Chapter 99: The Summit

The hotel room looked like a battlefield.

Fragments of burst water balloons were scattered everywhere, with patches of wetness varying in depth across the floor.

Pillows tossed onto the ground and quilts draped to form makeshift trenches offered a glimpse into the brutal war that had taken place last night.

The sea breeze drifting in from the window stirred the curtains, letting sunlight spill through like the unintentional trickle of morning dew between fingers.

Pristine and pure, on the only dry bed between the two, two figures huddled close.

The sea breeze slipping through the half-open window gently brushed the girl’s forehead, the strands of her hair sweeping across her brows and eyes, lending a slight impatience to her delicate features. Her eyes remained closed, but she curled toward that warm direction.

Nestled in the boy’s broad embrace was a delicate figure who seemed to cling to him like a little bird.

As their hearts grew ever closer, the boy, still half-dreaming and groggy, naturally stretched out his other arm to pull the girl tighter into his embrace.

Gou Yu lowered his head slightly, the motion giving him a satisfying feeling—like holding Zhu Niao as a small cherished pet in his arms.

He rubbed his chin against the top of Zhu Niao’s hair, a faint scent of lavender wafting between them.

Zhu Niao burrowed deeper into his embrace, prompting Gou Yu to hold her tighter still, as if they were becoming one.

How much time had passed, no one knew.

Perhaps from drinking too much water at the barbecue last night, Zhu Niao’s brows furrowed repeatedly in her sleep, and then, with an annoyed sigh, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Gou Yu’s solid chest.

Her expression betrayed no surprise or awkwardness, as if this had been expected all along.

Last night, after making a fair number of water balloons, the two had used their respective beds as bases, constructing trenches with their quilts and launching water balloons as weapons at each other.

Obviously, the water balloons Zhu Niao threw would be knocked back by the master deliveryman Gou Yu with the pillow at hand.

Zhu Niao didn’t know how this was possible, nor did she understand the technique, but Gou Yu had forcibly bounced her flying projectiles back.

Only the heavens knew how hopeless Zhu Niao had felt watching her water balloons rebound back.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. Though she hadn’t managed to land a single water balloon inside Gou Yu’s base, she also hadn’t been soaked head to toe by his attacks.

If you can’t hit, you can still dodge.

The only pity was that her bed was soaked in patches by balloons landing here and there, even the quilt trenches they built were damp.

Naturally, a nearly drenched bed was impossible to sleep on, so Zhu Niao slid into Gou Yu’s blankets.

Before crawling in, she wondered if Gou Yu had deliberately made a mess of her bed so they’d have to share a bed.

Then she thought again.

Completely impossible.

Gou Yu still saw her as a good brother. It was her, because of that detestable “love task,” who might be thinking otherwise.

Before she’d even started making a move, how could Gou Yu have any such thoughts?

After all, she hadn’t even begun to seduce Gou Yu and make him like her. How could he possibly have those kinds of feelings?

When exactly she would start trying to get Gou Yu to like her… she hadn’t decided yet.

At least for now, she thought life was pretty good, and she didn’t want to use Gou Yu’s feelings for her own sake.

Besides, she wouldn’t even seduce Gou Yu.

At first, she thought maybe Gou Yu could be won over with two “delivery vouchers,” but now it was different.

Gou Yu was a wealthy young master who had seen the world; maybe he hadn’t even used inflated delivery vouchers before.

She hated rich people.

The warmth under the blankets was cozy.

If not for the pressing urge to pee, she wouldn’t have wanted to leave Gou Yu’s embrace.

Not to mention, though she often teased Gou Yu’s figure—saying maybe he could attract people of the same sex just by taking off his clothes—being held in his arms was genuinely reassuring.

She struggled a bit but found Gou Yu’s hold surprisingly strong, unable to break free right away.

Zhu Niao wasn’t one to be polite to brothers; she immediately decided to give Gou Yu’s waist a karate chop.

Her small body twisted and finally found the familiar target, but at the same time, she felt something strange.

It was as if something was pressing against her.

Didn’t Gou Yu put his phone in his pocket instead of the bedside table?

It was her own belly pressing back.

She pressed back with her belly, of course, to get closer to Gou Yu and make her karate chop more effective.

Then she realized something was definitely off.

At least from her memory, if a phone was in someone’s pocket, it wouldn’t feel warm and slightly springy.

She lowered her head to look.

Frozen, she suddenly looked up at Gou Yu, who was still half-asleep. The guy had pressed his head against her, as if using Zhu Niao as a tickling brush.

She knew this was a normal morning physiological reaction; after all, she had been a boy before.

But now she was a girl, and this had never happened to her.

Well, as a boy, she probably wouldn’t have thought much of it either.

But… but…

Accompanied by Gou Yu’s groan, Zhu Niao’s karate chop was finally released.

Gou Yu instantly curled up on the bed like a boiled lobster, fully awake and wearing a face twisted in pain.

“Where exactly did I upset you?” Gou Yu had been having sweet dreams moments ago.

He dreamt of a little bird in a maid outfit giving him a good morning kiss, and then getting karate-chopped in the waist.

“Because you used underhanded tactics last night to soak my bed, forcing me to compromise and sleep with you.”

Honestly, Zhu Niao felt quite comfortable sleeping there, but that didn’t stop her from playing tough.

“That was yesterday though. Didn’t you say you don’t hold grudges overnight?”

Zhu Niao thought a moment, then continued to argue, “But there’s also that old saying: A gentleman takes revenge—even if it’s ten years later. What, you don’t buy that?”

Hugging the quilt, Gou Yu looked pitifully at Zhu Niao, who was now casually tidying her pajamas, making him seem like the real victim in bed.

Although he did do it on purpose yesterday; otherwise, Zhu Niao wouldn’t have ended up sharing his bed.

“Hmph.”

The girl turned and walked toward the bathroom.

As soon as she entered, she quickly closed the door behind her, blocking Gou Yu’s view.

Breathing slowly, Zhu Niao closed her eyes, the recent memories echoing through her mind.

She seemed to have thought of another possibility.

She didn’t need to use Gou Yu’s feelings, yet she could still complete that so-called “love task.”

If only Gou Yu was interested in her body…