YJDNY - 36

The sound of water filled her ears, softly rippling and growing clearer with each passing moment, penetrating her eardrums.

Zhou Xingyan stood leaning against the door, holding a yukata in his hands.

Separated by just a thin door, an entire scene began to slowly and uncontrollably take shape in his mind.

Through the rising steam, he imagined smooth, water-drenched skin like freshly polished jade, a slender waist and long legs, crimson lips, and dark eyes.

Restlessness.

A restlessness that couldn’t be suppressed.

Zhou Xingyan closed his eyes, his head pounding.

This wasn’t right.

Why did you bring her here?

Are you some kind of beast?

With a deep sigh, Zhou Xingyan placed the yukata on the tatami mat by the door and simply walked out of the room.

This hot spring inn was located at the foot of the mountain, a bit far from the city center. Due to its high price and secluded location, there were few guests, making it unusually quiet as night fell.

Kyoto had a large temperature difference between day and night, and the evening air carried a slight chill. When they arrived in the afternoon, they had been preoccupied with luggage and being led to their room, so they hadn’t paid much attention. Now, as things settled down, he realized how large the inn actually was.

To the left of the entrance hall, there was even a small shop selling various yukatas, kimonos, and other delicate Japanese-style trinkets whose names he didn’t know. They looked exquisite but came with hefty price tags.

Zhou Xingyan walked around the outer courtyard twice, letting the cool night air dispel his earlier heat. Then, he strolled back leisurely. Halfway through, Liang Shengxi called.

Zhou Xingyan answered. There was a brief silence on the other end.

Raising an eyebrow, Zhou Xingyan remained silent as well.

“How’s it going?” Liang Shengxi’s low voice carried an oddly mischievous tone. “Has it started?”

“…”

Zhou Xingyan’s voice was cold: “If it had started, do you think I’d still be answering your call?”

Another silence followed on the other end, as if Liang Shengxi was just realizing something. “Oh,” he said, sounding somewhat disappointed. “That’s true. But remember, a moment of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold, Dr. Zhou. Don’t waste time. It’s already past eight over there in Japan, considering the one-hour time difference.”

Dr. Zhou clearly felt disdain for him: “Do you really think I’m like you?”

Liang Shengxi snorted: “Of course not. You’re way more of a beast than me, so stop pretending. Taking a sudden leave, bringing a girl out, and choosing such a secluded and expensive hotel—what are you planning? Are you going to show her your glow-in-the-dark watch under the covers?”

When Zhou Xingyan didn’t respond, Liang Shengxi grew more smug, his words flowing faster and more animated. He chuckled nastily: “So, how about it? The environment of the hotel I picked isn’t bad, right? The rooms are nice too. I specifically told my friend—” He spoke with mock seriousness: “I said no, absolutely not. Even the tatami can only have one futon.”

“…”

Zhou Xingyan decided he didn’t want to deal with him anymore and hung up without expression.

Undeterred, Liang Shengxi sent him a text: [Everything you need is in the cabinet.]

“…”

Zhou Xingyan ignored it completely, shoved his phone back into his pocket, and returned to the room.

As he entered, the sound of water from the backyard had stopped, and the yukata he had left by the door was gone—it seemed she had come out.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Xingyan headed toward the inner bedroom.

He slid open the door. Inside, the warm, dim light from the woven floor lamp illuminated the room. The futon had already been laid out on the tatami. Xiang Ge was sitting on it, wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought.

Seeing him enter, she quickly threw off the blanket, jumped up, and ran over to him: “Where did you go?”

Her question came out hurriedly, her tone sharp.

Zhou Xingyan was slightly taken aback.

He had just come in from outside, carrying a faint chill. Meanwhile, Xiang Ge, having just soaked in the hot spring, looked warm and radiant. Her cheeks finally had some color to them, slightly flushed.

Although wearing a yukata was simpler than a kimono, it still required some technique. Clearly, she didn’t know how to wear it properly. She had hastily thrown it on, leaving it loose and untidy, with the obi tied awkwardly.

Xiang Ge looked up at him, her black eyes fixed stubbornly on him as she repeated her question: “You disappeared the moment I came out. Where did you go?”

Zhou Xingyan sensed her unease and bent down slightly. Reaching out, his fingertips pinched the wide obi around her waist and loosened it.

In the quiet environment, the soft sound of fabric rubbing echoed. The pale-colored material of her yukata loosened slightly under his movements, the edges falling softly.

Xiang Ge didn’t move, lowering her gaze to watch him.

Zhou Xingyan adjusted her yukata, taking hold of the obi around her waist. Starting from behind, he smoothed it inch by inch, wrapping it around her waist as he spoke in a low voice: “I went to ask how to properly wear a woman’s yukata.” He lowered his head to retie it for her. “What you’ve done here is… a bit ugly.”

His long fingers brushed against her waist, occasionally touching her abdomen through the thin fabric. The cool sensation made her feel slightly ticklish and uneasy.

Once finished, Zhou Xingyan straightened up and took a step back to look at her: “There. Done.”

Xiang Ge lowered her gaze, pinching the front of her yukata. She raised her eyes to look at him: “I just checked—the cabinet only has one futon.”

Zhou Xingyan paused for a moment before responding: “Ah, is that so?”

“So are you sleeping outside?” she asked slowly. “Girls can only share a futon with their boyfriends.”

Zhou Xingyan chuckled softly, his breathy laugh short and light. “You seem quite practiced at saying that. So what?”

Xiang Ge blinked. “So what?”

“So am I supposed to sleep outside?”

They were traveling together, in a foreign country, staying at a hot spring inn with a tatami bedroom full of traditional Japanese charm.

Every element seemed to carry a certain ambiguous suggestion.

Yet he asked naturally, his tone and expression unchanged. However, hearing this, Xiang Ge instinctively shuffled back half a step, her face unconsciously beginning to flush, her ears turning red. “…You’re not my boyfriend.”

Zhou Xingyan acted as if he hadn’t noticed, calmly nodding. He reached out to ruffle her hair and turned to leave.

“Hey!” Xiang Ge instinctively stepped forward. Before she even realized it, her body moved on its own, reaching out to grab his sleeve.

Zhou Xingyan stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her.

Xiang Ge hesitated, looking at him for a moment before lowering her head again.

The light filtering through the woven floor lamp cast a soft glow, making her long eyelashes look fluffy like little fans, fluttering slightly, almost teasing.

She pursed her lips, pausing for a while before speaking softly: “Actually… we could share.”

Zhou Xingyan froze, his fingertips lifting slightly as he stared at her silently.

Xiang Ge bit her lower lip and repeated herself, her voice barely above a whisper: “We can sleep together.”

Zhou Xingyan could almost feel the veins in his temples pulsing clearly.

He lowered his eyes, noticing her fingers gripping his sleeve tightening. With a soft sigh, he said: “I’ll go take a shower.”

Xiang Ge flinched, murmuring an “Oh,” and slowly let go of his sleeve.

Beside the small hot spring in the backyard, there was a shower partition. Zhou Xingyan was quick, and when he returned, Xiang Ge was still sitting there, cradling a new futon in her arms, looking somewhat distracted.

Seeing him enter, she looked up.

After his shower, Zhou Xingyan was also wearing a yukata—light gray with cloud patterns. His skin was fair, the collar slightly loose, revealing a hint of his collarbone and the elegant curve of his neck.

It was the first time Xiang Ge had seen him in something akin to pajamas. She was momentarily stunned, tilting her head as she looked him up and down several times. She held out the futon in her arms: “The staff just brought this in. Do you want it?”

Zhou Xingyan nodded, closed the door, and walked over.

Watching him close the door, Xiang Ge suddenly felt a bit nervous.

She sat while he stood tall, towering over her. Suddenly, he extended both arms toward her.

What was he doing?

Xiang Ge put down the futon in her arms and stretched out her arms, raising them as if preparing for a hug.

Zhou Xingyan was momentarily surprised, then burst out laughing.

Xiang Ge blinked, watching him.

His eyes crinkled at the corners, softening his usually cold features. Smiling, he spoke gently: “Give me the futon.”

“…”

Xiang Ge immediately felt teased. Rolling her eyes, she lifted the item in her hands and tossed it at him.

The futon was heavy, so she couldn’t throw it very high. Even when it landed, it barely reached his abdomen. Zhou Xingyan caught it effortlessly and walked over to her side to spread it out.

Xiang Ge pulled her own futon aside.

The mattress beneath them was double-sized. Although he had requested another futon, it seemed the underlying issue hadn’t been resolved.

Zhou Xingyan inwardly sighed, thinking tonight might be difficult. He probably wouldn’t get any sleep.

Xiang Ge continued to sit by the wall, watching him lay out the futon. Lost in thought, she suddenly spoke after he sat down beside her: “Aren’t you going to sleep with me?”

“…”

Zhou Xingyan realized tonight might be even harder than he had anticipated.

Lowering his eyes, he rubbed his brow: “Why are you always so troublesome?”

She was difficult when lively, and now, in this state, she seemed even more challenging.

Xiang Ge tilted her head, nodding knowingly: “You find me annoying.”

“You’ve started finding me annoying.”

“…”

Unjustly saddled with blame, Zhou Xingyan had no defense. He patted the pillow beside him: “Time to sleep.”

He had stayed up all night with her last night, witnessing firsthand her poor sleep quality.

In the early hours, she would cry in her sleep, waking up startled every so often. Later, she slept more peacefully, occasionally mumbling in her sleep and holding onto one of his fingers until morning.

Xiang Ge paused for a moment, then slowly slid down and lay on her side, facing him.

Their faces were extremely close, separated only by two layers of futons. Xiang Ge’s cheek rested in the soft pillow as she gazed at the person beside her. After a long silence, she suddenly spoke: “I found a box of condoms in the cabinet while looking for pillows.”

“…”

Zhou Xingyan remembered Liang Shengxi’s smug message.

“You want to sleep with me,” Xiang Ge’s long lashes fluttered slightly as she continued, “Do you think I’m easier to talk to now, or that it’s easier to sleep with me?”

Zhou Xingyan’s brow twitched. His voice was hoarse as he weakly tried to explain: “…No, that’s not what I meant.”

Xiang Ge hadn’t slept well for a long time. Add to that the exhaustion of today’s travel, and for the first time in days, she finally felt relaxed. Her whole body felt languid, and she was starting to feel sleepy.

It had always been like this—as if having him nearby gradually calmed her heart.

Xiang Ge slowly lifted her eyelids, blinking once. Her fingers emerged from under the blanket to rub her eyes. In a sluggish voice, she muttered, “It doesn’t really make a difference anyway. Since I like you so much, I’m always easy to please.”