When the dumplings were brought out, the fresh fragrance of chives mixed with dried shrimp wrapped in hot steam immediately filled half the room.
Mom raised her hand and pushed the biggest plate right in front of Mu Yan.
“Eat while it’s hot, I specially added extra dried shrimp. Taste if it suits you?”
Mu Yan picked one up and bit half.
It was still the taste from childhood.
“How is it?” Mom’s eyes sparkled as she stared at her.
She nodded expressionlessly.
Beside her Mu Siyi slowly blew one cool, smiling as she picked up. “Mom, Jiejie’s nod is the highest praise, she doesn’t easily compliment people. Right Jiejie?”
“…Mm.”
Mom smiled until her eyes squinted into slits. “That’s good that’s good, eat more! There’s still plenty in the pot!”
Dad ate with hearty slurp slurp sounds, looking up in a spare moment to insert, “Girl, does that rental apartment of yours have air conditioning?”
“…No.”
“Then how do you endure it.” Dad frowned. “Jiangcheng summers like this, without AC you simply can’t sleep at night.”
“Used to it.”
He wanted to say more, but was blocked by a look from Mom.
Near the end of the meal, Mu Siyi put down her chopsticks, chin in hand smiling brightly at her. “Jiejie, nothing going on tonight?”
Mu Yan’s chopsticks paused.
Here it comes. Knew she couldn’t hold it in.
“…Nothing.”
“Then stay over.” Mu Siyi tilted her head. “Anyway going back is just being alone, and the rental apartment has no AC.”
“No need, I’ll go back.”
“Jiejie,” corners of her mouth curled, tone floating lightly, “you sure you want to go back? Hasn’t the downstairs of your place been renovating lately, so noisy you haven’t slept well for days, right?”
Mu Yan quietly looked at her.
Ghost renovation. Just opening her mouth and making it up.
Sure enough Mom immediately switched to cub-protecting mode.
“That won’t do! Mu Yan, stay here tonight! Siyi’s bed is big, you two squeeze a bit. Siyi you don’t mind, right?”
“Of course I don’t mind～” Mu Siyi stood up and circled to her side, reaching out to wrap her shoulder, fingertips lightly pinching once.
“Stay Jiejie, my bed is super soft.”
“…Really no need.”
“No trouble no trouble!” Mom had already turned to get plastic bags to pack leftover dumplings. “It’s decided. Siyi, take Jiejie to shower, I’ll find a set of pajamas.”
Mu Yan stood in place, feeling like a rabbit surrounded on three sides.
In front was Mom, beside was Dad, behind Mu Siyi’s arm still locked her shoulder.
A family of three, not a single one standing on her side.
“Let’s go Jiejie.” Mu Siyi pulled her wrist. “Shower first.”
After closing the door, Mu Siyi leaned against it and smiled.
“Stop struggling, Mom already spoke. Besides that rental apartment of yours really has no AC, what’s wrong with sleeping here one night, plus I keep you company.”
“…You made that up just now.”
“Of course I made it up.” She was perfectly justified. “But it worked. Look how happy Mom is.”
Mu Yan didn’t refute.
Refuting was useless anyway.
When the showerhead rushed with water, she still thought, finally a moment of quiet.
Result the door was knocked.
“Jiejie, pajamas are at the door. Pink, matching set with last time’s rabbit T-shirt, there are little rabbits on the pants too～”
Mu Yan’s hand rubbing her hair suddenly stopped.
“…Is there any without rabbits.”
“No. Wear it or not, if you don’t wear it just come out naked, I don’t mind.”
Footsteps tap tap tap faded away, still accompanied by a humming tune, sounding punchable.
After she finished showering and came out, she saw a set of pink pure cotton pajamas laid on the small stool—big rabbit on the top, a row of little rabbits holding hands on the pants.
Staring at that row of rabbits for five seconds, she resignedly put them on.
Entering the bedroom, Mu Siyi closed the door, leaning on the doorframe sizing her up.
That gaze, exactly like watching prey walk into the cage itself.
“Bed’s pretty big, you sleep inside or outside?”
“…Either.”
“Then inside.” Mu Siyi lifted the covers. “You get up first, I’ll play on my phone a bit.”
Mu Yan sat on the edge of the bed.
Said to be a single bed, sleeping one person was spacious, sleeping two… definitely cramped.
Five minutes later, the light went out.
Pink curtains filtered the streetlamp light, soaking the room in warm orange.
The mattress sank down, Mu Siyi flipped over, breath lightly sweeping Mu Yan’s nape, carrying a bit of lemon scent.
“Jiejie.” Voice pressed low, especially clear in the quiet.
“…Mm.”
“Your body is really so cold.” A hand that had stretched over at some point, fingertips brushing her lower back, Mu Siyi hissed, tone full of freshness.
“Like jelly just taken out of the fridge. Hugging in summer is way too comfortable, do you come with built-in AC?”
“Cold constitution.” Mu Yan stiffened a bit, subconsciously shifting forward a little.
Result an arm directly wrapped around, locking her waist from behind.
Mu Siyi pressed against her back, satisfiedly letting out a sigh.
“Don’t move, just hug for a while.”
Warm body temperature transmitted through the thin pajamas, like a warm fluffy bread pressed against a cold stone.
Mu Yan shifted forward again, the other party tightened even more.
“…Let go.” Her voice was flat.
“No.”
“Let go.”
“Not letting not letting just not letting.” Mu Siyi muffled a laugh and rubbed against her back. “And Jiejie, when you say let go it’s so cute. Like acting spoiled.”
This is an order.
“Not acting spoiled.”
“It is acting spoiled.” Fingers pinched her waist side, soft and cool, like pinching a tangyuan just taken from the fridge.
“Look at you so small one, whole body cool and silky, even being hugged you can’t break free… if this isn’t acting spoiled then what is it?”
Mu Yan took a deep breath—pure muscle memory, this body didn’t even have lungs—trying to add weight to her tone. “Mu Siyi, let go.”
“Wow, even calling full name, so scary～”
Not half a bit of fear in the tone, instead even a leg wrapped up, the whole person wrapping her dead tight from behind.
“Jiejie calling full name is even cuter.”
Mu Yan decided to shut up.
If she didn’t speak she wouldn’t be called cute, right.
But Mu Siyi’s hand started getting restless.
Fingertips slowly slid up along the waist side, drawing circles on her back through the pajamas.
One circle, two circles, three circles.
Slow enough she could clearly count the arcs.
“Jiejie’s skin is so smooth.”
Mu Siyi came close to her ear, hot breath sweeping the earlobe. “Smoother than mine. What do you usually apply?”
“…Don’t apply.”
“Don’t apply? Unfair, I apply body lotion every day and still not as smooth as you.”
Fingers went up, pausing when touching the nape. “Here is also cold. Is your whole body this temperature?”
Mu Yan completely froze.
In front was the wall, nowhere to retreat; wanting to raise a hand to push away, the wrist had just moved when it was grabbed in one hold.
Mu Siyi held both her wrists with one hand, lightly lifting them over her head and pressing on the pillow.
“Jiejie’s strength is so small.” Her voice carried a bit of laugh. “Look, I can hold both of yours with one hand. What will you do if someone bullies you later?”
The one bullying me right now is you.
“…Let go.”
“This sentence again. Change one? Like ‘please let me go’?”
Mu Yan was silent for a few seconds.
“…Please.”
Mu Siyi paused, then lay on her shoulder laughing out loud, shoulders shaking nonstop.
“You actually really said it! Jiejie is too obedient! How are you so easy to bully?”
Don’t force me to bite you.
“Angry?” Mu Siyi released her wrists, flipping the person over to face her.
Borrowing the light coming through the curtains, she stared at her face for two seconds, suddenly letting out an “eh.”
“Jiejie, your face is red.”
It really was.
The doll body had no expressions, but the blushing mechanism was installed quite completely.
The Grim Reaper had said something like “physiological reactions will present in other forms,” she hadn’t asked in detail then, now she understood.
So the expression module wasn’t installed, but the blushing module was installed just fine? This work is way too half-finished.
Mu Siyi seemed to have discovered a new continent, propped on her arm looking down at her, eyes shining bright.
Moonlight happened to fall on Mu Yan’s face, an expressionless face floating two faint patches of red, contrast maxed out.
“So red.” She reached out and poked Mu Yan’s cheek, fingertip sinking into the soft flesh, cool and silky. “Face this red yet still expressionless, so weird… but so cute. Like a kitten that puffed up but can’t meow.”
“…No.”
“…Even cuter.”
Mu Yan raised her hands to push her.
Two slender white hands pressed against her shoulders, putting in full force.
Mu Siyi didn’t budge an inch, looking down at the hands on her shoulders, that expression as if saying “are you serious.”
“Jiejie, are you pushing me, or giving me a massage?”
…Grim Reaper you come over here a bit.
Mu Yan gave up, withdrew her hands, flipped over and buried her face in the pillow.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“You sleep yours, I touch mine.” Mu Siyi pressed up again, arm wrapping her waist anew, fingers lightly poking her stomach. “Don’t disturb each other.”
How is this not disturbing each other. Your hand keeps moving. I’m not a stress-relief toy.
Fingertips lifted the pajama hem, directly pressing onto her ice-cold flat lower abdomen.
Mu Yan jumped as if electrocuted.
“You—”
“So cold!” Mu Siyi exclaimed as she pressed her whole palm on. “Here is even colder! Like the freezer compartment! Too comfortable Jiejie, from now on every summer night I have to hug you to sleep.”
“…Take your hand out.”
“No. Say it again?”
Mu Yan took a deep breath.
Her face flushed even more fiercely, spreading from cheeks to ear roots.
That expressionless little face paired with vivid red blush, contradictory enough to make one want to bully extra.
“…Please take your hand out.”
“Even added the word ‘please’! So good!”
Mu Siyi laughed even happier, palm lightly circling on her stomach. “How is this refusal, clearly inviting me to continue.”
You call everything an invitation huh. If I recited a phone number you’d hear it as love talk.
Mu Yan stopped talking, muffling in the pillow playing dead.
Fortunately after fooling around a while, that hand finally withdrew.
But withdrawing also didn’t go back to her own side, instead wrapping her waist tight again, tugging the person into her arms a bit, adjusting to a comfortable position.
Mu Yan’s back pressed against her front chest, clearly able to feel her breathing and heartbeat.
“Alright not teasing you anymore.” Mu Siyi buried her face in her hair tips, voice growing lazy.
“Sleep obediently. Tomorrow morning Mom will pan-fry dumplings, using tonight’s leftovers, even more fragrant than boiled.”
Mu Yan didn’t make a sound.
“Hear that? Fried dumplings. Don’t want to eat?”
“…Want.”
“Want to eat then be good, not allowed to run in the middle of the night. If you dare run…”
Mu Siyi paused, corners of her mouth curling up at the back of her head.
“I’ll tell Mom you like hugging people when sleeping at night, and talk in your sleep, the sleep talk content is ‘Siyi is the cutest.’ Guess whether Mom believes it.”
You saying this yourself don’t you laugh.
“…I don’t talk in my sleep.”
“Tomorrow you will have. If I say there is then there is, I’m the eyewitness.”
Mu Yan closed her eyes.
Forget it. Can’t escape.
And being hugged… isn’t that uncomfortable either.
No, it’s numbness. Yes, numbness. Definitely not because she’s warm and fluffy and comfortable.
“Good night Jiejie.” Mu Siyi said softly by her ear.
Soon, the breathing behind became even and long.
The person fell asleep, yet the arm hoop didn’t loosen a bit.
Mu Yan tried shifting half a centimeter toward the edge of the bed.
The arm instantly tightened, yanking her back, Mu Siyi mumbled something drowsily, sounding like “not allowed to run.”
Even asleep can lock people so precisely, this skill is maxed out huh.
After almost another hour, she tried again.
Movements light as a feather, finally managing to extract half an arm.
Mu Siyi suddenly pulled, directly pressing her whole person back into her arms, one leg coming up, half lying on her, treating her as a human-shaped body pillow.
“Said not allowed to run… run again I’ll tie you up.” Even sleep talk carried fierceness.
Mu Yan stopped moving.
Tie up. She wouldn’t really have rope, right? With her personality… entirely possible. Maybe really hidden in the drawer.
When the sky was faintly bright, birds started calling outside the window, the sizzle from the breakfast stall downstairs faintly drifting up.
Mu Yan opened her eyes looking at the moving light spots on the curtains, hadn’t slept the whole night—she originally didn’t need to sleep.
The person behind flipped over, hand stretching over, directly resting on her collarbone, fingertips pressing the depression.
“Jiejie, awake?”
Just-woken voice was hoarse, yet the tone as always carried a making-trouble flavor.
“…Awake.”
“Liar. I feel you didn’t sleep at all. You wouldn’t happen to not need sleep, right?”
Mu Yan didn’t pick up.
“Forget it, doesn’t matter if you need to sleep or not.”
Mu Siyi rubbed against her neck hollow, carrying a smile.
“Anyway you’re my body pillow now. Body pillows don’t need to sleep, just being hugged is enough.”
“…Wrong.”
“I think it’s right. Three to one, you lose.”
“Where did three come from.”
“Me, my left hand, my right hand. Three votes. Your one vote, invalid.”
This voting mechanism is outrageous beyond bounds.
Morning light grew brighter, from the kitchen came pot and spatula clang clang, range hood humming.
Familiar sounds heard for twenty years, today the first time listening in the identity of “guest.”
When the fried dumpling fragrance drifted in, Mu Siyi finally let go.
She sat up stretching, pajama collar askew to one side, hair messy and fluffy.
“Fried dumplings are ready.”
She looked down at the person still lying on the bed, corners of her mouth curling very high.
“Jiejie, did you sleep well last night?”
Mu Yan looked at her expressionlessly.
“…Not well.”
“That’s right then.”
Mu Siyi leaned down, fingertip poking her cheek again.
“If you slept well, it means I didn’t work hard enough last night. Continue tonight.”
Tonight?!
Mu Yan sat up wanting to get off the bed, wrist suddenly yanked, pulled back again.
“Wait.”
“…What.”
Mu Siyi came very close, breath sweeping her face, warm and hot.
Stared at her face for two seconds, then smiled.
“Jiejie’s face blush hasn’t faded yet. Red from last night until now, wouldn’t happen to have been shy the whole night, right?”
Definitely the Grim Reaper’s fault. This doll body’s blushing system definitely has a bug.
“…Cold constitution.”
“What does blushing have to do with cold constitution? Who are you fooling.”
“I want to eat fried dumplings.”
“Changing the subject!”
Mu Siyi laughed and let go.
“Fine fine, eat fried dumplings first. After eating continue interrogating you. You can’t run, Jiejie.”
Mu Yan stood up, using that three-no face of hers, seriously saying the “harshest” sentence of this morning.
“You devil.”
Mu Siyi blinked, smiling even more brilliantly.
Reached out and pinched her soft face.
“When Jiejie says this sentence, it’s also cute to death.”
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