This sleeping posture could only be described as a complete mess.
Chu Yin was thoroughly pinned down, unable to move at all. He tried to slip out without disturbing Wen Chunhan, but soon realized it was impossible.
The moment he tried to wriggle free, Wen Chunhan let out a subtle hum, as if some delicate switch had been triggered. Her voice was so soft it seemed to seep into his bones.
…Did he just brush against a peach?
It was another lively morning, that energetic time just after dawn. Apparently, even in her sleep, Aunt Wen found a certain obstruction rather bothersome. Instinctively, she locked it between her knees, perhaps to avoid it poking her uncomfortably.
When Chu Yin tried to get up, the “gear stick” stuck at Aunt Wen’s knees bumped right into the limit…
If he insisted on sitting up, he feared he’d drag Aunt Wen upright with him. That would be inappropriate, so he could only try moving the Maid in his arms to the side.
Chu Yin kept his movements as gentle as possible, not wanting to wake Aunt Wen, but she woke up anyway.
“Up so early?” The moment Aunt Wen opened her eyes, she crawled back onto Chu Yin, tightened her embrace, kissed his forehead, and when she saw her daughter lying next to them, gave Ling Qi’s cheek a kiss as well.
Chu Yin hesitated, swallowing back his words. He could only hope his body would calm down soon, so he asked, “Good morning, Aunt Wen. Did you sleep well?”
“Not bad. With my big boy in my arms, I always sleep soundly. Why not take a year off from university? Stay home just to nap with me—I’ll even pay you… save you the trouble of working part-time.”
Wen Chunhan was still half-asleep, talking dreamily, saying whatever came to mind.
Yan Lingqi, eyes still closed and mind hazy, muttered, “Mom, what about me… I can nap with you part-time too. My wages are cheaper than my brother’s, and you don’t need to pay for my health insurance or social security…”
“No way, you can’t skip social security. I’ll hire both of you. You’re both Mommy’s precious ones~”
Honestly, these two—mother and daughter—are something else. Both half-asleep, still able to chat while dreaming.
Ling Qi, you’re really too much. Even when sleep-talking, you’re thinking about competing for the napping job, willing to skip insurance just to get the spot—ruining the work environment!
Chu Yin couldn’t help but laugh as he witnessed this scene in the early morning, chiming in, “Ling Qi, you’re too greedy. Given the chance to work, you still want a salary? I’ll work for free, keep Aunt Wen company with no pay~”
The girl stubbornly wrinkled her delicate nose, “…Then I’ll take out a loan to pay Mom’s salary. Mom can hire me, not my brother.”
Listening to this “fairy” conversation, Wen Chunhan’s laughter chased away any lingering sleepiness. Her beautiful, sleepy face blossomed with a charming smile.
“Why didn’t I think to record this? Such cute talk first thing in the morning~ If I’m ever in a bad mood, I could play it back to cheer myself up~”
Please, how is this mood-healing? It’s public humiliation, plain and simple…
Based on what he knew of his family, Chu Yin was sure Aunt Wen wouldn’t just listen privately—she’d definitely share the recording with her closest friends to show off how fun her kids were.
“Chu Yin, how about I take you to School today to apply for a gap year, and delay starting for a year?” Aunt Wen asked with a bright smile.
He really couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious.
Chu Yin dared not agree casually. He was worried that what sounded like a joke might turn into reality in a moment. Carefully, he replied, “Um… if Aunt Wen finds that having me at home for a year is nice, will you let me return to School the following year?”
“I’ll just extend it another year~” The Maid cupped his face gently, her reply tender.
He knew it!
Aunt Yan Dongnuan woke up then. She sat up slowly, her long hair seeming messy from sleep, but with a simple shake of her head, it fell smoothly like a waterfall, soft and pretty, giving off a faint fragrance as it brushed against Chu Yin’s face.
“Dongnuan, did you sleep well last night?” Wen Chunhan asked with concern.
“Pretty well. I feel refreshed.” Yan Dongnuan nodded, then stroked her daughter’s cheek. “But I think I had another dream. It didn’t disturb my sleep, but I can’t remember what it was about.”
Chu Yin hurried to interrupt, not wanting his aunt to dwell on it. He said, “Auntie, that’s normal. We chatted for so long before bed, it’s no surprise to dream. Maybe what happened in your dreams was just like what I was talking about with Ling Qi just now—rambling nonsense, but fun nonetheless~”
Yan Dongnuan nodded softly, not pressing the matter.
Only if sleep is always bad does it need to be addressed. Now that her rest had returned to normal, there was nothing more to worry about.
Wen Chunhan teased, “I used to have restless sleep full of dreams too, but now, hugging Chu Yin, I sleep so soundly. If you ever have trouble sleeping again, Dongnuan, how about I lend you Chu Yin for a night?”
Chu Yin stayed silent, thinking: Aunt Wen, aren’t you afraid that if Auntie tries it once, she won’t give me back the next day?
Aunt Dongnuan was always serious—even a joke from her sister, she considered earnestly.
“I’ll start by hugging Ling Qi for a night. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try Chu Yin. If neither works, we’ll do what we did last night—all of us together on the floor.”
With their small talk finished, Wen Chunhan gracefully lifted her shapely Maid form from Chu Yin’s body, then suddenly noticed something pressed up against her from behind.
She instinctively reached back and felt around. Her beautiful eyes turned to Chu Yin, catching his apologetic look.
Wen Chunhan didn’t blame him, nor did she embarrass him in front of his aunt. She simply patted Chu Yin’s head and whispered, “It’s fine. Boys can’t help it in the morning~ So full of energy—good thing you didn’t hurt yourself yesterday. Otherwise, I was going to have you checked out. A boy shouldn’t have hidden problems in this area!”
After breakfast, everyone went about their daily routines.
Wen Chunhan and Yan Dongnuan went to work together. Chu Yin stayed home with his sister and would go shopping later to buy her stationery for the new School year.
Yan Lingqi was starting School in two days, but all the classmates and teachers would be the same—the only thing changing was the classroom floor. She didn’t feel much about the new term.
Chu Yin could still enjoy a few more leisurely days before he had to report to university.
He didn’t really have any sense of what university life would be like—the time gap between his dreams and Reality was just too great.
Ever since he started clearly remembering what happened in his dreams, Chu Yin would spend months in the dream world each time, only to wake up in Reality, rush through a single day, then fall back into another several months in the dream.
On the calendar, it was just a normal night’s sleep and a day like anyone else.
But his sense of self was completely different now. Even his patterns of thought were skewed.
Sometimes, he even wondered if he’d forgotten to drink his magic potion that day.
“Maybe, not being able to remember what happened in the dream world before was a kind of protection?”
He didn’t know if his thoughts were being overheard by the dream world.
That night, the drowsiness didn’t come for him at all. He slept easily and deeply until morning.
When he woke the next day, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
“What does this mean? Am I supposed to wait until next summer, until Witch Auntie leaves seclusion, before my dream world can pick up again?”