C3 Flower Lantern

"Who told you to sit here?"

"Are you deaf? Didn't I just tell you that you're not allowed to sleep on the bed?"

Zhou Pu had been sitting on the sofa, but when he moved to the bed, she promptly pushed him onto the floor. It dawned on him that she did not want him sharing a room with her.

Zhou Pu wasn't upset, though. It made sense that a girl might not want to share a room with him given his circumstances. He picked up a blanket and headed for the door. But as he opened it, he froze. Lin Yijing was standing there, a stern look on his face.

"Zhou, where are you off to?" Lin Yijing's expression darkened.

"I, I..." Zhou Pu was caught off guard by the old man's presence at the door. He had no idea when Lin Yijing had arrived or if he had overheard their earlier conversation. Not being good at lying, Zhou Pu struggled to find an explanation.

"Yun'er, what's going on?" Lin Yijing shifted his gaze to Yun'er in the room, his brow furrowing.

"Come inside, quickly. How can you sleep in the living room? It's freezing this time of year." Lin Yun'er grabbed Zhou Pu's arm, pinching him hard while pretending to scold her grandfather playfully, "Grandfather, stop being so nosy. You shouldn't be eavesdropping outside. You're not in the best of health; please, go back and rest!"

"I didn't come to eavesdrop. I'm here to tell you that you have a week's leave for your honeymoon. Go to the company tomorrow to hand over your work, then spend some quality time with Zhou." His tone then became serious, "I'm glad I checked on you. What's this about sleeping in separate rooms right after getting married?"

"Of course not," Yun'er quickly interjected, snatching the blanket and nudging Zhou Pu, "Right?"

"Oh… Yes, it's quite late now. Grandfather, you should get some rest."

"Zhou, I had hoped to make this wedding a grand celebration, but alas..." Lin Yijing sighed, looking apologetic.

"No, no, it's fine, really. Everything is wonderful as it is."

"Well, that's good to hear. Take good care of Yun'er, and I hope to see a healthy grandchild soon, haha..." Lin Yijing clapped Zhou Pu on the shoulder, his mood lifting. It appeared he hadn't caught their earlier exchange after all.

Zhou Pu felt awkward amidst the old man's laughter. He glanced at Yun'er, who had turned away, her expression unreadable, leaving him uncertain whether she was upset.

Zhou Pu and Lin Yun'er found themselves with no other option but to share a room. Zhou, lying on the sofa and tucked under a blanket, stole a glance at Yun'er, who was snugly cocooned in the bed covers. He let out a sigh, thinking he might have been better off sleeping outside.

He had been coerced into washing his feet not once, but twice that day, despite having already showered. He couldn't tell if Yun'er had a nose like a bloodhound, as she claimed to still detect an odor. All he could smell was the faint scent of roses. He suspected she was just looking for faults. She was not only a tough cookie but also seemed to have obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Shoes and socks had to be arranged neatly by the door, and clothes had to be folded just so. By the time he was undressing, Yun'er had already burrowed into the blankets. Worried about a potential reprimand, he carefully hung his shirt and trousers in the wardrobe. The wardrobe was impressively large, filled mostly with her clothes. He dared not linger on them, instead finding a spot to hang the wedding company's clothes. They were crisp and clearly expensive; he knew his modest savings wouldn't cover their cost and was careful not to crease them.

Turning back to the bed, he noticed a slight movement under the covers and thought of Yun'er lying there, her figure and face reminiscent of a celebrity, which sent a thrill through him. But then he remembered her assertive nature and shook his head; she was not someone he wanted to cross.

Exhausted from the day's activities, Zhou quickly fell asleep, only to be rudely awakened by something hitting him. A pillow lay on the blanket, and Yun'er was giving him a blank stare that left him utterly confused about how he had annoyed her this time.

"Don't sleep. Your snoring is keeping me awake," she said, seeing Zhou Pu about to return the pillow. She sharply added, "Stop, stop. Don't give me anything you've touched."

"I'm not a virus..." Zhou Pu grumbled under his breath, careful not to be overheard. Resigning himself to wakefulness, he pulled out his phone to read a novel.

"Turn off the phone. It's disturbing my sleep," commanded Yun'er from within her cocoon of blankets, speaking as if she were addressing a servant.

In the darkness, Zhou Pu lay with his eyes wide open, gazing at the pitch-black ceiling. Forbidden from sleeping or checking his phone, he was left to his thoughts. Was this really how he was spending his wedding night? Why was he so timid? Why did he always have to listen to her? Why was it always him making concessions? Couldn't she be the one to show some understanding?

Fumbling in the dark, he retrieved the smooth jade ring from his pocket—the sole heirloom his grandfather had bequeathed to him. He had hoped to honor his grandfather's last wish by passing it on, but now, feeling like a disappointment, he was unsure. After much internal debate, Zhou Pu wrapped himself entirely in his quilt, ensuring the light from his phone screen wouldn't escape. He reassured himself, rationalizing that it wasn't wrong for a girl to want a peaceful night's sleep. His snoring and phone use were indeed disruptive. So, he decided to use his phone under the covers and wait for her to fall asleep before he did.

Huddled in his blanket cocoon, Zhou Pu listened for any sound from outside. His method seemed to work, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The light from his phone illuminated the blue and white jade ring, casting a soft glow. He had seen his grandfather wear this ring since childhood. Rumored to be made from Hetian jade, it had been in the family for generations. He was about to look up information on Hetian jade when the ring slipped from his grasp. Despite searching frantically in the blanket, it was nowhere to be found. It was baffling—where could it have possibly gone in such a confined space? The commotion must have been too loud, as Lin Yun'er's voice chastised him from outside, "What are you doing? Stop tossing and turning and be quiet!"

Zhou Pu slowed his movements, but the ring had vanished as if into thin air. It was the treasured family heirloom his grandfather had left him, and he was desperate to find it. Turning on his phone's flashlight, he searched meticulously. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an additional app on his phone's home screen. The app's icon was the image of the jade ring. Zhou Pu was certain he had never installed such an app, and oddly, there was no description beneath the Rings App. It simply stood out, alone in the center of the screen.

Driven by curiosity, he tapped the screen. Suddenly, the desktop dimmed, revealing three icons. The first displayed a triangle with an eye inside it. The second showed a compass atop a ruler, and the third bore the number 666. With no text to explain their meaning, he was left puzzled. Were these icons presenting a multiple-choice question? Would different selections lead to varying outcomes? Could he possibly retrieve his ring? Or was this a virus? He knew better than to tap at random—best to exit and avoid any potential harm. This app seemed eerily suspicious.