The moment the butler Lin Shu stepped outside, he saw his young master, normally so fastidious he could not stand even the sight of a wrinkled cuff, storming in with a scowl, carrying someone in his arms at long strides.
“Master, madam, this is…”
“Go get the medical kit,” Xie Jingran said, his voice icy as if infused with ice. His steps were steady as he gently set Chu Anhe down on the living room sofa.
He knelt on one knee and lifted Chu Anhe’s pants. Her once-fair knees were now a horrid sight. A sprawling mess of purplish bruises and scraped skin oozing tiny beads of blood. Just looking at them made one wince.
Pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses, Xie Jingran’s brows furrowed deeply. “All this damage and you did not want to go to the hospital just now. Why?”
Chu Anhe, sweating from the pain, forced a smile. “I am really fine. Going to the hospital costs money, and it is just a surface wound. Lin Shu, do we have iodine at home? I can just clean it myself.”
“A surface wound?” Xie Jingran’s anger turned into bitter laughter. He took the warm towel Lin Shu handed him. “One step further and you would be in a wheelchair.”
Though his words were sharp, his hands were astonishingly gentle. He carefully wiped the blood and dirt around the wound with the warm towel, avoiding direct contact.
The hands that signed billion-dollar contracts with calm precision were now slightly stiff.
The system suddenly chimed. [Ding! Detected: Host’s heartache index skyrocketing. Interaction mission triggered.]
Mission: Apply medicine to the target and perform hoo-hoo pain relief treatment.
Mission Dialogue: “Pain goes away.” Must be spoken by the host.
Reward: 10 hours of life value.
Failure Penalty: Be chased by zombies all night in dreams.
Xie Jingran’s hand trembled as he held the towel, almost poking the wound.
Goddamn “Pain goes away.” How could he possibly say something so humiliating.
“Shh” Chu Anhe shrank her leg, eyes red. “Professor Xie, if it is inconvenient, I can do it myself.”
“Do not move.”
Xie Jingran took a deep breath, dipped a cotton swab in iodine, and gently dabbed it on her wound.
“Ugh!” The sting hit immediately. Chu Anhe curled her toes in pain and tears brimmed in her eyes.
The next second, a warm breath brushed over her knee.
Chu Anhe froze.
Xie Jingran lowered his face and softly blew on her wound.
The warmth from his breath eased the sting of the iodine, replacing it with a tingling ticklish sensation that ran along her nerves straight to her heart.
From Chu Anhe’s perspective, she could see his trembling eyelashes, his high straight nose, and the usually cold eyes now flowing with tenderness.
“Professor Xie” Chu Anhe’s voice carried a soft nasal tone. “It really still hurts a little.”
Xie Jingran’s hand paused. Lifting his eyes, he met her watery gaze.
His heart skipped a beat.
The system alerted. Heart rate 125. Host, what is happening? Please answer aloud.
“Shut up” Xie Jingran mentally snapped.
“Hurts huh? Then learn your lesson.” He turned his face away, a faint blush dusting his ears. “Next time, stay away from this sort of thing. I am a man. You do not need to be showing off.”
“Oh, got it.” Chu Anhe sniffled, feeling warmth in her chest as she watched this harsh yet gentle man.
“And” Xie Jingran bit his back teeth and muttered hurriedly, “Pain go away.”
Chu Anhe was puzzled.
Seeing Xie Jingran’s face, almost bloodied with restraint, she wisely chose to stay silent.
After finishing the medicine, Xie Jingran got up to wash his hands. Passing Lin Shu, who was carrying a late-night snack, his steps faltered slightly.
“Lin Shu.”
“Yes, master?”
“Add a strawberry shortcake to tomorrow’s breakfast.” Xie Jingran’s tone was casual, as if giving a mere instruction.
Lin Shu froze. “Master, do you not hate sweets?”
Xie Jingran pictured someone in the restaurant, cream on her lips, smiling blissfully. He tugged the corner of his mouth. “Someone likes them.”
Lin Shu instantly understood, his old face lighting up with a smile.
Yet, Xie Jingran’s brief warmth lasted less than three seconds before the system chimed again at the worst time.
Alert. The host was detected with intense emotional fluctuations today. Adrenaline levels are abnormal.
Randomly triggered Co-Sleeping Guard mode.
Mode Requirement: Enter the same sleeping space as the target within ten minutes. Distance must not exceed 50 cm.
Failure Penalty: Forced sleepwalking mode. The host will automatically climb onto the target’s bed in a dream.
Xie Jingran paused. This system is just trying to make me perverted, isn’t it.
He stopped and turned to Lin Shu with deep dark eyes. “Lin Shu, check the air conditioning in the guest room. I think it is broken.”
“Ah?”
Broken what?
But when Lin Shu met his young master’s gaze, filled with a silent command of must be broken immediately the whole house, the veteran butler of thirty years instantly felt enlightened and theatrically acted.
“Oh, broken, really broken.” Lin Shu slapped his thigh, overacting but sincere. “Master, you are a genius. I was about to report it. The central AC system in the guest room is completely down. Not only leaking, but also electrical leakage. It’s impossible to stay there tonight.”
Xie Jingran nodded with satisfaction and walked back to the sofa where a dazed Chu Anhe sat.
“Did you hear that?” He looked down at her, voice self-righteous. “The guest room is ruined. No place to sleep tonight.”
Chu Anhe hugged a pillow, timidly raising a hand. “But, other rooms…”
Lin Shu quickly added, “Madam, those rooms were just fumigated. The smell is awful.”
Chu Anhe did not give up. “What about the study sofa…”
Xie Jingran cut her off coldly. “My study is full of confidential files. Planning to steal trade secrets while you sleep there?”
Chu Anhe stayed silent.
This cannot work, that cannot work, does that leave her to sleep on the street.
Xie Jingran drank a gulp of ice water, trying to sound like a helpless landlord. “Go to my room. My bed is big. I will give you half.”
Chu Anhe’s eyes widened. “Ah, but…”
“Just sleeping,” Xie Jingran interrupted impatiently, though his eyes flickered slightly. “Considering your injury, if you get a fever and die in the guest room, it would be trouble. Also”
He paused, wanting to say something sharp to scare her, but his mind was flooded by the system alerts.
Gritting his back teeth, he laid down the ace. “Bed is 2.2 meters wide. You sleep on the left, I sleep on the right. Chu-Han boundary, whoever crosses it, gets fined.”
Hearing fine, Chu Anhe’s remaining shyness vanished.
She straightened, saluted, and swore. “Do not worry, boss. I sleep straight like a log. No movement. Whoever crosses the line is the dog.”
Seeing her greed for money, Xie Jingran’s lips involuntarily curved into a faint smile.
Half an hour later, the master bedroom lights went out.
In the dark, the king-size black bed was indeed huge. There was room for two more Lin Shus between them.
“Remember what you said.” Xie Jingran’s back was to her, body stiff as a board, voice tight. “Cross the line once, five hundred deducted.”
“Do not worry, boss. Good night, boss.”
Chu Anhe rolled to the far edge, hugging the blanket, as if Xie Jingran were a terrifying beast.
A minute later, even breathing sounded steady from her side.
Xie Jingran was stunned. Already asleep on a grown man’s bed. How big is this woman’s heart.
That night would be one of the thirty-six hardest nights of Xie Jingran’s life.
In the first half, Chu Anhe stayed obedient. In the latter half, she finally revealed her true self.
A warm arm suddenly crossed over, slapping Xie Jingran’s chest.
Then, a leg boldly crossed the Chu-Han boundary, pressing onto his lower abdomen.
The unique scent of the girl filled his nose.
Xie Jingran stiffened like a stone, breathing instantly chaotic.
The system went wild like a fangirl on a CP forum. Contact achieved. Intimacy plus ten. Host’s heart rate 130.
Long night ahead, hosts do not chicken out, embrace her back, free benefits like this do not come often.
“Shut up” Xie Jingran’s face darkened. He pinched her leg with two fingers and gently pushed it back.
Less than five minutes later:
“Ugh” Chu Anhe grumbled, rolling over like an octopus and entwining herself back into Xie Jingran’s embrace, her head rubbing against his chest finding a comfortable spot.
Push back.
She clings again.
Push.
She holds on tighter.
By dawn, the exhausted young master finally gave up.
With faint dark circles under his eyes, he let the girl who treated him like a body pillow hang on him, feeling both extremely frustrated and restless until morning.
Seeing Chu Anhe sleeping soundly, drooling slightly, Xie Jingran gritted his teeth and muttered. “Chu Anhe, who is the dog. The fines from this night, you will never repay them in your life.”