After a brief pause...
Feng Yan's arms finally loosened their grip slightly.
Overwhelmed by the abrupt sensation, Sang Lu scrambled away as if fleeing for her life.
The tips of her ears burned red, and she refused to dwell on it, immediately reaching for her phone on the nightstand.
The ringing had just stopped.
The screen displayed a missed call notification: "Beloved Mom Lin."
Sang Lu's heart tightened.
Mom's call?
At this late hour? What could it be about?
"It's my mom. I need to call her back," she said without looking up.
As she spoke, she heard Feng Yan respond with a low, hoarse "Mm."
The dial tone buzzed a few times before the call connected.
"Mom..."
"Lu Lu," Lin Yueyin's voice came through the phone, "are you asleep yet?"
Hearing her mother's usual tone, Sang Lu felt a weight lift off her chest. "Not yet," she answered.
"It's already eleven. Still working? Overtime again?"
Lin Yueyin knew her daughter's job often kept her busy late into the night.
Sang Lu's fingers curled slightly around the phone, her mind momentarily blank.
Had it really gotten that late?
She could've sworn it was only ten-thirty when she turned off her tablet.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the figure by the bed and cleared her throat guiltily. "No, I'm not busy. What's up?"
"Oh, it's nothing much. Just your dad—he couldn't wait to show off and insisted I call you right away," Lin Yueyin said with a laugh. "Today, when we went to the supermarket, his usually terrible luck turned around—he won a premium wagyu beef gift set and a king crab in a raffle. When are you and Feng Yan free? Come home for dinner."
"Dad's luck actually turned around?!" Sang Lu gasped. "Work’s been light lately, so I’m free anytime. I’ll check with him and let you know."
"You’re not at home? Why not ask him now?"
Lin Yueyin sounded puzzled.
Why wait when it could be settled in a second?
"Huh? Oh... I am at home," Sang Lu stammered.
Her gaze flickered toward the bed.
Feng Yan was still sitting there.
His arms braced behind him, head tilted back slightly, veins prominent along his forearms and hands.
As if struggling to hold back something.
His Adam's apple bobbed.
The dark bathrobe pooled around him, its deep folds concealing—or perhaps not quite concealing—certain traces.
She didn’t dare look further.
Sensing her gaze, the man lifted his eyes.
Their stares collided abruptly.
Sang Lu flinched as if scalded by his gaze and quickly averted her eyes.
Ask him now?
That... didn’t seem appropriate...
"Is Feng Yan not home?"
Lin Yueyin pressed on, her tone growing stern.
In her mind, a married man not being home late at night was suspicious.
Knowing her mother’s temperament, Sang Lu quickly fabricated an excuse:
"Feng Yan’s in the shower."
Her voice was soft and hesitant, betraying her lie.
To sell it, she forced a light, cheerful lilt at the end.
The moment the words left her mouth—
The silent man by the bed twitched.
At the sound of "Feng Yan" slipping from her lips, his eyelids flickered.
His gaze darkened, drifting downward slowly.
Just when he’d regained some control...
Now...
His ironclad restraint crumbled over a mere term of endearment.
He inhaled deeply.
Pinched the bridge of his nose.
Sang Lu, wholly focused on deflecting her sharp-witted mother’s questions, missed his reaction entirely.
On the other end, Lin Yueyin’s suspicions finally eased.
"Alright, just let me know once you've settled on a time."
Sang Lu: "Mhm~ Got it~"
The call ended.
The room fell back into silence.
And in that silence,
a certain unspoken tension seemed to amplify.
Sang Lu pressed her lips together, glancing down at her wrinkled pajamas and the tousled mess of her hair.
She stole a casual glance at Feng Yan.
He wasn’t faring much better—his striking features still carried that cool detachment, but his dark hair was disheveled.
Moonlight spilled through the gap in the curtains, cutting a sharp, geometric square onto the floor.
Sang Lu stared blankly at that sliver of light.
Silence.
Silence was the bridge tonight.
"I’ll read a novel."
"I’m going to shower."
After a pause, they spoke at the same time.
Their eyes met.
Feng Yan: "Alright."
Sang Lu: "Mhm."
Again, they responded in unison.
Feng Yan stood and walked toward the bathroom.
Watching his tall, straight-backed figure, Sang Lu paused.
Sang Lu: ???
Didn’t he just shower half an hour ago?
Her expression stiffened, her cheeks flushing instantly.
Was he… going to take a cold shower?
She shook her head,
as if to physically dislodge the indecent thoughts.
Scolding herself internally for reading too many romance novels.
Why did her imagination have to kick in at times like this?
Sang Lu flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow and yanking the blanket over her head.
Through the thin covers, the faint sound of running water drifted into her ears.
The heat in her face only grew more pronounced.
...
By the time Feng Yan had washed away the restless heat and stepped out of the bathroom, Sang Lu was already asleep.
A few stray droplets clung to his skin, no steam rising from him.
His gaze softened at the sight of the blanket-covered lump on the bed.
Fell asleep so quickly.
Just like last time—was she tired again?
The mattress dipped slightly as he lay down.
Reaching over, he gently tugged the blanket down just enough to free her face,
letting fresh air circulate.
Sang Lu was a light sleeper. The movement stirred her, and her drowsy eyes fluttered open,
meeting his.
Remembering the matter Lin Yueyin had brought up, she peered up at him from under the covers,
her voice soft and sleep-laced:
"When are you free soon? My dad won a wagyu beef gift set and a king crab in a supermarket raffle. He wants us to come home for dinner."
Then, as an afterthought, she added:
"Oh, right. Last time I ran into Feng Bai, he asked me to tell you and Grandpa that he won’t be able to make it back to the family dinner next month. He’s busy with the fields."
Feng Yan’s face was shadowed, backlit enough that Sang Lu couldn’t quite read his expression,
but she saw him pause,
as if processing the words "busy with the fields."
In the brief silence, Sang Lu waited quietly.
She marveled at how adaptable they both were.
Always managing to shift from kissing to discussing completely unrelated things.
Last time, it was gaming consoles. Today, it was family errands.
Just as her thoughts began to wander again, his voice pulled her back.
"Saturday. We’ll go for lunch, then stop by the old house in the evening. We should go earlier—"
His tone was calm, clear in the quiet bedroom:
"—because I’ll be leaving for Hong Kong soon."
Sang Lu’s ears perked up, sleepiness vanishing instantly.
She sat halfway up, eyes wide as she stared at him.
"Business trip?"
"When exactly?"
"How long will you be gone?"
"When are you coming back?"
"Are you flying?"
The questions tumbled out rapid-fire, one after another.
It wasn't until she saw a faint trace of confusion flicker across the man's aloof face that she belatedly realized her reaction might have been too intense.
She blinked, forcing a composed smile in an attempt to appear casual and unruffled.
The smile was light and delicate, yet somehow endearingly clueless.
Feng Yan: "...?"
