Chapter 13: Throwing Herself Into His Arms

The moment Xie Youci spoke, Chi Yang’s entire back went rigid.

Her fingers curled nervously into the blanket, slowly wrinkling the corner she’d grabbed hold of. Hidden beneath the covers, even her face had gone burning hot from his question.

Help…

Don’t call her. Please don’t call her.

Just assume she’d already fallen asleep.

Sharing a bed with him was awkward enough to make her want to die.

Fortunately, Xie Youci only called her name once.

When she didn’t respond, he turned onto his back again, pulled the blanket over himself, and closed his eyes as though settling down to sleep.

Only then did Chi Yang finally let out a silent sigh of relief.

Her whole body relaxed at once. The hand gripping the blanket gradually loosened.

Perhaps because her guard was finally down.

Her breathing softened and evened out. The tension slowly melted away, drowsiness wrapping around her consciousness. Before long, she sank deeper into the soft mattress and drifted into a sweet sleep.

What she didn’t know was—

Xie Youci had already figured out she hadn’t been asleep.

The moment he lay back down and pretended to sleep, he felt the tension beside him ease.

Lifting his eyelids slightly, he glanced across the bed in the moonlight.

As expected.

The hand that had been clutching the blanket relaxed, and the relieved look on Chi Yang’s face made it obvious she had only been pretending.

Was she really that nervous?

It was just sharing a bed.

When she’d gotten drunk and forcibly kissed him before, she hadn’t seemed nervous at all.

Xie Youci slowly lowered his gaze again.

Closing his eyes, he wrapped himself in the blanket and prepared to turn over and sleep.

But just as he rolled onto his side, he suddenly heard rustling behind him.

Xie Youci: ?

Sensing movement at his back, he started to turn around—

Only to be beaten to it by the already-sleeping Chi Yang.

Wrapped up in her blanket, she shuffled across the sheets.

Closer.

And closer.

Then something soft and warm suddenly pressed against his back.

At that instant, Xie Youci felt his breathing stop.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected the woman sharing his blanket to voluntarily snuggle up to him.

His brain completely crashed.

“Chi Yang?”

His voice came out impossibly tight.

His back stiffened.

Though he’d never been in a relationship before, that soft, unmistakable touch was enough to make him realize certain things.

He didn’t dare move.

Not even a little.

He was terrified that one careless motion might cross a line.

At the same time, a strange current shot down his spine and spread through his entire body, leaving him numb and unable to think.

“Chi Yang? Are you asleep?”

His voice had turned low and hoarse as he cautiously called her name again.

The only response was Chi Yang pressing even closer, accompanied by a sleepy little murmur.

“Mmm…”

She really was asleep.

The tension from earlier had drained too much of her energy. Once she let her guard down, she’d surrendered completely to sleep.

Unfortunately…

No one had ever told Xie Youci that Chi Yang was an absolute menace in her sleep.

She had a habit of cuddling things and burrowing into blankets.

Wherever she felt safe, she’d unconsciously move toward it.

And sure enough—

The next second, one of her arms draped itself around his waist.

Xie Youci: “…”

A little despairingly, he stared up at the ceiling.

Then he felt her fingers wander lightly across his side before finally coming to rest right over his abs.

Xie Youci: “…”

He held his breath.

After a long moment of silence, he carefully reached back, caught her wrist, and gently moved her arm away before scooting farther from her.

The sleeping Chi Yang noticed nothing.

She obediently continued whatever pleasant dream she was having.

Seeing her finally lying still, Xie Youci quietly breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted his position.

Unfortunately.

He hadn’t relaxed for more than a few seconds before the sweet scent of her body wash drifted into his nose.

Chi Yang was moving again.

Like an affectionate kitten, she rubbed against the sheets as she approached.

Before he could react—

She dove straight into his arms.

Xie Youci: “…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed sharply.

Even his lower abdomen tightened involuntarily.

With utter resignation, Xie Youci closed his eyes.

“Chi Yang.”

His voice was rough with restraint.

“Wake up.”

But she was sleeping far too soundly.

Perhaps she was simply seeking warmth.

Or perhaps his body heat, his scent, made her feel safe.

Either way, she nuzzled around with her soft hair until she found a comfortable spot and settled her cheek against his chest.

Xie Youci was on the verge of losing his mind.

The first time, she’d sweet-talked him all the way into the bathroom.

The second time, she’d pinned him to a sofa and stolen a kiss.

And now, for the third time, she’d thrown herself into his arms beneath the covers.

No man could endure this forever.

Her fragrance lingered in the air.

Warmth and temptation quietly filled the darkness.

The subtle intimacy of it all wrapped around Xie Youci’s heart, leaving him helplessly captivated.

The night was too quiet.

There was nothing else to distract him.

All he could think about was how enticing she smelled.

How soft she was.

How different this vulnerable, sweet version of her was from the sharp-tongued, fierce girl he saw every day.

His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.

His throat kept tightening.

He wanted to retreat farther away before the last of his self-control finally collapsed.

Then a sleepy murmur suddenly reached his ears.

“Mom…”

Xie Youci froze.

Looking down at the girl nestled in his arms, he saw the moonlight spilling softly across her sleeping face.

She looked peaceful.

Gentle.

Her long lashes cast delicate shadows against her cheeks.

“Don’t go…”

Her lips moved slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Xie Youci stopped moving altogether.

His jaw tightened.

And he abandoned the idea of pulling away.

Wasn’t this basically proof she liked him?

She was practically mistaking him for her mother in her sleep.

That had to mean she liked him to death, right?

With that thought, Xie Youci let out a defeated sigh.

Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her fully into his embrace.

His chin rested atop her head as he gently rubbed her hair.

“Forget it. Just sleep.”

What else could he do?

She liked him so much, after all.

Staring helplessly at the ceiling, Xie Youci’s jaw remained tightly clenched.

All his usual arrogance and untouchable confidence had completely surrendered tonight.

Damn it.

She’d hooked him again.

…

The next morning.

Chi Yang woke up because she was too hot.

Frowning, she shoved away the source of the heat and slowly opened her sleepy eyes.

The moment she did—

She met a pair of dark, narrow eyes.

Eyes shadowed by obvious lack of sleep.

Eyes carrying unmistakable resentment.

Chi Yang became fully awake in an instant.

She practically sprang backward like a startled frog.

“Xie Youci!”

Her eyes widened as she frantically looked around.

Then she wrapped herself tighter in the blanket and retreated even farther.

“What happened to the boundary line? Why are you sleeping on my side?!”

Xie Youci slowly lifted his eyelids to look at her.

A faint, unreadable laugh escaped him.

“Why am I sleeping on your side?”

He paused.

Then smiled.

“Mrs. Xie, why don’t you turn around first and take a look before I ask you something?”

His gaze lingered on her.

“Why are you sleeping on my side?”

Chi Yang blinked.

Confused, she turned her head to look.

The scene she’d imagined—Xie Youci crowding her to the edge of the bed—never appeared.

Instead—

A huge stretch of empty mattress greeted her eyes.

A terrible feeling suddenly rose in her chest.

She looked over her shoulder.

Then discovered that the three-seven boundary line she’d carefully drawn the night before was practically underneath her body now.

And the side she’d spent the entire night sleeping on…

Was Xie Youci’s side of the bed.