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The woman’s nightgown was soft and snug, carrying warmth and a hint of dampness, along with the faint scent of laundry detergent.
Zhou Hangyan’s vision was enveloped in darkness. He froze on the edge of the bed for more than ten seconds before snapping out of it.
He reached up to grab the piece of clothing off his head.
The bedside lamp cast a dim yellow glow, making the dress appear warm-toned. Zhou Hangyan held it between his fingers, rubbing the fabric slightly. It felt smooth and silky.
When he let go, the dress fell onto the bed, standing out starkly against the gray blanket.
The woman under the blanket was still restless. Her limbs squirmed inside, and when she found an opening, her slender white arm slipped out like a segment of lotus root, pressing down on the blanket and revealing half of her bare shoulder and collarbone.
Her eyes were closed as the blanket slid further down.
Just as a large expanse of pale skin was about to be exposed, Zhou Hangyan moved swiftly, leaning over to pull the blanket back up.
His fingertips accidentally brushed against the soft flesh near her chest—it was scorching hot, burning with feverish heat.
Zhou Hangyan lowered his lashes, concealing the flicker of emotion in his eyes. With one hand holding her arm, he tugged the blanket back into place.
He was mentally exhausted, his temples throbbing with pain.
This girl had been a handful even when they first met.
That year, she had injured the area behind her ear and needed stitches. After being discharged from the hospital, she refused to go home and stayed at his place for a few days.
Zhou Hangyan’s family had generations of doctors, so it wasn’t unusual for him to have some medical knowledge, even if he wasn’t particularly interested in it. Since she refused to go to the hospital, it was convenient for her to stay here for dressing changes and cleaning.
So, a week before school started, Xiang Ge moved into his house.
Zhou Hangyan was in his final year of high school, which started earlier than hers. Xiang Ge loved sleeping in, and by the time she woke up, he was already at school. On the dining table, he left a glass of milk and toast for her. The food was cold, but fortunately, there was a microwave, so she could heat it up herself.
The milk was fine, but the toast—once heated in the microwave—became hard and unappetizing as it cooled. The texture was terrible, and Xiang Ge decided she wouldn’t eat toast anymore.
But the next day, Zhou Hangyan found out that she hadn’t gotten up until late morning and then stayed up all night, refusing to sleep or eat breakfast.
Young Master Zhou didn’t know his way around the kitchen. Handling the microwave and toaster was already pushing his limits, though he could manage to fry an egg.
To fix her habit, he bought several books on nutritious breakfast recipes. Early in the morning, the young man walked straight into her bedroom and pulled her out of bed. “Get up and eat breakfast.”
When she arrived, she had only brought a sweater. Now, she was wearing one of Zhou Hangyan’s oversized T-shirts and pants as pajamas. The neckline was loose, and she slept crookedly, exposing part of her shoulder and collarbone.
She frowned unhappily, mumbling as she glanced at him groggily before flopping back down.
Zhou Hangyan pulled her up again.
He was patient, his expression calm and unhurried. After two attempts, Xiang Ge grew frustrated. She twisted her body away from him, pulling the blanket over her head, her voice muffled: “You’re so annoying!”
Sleeping in his bed, covered in his blanket, yet she called him annoying.
Zhou Hangyan chuckled. “Are you getting up or not?”
Xiang Ge didn’t respond or acknowledge him. She tugged the blanket higher, careful not to touch her wound, and tucked her hair underneath.
Looking at the lump under the blanket, he nodded. “Alright, then go home and sleep.”
After saying this, he paused, savoring the effect of his words.
Xiang Ge was silent for a few seconds, then slowly wriggled in protest under the blanket. She flipped over, reluctantly opening her eyes and propping herself up on her hands. Her face was full of grievance, as if she’d suffered a great injustice.
The young man remained unmoved, watching her indifferently.
Xiang Ge squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and declared resolutely: “I’ll get up.”
“…”
Zhou Hangyan almost thought he was dragging her out of bed to face an execution.
Xiang Ge also felt she had caused him a lot of trouble. When he went to school, she busied herself like a diligent little bee, tidying the room and studying the recipe books he had bought.
One day, when Zhou Hangyan returned home, he found her stirring a pot of something black and unidentifiable, frantically pouring water into it. The entire house smelled like popcorn.
It was only during dressing changes that she behaved a little more cooperatively.
The girl was extremely afraid of pain. During winter break, when Zhou Hangyan first helped her clean her wound, he didn’t think much of it. But now, when she flinched away, he hesitated to continue.
To distract herself, Xiang Ge would talk to him.
Her voice was pleasant—not the sharp, high-pitched tone typical of girls her age, but rather low and velvety, with soft articulation.
Her speech was slow, unhurried, and carried her characteristic lazy tone, flowing quietly through the room.
Zhou Hangyan responded occasionally, sometimes adding a comment or two. On summer nights, with the sound of cicadas outside, the atmosphere was perfect.
Taking advantage of the moment, the night owl extended an invitation: “Senior Zhou, let’s skip sleeping tonight and go clubbing.”
Zhou Hangyan secured the gauze with medical tape and flatly rejected her clubbing idea. “Either go home or go to sleep.”
“…Oh.”
The pitiful-looking girl reluctantly crawled off the couch and slunk back to the bedroom to sleep.
Her slender figure looked fragile and desolate. Before closing the door, she hid her body behind it, peeking her head out to look at him one last time. “What if I can’t sleep?”
Zhou Hangyan leaned back into the couch, unmoved. “If you can’t sleep, I’ll wake you up at 5:30 tomorrow for morning exercise.”
“…”
Xiang Ge promptly slammed the door shut.
Cold and heartless.
Her sleep was always restless.
Zhou Hangyan was a light sleeper. Sometimes at night, he could hear faint sounds coming from the bedroom.
He got up from the couch, walked to the door, and called her name tentatively.
There was no response from inside. After a brief silence, she suddenly whimpered.
Zhou Hangyan hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open.
The girl was curled up tightly under the blanket, drenched in cold sweat, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. Her whole body trembled.
She would suddenly wake up, staring blankly at him for a moment before speaking softly in a hoarse voice: “Xing Xing, I dreamed that you left with Ultraman.”
The young man sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the blanket up for her. His voice was gentle: “I won’t leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
He had never left.
The one who left first was her.
Xiang Ge tossed and turned until dawn, her fever finally subsiding. By then, she had calmed down.
Her long lashes were thick and naturally curved, resting on her lower eyelids. Her lips were dry, and the blanket covered her up to her chin, leaving only her head exposed. She looked peaceful.
At 5:30 in the morning, faint light seeped through the light-colored curtains. Zhou Hangyan tossed the towel into the basin, stood up, and sank into the sofa beside the bed, his eyes drooping with fatigue.
He had performed three surgeries the previous day and waited for someone at the hospital until after 9 PM. As soon as he got home, he came straight here. He hadn’t eaten anything or closed his eyes since.
He still had work later.
Zhou Hangyan turned off the bedside lamp, his gaze falling on the person in the bed.
Maybe he owed her something from a past life.
In her sleep, Xiang Ge wrinkled her nose, her expression seemingly negating him.
Zhou Hangyan couldn’t help but laugh. Leaning his head on his hand, he rubbed his temples, then sent a text message to Liang Shengxi before closing his eyes to rest briefly on the sofa.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already 8 AM.
The bedside was a mess. Medications from the first aid kit were scattered on the floor, and the basin was still on the nightstand. Zhou Hangyan tidied up the things, went to the kitchen, and opened the fridge. It was stocked with fruits, vegetables, and other items. He began to doubt whether the sushi she brought last time was actually made by her.
He rolled up his sleeves, retrieved tomatoes, bacon, and eggs from the fridge. He fried the eggs and bacon, sliced the tomatoes, and placed them between slices of whole wheat bread. As he poured milk into a glass, the doorbell rang.
Zhou Hangyan glanced up, finished pouring the glass calmly, and then walked over to open the door.
A sharply dressed man stood impatiently at the entrance, head down, typing on his phone. Without looking up, he began firing off words rapidly: “Xiang Ge, are you tired of living? What did I tell you the day before yesterday—”
He looked up as he spoke, his dark eyes meeting another pair of dark eyes. He froze.
Song Zhi raised his gaze, checked the apartment number, and confirmed it was correct.
His attention shifted back to the man in front of him. Dressed in a thin, light-colored sweater and slippers, he exuded the relaxed air of someone who had just stepped out of the bedroom. It was clear he wasn’t just a casual visitor stopping by early in the morning.
Song Zhi raised an eyebrow.
Xiang Ge slept until after 9 AM before waking up.
Sweat had broken out all over her body, and her fever had mostly subsided. She stretched lazily under the blanket before opening her eyes sluggishly. She recalled the events of the previous day.
The room was empty.
She had been a bit confused the day before, and some fragments of memory were unclear—whether they were dreams or reality—but she could roughly remember most of it.
She blinked, got up, and was about to step out of bed when she realized she wasn’t wearing any clothes.
Xiang Ge froze for three seconds.
?
When did she take them off???
Instinctively, she looked down, still processing the situation.
By the time she showered and fully woke up, it was already 10 AM. With her damp hair wrapped in a towel, Xiang Ge stepped out of the bedroom and immediately spotted a head and neck peeking out from behind the couch.
But something about this head seemed off.
She stopped at the bedroom door, not moving.
The head turned toward her.
The face wore a cold smirk. “Miss, are you finally awake?”
Xiang Ge blinked.
Song Zhi tilted his chin and asked, “Did you have fun last night?”
“It was alright,” Xiang Ge replied dryly, glancing around. She saw Gong Mo in the kitchen, stuffing cut avocado into the juicer.
Song Zhi watched her scan the room sarcastically. “Don’t bother looking—he’s already gone.” Lounging arrogantly on the couch, he added after a pause, “But when I came up, Gong Mo was parking downstairs. Your little boyfriend seems to have made a slight error in judgment.”
He smirked, watching her reaction. “Of course, I didn’t explain anything.”
“…”
Thank you so much.
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