The alarm clock on her bedside table blared again and again before Lin Ci reluctantly woke from a “terrible dream.” The nightgown and underwear that Shen Xiyan had just helped her take off?
Now perfectly back on her body.
The AC must’ve been set too low last night—her head felt fuzzy.
When she opened her eyes, the world was bright and clear.
Sunshine filtered through a soft morning haze, spilling gently over her, bringing with it a lazy, indulgent warmth.
But Lin Ci was still sleepy. She got up, drew the curtains shut, and dove back under the covers, hoping to pick up where that shamefully vivid dream had left off…
No luck. She couldn’t sleep.
Eyes wide open, her mind was already running wild.
She’d been acting weird these past couple of days. Ever since Qin Sheng and Shen Xiyan kissed, her head had been somewhere else. Sleep was elusive. Her heart, restless.
She used to blame this kind of emotional turbulence on her period—just ride it out and it’d pass. But this time was different. This time, she knew deep down she couldn’t ride it out.
Because one person had taken up permanent residence in her heart.
His name was Shen Xiyan.
In class, she wasn’t as focused as she used to be.
She kept glancing at the clock, willing it to tick faster—just so she could sneak out the back under the pretense of going to the restroom and catch a glimpse of him.
After school, she’d space out, wondering how to get closer to him. How to make him look away from Qin Sheng—just once—and look at her instead.
Back home, not seeing him made her feel anxious. But knowing that Qin Sheng was living under the same roof as him?
That was full-on panic. She’d lie in bed imagining what they might be doing… together.
Once upon a time, the “hair-drying rendezvous” had been their little private moment. But after Qin Sheng moved in next door, even that was gone.
All it took was one Qin Sheng, and somehow Lin Ci had lost all the comfort and security she’d clung to for years.
Every time she saw Qin Sheng and Shen Xiyan together, it felt like a piece of her heart went missing.
Come to think of it…
She and Shen Xiyan had known each other for ten whole years.
Back then, the house next door had been home to an old man. His kids weren’t around, and it wasn’t until he’d been dead for a full week that anyone even noticed.
By the time the police moved the body out, it had already started to rot.
Her parents complained for weeks about the bad luck.
The place stayed empty for over a month—until her aunt moved in with Shen Xiyan and Wenwen.
Lin Ci had been stunned. How could anyone be that pretty?
Her aunt looked like a goddess, and even little Lin Ci thought so.
Shen Xiyan and Shen Wenwen, on the other hand, were quiet and underdressed.
When their families first exchanged greetings, even Lin Ci had managed to squeak out a timid “Hi”—but they hadn’t said a single word back.
Rude! she’d grumbled.
Later, she found out their parents had just passed away. No relatives had stepped up.
Her aunt, still a college student at the time, had taken responsibility for the siblings and moved them into the cheapest place she could find—even if it had a dark history. All for the low rent.
Lin Ci had felt so sorry for them.
Years passed. Even now, her mother occasionally cooked extra and had her bring it over.
At first, Shen Xiyan could barely whisper a thank you. They only got close in elementary school—placed in the same class for convenience, since they were neighbors.
That was probably when it started: Shen Xiyan, quietly looking out for her.
When mischievous boys pulled her or Wenwen’s hair, he got into fights over it.
When jealous girls whispered behind their backs, he stood up for them.
When she scraped her knee or took a tumble, he’d anxiously rush to find a teacher.
He couldn’t afford gifts, but he always remembered her birthday. He saved up for ages to take her out for the cake she’d always wanted but was never allowed—because her parents worried about cavities.
And then… that year.
Their teacher had bought a giant stuffed animal to encourage them to study hard, promising it to whoever scored highest on the final exam.
Shen Xiyan came first.
And even though both she and Wenwen had been eyeing it, he gave it to her.
All these years later, it still sat against her wall. She couldn’t sleep without hugging it.
If it had been any other boy, maybe it wouldn’t have meant as much.
She’d had her fair share of admirers over the years. But she could always sense the intent in their eyes. Their kindness always came with strings attached—hoping to hug her, kiss her.
Only Shen Xiyan…
He never asked for anything. He barely made his presence known.
Until that day, when Qin Sheng told Wenwen, “Shen Xiyan is always half a step behind.”
Thinking back, it was true—he was always the one pulling her back at the crosswalk.
She’d taken it for granted all these years. But now she wondered: how many times had he stood behind her, quietly watching, before reaching out that one time?
He never did anything to gain something from her. It all came so naturally to him.
Because you’re good to me, I want to be better to you.
That, to Lin Ci, was why Shen Xiyan made her feel safe without her even realizing it. Why she’d always felt at ease around him—without knowing why.
Shen Xiyan’s kindness never came with a price. He was the kind of boy who gave people a deep sense of security. But with his humble background, maybe most girls never noticed.
Thinking that made Lin Ci light up with a mischievous little thrill.
She had found the hidden treasure.
Then, as quickly as the joy came, it was gone.
She should have been the first to know.
“So I really like him?”
The thought crashed into her head without warning.
Her heart stuttered, eyes flitting nervously. A warm blush crept up her cheeks, deeper and deeper. Her little head spun faster and faster, until her whole body felt flushed and restless.
She burrowed under the blankets, twisting and turning like a plump little worm.
But she didn’t get to flail around for long before reality struck—
Qin Sheng was still next door!
She had the advantage of proximity!
They had kissed!
Him!
And her aunt liked her more!
Buckets of cold water poured over Lin Ci’s head, dragging her right back to reality.
She could never be as shamelessly bold as Qin Sheng. Just thinking about it made her cringe…
Shen Xiyan said he didn’t like her, but Qin Sheng was already living in his house. Sure, there were “reasons,” but still—wasn’t this going a bit fast?
What do I do?
What do I do?!
Should she just be brave and confess before he fell for Qin Sheng?
But if he wasn’t moved by Qin Sheng literally throwing herself at him, how could she stand a chance?
Maybe she could fake it—turn a pretend relationship into a real one?
Qin Sheng hadn’t believed them before because it was too fake. But if it looked real… wouldn’t she have no choice but to believe it?
And knowing Shen Xiyan, he wasn’t the type to “just mess around.”
Stick to him. Stick to him! Grab him before Qin Sheng does—
“Ahhh! Lin Ci, what are you even thinking?!”
Lin Ci shrieked, burying her face in the blankets, flailing and thrashing like she’d completely lost her mind.
Just then, a knock sounded at her door.
“Sweetheart, aren’t you up yet?”
“Aah—coming!”
She rolled around for a bit longer, then finally started straightening up the bed, fluffing the pillows and fixing the sheets she’d kicked off in her frenzy.
When she opened the door, she saw her dad lounging on the couch watching TV. She called out toward the kitchen, “Mom! After breakfast I’m going next door—”
“What for?” her mom asked.
“There’s something I don’t understand. Gonna do homework together.”
“???” Her dad raised an eyebrow.
But her mom didn’t seem to notice anything odd.
“Alright. There are grapes in the fridge from yesterday—take a bowl over with you.”
“Mhm!”