Chi Yang began to regret the decision she had just made.
Especially when she arrived at Xie Youci’s room and realized there was only one bed.
Chi Yang: “…”
She tightened her grip on the item her aunt had given her, suddenly so angry that she lifted her hand and threw it into the trash can.
Xie Youci hadn’t even known about it.
He casually followed the trajectory with his eyes, his gaze lingering on the trash can for two seconds before turning to Chi Yang with a complicated expression. “Mrs. Xie.”
“I never expected you to have such thoughts about me? You even prepared the tools in advance?”
Chi Yang’s cheeks were still flushed.
She turned her head to glare at Xie Youci, annoyed. “Keep dreaming! How could I possibly prepare something like that? Your aunt gave it to me.”
“And you accepted it?”
“Should I have taken a megaphone and announced to your relatives that we’re just putting on a show and don’t actually have a marital relationship?”
Xie Youci lazily stuffed his hands into his pockets. “So, is that also why you agreed to let my mom stay here tonight?”
Chi Yang’s face flushed even redder.
She struggled for a long time before finally blurting out an excuse, “Well, that’s all your fault!”
“My fault how?”
“How was I supposed to know there’s only one bed in your room?”
“…And that’s my fault?”
“I don’t care.”
Chi Yang bent down to pick up a pillow, then pushed the other one off the bed. “You’re sleeping on the floor.”
Xie Youci glanced down at the pillow on the floor, bent over to pick it up, and tossed it back onto the bed. “Chi Erer.”
“You were the one who agreed to stay here. Sharing half the bed is already the biggest concession I’m making.”
Chi Yang hugged the pillow, on the verge of tears from frustration.
She pouted, “I just couldn’t bear to refuse your mom. She’s so gentle and enthusiastic. If I’d said I didn’t want her to stay, she would’ve been so hurt.”
Xie Youci hadn’t expected that.
His wife seemed to have quite the motherly affection complex.
Xie Youci lowered his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But there aren’t any extra bedding sets in the room, so we can’t make a bed on the floor.”
Still, he couldn’t stand seeing Chi Yang’s eyes redden with frustration.
After a long silence, he looked up at her again and coaxed softly, “Let’s make do for one night?”
Chi Yang turned her flushed face away, refusing to look at him.
Xie Youci leaned lazily against the wall behind him. “It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve slept together anyway.”
Chi Yang: ?
She suddenly widened her eyes and glared at him. “That last time was a drunken accident! An accident! How can an accident be the same?”
“Then why don’t you have a drink tonight too?”
“…”
Chi Yang angrily threw the pillow back onto the bed.
Then she leaned over, lifted her feet, and reached out to draw a useless boundary at the three-sevenths mark. “This side is yours, that side is mine. No crossing the line!”
Xie Youci glanced at it indifferently.
Seven parts for her, three for him.
Fortunately, the bed was fairly large, and the area Chi Yang had allocated him wouldn’t force him to roll onto the floor.
“Fine.” Xie Youci didn’t even bother lifting his eyelids.
He walked toward the walk-in closet, took out a clean set of pajamas, then paused as if remembering something. He turned to look at Chi Yang. “You first or me first?”
Chi Yang chose without hesitation: she would go first.
Rather than having Xie Youci already washed up and lying in bed while she had to climb in wearing her pajamas, she preferred to wash up first and get into bed to secure the advantage.
She rushed into the walk-in closet to find her pajamas.Fortunately, Su Jinyue, her mother-in-law, truly respected her and didn’t specifically pick out sexy nightwear to help the two of them foster their relationship.
Although Chi Yang also found black lace-strapped nightgowns and sexy lingerie in the wardrobe, she could also find all sorts of conservative styles.
In the end, Chi Yang picked out a long-sleeved, long-pants pajama set, along with underwear that wasn’t particularly sexy but was quite unique and pretty.
Xie Youci sat on the single sofa.
He lazily stretched out his long legs, looking down at his phone, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught Chi Yang scurrying into the bathroom like a little mouse, clutching her things tightly.
He let out a low, ambiguous chuckle.
Soon, the sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom.
…
Chi Yang’s bath lasted quite a while.
Whether it was because she was genuinely meticulous and thorough or because she didn’t want to face the prospect of sharing a bed later, Xie Youci was almost asleep by the time she finally emerged.
The bathroom was filled with swirling steam, which rushed out eagerly as the door was pushed open.
Before Xie Youci could even look up, a faint, pleasant scent of shower gel, hidden within the steam, suddenly drifted into his senses.
Xie Youci casually lifted his gaze.
He saw Chi Yang already dressed in a cherry-blossom pink silk pajama set, her damp hair cascading loosely as she walked out.
Barefoot on the woolen carpet, her delicate, fair toes curled slightly against the rug. “Um… Xie Youci, where’s the hairdryer in your bedroom?”
Xie Youci paused for a moment.
He lowered his crossed legs and stood up, striding toward the bathroom. Chi Yang turned her head to look at him and saw him open the cabinet behind the bathroom mirror, pulling out the hairdryer.
“Thank you.” Chi Yang quickly took it.
Then, clutching the hairdryer, she hurriedly ducked back into the bathroom, shutting Xie Youci—who had been used and discarded—outside.
“Tch—”
Xie Youci glanced indifferently at her retreating figure before going to fetch his own change of clothes.
Chi Yang soon emerged with her hair dried.
Without even glancing at Xie Youci, she hopped onto the bed like a cat, pulled the covers over herself, turned her back to him, and pretended to be asleep.
Xie Youci walked into the bathroom as if he hadn’t noticed.
But Chi Yang nervously gripped the blanket, completely unsure how to face what was coming next.
Ugh…
If only she had been a little more stubborn and refused!
Although she and Xie Youci were already married, and she had no intention of divorcing, they were both adults. Sooner or later, they would have to fulfill their marital duties to satisfy each other’s needs.
But the problem was…
She wasn’t ready yet!
Chi Yang closed her eyes in frustration, trying to force herself to fall asleep quickly. She thought that if Xie Youci got into bed after she was already asleep, it might not be so awkward.
But the more she tried to sleep, the more awake she became.
Until she heard a crisp “click”—Xie Youci pushed open the bathroom door and walked out.
Chi Yang’s scalp instantly tightened.
She gripped the blanket even more tightly, closing her eyes and pretending to be sound asleep.
Soon.
She felt the other side of the bed dip, followed by the scent of men’s shower gel—woody, clean, and refreshing—wafting over from under the covers and drifting into her senses.
Chi Yang held her breath, not daring to make a sound.
After getting into bed, Xie Youci glanced at Chi Yang, who was only half-visible under the covers, then leaned over to turn off the light before pulling the blanket over himself and lying down beside her.
Chi Yang’s closed eyes trembled, even her eyelashes quivering.She thought this matter would end here, and that the two of them only needed to maintain their final tacit understanding—neither speaking nor moving, peacefully passing through the night.
Yet she never expected Xie Youci to suddenly turn his head and look at her, asking softly, “Asleep?”