Chapter 65: Open your hands and let me see

Shen Xiyan hated Mondays.

Whether it was during his student days or now as a corporate drone.

On Saturdays, he’d think about how there was only one day left of the weekend.

On Sundays, he’d realize the weekend was almost over.

Only Friday nights felt truly free.

But after all these years, his biological clock still woke him naturally at six o’clock, not the slightest bit sleepy.

“Maybe I should start buying some sleeping pills? Dreaming about car accidents every night won’t do… If it goes on too long, I’ll end up with nervous breakdowns…”

Shen Xiyan seriously considered it for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile, dismissing the thought.

He got up, stretched a big, lazy yawn, and let out a contented sigh before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

His movements were quick; splashing cold water on his face, wiping it simply with a towel—not like Aunt, who every day used cleanser, moisturizer, and took at least twenty minutes to get ready before going out.

Back in his room, he grabbed his phone charging on the bedside table and made a video call to Lin Ci.

“Are you up yet?”

“Mm…”

Lin Ci grunted softly like a little piglet, eyes still closed, hair messy and stuck to her cheek.

“Stop sleeping. I’m watching you wake up.” Shen Xiyan called out.

She seemed to hear it faintly in her drowsiness, found it noisy, and pulled the blanket over both herself and the phone.

Shen Xiyan: “???”

He gave up!

Ending the call, he climbed over the windowsill to get in.

Lin Ci was lying on her side, her right leg poking out from under the covers, clutching the blanket between her thighs.

Her leg was stunning—long and fair—while her arm hugged the blanket close to her chest in a tight ball.

The hem of her pajamas had ridden up to her chest, revealing a slim waist and a perfect belly button that made one want to just lick it.

Girls seemed to like sleeping like this, holding something in their arms to feel secure.

“Lin Ci! Lin Ci!”

“Mm~ uh~ ooh ooh~~”

Lin Ci grunted and mumbled for a long while, rubbing against the soft blanket, rolling around a few times on the bed. “What time is it?”

The clock on the bedside table showed 6:10, but who actually tells the truth when waking someone up?

“It’s almost seven…”

Shen Xiyan’s helpless gaze: “Are you getting up or not? If you don’t, you’ll be late! Did Uncle and Aunt have to wake you like this every day?”

“Can’t get up Pull me up”

A tender, pale arm reached out from under the covers. Shen Xiyan grabbed it and gently but firmly pulled her up.

Lin Ci then sat on the bed in a duck-sitting position, half-closing her eyes, letting out a long yawn, looking quite adorable.

She glanced up at Shen Xiyan, clearly just waking up.

His high nose and sharp eyebrows were still dotted with water droplets; his bangs were damp too, giving him a different kind of charm.

Made her want to give him a kiss.

“Come on, I’ll go buy breakfast. You get up and wait for me next door.” Shen Xiyan forced Lin Ci to stand, afraid she’d just crawl back under the covers as soon as he left.

“Got it~~”

Every time she felt his strength, Lin Ci couldn’t help but imagine the times he’d carried her like a princess, with his strong arms wrapped around her legs, her arms around his neck…

Then she dared not think further—her underwear from last night was still soaking in the washing machine. She slipped on her slippers and quietly stood by the sink.

The smooth cleanser foamed into delicate bubbles on her face. Water droplets dripped from her graceful chin as she closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, unable to stop her earlier daydreams.

***

Meanwhile, after waking up, Wenwen heard a knock on the door. Mouth full of foam and clutching her toothbrush, she hurried over to open it.

“Sorry to bother you~~ My parents aren’t home, so I came over to mooch some breakfast.”

“Welcome! Welcome! Lin Ci, you look so pretty today…”

“Really?”

Lin Ci said while subtly puffing out her chest, happy to catch Shen Xiyan’s gaze: “I dress like this all the time.”

“You really dress like this?” Shen Xiyan spoke like a straight man.

The hem of her skirt just reached her knees, revealing her slender, fair calves.

The neckline was tied with a bow, and the belt was embroidered delicately, accentuating her youthful waist, giving off a fresh, natural vibe. Her lively aura immediately filled the room.

Lin Ci glared at him sharply: “What else?”

Then she lightly floated over to sit at the dining table, the skirt swaying gently.

“No…”

Shen Xiyan quickly corrected himself: “I meant even without makeup you look good. If you wore makeup, you’d look even better, right?”

“Oh?”

Lin Ci blinked, thoughtful: “Then you’re in for a treat later…”

“How so?”

“…” Lin Ci didn’t bother answering.

She bit into a xiaolongbao, legs swinging slightly, unable to hide her excitement.

Shen Xiyan nudged Wenwen, who was still brushing her teeth slowly.

“Hurry up and brush, there’s gunk stuck to your eyes! Are you even going to class?”

“Meh~~”

Wenwen stuck out her tongue at him, then a glob of foam dropped onto the floor with a soft plop, scattering a little white splash.

Shen Xiyan glared. Wenwen looked guilty and awkwardly smiled, while only Lin Ci grabbed a tissue and bent down to clean it up.

While Wenwen was brushing her teeth, Lin Ci noticed the scale in the living room. It was Aunt’s “precious treasure.”

Every morning and evening, Aunt would step on it. If she found her weight had increased, she’d sigh: “Ah, Aunt’s getting heavier again. At this rate, I’ll turn into a chubby middle-aged woman.”

Then Shen Xiyan and Wenwen would scramble to comfort her.

“Just ate, so it’s normal to gain weight.”

“Your clothes are thicker today than yesterday, so it’s normal.”

“You haven’t cut your hair for a while, so it’s normal.”

Basically, “It’s all perfectly normal!”

But sometimes, things went wrong.

One time, Shen Xiyan remembered clearly.

Aunt’s weight had actually gone down, but her face was puffy. Anyone could tell it was water retention. The scale’s numbers never lied; it would go down after a couple of days’ sleep.

But Aunt wasn’t happy. She was a beautiful little princess and couldn’t show up at work with a bloated face.

She asked Shen Xiyan if she looked ugly when she got fat.

Without thinking, Shen Xiyan said, “No, you don’t!”

Aunt immediately felt wronged: “Fine! So you do think I’ve obviously gained weight, right?”

G!

So whenever Aunt asked that question again, no matter how she phrased it, Shen Xiyan’s answers were always “You didn’t gain weight,” “You’re seeing things,” or “The scale is lying!”

Hah~~ Women!

“How much do you weigh?” Shen Xiyan casually strolled over and peeked.

“Don’t look!” Lin Ci’s face flushed red as she covered it tightly to hide the number.

“Aww, open your hand, let me see!” Shen Xiyan insisted.

“It’s embarrassing!”

“We’re family, nothing to be shy about. I’ll even show you mine later…”

“I don’t want to see yours.”

“Just look~~”

“No way! I’m not showing you!”

Hearing this exchange, Wenwen’s eyes went wide by the sink, her breathing becoming cautious. She wanted to look but didn’t dare.

What exactly were they looking at?!