Only then did she lie down.
A few minutes later, the room fell completely silent, leaving only the sound of the rain and the rattling of the window. Their busy day was over, and they both savored this rare moment of peace. Occasionally, one would hear the other shift, after which their breathing would once again grow tranquil.
Chen Yuan slowly closed his eyes, trying to will himself to sleep.
...
"Are you asleep?"
"Not yet... What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to call out to you. Wait for me to fall asleep before you do, otherwise I’ll be scared."
"Okay. Don’t be too scared. Remember that time we were on a voice call? It was raining that day, too, and you slowly drifted off to sleep."
"Oh, was that it... Heh heh."
Jiangg Yao gave a dry laugh. It didn’t seem to stir any particularly warm memories for her.
’Obviously!’
During that thunderstorm, she’d been pulling an all-nighter playing games with a few friends, completely wired. The one who made that call was Jiangg Ning.
’Who knows what you two talked about?’
’So shameless.’
’It makes me mad just thinking about it!’
...
「Ten minutes later.」
Jiangg Yao tossed and turned again. She’d felt pretty sleepy before, but now she wasn’t the least bit tired.
She had gotten into bed only to become wide awake. Who could she even complain to about that?
She let out a soft, forlorn sigh, hoping to catch Chen Yuan’s attention. The trick worked. After her sigh, Chen Yuan asked, "Still can’t sleep?"
In the darkness of the room, she could vaguely make out her fingers if she held up her hand; only by staring intently for a moment could she see them clearly. The quiet bedroom was filled with a pleasant, warm atmosphere. Perhaps because of the profound silence, Chen Yuan also spoke very carefully.
It was a soft, slightly magnetic voice. Just hearing it once was enough to make one fantasize about the face of the boy who possessed such a voice, and girls were naturally imaginative creatures.
Jiangg Yao suddenly felt ripples disturb the calm of her heart. She pressed her lips together, hugging her pillow a little tighter.
’So nice...’
Back when they talked on the phone, she couldn’t help but praise it in her mind over and over again.
Hearing it this close, it was even clearer and crisper than over the phone.
Men and women think and are wired differently, so their approach to emotional judgment is also worlds apart. A boy might determine if he loves someone through the slow accumulation of time spent together and shared memories. A girl, on the other hand, often decides in a single moment. Perhaps one instant is all it takes for her to make her choice. It might sound incredible, but that’s the reality.
She could hardly believe it herself, but her affection for Chen Yuan had skyrocketed at the very moment she’d bumped into him at the restaurant entrance when they were meeting up.
She had looked up, and he had happened to be looking down at her.
It was that exact moment.
Her flurry of thoughts came to an end. A few seconds had passed in reality.
Jiangg Yao asked in a small voice, "How did I fall asleep that day, again? What happened?"
Her question was dripping with jealousy, but Chen Yuan didn’t pick up on it at all. Instead, he responded naturally, "Didn’t you say you wanted to hear a story? So I just told a random one, and as I was talking, you fell asleep."
Hearing this, Jiangg Yao instantly felt a pang of jealousy.
’Oh, really? He even told her a story... How childish is that? My sister is a grown woman, why is she acting like a little kid?’
’I’m speechless!’
"If you can’t sleep, I can tell you a different one now." Chen Yuan seemed to have turned toward her; she could hear the rustling of his blanket.
"I don’t want to hear it. Let’s just sleep."
A sudden wave of emotion washed over Jiangg Yao. She rolled her eyes, turned her back to him, and said nothing more.
...
There was no clock hanging on the bedroom wall, so there was no sound of hands TICK-TOCKING across a dial. Jiangg Yao lay quietly for who knows how long. Eventually, she sensed that Chen Yuan had fallen asleep, as she could hear his rhythmic breathing...
She turned her body slightly, trying her best not to make a sound, and snuck a peek at him.
’Seriously?’
Chen Yuan’s eyes were closed. He seemed to be fast asleep, his face tranquil and peaceful.
Jiangg Yao suppressed the last bit of her resentment and pouted. Lying at the edge of her mattress, she silently stared at his sleeping face. From this angle, Chen Yuan was actually quite handsome. His blanket was tucked in at his sides, his head tilted slightly with his chin resting toward the opposite shoulder, revealing a soft jawline. Just looking at his face, the innocent aura of an eighteen-year-old boy was practically overflowing.
As she watched him, her anger dissipated.
Such are the benefits of being handsome.
Jiangg Yao felt a strong urge to reach out and stroke his face. On a quiet night like this, it felt like not doing *something* would be a disservice to the atmosphere. Yet, the moment her hand extended, she quickly pulled it back.
She was afraid of waking Chen Yuan.
Jiangg Yao closed her eyes, trying to suppress the wild thoughts racing through her mind. Her chest rose and fell, her long legs twisting into knots under the blanket. In despair, she threw her head back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
’Just sleep...’
She told herself.
A few minutes later, it seemed she could no longer control her legs. She was just staring blankly, but her pale foot peeked out from the edge of the light gray, floral-trimmed mattress. A gap appeared where the blanket met the soft bedding, then closed again just as quickly, revealing a fleeting glimpse of fair skin.
Her foot stretched out unconsciously. Before long, half of her calf had left the mattress and was lowering toward the floor.
Meanwhile, Jiangg Yao’s body slowly began to list to one side.
She probed bit by bit, as if searching for a landing spot, until her shockingly fair, long leg was fully extended.
The sole of her foot was a tender pink, her toenails neatly trimmed. Her arch was taut from the stretch, and her leg—impeccably shaped and straight—was flawless.
She finally touched Chen Yuan’s mattress. Then, her second leg followed.