Chapter 12: Sharing a Bed — So, Which One of Us Is Showering First?
Chi Yang was already starting to regret her decision.
Especially after stepping into Xie Youci’s bedroom and realizing there was only one bed.
One.
Single.
Bed.
“…”
Clutching the item her aunt-in-law had secretly slipped her earlier, Chi Yang suddenly felt a surge of irritation. Without another thought, she tossed it straight into the trash.
Xie Youci hadn’t even known about it until now.
His gaze lazily followed its arc through the air before settling on the contents of the trash can for two seconds. Then he looked back at her, expression complicated.
“Mrs. Xie.”
He paused.
“I really didn’t expect you to have those kinds of intentions toward me. You’ve even prepared the equipment in advance?”
The heat hadn’t yet faded from Chi Yang’s cheeks.
She whipped her head around and glared at him.
“In your dreams. Why would I prepare something like that? Your aunt was the one who gave it to me.”
“And you accepted it?”
“What was I supposed to do?” she shot back. “Grab a loudspeaker and announce to your entire family that we’re only putting on a show and haven’t actually consummated the marriage?”
Xie Youci stood casually with his hands in his pockets.
“So that’s why you agreed to stay here tonight when my mom suggested it?”
Chi Yang’s face instantly turned even redder.
She struggled for several seconds before finally blurting out a weak defense.
“Shouldn’t this be your fault anyway?”
“My fault for what?”
“How was I supposed to know your room only had one bed?”
“…And somehow that’s my fault?”
“I don’t care.”
Chi Yang bent down, grabbed a pillow, and tossed another one onto the floor.
“You’re sleeping down there.”
Xie Youci lowered his eyes toward the abandoned pillow, bent over, picked it up, and casually tossed it back onto the bed.
“Chi Er’er.”
His voice carried a note of amusement.
“You’re the one who voluntarily agreed to stay here. Giving you half the bed is already the biggest compromise I’m willing to make.”
Chi Yang hugged her pillow tightly, looking so aggrieved she was practically on the verge of tears.
Pouting, she mumbled, “I just couldn’t bear to say no to your mom. She’s so gentle and enthusiastic. If I’d refused, she would’ve been heartbroken.”
That wasn’t the answer Xie Youci had expected.
His wife apparently had a serious soft spot for mothers.
Pressing two fingers against the bridge of his nose, he sighed.
“There aren’t any spare blankets or mattresses in here. We can’t even make up a bed on the floor.”
And honestly…
The one thing he couldn’t handle was seeing Chi Yang with red-rimmed eyes.
After a long silence, he finally lifted his gaze and looked at her.
“Can you just make do for one night?” he coaxed softly.
Face burning, Chi Yang turned away without looking at him.
Xie Youci leaned lazily against the wall behind him.
“It’s not even the first time we’ve slept together.”
Chi Yang froze.
Then she spun around, eyes wide.
“That was an accident after drinking! An accident! How is that the same thing?”
“Then maybe you should have a drink tonight too.”
“…”
Speechless, Chi Yang hurled the pillow back onto the bed.
Then she climbed onto it, stretched herself across the mattress, and carefully drew an imaginary line roughly seventy percent of the way across.
“This side is mine. That side is yours. Nobody crosses the border.”
Xie Youci glanced at her masterpiece.
Seven parts for her.
Three parts for him.
Fortunately, the bed was large enough that his allotted territory wouldn’t leave him rolling onto the floor.
“Fine.”
He couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids.
Turning toward the walk-in closet, he grabbed a clean set of pajamas. Then something occurred to him, and he paused.
Looking back at her, he asked,
“You first or me first?”
Chi Yang answered without hesitation.
“Me.”
Between having to climb into bed while Xie Youci was already lying there after his shower and getting into bed first herself, she’d choose the latter every time.
At least that way she’d have the strategic advantage.
She hurried into the closet to find pajamas.
Thankfully, Su Jinyue truly respected her daughter-in-law. There weren’t rows of scandalously sexy nightgowns laid out specifically to encourage marital intimacy.
Well…
Not entirely.
Chi Yang did discover a black lace slip dress and several pieces of undeniably seductive lingerie hidden among the clothing.
But there were also plenty of conservative options.
In the end, she chose a long-sleeved pajama set with matching pants, along with underwear that wasn’t particularly sexy but was still delicate and pretty.
Meanwhile, Xie Youci sat in the single armchair nearby.
Long legs stretched out casually, he looked down at his phone.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Chi Yang dart toward the bathroom clutching her clothes against her chest like a nervous little mouse.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
Chi Yang took an extraordinarily long shower.
Whether it was because she genuinely had an elaborate skincare routine or because she was avoiding the inevitable reality of sharing a bed afterward, even she couldn’t say.
By the time she finally emerged, Xie Youci was nearly asleep.
Steam billowed out as the bathroom door opened.
Before he even looked up, the faint fragrance of her body wash drifted through the air and slipped into his senses.
Only then did Xie Youci raise his eyes.
Chi Yang had changed into silky pajamas in soft shades of cherry pink and white.
Her damp hair hung loose over her shoulders.
Barefoot, she stepped onto the plush wool carpet. Her pale toes curled slightly into it.
“Um… Xie Youci?”
She hesitated.
“Where’s the hair dryer?”
He blinked.
Then set his phone aside and rose to his feet.
Crossing the room, he entered the bathroom and opened the cabinet hidden behind the mirror above the sink.
Taking out the hair dryer, he handed it to her.
“Thanks.”
Chi Yang snatched it from him at lightning speed.
Then immediately retreated back into the bathroom.
The door shut in his face the second she’d gotten what she wanted.
“Ha.”
Xie Youci watched her retreating figure with amusement before heading off to gather his own clothes.
Not long afterward, Chi Yang finally emerged with dry hair.
She didn’t dare look at him.
Like a startled cat, she leapt onto the bed, yanked the blanket over herself, rolled onto her side, and presented him with her back before pretending to sleep.
Xie Youci ignored the performance and walked into the bathroom.
But Chi Yang clutched the blanket nervously.
She had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to handle what came next.
Ugh…
If only she’d been a little more stubborn and refused earlier.
Sure, she and Xie Youci were already married.
She had no plans to divorce him.
They were both adults.
Sooner or later, they would fulfill the duties expected of husband and wife.
The problem was—
She wasn’t ready yet.
Chi Yang squeezed her eyes shut in frustration and tried forcing herself to sleep.
If she could fall asleep before he came to bed, maybe it wouldn’t feel so awkward.
Unfortunately, the harder she tried, the more awake she became.
Then—
Click.
The bathroom door opened.
Every muscle in her body instantly tightened.
She gripped the blanket even harder, keeping her eyes closed as she continued pretending to be asleep.
A moment later, she felt the mattress dip.
The clean, woody scent of men’s body wash drifted beneath the covers, quietly surrounding her.
Chi Yang barely dared to breathe.
After climbing into bed, Xie Youci glanced at the small figure who had buried herself under the blanket, leaving only half her head exposed.
Then he reached over, turned off the light, and settled down beside her.
Her closed eyelashes trembled uncontrollably.
She thought that would be the end of it.
That all they needed to do was preserve this final bit of unspoken understanding—stay quiet, stay still, and peacefully survive the night.
But unexpectedly, Xie Youci turned his head toward her.
In the darkness, his voice sounded low and gentle.
“Asleep?”
