"I'm scared."
Xuan Yang: "?"
Zhou Dang's light-colored deep eyes looked even more pitiful: "If I don't sleep well, I might miss my flight tomorrow morning."
Missing a flight and affecting work—that was something Xuan Yang would never allow.
So even though she knew Zhou Dang was probably eighty percent bluffing, she agreed.
Naturally, she also remembered what he had said before about being proactive.
Xuan Yang went to the bathroom to give Zhou Dang some space.
She also needed to calm her own fluctuating mood.
Five minutes later, Xuan Yang returned to the bedroom and saw Zhou Dang's bedding laid out on the floor by the bed.
Her expression froze for a moment.
She looked at Zhou Dang as if to ask if he was serious.
Was he really going to sleep on the floor?
Had she misunderstood earlier?
Xuan Yang frowned, momentarily unable to gauge Zhou Dang's thoughts.
But since he had already set up his bedding, would it seem too forward if she invited him to sleep in the bed?
After thinking for a few seconds, Xuan Yang dismissed the thought of inviting him.
She got back into bed, looked at Zhou Dang on the floor again, and seemed about to speak but stopped.
Zhou Dang pulled the blanket over his waist, laced his hands behind his head, and lay straight on the floor, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Good night, wife."
The rain outside was dense, pattering against the balcony floor.
But the guest room fell silent. Xuan Yang lay back under the covers. In the dimly lit room, only a warm wall lamp was on.
"Good night," Xuan Yang replied.
Then, to avoid overthinking, she turned her back to Zhou Dang and forced her eyes closed.
However, in the quiet room, any sound was amplified and became extremely clear.
Xuan Yang was a light sleeper.
When Zhou Dang tossed and turned on the floor for the nth time, Xuan Yang opened her eyes and said helplessly, "Maybe you should just come up and sleep."
"The floor is too hard; it'll affect your sleep quality."
Besides, if Zhou Dang kept flipping like that, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight either.
Xuan Yang didn't want to go to work tomorrow with dark circles under her eyes.
She extended the invitation but still kept her back to Zhou Dang, not moving.
It was as if she were talking in her sleep.
But Zhou Dang took it seriously. He sprang up like a carp, threw off the blanket, climbed onto the bed, and slipped into Xuan Yang's warm covers.
He executed this sequence in one smooth motion.
He was afraid that if he hesitated, Xuan Yang would change her mind.
In fact, Xuan Yang did regret it a little.
She hadn't expected Zhou Dang to get into her blanket, nor had she expected him to immediately put an arm around her waist, pressing his warm body tightly against hers.
Xuan Yang was startled, opening her eyes and tensing up.
Her drowsiness dissipated, replaced by a gradually quickening heartbeat.
...
Zhou Dang always did this—when she was mentally prepared, he stayed put.
Then, when she let her guard down, he launched a full-scale attack.
He never played by the rules.
"I've been waiting for you to say that." His low, magnetic voice sounded by Xuan Yang's ear, carrying Zhou Dang's signature cool fragrance and warm breath.
Xuan Yang felt the skin on the back of her ear burning, a wave of numbness spreading.
She knew Zhou Dang had ulterior motives tonight.
But she hadn't expected him to be so straightforward.
Zhou Dang was extremely close to her, his chest pressed against her back.
Even through two layers of fabric, he could feel Xuan Yang's body temperature.
It made his heartbeat quicken, his breath tighten, and his gaze darken.
He tried his best to suppress it, but couldn't keep his voice from becoming hoarse: "Xuan Yang..."