Chapter 33.1

The temperature at night wasn’t as high as during the day, and there was an old-fashioned ceiling fan in the room. Wen Yue sat in front of the fan, feeling the cool breeze against her body, but she still felt hot. Her temperature gradually rose, making her restless.

Any slight movement outside would catch Wen Yue’s attention, and her heart raced.

What was there to be nervous about? It was just sharing a bed, after all.

Wen Yue reassured herself in her mind, taking deep breaths to calm down. Just as she was beginning to settle, her ears picked up on faint sounds outside, footsteps gradually approaching.

Her body stiffened instinctively, and she rolled over to hug the thin blanket, facing the wall and closing her eyes, remaining motionless.

About ten seconds later, the slightly ajar door creaked open, and the sound of steady, powerful footsteps entered the room.

Wen Yue could feel Zhou Yao’s gaze resting on her. She couldn’t help but hold her breath, her eyes tightly shut.

“…Wen Yue?” Zhou Yao’s voice was soft and low, the words rolling off his lips as if they were soaked in warmth, unexpectedly carrying a hint of intimacy.

Wen Yue remained silent.

Zhou Yao stood still for a while, and seeing no response, he turned to switch off the light in the room. With a soft click, the dim yellow light vanished, and the room fell into darkness.

In such a dark environment, all senses were heightened.

Wen Yue heard the subtle sound of Zhou Yao’s shoes rubbing against the floor as he sat down by the bed. After pausing for a couple of seconds, he took off his shoes and lay down.

The warmth radiating from Zhou Yao was higher than her own body temperature. He was tall and broad-shouldered, blocking the breeze from the fan.

Wen Yue felt trapped in a small space, motionless and wrapped in her thin blanket, with an additional heat source beside her, causing her temperature to rise sharply. A few beads of sweat formed on her forehead, dampening her bangs and sticking to her face, which was uncomfortable.

She let out a slow breath, and just as she was about to move, she suddenly sensed Zhou Yao shifting closer.

Wen Yue: “…”

Stiffening up.

The clear, bright moonlight streamed in through the window.

Zhou Yao looked at Wen Yue’s delicate face, her thick eyelashes quivering slightly. He let out a low laugh, his voice deep and husky, close to her ear, causing Wen Yue’s toes to curl.

“Are you planning to suffocate yourself?” Zhou Yao chuckled, reaching out to adjust her position, gently brushing aside her bangs. He grabbed a handkerchief from beside him and wiped the sweat off her face. “What are you afraid of? I won’t eat you.”

Being caught pretending to sleep made Wen Yue even more embarrassed. She opened her eyes and met Zhou Yao’s smiling gaze, feeling flustered as she retorted, “Who’s scared? I just like sleeping like this. Is that not allowed?”

Gazing into Wen Yue’s bright eyes, which shone with embarrassment, Zhou Yao raised an eyebrow. “Sure, why not? You can sleep however you want. You can even sleep on me if you want.”

“…” Wen Yue gritted her teeth. “Who wants to sleep on you, you rogue.”

She quickly shut her eyes again, lifting her chin defiantly as she said, “You stop talking. I want to sleep. I need to get up early for school tomorrow.”

Zhou Yao stifled a laugh as he lay back down, his tone leisurely. “Okay, I won’t say anything. I won’t disturb your sleep.”

The room fell into silence.

At first, Wen Yue was embarrassed and indignant, but gradually, sleepiness washed over her, and she dozed off in a daze.

Zhou Yao felt a bit tense himself, lying stiffly without daring to move. His mind was filled with jumbled thoughts.

Then he heard steady, even breaths beside him.

After a moment of hesitation, he cautiously turned his head to look.

Bathed in the soft moonlight, Wen Yue’s petite face appeared even paler, as if coated in a layer of silvery sheen. It seemed she had dreamt of something wonderful, as her rosy lips moved slightly, forming a faint smile that curled the corners of her eyes.

Zhou Yao stared in astonishment.

In the next second, Wen Yue shifted positions, her long, delicate legs draping across his abdomen, rubbing against him a couple of times.

“…”

Zhou Yao gasped softly, instinctively recoiling a bit, then hesitantly reached out to gently move her leg off his abdomen.

Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, the leg that had just moved down was raised up again, and a dissatisfied groan escaped from between his lips.

Zhou Yao immediately froze.

All his senses surged downward, and he felt a bit uncomfortable. After thinking for a moment, he slowly propped himself up, intending to get out of bed and move around to calm his rising emotions.

But the moment he lifted his head, Wen Yue’s hand reached out and wrapped around his neck.

She clung to him like an octopus, her soft body pressing tightly against Zhou Yao’s solid frame. Her chin rested against his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, making half of his body go numb.

Zhou Yao: “…”

He hadn’t realized that his little wife was such a restless sleeper before going to bed!

He closed his eyes, feeling a mix of pain and pleasure. Being held so tightly, he couldn’t dare to move. He could only lie there, wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling, acting as a human pillow.

Probably feeling hot, Wen Yue released her grip and rolled over, spreading her arms and legs wide, laying atop Zhou Yao.

“…”

Zhou Yao sighed, thinking it would probably be difficult to fall asleep tonight.

What else could he do with his wife? He could only endure.

…

Wen Yue woke up very early. Outside, it was just getting light. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was only five thirty.

Turning her head, she noticed that Zhou Yao was already gone.

Wen Yue yawned, shook her head, and, after waking up, put on her shoes, got out of bed, and walked outside. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Zhou Yao sitting at the stove, tending to the fire.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Yao turned to look at her, his eyes half-squinted and his expression drowsy.

“Why do you have such dark circles under your eyes?” Wen Yue blinked, surprised as she noticed the obvious shadows under Zhou Yao’s eyes.

Zhou Yao stared at her intently. “Guess.”

Wen Yue suddenly recalled that when she used to sleep over at her friend’s place, she had been teased for her wild sleeping posture. Feeling a bit guilty, she asked quietly, “Is it because my sleeping position is too unruly?”

“It’s okay,” Zhou Yao lazily commented, dragging out his words. “You just threw a few punches in your sleep. Pretty good; it strengthens the body.”

But there was nothing she could do; she couldn’t control her limbs while asleep unless she was tied up.

Wen Yue touched her nose and spoke without thinking, “You’ll get used to it!”

At this, Zhou Yao raised an eyebrow, seeming more alert as he cheerfully replied, “Sure, I’ll get used to it.” The corners of his mouth curved slightly, and his long, deep-set eyes squinted with a hint of something alluring.

Wen Yue fell silent, quietly going to scoop water to brush her teeth and wash her face.

After washing her face, she noticed that Zhou Yao had finished boiling the noodles and had added an egg to them.

“Just one bowl? Aren’t you eating?” Wen Yue asked, looking at the lone bowl of noodles on the stove.

Zhou Yao leaned back casually, yawning lazily. “You eat first. I’ll eat with Old Fang and the others later. Don’t come back for lunch, just eat in the school cafeteria. We won’t be back.”

Wen Yue obediently nodded and started to slurp the noodles in small bites.