Sang Ning looked at her for a moment. “You said ‘Received’ at noon.”
Shen Tingwan smiled, tilting her head with a good attitude as she replied, “It won’t happen again, okay?”
Sang Ning was speechless, feeling like she had overstepped.
The two walked back side by side. The sand on the beach was soft and hard to walk on, so Sang Ning moved slowly, paying attention to Shen Tingwan’s feet. Sure enough, what she feared came to pass—Shen Tingwan twisted her ankle.
Sang Ning escorted Shen Tingwan back to her room on the fifth floor, a spacious single suite with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a broad view of the beach.
“Does your foot hurt?” Sang Ning asked.
“It’s fine.” Seeing Sang Ning staring at her with worry, Shen Tingwan added, “Want to check it?”
Sang Ning thought about it and decided it would be more reassuring to take a look.
Shen Tingwan sat on the sofa while Sang Ning half-squatted down, gently pressing her fingers against the fair, slender ankle. It had started as a simple check, but touching it made the moment feel intimate.
As her ankle was touched, Shen Tingwan shifted slightly, a faint scent of alcohol escaping her lips.
Sang Ning looked up and blurted out, “Did I hurt you?”
Shen Tingwan frowned with a smile at the innocent look on Sang Ning’s face as she said those ambiguous words. She lightly pursed her red lips. “No, it doesn’t hurt.”
“No swelling, should be fine,” Sang Ning said distractedly, looking down. She also realized how awkward her words had sounded.
She wasn’t really that innocent, but with her quiet and refined face, everyone thought she was. Thanks to Yu Shuang’s occasional recommendations, she had watched plenty of adult films.
The hotel offered sober-up tea service, so Sang Ning had the server bring up two glasses of lemon water.
Sang Ning kept Shen Tingwan company as she drank half a glass of lemon water. Seeing it was almost ten o’clock, she thought it was time to go and let Shen Tingwan rest early…
Shen Tingwan took a few more sips of lemon water and was quiet for a moment before saying to the person sitting beside her, “Move your luggage over here.”
Sang Ning released the straw from her lips. “Hm?”
Shen Tingwan drawled, “Stay here tonight.”
Sang Ning gripped the glass in her hand. There was only one bed here, right? She explained, “I have to shoot the sunrise tomorrow and need to get up before dawn. It’ll wake you.”
“It’s fine,” Shen Tingwan said, looking at her with a tipsy gaze. “I don’t want to be alone.”
Sang Ning didn’t refuse anymore and agreed. She was a bit worried about Shen Tingwan having drunk too much anyway. She set down her glass, stood up, and went downstairs to get her luggage.
Shen Tingwan stared at the figure disappearing through the door, rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t believe those words—”I don’t want to be alone”—had come out of her mouth.
Sang Ning’s room was on the third floor. She packed her things, dragged her suitcase upstairs, and waited a moment before the door opened.
She froze for a second at the doorway. Shen Tingwan must have been preparing to shower; another button on her shirt had been undone, revealing a bit more.
Sang Ning’s gaze didn’t linger on her collar and darted away.
Shen Tingwan urged her, “Aren’t you coming in?”
“Uh…” Sang Ning pulled her suitcase into the room.
Shen Tingwan said softly, “You go shower first. You have to get up early tomorrow.”
“You first. I still need to unpack my suitcase.”
Shen Tingwan replied, “Alright.”
Sang Ning thought for a moment and called out to her again. “Are you okay?”
Shen Tingwan teased, “You want to keep me company?”
Sang Ning: “…”
She decided not to say anything.
Shen Tingwan laughed for a bit longer before heading to the bathroom, done teasing.
Sang Ning unpacked her suitcase. Soon, she faintly heard the sound of the shower running from the bathroom. She was momentarily distracted, walked to the sofa, picked up the remaining half glass of lemon water from the coffee table, and drank it down in one go.
Shen Tingwan showered faster than usual and came out in twenty minutes.
“Sang Ning.”
Sang Ning was in the living area and turned to look. Shen Tingwan’s long hair was damp, and she held a hairdryer, wearing a black nightgown.
Shen Tingwan said, “I’m done. You go shower.”
Sang Ning’s voice was very soft. “Okay.”
The steam in the bathroom hadn’t fully dissipated. As soon as Sang Ning entered, she was enveloped by the scent of body wash. She undressed, feeling the air against her skin as hot.
Standing under the showerhead and rinsing off, she felt the temperature was a bit high, so Sang Ning adjusted the faucet twice to cool it down. When she lathered up the body wash, her mind wandered.
After showering, Sang Ning wanted to blow-dry her hair but realized the hairdryer had been taken out by Shen Tingwan. She opened the door and walked out.
Shen Tingwan was sitting on the sofa by the bed and looked at her. “Need the hairdryer?”
Sang Ning had removed her hearing aid and didn’t catch it clearly. “What?”
Shen Tingwan picked up the hairdryer beside her and walked over, handing it to her.
Sang Ning smiled and took it, plugged it in, and lifted it to blow-dry her hair.
Shen Tingwan also entered the bathroom.
Sang Ning watched her through the mirror, which was fogged with a thin layer of mist, everything hazy. She turned off the hairdryer and asked Shen Tingwan over her shoulder, “Need the bathroom?”
Shen Tingwan shook her head at her. “Just applying some hand cream.”
Without her hearing aid, Sang Ning relied heavily on lip-reading. Her gaze fixed intently on Shen Tingwan’s lips, lingering a bit too long as she zoned out.
Breathing in the warm air, Shen Tingwan looked back at her. “Is there something on my lips?”
Sang Ning explained awkwardly, “…Can’t hear clearly, have to read lips.”
Shen Tingwan finished with the hand cream and smoothly took the hairdryer from her hand, helping her blow-dry her hair.
Sang Ning said, “No… need.”
The hairdryer hummed to life, soft warm air brushing through her strands. Sang Ning stood quietly, stiff in front of the mirror, as beautiful, slender fingers parted and styled her hair.
The mist on the mirror gradually faded, becoming clearer.
Sang Ning kept her eyes mostly downcast, not daring to stare into the mirror. Shen Tingwan’s nightgown tonight was even more revealing than the one she’d worn at Jiang Yunchun’s house before.
As her hair was blow-dried, Sang Ning’s cheeks and neck stayed flushed. Fortunately, she’d just showered, so she had an excuse.
After a while, she glanced at the mirror again, then turned to speak to Shen Tingwan.
Shen Tingwan turned off the hairdryer first and looked at her patiently. “What?”
Worried she’d catch a chill, Sang Ning forced out, “Wearing so little… aren’t you cold?”
Shen Tingwan smiled faintly. “It’s fine.”
Sang Ning still took the hairdryer from her hand, pretending to be calm. “I’ll do it myself. Go to bed, don’t catch a cold.”
Shen Tingwan noticed her ears were bright red, unsure if from the heat or something else.
Sang Ning focused on blow-drying her own hair. Only after Shen Tingwan left did she exhale in relief.
After drying her hair, Sang Ning neatly put away the hairdryer, exited the bathroom, and saw Shen Tingwan leaning against the headboard, not yet lying down, as if waiting for her.
Shen Tingwan said, “Time to sleep. Early start tomorrow.”
It was the third time sharing a bed, but Sang Ning felt less calm than the previous two—because Shen Tingwan wasn’t dressed like this before… She got into bed and under the covers, then called out to Shen Tingwan again. “Senior.”
Shen Tingwan looked at her. “Hm?”
Sang Ning asked, “Feeling okay? No discomfort?”
Shen Tingwan paused, then smiled and shook her head. She was so earnest, taking even a casual remark to heart.
Before bed, Sang Ning placed her phone by her pillow and wore a sports watch on her wrist set to vibrate alarm. Her ears weren’t sensitive to regular alarms; vibrations woke her better.
Sang Ning had thought she wouldn’t sleep well that night, but she did—perhaps from daytime fatigue. Around eleven, she fell asleep.
She slept deeply through the night until the vibrations on her wrist roused her groggily. It was too early; the room was pitch black.
Her phone alarm also went off. Afraid of waking Shen Tingwan beside her, Sang Ning immediately grabbed it and silenced it.
Shen Tingwan still woke up and fumbled to turn on the light.
The bedroom lit up dimly.
Sang Ning sat up in bed and, through the not-too-bright light, made out her face.
Shen Tingwan lay in bed, eyes sleepy and hazy as she gazed at her, voice a bit hoarse. “So early?”
“Yeah,” Sang Ning said sheepishly. “Sorry I woke you.”
Shen Tingwan closed her eyes again, still drowsy.
Seeing she wasn’t fully awake, Sang Ning stopped talking and prepared to get out of bed quietly. She had just slipped on her slippers and was about to stand when her hand was caught.
Looking back, Shen Tingwan had reached out to grab her.
Sang Ning was at a loss for a moment and called softly, “Senior…”
Shen Tingwan responded, “Hm?”
Sang Ning kept her voice low, not wanting to disturb her. “I have work.”
Shen Tingwan still held her hand, refusing to let go, murmuring, “Sleep a bit more.”
Sang Ning couldn’t hear clearly and leaned in closer, her heart pounding at the sight of Shen Tingwan’s half-asleep expression.
Shen Tingwan lazily half-opened her eyes.
Their hazy gazes met.
Sang Ning’s heart raced even more wildly. “I need to get to work, or I’ll be late.”
Shen Tingwan said softly, “I’ll go with you…”
“No…” Sang Ning stared at her face up close, her rationality cracking. Thinking this once wouldn’t hurt, she let her affection and concern show, gently tugging her hand like coaxing a girlfriend. “I’ll go do my work. You were exhausted yesterday—sleep well.”
