Chapter 9: Sleeping Arrangements

When Dai Ning saw Du Tian, she knew she’d been right in her assumptions.

Unbothered, the young lady sat squarely between the two, munching on a piece of fruit candy. She turned to Zhao Yu. “It’s so boring at home.”

When she wasn’t being difficult, she was quite pleasing to look at, and Zhao Yu tended to be a bit gentler toward her in those moments.

“Didn’t Mr. Qian take you somewhere to have fun?”

Dai Ning scoffed, “He’s such a dull, uptight old man. I want to hang out with you guys.”

The air was silent for a few seconds, and Zhao Yu and Du Tian both got the sense that her words could easily be interpreted as, “I want to mess with you two.”

Politely, Du Tian said, “Miss Ji, I’m asking about some English problems, and you’re sitting on my book. Would you mind moving?”

Dai Ning pulled out the book and flipped through it. “Why are you asking Zhao Yu? He’s too dense, like he hasn’t even been to school. Why don’t you ask me instead?”

Zhao Yu gave Dai Ning a sidelong look.

Unfazed, Dai Ning praised herself shamelessly. “I know everything. Go on, let me teach you.”

Du Tian had no actual questions, but since Zhao Yu was watching, she had to keep up the appearance of an eager, gentle student. Softly, she asked, “Miss Ji, how would you translate this sentence?”

Dai Ning glanced at it and put on a thoughtful look.

She claimed to be really capable, and both Zhao Yu and Du Tian believed her, thinking that growing up in a big city, Dai Ning must have had the best education and tutors.

Zhao Yu couldn’t help but watch as she prepared to answer.

After a blink, Dai Ning reached into her purse and pulled out her smartphone.

Her fingers moved swiftly as she activated the scan feature, ran it over Du Tian’s English book, and in no time, the phone’s dictionary produced the translation.

Dai Ning handed the phone to Du Tian. “See how amazing I am?”

Du Tian: …

Zhao Yu: …

Dai Ning, all magnanimous, grinned. “Since you love studying so much, just keep my phone with you—it’s super convenient. Just scan anything you don’t understand, check words, listen to audio, everything in one.”

Du Tian gritted her teeth. “I can’t accept something so valuable; I might break it.”

It wasn’t about learning English at all!

Dai Ning waved her hand. “It’s just a phone. If I wanted to, I could get a hundred more by tomorrow. And sit further back; you’re spitting on my face while you talk.”

Du Tian’s forced smile almost slipped.

Looking displeased, the young lady wiped her face and turned to Zhao Yu.

“Wipe my face for me.”

Zhao Yu looked at her soft, rosy face and saw nothing there, knowing she was just stirring up trouble.

Ignoring her, Zhao Yu turned to Du Tian. “Miss Du, please don’t take offense. The young lady can be a bit spoiled.”

Du Tian gave a tense smile. “It’s fine.”

But even though she said that, their conversation faltered. Du Tian suppressed the irritation bubbling inside her and stood up. “I’d better go check on the grain. Thanks, Brother Zhao.”

As she walked off, Dai Ning gave her a cheerful wave. Du Tian took a deep breath and didn’t look back.

With Du Tian gone, Dai Ning turned back to Zhao Yu, who was watching her.

“You really dislike Du Tian,” he stated.

Dai Ning didn’t deny it; instead, she spoke seriously, “Let’s both dislike her, okay?”

Zhao Yu looked at her for a moment and replied, “That’s ridiculous.”

When it came to being annoying, who could compete with Dai Ning? Zhao Yu didn’t know Du Tian well, but as far as he could tell, she hadn’t done anything to annoy anyone and was, in fact, quite friendly.

If someone else were watching, they’d probably think Dai Ning’s interference meant she was interested in Zhao Yu.

But Zhao Yu wouldn’t think that way. The moment Du Tian left, Dai Ning instinctively put a full meter’s distance between herself and him.

He could guess why. Being out on the grain field all day, he’d worked up a sweat. Even if he were usually a neat person, there was no avoiding it here.

The young lady’s distaste made it clear she’d never be interested in him.

Zhao Yu said to her, “It’s not dark yet. You should head back soon.”

Dai Ning shook her head, resting her chin in her hand.

Du Tian wouldn’t leave, so neither could she. Du Tian was like a cockroach—she’d swoop right back in as soon as Dai Ning left.

Zhao Yu warned her, “If you don’t go on your own, I can’t take you back later.”

Dai Ning replied, “I’m not going back. I’m staying here to guard the grain.”

Knowing her playful nature, Zhao Yu didn’t waste his breath.

If she hadn’t shown up, he’d have eaten by now. Zhao Yu took out a dry, plain biscuit from earlier and started eating it with some cold water.

The biscuit was his younger brother Zhao Ping’s work—hard and tasteless.

Zhao Yu ate with no expression. He’d lived this way since childhood, so he’d grown used to it and accepted it without complaint.

The young lady beside him watched him, her wide eyes unblinking.

Dai Ning had already eaten the dinner Mr. Qian sent her before coming here. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and even though she’d suffered in other ways, she had never lacked food or clothes.

She couldn’t understand how Zhao Yu could put up with such hardship. What was the point of living like this? Surrounded by burdens and trapped in a seemingly hopeless situation.

The sun dipped below the horizon. In the village, people saved on fuel, so it was dark out in the fields, lit only by moonlight and scattered stars.

Mosquitoes circled Dai Ning, so she scooted closer to Zhao Yu to complain.

“Zhao Yu, the mosquitoes are biting me.”

“I’ll give you a flashlight. Go back on your own,” he replied.

Dai Ning shook her head. “No, no.”

Zhao Yu couldn’t shoo away the mosquitoes for her, and the young lady exhausted herself in her battle with them.

Yawning, Dai Ning finally said, “I want to sleep.”

It was strange; she’d been a night owl in the city, but in this quiet village with no signal, her routine had shifted, and she’d been sleeping early.

The young lady’s drowsy voice was soft and a little endearing. Zhao Yu considered this and said, “If you don’t mind, there’s room in the tent.”

“Oh,” Dai Ning replied.

If it were Du Tian, she’d probably ask something considerate like, “But what about you?”

But Dai Ning didn’t ask. The second Zhao Yu suggested it, she happily ran into the tent, reminding him, “And don’t even think about coming in.”

Zhao Yu looked down, well accustomed to her selfish and demanding ways, and replied with a quiet “Mhm” from his nose.

Dai Ning slipped into his tent.

Before today, she had never slept in a cheap tent like this. Once inside, she was momentarily bewildered.

In the dim moonlight, she took in her surroundings: a ragged quilt for a bed, a thin blanket for covering, no pillow—just a straw fan, a book, a water bottle, and a flashlight.

Dai Ning thought to herself, What a pauper!

Suppressing her distaste, she gingerly lay down on the quilt.

Even through the thin padding, she could feel the uneven, lumpy ground beneath, and her delicate body felt so uncomfortable she gasped.

Outside, Zhao Yu listened to the hum of cicadas, planning to get through the night like this. He was young and strong; a few sleepless nights meant nothing to him.

Inside, the girl who had taken over his resting place peeked her head out. “Zhao Yu!”

“What is it?” he asked quietly.

“Come here.”

Zhao Yu walked over and squatted down. In the moonlight, her loose, wavy hair framed her face in an almost charming way. But she immediately began her complaints.

“The ground is so hard. I can’t get comfortable.”

Zhao Yu replied, “This is all we have; you’ve seen it. Everyone here sleeps like this.”

“But I’m not everyone,” she insisted. “I can’t sleep like this. You have to come up with something.”

Zhao Yu felt a headache forming.

“You insisted on following me here. I can’t conjure up a comfortable bed out of nowhere. Either make do, or go back.”

Her cheeks puffed up like a little puffer fish.

Seeing her expression, Zhao Yu couldn’t help but chuckle, but he still didn’t give in. She was spoiled, a textbook case of a pampered princess, used to being indulged.

Besides, he really didn’t have a solution.

Zhao Yu still couldn’t figure out what someone like her—a wealthy family’s treasured daughter—was doing in a remote village like this.

This village lagged decades behind the rest of the country, isolated by mountains, with nothing to see but a lone, bleak moon.

With no help from Zhao Yu, Dai Ning came up with her own solution.

In the moonlight, she doubled up the quilt, laid the thin blanket over it, and then tossed everything into Zhao Yu’s arms.

Then, with a pleased smile, she sprawled onto the “human cushion” she’d created.

Ah… Much better.

Now holding both the quilt and blanket, with her on top of them, Zhao Yu looked at her in silence for a moment before speaking. “Ji Dai Ning.”

“Yes?” she answered cheerfully. “Don’t talk—I’m about to fall asleep.”

A vein twitched on Zhao Yu’s forehead. Does she even know what shame is?

She made herself comfortable, and then, as if remembering something, handed him the straw fan. “I’m hot. Fan me.”

Zhao Yu was beyond words.

In the sweltering summer, he now had two blankets on top of him, plus her.

Recalling her earlier comment about him being nothing but an object to her, Zhao Yu was seriously tempted to toss her off.

The girl’s small, fair face looked delicate as she rested in his arms, her wavy brown hair spilling over his hands.

When his fingers brushed her hair, he realized it was surprisingly soft, coiled and fluffy like a little creature. She had two dark silk ribbons tied into her hair, and when she wasn’t speaking, she looked as charming as a little siren from the sea.

Under the gentle moonlight, Zhao Yu lost track of time and noticed that the young woman was already breathing evenly in sleep.

He wasn’t sure if he had been staring too long or if she had truly fallen asleep quickly.

Dai Ning was born into a life of luxury. Even in her dreams, she seemed to sense discomfort and shifted around, using the back of her hand to rub her face.

Seeing a mosquito land on her cheek, Zhao Yu instinctively picked up the fan and shooed it away.

As if she felt the relief, her expression softened, becoming sweet and serene again.

Zhao Yu couldn’t believe what he had just done. Is she really training me to be her servant?

He tossed the fan aside, contemplating simply pushing her off.

The moonlight gently illuminated her fishtail dress, and as if dreaming something sweet, she smiled in her sleep.

Zhao Yu’s hand paused on her arm, his attention drawn to the small bow in her hair.

Sigh, he thought. What’s the point of arguing with a girl?

Despite the heat and his own discomfort, he finally resigned himself to picking up the fan and fanning her at an idle pace.

Dai Ning fell asleep, blissfully unaware. But Zhao Yu would remember.

That night, the Big Dipper shone particularly bright, the stars turning overhead in a quiet, peaceful sky.

As he looked down at her, Zhao Yu fervently wished she would leave soon. Her presence had disrupted his peaceful life, and he didn’t like the change.