whole body jolted; she nearly tumbled off the bed.
Her defenses crumbled.
In this pitch-black room, alone together, the atmosphere was already thick with unspoken tension.
At a time like this, reason didn’t stand a chance.
Emotions and desire would quietly devour it all.
“Okay?”
Shen An kissed it again, whispering.
Zhao Qingyu didn’t respond this time. She stared silently out the window.
“So… you agree, Senior Sister?”
Shen An asked tentatively.
Still no answer.
Score!
Shen An slowly released her foot, then lifted the covers and rose to his feet, inch by inch.
Zhao Qingyu still showed no reaction. She simply withdrew her bare foot, tucked it back under the covers, and turned over, her back to Shen An.
Even after he climbed into bed, Zhao Qingyu remained unresponsive.
Lying beside her, Shen An narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured softly, “Actually, I know Senior Sister is just too soft-hearted to turn me down.”
“Don’t worry. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
The bed had two pillows.
And there was even an extra blanket.
Shen An didn’t take a pillow for himself. Instead, he placed one between them like a divider.
Then he grabbed the blanket from the floor to use as his own.
Yes.
Though Zhao Qingyu and Shen An were lying on the same bed, they weren’t truly sharing it in the intimate way. There was still some distance to go before that.
With the pillow and blanket, he created a clear separation between himself and Zhao Qingyu.
At the same time, it was his way of reassuring her: he harbored no improper thoughts and had no intention of taking advantage of her.
“Alright, let’s get some sleep.”
Shen An said softly.
Could he sleep?
Not a chance.
Had he rushed straight for the bed from the start, lunging to wrap his arms around Zhao Qingyu in a hurry, she might have spun around and kicked him right back off.
That would have exposed his shady intentions.
She might have her own ulterior motives, but she wouldn’t tolerate his reaching that level.
Yet Shen An had chosen to put deliberate space between them.
What was that?
Retreating to advance—the deadliest tactic!
It left Zhao Qingyu feeling unexpectedly adrift.
What was he playing at?
She turned over quietly, eyeing the pillow between them and the two blankets divided like territories.
And Shen An, with his eyes already closed.
She bit her lip in silence, a strange sourness bubbling up inside her.
