When Chu Yi woke up, Qiao Anchen was no longer in the room. She sat up groggily, suddenly remembering something, and looked toward the side table.

It was empty. Chu Yi froze for a moment before quickly getting out of bed.

The scent of coffee filled the living room. Qiao Anchen was standing by the coffee machine, pouring himself a cup of freshly brewed, rich coffee.

“Why are you drinking coffee so early?” Chu Yi, rubbing her hair, walked over, her voice still a bit nasal from just waking up, sounding like she was being a bit coquettish.

“I just felt like it,” Qiao Anchen replied, then pointed to the microwave.

“I heated some milk for you.”

Chu Yi grabbed a glass, took out the milk, and poured it until the glass was about 80% full.

Like Qiao Anchen, she held the cup with both hands, leaning back against the countertop, idly daydreaming as she shook off the last remnants of sleep.

The two of them stood side by side on this quiet holiday morning, sipping their drinks, watching the sunlight stream through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the dust particles in the golden beams seeming to dance up and down.

“This is nice,” Chu Yi suddenly sighed contentedly. Qiao Anchen glanced at her.

“What’s up?”

“It just feels good to do nothing and just stay together.”

He lowered his gaze, smiling. “By the way, I got your birthday gift.”

“Hm?” Chu Yi looked at him with wide eyes, a bit expectant and a bit shy.

“I really like it,” Qiao Anchen said.

“That’s good.” Chu Yi smiled back, holding her cup, and the two of them shared a look. The air seemed to become sweet and pure.

Though Qiao Anchen called it a holiday, he had essentially brought his work home. Prosecutors always had cases to work on, with long processing times that often spanned months, and new cases coming in almost weekly.

His desk at the office was piled high with case files, and even during the holidays, he would spend time in the study going over case-related materials.

To Chu Yi, this lifestyle was almost unimaginable, but Qiao Anchen seemed to have adapted to it without a hint of complaint.

For him, working on cases might be as routine as eating a meal. He would probably prefer spending time in the study reviewing cases over going out shopping or watching a movie.

Their mindsets were worlds apart.

Chu Yi had stopped trying to drag him out for activities. She was like a warrior who had been knocked down by a dragon countless times, finally learning her lesson after being repeatedly bruised and battered.

That day, they made dinner together, time passing peacefully and warmly. Chu Yi felt that this simple life was actually quite nice.

On the third day of the National Day holiday, Cheng Li updated her social media with a nine-picture post of her trip to Europe with her boyfriend. Chu Yi liked the post, and Cheng Li replied almost immediately.

【Where did your prosecutor take you for the holiday?】

Lying in bed, Chu Yi typed on her phone.

【He said everywhere would be crowded during National Day, so we didn’t go anywhere.】

Cheng Li replied with a long string of ellipses and nothing more.

Chu Yi stared at the screen for a few seconds, then turned off her phone and couldn’t help but sigh as she rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

Qiao Anchen came out of the shower to see this scene.

The girl was holding her phone, her hands positioned as if covering her chest, with an expression that was pitiful and somewhat desperate as she stared up at the ceiling, lying stiffly on the bed.

In his mind, he immediately thought of the little character Chu Yi had drawn earlier.

The one that had been struck in the chest by an arrow and collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by his stunning beauty.

…Kind of cute.

Qiao Anchen casually dried his hair with a towel as he walked over.

“You’re done with your shower…” Chu Yi’s eyes moved, widening slowly as he approached. Qiao Anchen responded with a “hmm” and looked at her.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…Spacing out.”

Qiao Anchen’s face showed a hint of confusion, but he nodded.

Everyone has different hobbies and habits; maybe spacing out is a kind of enjoyment too, he thought.

He turned off the main light in the room and got into bed. He had only flipped through a few pages of his book when the person beside him had already tossed and turned five or six times. He turned his head to look at her.

“Can’t sleep tonight?”

“…”

Chu Yi looked at him silently.

She didn’t know what was wrong. Maybe it was because of a casual question from Cheng Li that evening, or perhaps her period was coming soon, but her mood had inexplicably dropped. She couldn’t muster the energy to do anything, not even focus on her favorite shows or comics.

Qiao Anchen waited for a while. When she didn’t answer, he appeared thoughtful, then closed his book, put it down, and removed his glasses.

“If that’s the case, why don’t we do something else?”

“Hmm?” Chu Yi was startled, and the next moment, a shadow fell over her. His soft lips, mixed with a familiar warm breath, kissed her as Qiao Anchen wrapped his arm around her waist.

She felt a little annoyed.

But she still let him kiss her. After a while, the buttons of her pajamas were undone.

Qiao Anchen released her lips, his kisses gradually moving downward. His hair, still a bit damp, brushed against her chin, sliding over her collarbone—it tickled.

Chu Yi didn’t move. She opened her eyes and stared at the empty air in front of her, lost in thought. After a moment, she exhaled softly.