Ch42 - (II). Can I hold you while I sleep?

To avoid disturbing Yan Chen, Rong Jun had someone bring dinner directly to his room.

But even after they finished eating late into the night, Yan Chen showed no intention of leaving.

Sitting on the sofa and watching TV, Rong Jun gradually began to feel uneasy. The later it got, the faster his heart seemed to beat, completely out of his control.

At last, he couldn’t take it anymore and abruptly stood up.

“I—I’m going to take a shower, you should go to your room now.”

Yan Chen nodded casually, his gaze still fixed on the television.

“….”

Rong Jun opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t bother saying anything anymore. He turned and walked slowly into the bathroom.

…

When he came back out, Yan Chen was gone.

Rong Jun paused in the living room, his expression troubled.

After a moment, he draped the towel over his damp hair and returned to the bedroom.

His hair had grown to his shoulders over the past few months. Water droplets slid down the strands and seeped into his pajamas, sending a faint chill through his body. He shivered slightly and quickly climbed into bed.

He stacked two pillows against the headboard, tossed the towel aside, and switched off the main light, leaving only the warm glow of the bedside lamp.

The soft light spread softly across the blanket, fading gently into the surrounding darkness.

Rong Jun lay there, scrolling through messages on his phone, completely absorbed.

Until…

[Rustle!]

A faint sound outside the door snapped his attention away.

The doorknob turned with a soft click.

The door opened and a tall figure stepped inside.

It was Yan Chen.

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The excuse was… questionable. But his acting was convincing. And in this half-beast form, he looked far too harmless, almost unfairly so.

Rong Jun couldn’t bring himself to refuse. After a long pause, he shifted slightly to the side, making space.

His bed was large enough. Even if they slept together, it wouldn’t be crowded.

It should have been simple. But the moment Yan Chen climbed onto the bed, Rong Jun suddenly froze.

Because he remembered what Qu Po had said earlier.

‘Things couples do…’

His ears burned at the thought.

Could it be… Yan Chen is planning to have sex… tonight?

Rong Jun pressed his lips together, his cheeks flushing faintly in the dim light. He silently pulled a pillow closer and lay down stiffly.

…

Yan Chen turned onto his side, facing him.

“Qingqing.”

Rong Jun jolted upright.

“What—what is it?”

“…Can I hold you while we sleep?”

The air between them grew strangely heavy, so quiet that even the smallest movement seemed so deafening.

Rong Jun swallowed hard.

His throat bobbed slightly, betraying his nervousness. But he forced himself to sound calm. “…Come here.”

Yan Chen froze. He hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly. He had even deliberately come in his half-beast form to increase his chances, and was fully prepared to shamelessly stay even if Rong Jun refused.

And now… He was lying in bed! Holding the person he loved.

Rong Jun’s heartbeat was fast. Too fast.

Yan Chen could feel it clearly through the thin fabric between them.

He knew exactly what Rong Jun was worried about.

So he reached up, gently smoothing down his slightly messy hair, his fingers brushing softly past his ear.

“I won’t do anything,” he murmured. “I really just want to hold you.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. He simply didn’t dare.

Back then, Rong Jun had firmly rejected him, even refusing something as simple as a hug. It had taken months before Yan Chen could truly believe that his feelings weren’t being misunderstood.

Now that things are back from the start. Just being allowed to hold him like this was already enough to make him want to celebrate.

…

Rong Jun didn’t believe a word of it.

Men always say that.

And Yan Chen had tricked him more than once before.

Still…he said nothing.

He let out a quiet “Mm,” closed his eyes, and adjusted himself into a comfortable position in Yan Chen’s arms.

Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep pretending. There was no way Yan Chen would just fall asleep with him like this.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Several hours later…

“…Mm?”

Rong Jun slowly opened his eyes.

For a moment, he stared blankly at Yan Chen, who was still fast asleep in front of him.

Then he looked down at their neatly worn pajamas.

At their perfectly proper distance.

“….”

Nothing.

???

Rong Jun couldn’t accept this outcome at all.

Not because he particularly wanted anything to happen…But because—He was this good-looking. And Yan Chen had simply held him all night…and done absolutely nothing?!

Was he not attractive at all?!

In a sudden burst of indignation, Rong Jun lifted his leg and kicked Yan Chen straight off the bed.

“—Ah!”

Yan Chen hit the floor with a thud, his eyes snapping open.

He blinked several times in confusion, his mind completely blank as pain spread through his backside and stomach.

“…Huh???”

Why was he on the floor?

He didn’t remember moving at all in his sleep.