“Is it really okay?” Lin Guiming looked at her with some surprise.
“Um…” He Wanying’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, and her face was full of bashful embarrassment.
She had never been close to a man before, let alone sharing the same bed.
If she said she wasn’t nervous now, that would definitely be a lie.
But now that things had come to this, at the very least, she couldn’t be an unworthy wife… or fiancée.
“Alright then.” Lin Guiming wasn’t one to be overly fussy.
Since the young lady didn’t mind, he naturally wouldn’t insist any further.
After all, sleeping on the floor or sleeping on the bed — and with such an adorable young beauty no less — anyone would know which to choose.
That said, perhaps because they were both exhausted, there was no awkward or overly intimate feeling between them.
He Wanying faced away from Lin Guiming, while Lin Guiming stared up at the ceiling; they each slept on their own, not disturbing each other.
Both He Wanying and Lin Guiming had been thoroughly worn out during the day, and by now they were very sleepy.
It wasn’t long before Lin Guiming’s eyelids closed.
Beside him, the faint sound of He Wanying’s even breathing could be heard.
Drowsy and fading, his consciousness gradually drifted away.
Darkness—darker than the night itself, infinitely deep—loneliness, fear, desolation, sorrow.
A mix of complex emotions welled up in He Wanying’s heart as she opened her eyes and once again took in the world before her.
This wasn’t the first time she’d had this dream.
Over more than ten years, she had experienced countless repetitions of it.
In the sky, faint ghostfire flickered dimly, scattered here and there.
A Narrow Bridge stretched endlessly, narrow enough for only one person to cross at a time.
Beneath the bridge seemed to be water, but He Wanying couldn’t tell if she was beneath the surface or floating on it.
Sometimes the bridge felt impossibly distant, as if separated by an entire world; other times it seemed close, within arm’s reach, yet like a mirage—untouchable and fleeting.
A suffocating urge to scream rose in her heart, but no matter how wide she opened her mouth, not a sound escaped.
The maddening loneliness nearly shattered her sanity.
In the midst of hysteria, she vaguely saw a figure walking across that narrow bridge, expressionless, like a walking corpse.
Step by step…
He slowly approached the edge of He Wanying’s vision and then vanished, as if he had never existed at all.
“Strange…” she mouthed words that made no sound, touching her chest where no heartbeat could be felt.
“He Wanying…”
“He Wanying… He Wanying!”
In a haze, a voice seemed to call to her, growing nearer and nearer—
“He Wanying, what’s wrong?”
Finally, she opened her eyes, gasping heavily, cold sweat soaking her clothes.
Through blurred vision, a figure was bent over her, looking down at her from above.
In a daze, He Wanying almost thought it was the man from the bridge staring back at her with that numb gaze.
But… it wasn’t.
The eyes before her clearly held concern and urgency, unmistakable worry and overflowing tenderness…
“I…” A hoarse voice escaped her throat, which burned with sudden sharp pain.
“You’re awake?” Lin Guiming finally let out a sigh of relief and said, “What happened to you? You suddenly screamed out of nowhere, and your face looked crazed. Look at you… drenched in sweat. Your bath was for nothing…”
“Senior Brother, I…” He Wanying still hadn’t quite come to her senses, stammering softly.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Lin Guiming asked kindly.
“Mm.” He Wanying nodded.
Although cared for, the bitter feeling inside her grew even stronger, making her want to throw herself into her senior brother’s arms.
“It’s alright… it was just a dream.
Go back to sleep, tomorrow will be better…” Lin Guiming gently stroked her head.
“Uh-huh.” He Wanying replied softly but still seemed distracted.
Was it really just a dream?
She couldn’t help but wonder how she had been trapped in the same dream for more than a decade.
“Go to sleep.” Lin Guiming’s voice came again from beside her.
He Wanying obediently nodded and closed her eyes.
“Senior Brother…”
After a moment, her soft voice came again from beside him.
“Senior Brother…”
“What is it? Can’t sleep?”
“Hold me…”
Blushing, curling her body slightly, her heart racing fast, she closed her eyes a little, seemingly waiting for something.
“…You, huh.”
Lin Guiming was momentarily stunned, then ruffled her nose.
The next moment, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped He Wanying tightly in an embrace.
An unprecedented sense of comfort and tranquility filled He Wanying’s heart, but unfortunately, she felt it for only a few seconds before falling into deep sleep.
***
PS: Here’s a little secret—liking the chapter boosts the author’s motivation. Also, you can like once every week (just saying).
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