“I thought you’d be washing up, so I went to the other bathroom instead. How come you’re still…” Gu Yu spoke as he walked toward the foot of the bed, but midway, he suddenly frowned and looked at Ruan Chuchu with disapproval.

Her heart skipped a beat under his gaze, and she stammered, “W-What’s wrong?”

Gu Yu walked right up to her, then lightly tapped her nose with his fingertip, sighing indulgently, “You.”

Then he crouched down and grasped her ankle.

The moment his fingers touched her skin, Ruan Chuchu’s entire body tensed up as if facing a great enemy. She stared at the top of his head, cold sweat instantly breaking out on her back.

But to her surprise, he only gently brushed his fingers over the sole of her foot before picking up the slippers beside the bed and personally slipping them onto her feet. “It’s still cold. Don’t walk around barefoot, or you’ll catch a cold.”

“…Oh.” Ruan Chuchu stiffly nodded at him.

Gu Yu remained crouched, tilting his head up to look at her. His entire demeanor was warm and harmless. One of his hands rested on her knee, gently rubbing it twice.

Immediately, goosebumps spread across her skin.

She abruptly stood up, ignoring Gu Yu’s gaze as she shuffled toward the bathroom in her slippers. On the way, she grabbed the thickest, most conservative pajamas she could find from the wardrobe.

“I-I-I’m going to take a shower first!” She threw out the words and slammed the door shut behind her.

She dragged out her shower as long as possible, spending over half an hour inside. Even after getting dressed, she still wasn’t mentally prepared to step out.

Would pretending to trip and hit her head be convincing enough to make Gu Yu believe she had lost her memory? QAQ

“Chuchu.”

A knock sounded on the bathroom door, and Gu Yu’s silhouette appeared behind the frosted glass.

Ruan Chuchu was so startled that she nearly screamed.

Clutching her mouth, she swallowed hard and raised her voice. “I-I’m done.”

When she finally pulled open the bathroom door, Gu Yu was standing right outside, waiting for her.

The moment he saw her, he reached out and placed a hand on her forehead. “I thought you were sick.”

Ruan Chuchu forced herself not to flinch away and barely managed a smile. “I’m fine.”

“What’s up with you today?” Gu Yu chuckled softly. Then, he gently lifted her chin, teasingly pinching it as he leaned in closer. A fleeting look of curiosity flashed in his smiling eyes.

Ruan Chuchu stiffly let out two awkward chuckles, tilting her chin upward to break free from his grasp. She then sidestepped him and walked toward the bed, trying to act as naturally as possible. “Nothing’s wrong.”

But before she could take more than a couple of steps, she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace from behind.

Warm breath brushed against the side of her neck, and a deep, husky voice whispered in her ear.

“Who was it downstairs teasing me just now? And now you’re running away so fast?”

Ruan Chuchu was about to claim she wasn’t feeling well when she suddenly felt a warm, wet sensation on her earlobe.

He—he had taken her earlobe into his mouth!

Eighteen years of innocent purity came crashing down in an instant. Before she could even react, she had already fallen into his grasp.

“Mm~”

A soft, breathy moan escaped her throat before she could stop it.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

That was absolutely not her! It had to be this body’s residual instincts!

Meanwhile, the hand that had started it all moved like a snake, skillfully igniting a trail of tingling shivers wherever it touched.

Her legs went weak.

She could barely stand, her body instinctively leaning into the man behind her.

Ruan Chuchu felt her mind go completely blank. Even her fear of Gu Yu seemed to have lessened slightly as she was dazedly led to the bed. It wasn’t until the man’s broad shoulders blocked out the overhead light and his entire body was about to cover hers that she snapped back to her senses, instinctively raising her hands to press against his shoulders.

“?”

Gu Yu glanced at the hand wedged between them, his eyes carrying a hint of confusion as he looked at her.

Ruan Chuchu’s limbs were stiff, and her tongue felt numb. “W-wait…”

Gu Yu leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed as he waited for her to continue.

Under the pressure of his proximity, Ruan Chuchu suddenly forgot what she was supposed to say. She stammered for a long time but couldn’t form a single coherent sentence.

Ahhh, this is bad! He’s definitely going to figure it out!!!

She bit her lip nervously, screaming internally.

But then, Gu Yu suddenly flipped over and lay down beside her.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing it gently as he said considerately, “Tired? Then rest early.”

With that, he pulled the blanket over her, turned off the light, and lay down next to her again.

A while later, Ruan Chuchu stared into the darkness, her eyes still adjusting.

Then, she heard a low whisper beside her.

“I love you. Good night.”