Hazy and indistinct, the details were hard to make out against the backlight.
The indoor cameras had long since been covered. Everything in front of her fell entirely into Yin Shuwei’s view, and only then did she belatedly realize that they were even closer than they were at home.
Yu Xingzhi lived in a three-hundred-square-meter luxury apartment. At home, Yin Shuwei had so many places to play hide-and-seek that even talking to him required sending a message or making a call first.
The master bedroom of this self-built house—even counting the bathroom and toilet—was only about thirty square meters.
‘Her‘ wet hair was still dripping, and Yin Shuwei suddenly thought of the sirens in mythology that lured people with their songs.
“It’s an electric water heater. It’s a bit different from the one at home—do you need me to show you how to use it?”
The siren began to sing.
Yin Shuwei scrambled up, grabbed her clothes, and dashed into the bathroom. “No need, I know how.”
After cleansing her soul with hot water, Yin Shuwei came out to find Yu Xingzhi standing by the bed, looking somewhat aggrieved. She couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
“I accidentally slipped and fell while clearing the dishes and spilled the food on the bed,” Yu Xingzhi said with great distress, somewhat resignedly grabbing the bedsheet. “You go ahead and sleep. I’ll go wash this, or ask the production team for a new set if it doesn’t work.”
As he spoke, he let out a weary yawn.
Yu Xingzhi lifted the soiled bedsheet and duvet cover, only to find a large stain of oil had soaked through to the mattress underneath. He paused, seemingly surprised by the extent of the damage.
On impulse, Yin Shuwei said, “Forget it, don’t bother. If we keep fussing, it’ll be past midnight. We probably have a lot to do tomorrow, and just because the production team gave us nice accommodations doesn’t necessarily mean things will go smoothly.”
“Is that really okay?” Yu Xingzhi asked hesitantly.
Only then did Yin Shuwei realize how thoughtless her sleep-addled words had been. She had no idea how to respond, but suddenly, the edge of the bed sank slightly.
A pillow was placed in the middle, serving as a makeshift boundary.
“Thank you. You’re really kind,” Yu Xingzhi said, his eyes bright and sincere.
Yin Shuwei truly couldn’t handle being praised. With things already having come to this, she thought, Might as well sleep. The single bed isn’t that small anyway.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, sleepiness washed over Yin Shuwei. She didn’t quite catch what Yu Xingzhi was still singing afterward. Hazily turning over, she mumbled, “Pretty siren, stop singing.”
A soft chuckle echoed in the deep night.
Yin Shuwei was awakened by the persistent quacking of ducks.
Since coming here, her sleep quality had improved significantly. Apart from occasionally arguing with netizens, she hardly used her phone, went to bed early and woke up early without much pressure, and felt more alive than ever.
“Quack, quack, quack—”
The ducks outside the window continued their chorus.
Yin Shuwei rolled over. It had been a long time since she experienced such a lively morning. Ever since moving to the city with her parents, the roosters crowing, dogs barking, ducks quacking, and geese chirping that filled village mornings had become a thing of the past. In her dazed state, she almost felt as though she had returned to her childhood.
The pillow serving as the boundary was nowhere to be seen, and the spot beside her felt cool to the touch. Opening her eyes, Yin Shuwei noticed that the other bed had been stripped down to just the mattress.
She wasn’t sure if it was because she’d slept too soundly or because Yu Xingzhi worked with such gentle, deft movements.
“Awake?” Yu Xingzhi was holding two eggs.
Yin Shuwei fumbled her way to brush her teeth. Only when cold water splashed on her face did she fully wake up.
Recalling the events of the last night and seeing the eggs before her, Yin Shuwei decided to act as if nothing had happened. After all, it was just sharing a bed—she had simply done a good deed, one that benefited others while leaving a lingering fragrance for herself.
It was just… when everything described in the book became reality, Yin Shuwei realized that beneath the sparse words lay real lives, ones that couldn’t be fully captured with just a few simple strokes.
She never would have imagined that Yu Xingzhi, who was so intent on destroying Shen Jin in the story, was actually a very gentle person before everything changed.
Someone who would fret over making a mess, and whose eyes would light up at recieving the slightest kindness.
Such a good person—only to end up gloomy and obsessive. Entirely the fault of that inhuman author!
“Why do you have eggs? Didn’t the production team say they wouldn’t provide us with breakfast?”
The eggs were already boiled. Yin Shuwei skillfully rolled one against the table, cracking the shell, then peeled it off in neat circles.
Perfect—still soft in the middle.
“The owner of this house raises chickens and ducks,” Yu Xingzhi explained. “They couldn’t take them away, but hoped we’d help feed them. They left some feed and rice bran behind.”
Yin Shuwei: “Ah, so we shouldn’t have any issues with breakfast from now on.”
Only after eating at home did the two of them step outside. After all, why let others know they were enjoying a little treat on their own?
【Ahhhh, report them, report them—they’re eating eggs!!!】
【Are you guys really this easy to get triggered? Your possessiveness over other people’s stuff is a bit too much—go see a doctor.】
【What do you mean ‘other people’s stuff’? This is the homeowner’s property. This is theft! Yin Shuwei’s fans are just like her—no manners, all thieves!】
It wasn’t until Yin Shuwei reached downstairs that she realized why it was so noisy.
The ducks in their yard had been lingering near the fence after waking up in the morning. Coincidentally, Yu Xingzhi had gone out to look for eggs, opened the gate, and the ducks, familiar with the routine, waddled out and started quacking loudly, visiting the neighboring houses one by one.
All three groups of guests were staying together. If not for their disturbance, the ducks would have been let out around seven, happily heading to the pond to splash around and forage.
But now, the other two groups hadn’t even gotten out of bed. The ducks were growing impatient, splitting into two groups and quacking loudly in the yards. Meanwhile, the ducks still trapped inside responded even more loudly, creating a chaotic yet lively symphony of quacks.
Lin Rongrong had actually gotten up quite early, but after searching around without finding anything to eat, and then hearing the ducks quacking, she ended up spinning in circles, completely at a loss.
The moment she saw Yin Shuwei, it was like seeing a savior—the plea for help practically spilling out of her eyes.
Yin Shuwei first went to Lin Rongrong’s yard to let the ducks out, then did the same at Shen Jin’s place.
The three flocks of ducks finally converged, exchanged a few quacks among themselves, flapped their wings, and waddled off toward the pond with their fluffy bottoms swaying side to side.
Yin Shuwei couldn’t shake the feeling that when they’d gathered just now, they were cursing people—and definitely not saying anything nice.
【Do ducks look for friends too? Kinda cute. Fine, I won’t eat spicy duck neck today.】
【How is Yin Shuwei on the same wavelength as ducks? I have no idea what they’re yelling about.】
【Woke up in the morning just to see a script, what bad luck!】
【If you think it’s s such a bad luck, then go burn yourself in an incense burner; let the true fire refine you until you’re brimming with righteousness.】
“So… how are you guys planning to handle breakfast?” Lin Rongrong asked, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Maybe you should check where the ducks live,” Yin Shuwei hinted.
Lin Rongrong suddenly understood and went to look. She wasn’t a squeamish person nor was she the type to be overly delicate—even if she felt a little uncomfortable, she didn’t hesitate to pick up the eggs when she saw them, though she only found two.
Just as she was about to head back to wash them and then, either boil or fry them, she ran into Lu Jinming, who had just come downstairs after finished washing up.
“What are you holding?” Lu Jinming asked, holding his breath.
Lin Rongrong held them up for him to see. “Fresh duck eggs. Do you want them boiled or fried?”
Lu Jinming couldn’t accept it at all—he even seemed a little on the verge of a breakdown. “I don’t eat things that have poop on it.”
Yin Shuwei suddenly popped her head in. “What, you eat poop?”
T/n: The New Chapter is Up! Stay tuned for more craziness. You can support the original author here. If you’re enjoying what I am doing you can buy me a Ko-fi for extra support. Happy Reading 💅 🙃.