Song Qiuyu gradually drifted into sleep, but tonight’s dream was a few degrees more scorching than any she’d had before.
In her dream, she saw Jiang Xiao quietly slip into her bed, lying down behind her as she slept, his long, slender fingers gently caressing her waist.
“Mm…”
Her pajamas creased, and a moist, slick, and warm sensation spread at her earlobe, making her blush and not daring to open her eyes.
The scent of pine drifted down to her chest, making the cream-colored chest binder peek out.
The girl’s bashful demeanor was revealed without reserve; there was no trace of a boy about her—only a figure one longed to tease and hold close.
It was a dream within a dream, and after much struggle amidst those ambiguous whispers, she managed to open her eyes, thinking herself awake. Instinctively, she prayed to break away from Jiang Xiao, so that both of them could truly find happiness.
Right then, a Goddess appeared out of nowhere,
granting her wish by splitting her and Shen Xi into two separate people.
So, just as she wished, Jiang Xiao began pursuing Shen Xi, and the two of them quickly ended up together.
However, the realization of this wish came with a side effect: whenever Shen Xi and Jiang Xiao grew close, she could feel everything Shen Xi felt, and could even hear Jiang Xiao’s passionate voice. While the couple enjoyed each other’s intimacy, she curled up alone in bed, not daring to move a muscle. Her pounding heart and the damp bedsheet spoke volumes of her pitiful state.
Exhausted, she closed her eyes. In her daze, Jiang Xiao’s husky voice sounded right at her ear, making it burn hot.
[Xi)….]
She turned her head and met his gaze. She saw the possessiveness in his eyes, the urgent desire to “devour” her, and her own eyes, wet and filled with longing for affection.
Still dazed, her chest binder was pushed upward, and her delicate earlobe was bitten from behind by him.
[You’re really lewd.] “No, stop!”
Song Qiuyu jerked awake, struggling to open her eyes as if surfacing from drowning.
She stared at the ceiling, breathless and wide-eyed, tears glistening.
The dream within a dream left her head foggy, as if her brain had been gnawed halfway by Zombies. The fragmented scenes weighed down her mood and made her chest feel stifled.
That lonely and desolate sorrow from the dream tangled with the shameful heat of being bullied, pulling her thoughts in all directions.
She forced herself to calm down, but her pounding heart and burning body only made her hide deeper under the covers.
This was too much. How could she dream about such things again?
She could only hope Jiang Xiao was already asleep—she had to get up right away and wash…
Just then, there was a knock—two firm raps at the door. Naturally, it could only be Jiang Xiao.
“Song Qiuyu, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?”
Jiang Xiao’s voice was thick with worry.
In that moment, Song Qiuyu jolted, and that small part of her body grew even hotter.
“I’m fine…”
She pulled the covers over her head, not daring to face him, her voice muffled. “…Can you turn on the light for a bit? Let me see?”
Jiang Xiao stopped knocking, his voice growing more anxious.
“Uh…”
Song Qiuyu hesitated, slowly peeking out a pair
of downcast eyes from under the covers. She couldn’t help but feel moved. If she didn’t open the door, the person outside might worry all night.
She herself would be bothered by this and sleep even worse.
There was an exam tomorrow morning. If she didn’t rest well, she might mess it up.
So, gathering her courage, she threw off the covers, slipped on her slippers, and walked to the door.
Creak.
“It’s nothing serious.”
She lied.
“I just dreamed of being chased and bitten by a bunch of Zombies, that’s all.”
Looking straight at Jiang Xiao, Song Qiuyu forced a calm face as she fibbed, but then she averted her eyes, putting on a proud and aloof front.
“And in the dream, I didn’t help you?”
Jiang Xiao stared at her tear-streaked, flushed face, hesitated a moment, then asked softly.
“What?”
Song Qiuyu frowned, not immediately getting what he meant.
“I couldn’t just stand by and watch you get chased and bitten by Zombies.”
Jiang Xiao’s gaze was resolute.
“Wait, the point is—why are you even in my dream?”
Song Qiuyu found it odd.
Though Jiang Xiao really was there.
“So I wasn’t there after all?”
Jiang Xiao paused, looking puzzled.
“Alright, I know you’re worried about me, but I’m really fine. It’s late—go back to sleep,” Song Qiuyu said, gripping the doorknob, ready to close the door.
“Wait.”
Jiang Xiao stopped her, handing her a Strawberry-flavored Da Bai Tu Milk Candy that he’d been holding in his palm.
“This is for you.” “Huh?”
Song Qiuyu was a little surprised, recalling that Jiang Xiao had bought quite a few milk candies before, but he always gave her Orange-flavored ones.
Were the Orange-flavored ones finished?
“It’s the middle of the night—who even eats candy now?”
She said this, but her hand had already reached out
to take the candy.
“Seeing you like this, you probably can’t sleep for a while anyway. So eat the candy I gave you. If you fall asleep, and happen to dream of those Zombies again…”
Jiang Xiao tilted his head and smiled softly, his eyes gentle. “Maybe this time you’ll dream of me coming to help you.”
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu suddenly felt flustered. She wondered where this guy even learned to be so smooth.
“Not bad, you’re pretty good at flirting. But doesn’t flirting with me mean there’s something wrong with your brain?”
While she spoke, she pinched her little pink fist and gave Jiang Xiao’s chest a shy, frustrated punch.
Creak—the door shut. Without looking back at Jiang Xiao’s reaction, she leaned against the door.
Opening her palm, she looked down, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily. Pinching the candy between her fingers, she lifted it above her head and spun it around.
She really wanted to kick him out—he was just too clingy.
On the other side, Jiang Xiao returned to his room, sat on the bed, and rubbed the spot on his chest where Song Qiuyu had punched him.
It tickled a bit.
He flopped onto the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. He couldn’t take it—he already couldn’t sleep because of the faint fragrance from her shower.
After that punch, he was even less likely to fall asleep.
Recalling Song Qiuyu’s face when she opened the door—blushing, teary-eyed, and so pitiable—his heart couldn’t help but race.
The one chasing and biting her… was it really just Zombies?
Song Qiuyu, of course, would never answer Jiang Xiao’s unspoken questions.
She unwrapped the candy, popped the Strawberry-flavored Da Bai Tu Milk Candy in her mouth, and picked up Jiang Xiao’s phone.
She preferred Orange-flavored, but she didn’t dislike the other flavors.
Unlocking Jiang Xiao’s phone, she dove straight into the QQ section, planning to take advantage of her sleeplessness to browse through three years’ worth of chat history.
As for the matter with her pants, she’d have to wait until Jiang Xiao was probably asleep before going out to wash them.
But her gaze was immediately drawn to another chat avatar.
It was her QQ avatar. The latest chat was between her and Jiang Xiao, but the contact name was Little Fallen Leaf.
Song Qiuyu’s eyes widened slightly, falling into silence.