Just a millimeter before their lips were about to touch, Jian Ran's hands suddenly went limp, and her eyes closed without warning.
Then her head tilted, and she completely and peacefully collapsed into his arms.
Chu Lulin stiffened for a moment. He looked down at her sleeping profile in his arms, and after a long pause, he suddenly let out a helpless laugh.
"Meow~"
Huluhu had come to their feet at some point. The little cat lifted its head, looking first at Jian Ran, then at Chu Lulin.
As if silently mocking him for his failed scheme.
*
The night was deep, and all was silent.
In the bedroom, Chu Lulin gently laid Jian Ran on the bed, covered her with the blanket, and tucked in the corners.
He turned off the lights in the room, leaving only the small bedside lamp.
The warm yellow light fell on her profile, softening her features even more.
Chu Lulin sat quietly by the bed, looking at her sleeping figure for a while, then began to slowly take in the room's decor.
This was his first time entering Jian Ran's bedroom. The room was spacious with a clean layout, but it was noticeably different from the style of the living room and the rest of the house.
The living room's color scheme was mostly cool white, light gray, and wood tones, without any bright colors.
But the bedroom had richer colors, adding warm tones like light green and light pink. Though only in small areas, it was enough to give the room a more lived-in feel.
Besides, there were plush toys, aromatherapy, and other personal decorative items.
There seemed to be a clear boundary between the bedroom and living room styles.
Just like Jian Ran herself.
It had taken Chu Lulin a long time to get to her side and now to enter her bedroom.
It would probably take even longer to truly enter her heart.
But Chu Lulin also knew that this process couldn't be rushed. He had to follow her pace.
He could entice her to cross boundaries, but he couldn't cross them himself.
Otherwise... he risked being kicked out.
That was the risk he couldn't afford to take, so he had to bide his time and seize the opportunity.
The phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up. It was Jian Ran's phone. Chu Lulin approached and saw an unfamiliar number with no name saved.
He picked up the phone and moved it farther away, ignoring it, letting it ring until it stopped.
But the screen had barely gone dark for a few seconds when it lit up again with the same number. It rang four or five times, as if determined to get through.
Given the late hour, it probably wasn't a spam or sales call.
When the phone rang again, Chu Lulin hesitated for a moment, then answered.
He walked toward the door, keeping his voice as low as possible. "Hello."
The other end paused, but remained silent for a long time.
Chu Lulin frowned slightly. "Who is this?"
If they didn't speak, he would hang up.
Finally, a cold male voice came through. "I'm looking for Jian Ran."
Hearing that voice, Chu Lulin's figure stiffened slightly. He glanced at the phone screen again to confirm.
Indeed, it was still that unmarked number.
He seemed to understand something. His gaze swept over the figure on the bed, and a dark undercurrent flickered in his eyes.
With an ambiguous smile on his lips, Chu Lulin leaned down to Jian Ran's ear and called out in a low, intimate voice, "Sister, phone."
Jian Ran was sleeping soundly. Thinking Chu Lulin wanted her to drink water again, she grumbled discontentedly, "Don't want it..."
Then she turned over and continued sleeping.
Satisfied, Chu Lulin withdrew the phone and asked with polite but considerate tone, "Sorry, she's too tired. Is there something I can convey tomorrow?"
The other end fell silent again, not responding for a long time.
Chu Lulin seemed in no rush and waited patiently.
"Who are you?" the man finally asked, his breathing noticeably quicker. "Jian Ran's cousin?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Chu Lulin's mouth, his gaze sharp. "You mean Siyan? No."
Not a cousin, not a younger brother.
"I'm... her boyfriend."
With this almost declarative tone, even a slow person would catch his intent.
They held a stalemate through the phone for about a minute.
Finally, the other side seemed to concede and hung up first.
Hearing the disconnection tone, Chu Lulin slowly let his smile fade, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.