Chu Yi rested her head against his neck, softly murmuring in response before tilting her head up to kiss him on the shoulder.

The bed beneath them was not only small but also old, creaking with the slightest movement. Chu Yi patted him, breathless, turning her head away from his pursuing kiss.

“Take it easy…”

“I’m already being gentle,” Qiao Anchen replied, frustrated, wanting nothing more than to replace the bed immediately.

Soon, the creaking grew louder, and Chu Yi protested again.

“No… If this keeps up, your parents will hear…”

Qiao Anchen’s eyes were slightly red, and he seemed not to care, but Chu Yi pushed him away.

“Let’s not…,” she said, though even she found it unrealistic, and nudged him again.

“Or… just hurry up…”

Distracted and uncooperative, Chu Yi’s actions kept disrupting Qiao Anchen, making it hard for him to fully enjoy the moment. His gaze wandered around the room until he suddenly remembered something.

“Let’s go over there.”

He stopped what he was doing and scooped Chu Yi up before she could react, lifting her off the bed. Her legs, still wobbly, touched the floor as she held onto the windowsill.

The person behind her was utterly pleased.

“Now there won’t be any noise.”

A burst of fireworks exploded in Chu Yi’s mind, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. She gasped for air, her lips parted, but she couldn’t find the words to speak.

The night felt particularly long. After discovering this new position, Qiao Anchen held her again in the bathroom for another round. By the time they were done and ready for bed, Chu Yi was so exhausted she couldn’t even lift her arms. Qiao Anchen had to carry her back to bed.

When the alarm rang in the morning, Chu Yi realized she was completely naked, her arms and legs wrapped around Qiao Anchen like a boneless vine, clinging tightly to him.

As her sleepiness faded, Chu Yi slowly came to her senses and unwound herself, moving away from the warm body.

But just as she turned over, the person behind her pulled her back into his arms again.

Qiao Anchen nuzzled his head into her neck, his voice low and hoarse with sleep.

“Awake?”

“The alarm woke me up,” Chu Yi mumbled, rubbing her eyes in sleepy annoyance.

“Then go back to sleep for a bit,” Qiao Anchen suggested, still not fully awake.

“Mm…” Chu Yi murmured absentmindedly, but then she remembered something and warned him, “Don’t sleep too long, make sure to get up soon.”

“Mm, go back to sleep,” he replied.

Chu Yi ended up getting up later than usual that day, but fortunately, Qiao Anchen had already gotten up and dressed by the time she emerged into the living room, avoiding any awkwardness.

“Yi Yi, there’s breakfast left for you in the kitchen. It’s still warm, go eat,” Tian Wan and Qiao’s father were sitting on the sofa. When they saw her open the door, they immediately greeted her with smiles.

Chu Yi nodded, a bit embarrassed.

“Okay, thank you, Mom.”

As she prepared to brush her teeth, Qiao Anchen squeezed in. Chu Yi looked at him, puzzled, with her toothbrush in hand. His expression was a bit awkward as he pointed to her neck.

“You should change into that shirt from yesterday.”

“Hm?” Chu Yi immediately looked in the mirror. Near the back of her neck, a few red marks stood out on her pale skin, like mosquito bites but in much stranger shapes.

“Ah!” Chu Yi’s face flushed red as she glared at him. “Qiao Anchen!”

He rubbed his nose, feeling guilty. “I’ll go get it for you. Change into it after you wash your face.”

Luckily, Tian Wan and Qiao’s father didn’t ask any curious questions about why she changed shirts after brushing her teeth. At noon, after saying their goodbyes, the two of them drove back home.

Only then did Chu Yi feel much more at ease. She kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the sofa.

She was exhausted.

Despite their age, it still felt like they were sneaking around like young lovers doing something forbidden.

Chu Yi’s mind drifted as she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone.

The past few days, her social media feed had been lively as always. During the holidays, people were posting about their travels, meals, and luxury purchases. Among them, the lovey-dovey posts were especially eye-catching.

She clicked on the photos Cheng Li had posted of her and her boyfriend at the Aegean Sea in Santorini, her eyes dazzled by the beautiful blue sea and the domed roofs.

Chu Yi swiped through the pictures one by one, until the last one hit her hard.

In that photo, Cheng Li was sitting on her boyfriend’s shoulders at the edge of a cliff, with the endless, clear sea and sky blending into a gradient of blue behind them. Nearby, clusters of blue and white houses dotted the landscape like something out of a fairytale.

The couple’s bright, blissful smiles were even more dazzling than the August sunlight.

Chu Yi couldn’t help but let out a sigh of envy.

“Ahhhh, Cheng Li and her boyfriend are so happy! They’re on another trip!”

Qiao Anchen had just come from the kitchen with a glass of water. Hearing her, he walked over, glancing at her phone.

“You could do that too,” he said offhandedly after seeing the photos.

Chu Yi: “???!!!”

She couldn’t believe her ears. She immediately scrambled up from the sofa, kneeling as she stared at him wide-eyed, swallowing hard.

“R-Really…?”

Qiao Anchen was startled by her intense reaction and hesitated.

“R-Really.”

Chu Yi’s eyes lit up with joy, but before she could say anything, he added.

“After all, you’re always at home. You can go out and have fun anytime you want.”

Qiao Anchen continued matter-of-factly, “It’s not like me, I have so few vacation days. I can’t go anywhere.”

Chu Yi: “……”

Well, there it is.

She should have known better than to get her hopes up.

Chu Yi shut off her phone with a face full of disappointment, climbed off the sofa, put on her shoes, and shuffled away, her posture slumped and lifeless, like a withered old woman retreating to her room.