After watching the video, she instinctively glanced behind her.
The beautiful apricot-shaped eyes were filled with disbelief and fear.
Gradually, the towering figure behind her was reflected in them.
At the same time, Jiang Xiao picked up the orange sack and, in a swift motion, slipped it over Song Qiuyu’s entire body.
This orange sack was neither a prop from the Drama Club nor something purchased online.
It was a prop Song Qiuyu herself had picked up at a scenic spot during the National Day Holiday.
At that time, she would never have imagined that the prop she brought back would end up being pulled over her own head.
“Heh, my kingdom has finally returned, hahahaha—!” Xie Zhuran raised his chin, stroked his jaw with his hand, and let out the twisted, maniacal laugh of a villain.
“Cut. That’s a wrap on filming.”
The video editing went very smoothly.
For the first time, they finished an entire episode in a single day.
Once the video was uploaded, night had already deepened.
Accompanied by the occasional cough from the sick person, everyone climbed into their respective beds.
As usual, Song Qiuyu held her phone, opened QQ, and switched accounts.
No unread messages.
She was utterly speechless. Jiang Xiao was this sick, yet he still remembered to send Shen Xi messages every day, on time.
Only now, unlike the messages before where he’d mention being sick, he was only reporting the good news, hiding the bad.
This kid had learned to keep things to himself, no longer telling Shen Xi about his illness.
At least that was how Jiang Xiao’s messages were yesterday.
What about today?
She opened Jiang Xiao’s chat window.
［Jiang Xiao］: Xi’er, the weather is getting colder. It’d be nice if it snowed at Nanxi this year.
So short…
But Song Qiuyu instantly understood, feeling a pang of sympathy as she glanced at the person on the bed next to her and sighed softly.
They had been busy all day again, and Jiang Xiao was still sick, so he probably didn’t have the energy to type more.
She hoped he would get better soon.
She prayed silently, keeping in mind that he wanted to see snow this year, then moved her finger toward the account switch button.
There were plenty of messages she couldn’t reply to, but watching this year’s first snow with Jiang Xiao was something she could do.
She also hoped to see snow at Nanxi this year.
Before switching accounts—
The person on the bed next to her suddenly coughed a few times, the bed shaking lightly as Jiang Xiao sat up.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu reflexively switched accounts quickly, then hurried over, leaning closer to the adjacent bed and lowering her voice.
“Jiang Xiao, do you want some hot water?”
Jiang Xiao was silent for a moment, then just gave a soft “Hmm.”
“You just sit tight. I’ll get some water for you. Sick people should act like sick people!” Song Qiuyu slipped her phone into the pocket of her pajamas, lifted the bed curtain, and climbed down the stairs.
Listening to her careful footsteps getting water for him, Jiang Xiao’s heart involuntarily sped up.
He couldn’t help coughing again, then quietly lifted the bed curtain and lowered his head to observe the silhouette beneath.
The dormitory was dimly lit, but the figure standing by the water dispenser was clearly outlined in his sight.
Yesterday and today, these past two days, the image of her meticulous care appeared before his eyes.
Though he knew she was just acting out of friendship—because of her giving personality—he couldn’t help but wonder if there was another reason behind her attentiveness.
Like… maybe she felt the same way about him from the start, and he had misunderstood.
After all, Song Qiuyu’s giving personality seemed to show only toward him.
That unknowingly gave him the illusion that he was special to her.
But how special? Was it love? Neither of them had that ‘hardware,’ after all.
Realizing this improper fantasy was trying to swell inside him, he decisively dropped the bed curtain, afraid to look further.
His emotions surged, triggering another bout of coughing. His throat burned painfully, and his head spun.
This must be his punishment.
“Jiang Xiao, the hot water’s here!”
Song Qiuyu carried the hot water and walked over to Jiang Xiao’s bed.
She tiptoed, lifted the other’s bed curtain with one small hand, and quietly handed over the thermos with its cap tightly screwed on.
Jiang Xiao clenched his fists, turned his head away, and coldly accepted the insulated cup.
His fingers accidentally brushed against her soft, smooth skin, making him curl up slightly.
His body temperature was still high, but her hand was somewhat cool. The brief contact made him feel comfortable for a moment.
Only, after the comfort passed and they separated, an even more unbearable heat flared up inside him.
Was he craving Song Qiuyu’s warmth?
“Why are you still standing there? Drink up. Afterward, I’ll put the cup on your desk.”
Song Qiuyu blinked in surprise. “Putting the cup on the bed is too risky. You wouldn’t want to accidentally wet your sheets and have nowhere to sleep, right?”
“Okay.”
Jiang Xiao swallowed nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he unscrewed the thermos lid and tilted his head back to take sip after sip.
The water Song Qiuyu brought was always just right—not too cold, not too hot.
Still, each sip felt like swallowing razor blades—painful, yet he had to endure and keep drinking.
Despite the pain, deep inside his heart there was a warmth he couldn’t ignore, making him want to secretly enjoy it.
Song Qiuyu seemed lost in thought, never looking away, staring straight at him.
Under her burning gaze, Jiang Xiao felt pressure mounting, his breathing growing more difficult.
He originally planned to take only a few sips but unconsciously drank over half the cup.
His heart raced wildly; each beat pushed him closer to the abyss, but he struggled to pull himself back with reason.
He was the one who was wrong. Even if Song Qiuyu now seemed like a cruel succubus deliberately messing with his feelings, he wouldn’t blame her.
He sighed faintly, both helpless and speechless, and weakly twisted the thermos cap.
“Get some rest.”
Taking the thermos Jiang Xiao handed over, Song Qiuyu smiled with eyes slightly narrowed.
After speaking, she lowered the bed curtain, put the thermos back on his desk, and stretched.
Jiang Xiao thought she would return to her bed, but soon realized she didn’t climb the stairs.
Instead, she pulled out the chair by her own desk and sat down.
“?”
Jiang Xiao was puzzled.
He lazily lifted the bed curtain again.
Song Qiuyu was sitting there, taking out her earphones and putting them in both ears, her eyes lowered, staring at her phone.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiao froze briefly, then reacted and took out his own phone.
He found Song Qiuyu’s account on Douyin.
Sure enough, the video they posted that afternoon had passed review.
Jiang Xiao instinctively wanted to open it, but then remembered his earphones were still on his desk, and frowned.
“Ding!” Song Qiuyu’s phone received a new QQ message.
It was from Jiang Xiao.
［Jiang Xiao］: Song Qiuyu, can you grab the earphones from my desk?
“Huh?”
Song Qiuyu paused.
She looked toward Jiang Xiao, then without hesitation stood up, walked over, and picked up the earphones.
She raised them high.
“Thanks.”
Jiang Xiao took the earphones but avoided looking directly at her face.
“Feeling too uncomfortable to sleep?”
Song Qiuyu’s voice lowered, filled with concern.
“A little.”
Jiang Xiao masked his nervousness behind a colder expression.
“Alright, I can’t sleep right now either. If you want more water, just call me.”
Song Qiuyu didn’t overthink it, assuming he was just too uncomfortable to talk much or socialize.
When she was sick, she was like that too—conserving energy wherever possible.
She didn’t want to say more than necessary.
“Mm.”
Jiang Xiao gripped the earphones tightly, extinguishing the wild fantasies rising in his heart, convincing himself that she couldn’t sleep simply because she cared too much about his illness.
The bed curtain was lowered again.
Song Qiuyu returned to her seat and sat down, opening the already approved short video.
She wasn’t used to reviewing her own videos, but seeing Jiang Xiao so unwell made her feel blocked inside.
Unable to sleep, she decided to pass the time by watching the video.
Then she opened the video’s comment section.
The comments, as she expected, showed that most night owls were amused, and some viewers had noticed their next episode was the Tender Catgirl business-order short video, expressing anticipation.
This was a success.
Normally, when viewers see an author advertising through business orders, many skip directly to the main story.
But the audience here was looking forward to it.
Song Qiuyu’s eyes shone with hope.
If they could successfully land the Tender Catgirl order—
The rent money would almost be covered!
Though the semester was almost over, and once finals ended, the winter break would start, making it impossible to stay in a rented place.
She planned to go home to check in.
Even if she’d be alone for most of the winter break—uncertain if her working mother would come back.
Besides, the winter break was long enough for her to do many things.
Like sending materials to Jiang Xiao, and if lucky, even getting a third business order…
But December and January meant two more waves of girls’ periods, and she was tired of sneaking up at night to wash underwear.
Once she had enough money, she’d immediately apply to the Class Counselor to move out.
As for the reason—
She really needed to think it through carefully, so no one would think it was due to dorm conflicts.
Their short video career was just beginning and couldn’t be hampered by such rumors.
She pondered a suitable excuse while continuing to watch the video.
But the good mood didn’t last.
At the kidnapping scene near the end, when Jiang Xiao suddenly threw the orange sack over her entire body, the comments flooded with six characters all over the screen:
“Then they had a great time!”
“…….”
Night deepened.
Back in bed, Song Qiuyu had a strange dream.
She dreamed she was really kidnapped by Jiang Xiao in a sack and even had her pants pulled down.
Despite her desperate pleas, Jiang Xiao, having realized her gender, ignored her completely and fiercely turned her into a cream puff.
［Song Qiuyu, become mine!］
Awakening from the dream, Song Qiuyu’s pajama back was soaked with cold sweat.
She gasped for air a few times.
Her delicate, well-behaved face was flushed alluringly, with glistening, fine sweat trickling down her cheeks.
Her whole body was drenched.
Not just a small patch like a drop of ink on white paper—she couldn’t ignore it.
Completely soaked…
She closed her eyes in shame and covered most of her face with the blanket, unwilling to face the reality of being overly treated in her dream.
Before she could recover—
From the bed next to her came faint sounds of someone getting up.
And the soft rustling of bedding being hurriedly gathered…
Jiang Xiao was up again during the night?