C14 This Lady will Sleep Here

"What time is it?"

Gu Wenying suddenly stood up with an exclamation.

They had been sitting on the sofa, sharing their sorrowful pasts, and had gradually leaned into each other without realizing it. Now, as she stood, they abruptly parted.

Xia Liang patted his pocket and remembered his phone had broken that morning. He switched on the LCD TV to check the time.

The clock on the TV read 11:15.

"Is it really 11 already?" Gu Wenying gasped in disbelief.

"We lost track of time talking, and now the dorms are locked for the night. It's past curfew," Gu Wenying lamented, tapping her head in frustration. As a top student and model scholar, this was her first time not making it back for the night.

"Do you have anywhere to go? Maybe a relative's place?" Xia Liang inquired, concerned.

"No," Gu Wenying shook her head. "In this world, I don't have a single relative left."

Xia Liang gave Gu Wenying a stunned look, realizing she was even more of an "orphan" than he was.

He at least had Uncle Yao looking out for him and his father's comrades who would occasionally check in on him.

"It's okay. I've gotten used to it. Life goes on. Since I survived the earthquake, I need to live with purpose and make it count," Gu Wenying said, her smile belying her true feelings.

What orphan lives a truly good life? They just manage to not live a terrible one.

"It's far from okay. I understand that..." Xia Liang spoke sincerely, then leaned in and embraced Gu Wenying, who was bravely smiling through tears that threatened to spill.

"Living alone is never whole, lacking any real warmth, as if you're superfluous."

Gu Wenying tensed up, her mind blanking for a moment, but then she melted into Xia Liang's tenderness.

"You're just like me, only you've had it tougher! That's why you've built up walls like a hedgehog, ready to snap at anyone who comes close," she whispered.

"Snapping at people is more a dog's behavior," Xia Liang retorted with a hint of irritation, but then he gently released Gu Wenying.

They exchanged smiles, Xia Liang's a bit strained because smiling was not habitual for him.

"You look better with a straight face; that smile is kind of terrifying," Gu Wenying said, dabbing at her tears.

Xia Liang, usually the one dishing out the barbs, got a taste of his own medicine.

"Um..."

Riding the wave of the moment, Xia Liang ventured, "Can we be friends?"

"We're already friends," Gu Wenying affirmed with a smile, and they shared a knowing look.

Gu Wenying breathed a sigh of relief. She had dreaded that Xia Liang might ask a different, more daunting question—one she, who always strived for precision in her answers, felt unprepared for in her heart. Luckily, he didn't ask, sparing her the need to respond.

Xia Liang, despite this being his first real interaction with a girl, wasn't clueless. His solitary lifestyle had led him to read plenty of magazines and novels, and he understood that feelings, whatever they might be, required patience. Rushing could ruin everything, even a budding friendship.

And as for his own feelings—whether they were platonic or romantic—he was still trying to figure that out...

After finishing a bottle of soda, Xia Liang inquired, "Won't you get in trouble for not returning to the dorm?"

"What trouble? I'll just make up an excuse. As a top student, no one fusses if I don't come back at night," Gu Wenying said with a chuckle.

"That's so unfair. If I, the underachiever, did that, I'd probably end up with a reprimand and toilet-cleaning duty," Xia Liang grumbled.

"No, you've got it even better than me. You're the only student who commutes from off-campus; the rest of us are boarders," Gu Wenying corrected with a shake of her head.

"Then, how about you stay at the hotel across the street tonight? I'll pay for it—it's the least I can do since you were held up because of me," Xia Liang suggested after a moment's thought.

"There's no need. I'll just stay here tonight," Gu Wenying said nonchalantly, running her hand over the sofa's smooth, soft surface.

"What?" Xia Liang blurted out, his composure slipping into panic.

"I really like this apartment. So, can I crash here tonight?" Gu Wenying asked, her laughter light as she watched Xia Liang struggle to maintain his poise.

"That doesn't seem appropriate," Xia Liang managed to say, his throat suddenly feeling parched.

"No problem at all. I'm not sharing a bed with you; I'll sleep on the couch. I trust you won't make any midnight moves," Gu Wenying asserted with confidence.

"Well then, suit yourself! If you're not worried, why should I be?" Xia Liang shrugged, his curiosity about Gu Wenying piqued.

What normal girl would spend the night at a single guy's place? It seemed like she was asking for trouble...

"Could she actually like me?"

Xia Liang shook his head, finding friendships to be complicated with too many unpredictable elements to figure out on his own.

But one thing he was certain of: he would never do anything inappropriate in the night.

...

Xia Liang pulled out an air conditioning blanket he had never used due to its color, gave it a sniff, and detected only a faint camphor scent. It was decent enough to use.

Once he had tidied up the sofa and transformed it into a makeshift bed, there was a knock at the door. It was Gu Wenying, returning from her shopping trip.

She had purchased not only her necessities but also toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, slippers, and socks.

Given their situation, she opted not to shower in Xia Liang's bathroom, instead just freshening up with her newly bought items.

As the evening wore on, they exchanged goodnights, and Xia Liang retired to his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

The bed linens weren't exactly clean, so he didn't offer the bed to Gu Wenying. He lay down alone, turned off the light, but sleep eluded him.

His keen sense of smell picked up the faint fragrance of Gu Wenying, setting his thoughts adrift.

The day had been eventful, and now he had made a new female friend who was sleeping just outside his room, which left Xia Liang feeling restless.

But his well-honed discipline, born from long periods of solitude, gradually soothed his mind, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when suddenly the bedroom door creaked. Groggily, he sensed someone entering the room.

Before he could fully grasp the situation, a figure with a delicate scent tiptoed onto the bed and snuggled into his embrace...

Meanwhile, Gu Wenying, lying in the living room, was enveloped in darkness as soon as the lights went out, her nerves on edge in the unfamiliar environment.

"Take a deep breath. I can get through this."

She was well aware of the anxiety and fear that crept in when she was alone in the darkness, having faced it several times before. At least she had some strategies to cope.

"Just clear your mind... let it go blank."

Battling the rising tide of fear within, she occasionally pinched the back of her hand—a sharp reminder to herself to ward off the encroaching nightmares.

As time wore on, her weary mind began to succumb to sleep's lure, her consciousness fading.

The haunting nightmares of her childhood didn't release their grip; they seemed to tighten just as her awareness grew dimmer.

In her groggy state, Gu Wenying sensed the air around her grow thick with the scent of blood and heat, only to shift back to the familiar, slightly antiseptic aroma of the room.

Her instinct was to fight the nightmare, but then she caught the faint sound of breathing.

She rose from the sofa bed as if sleepwalking and moved toward the sound.

Deep down, she believed that the presence of another's breath could chase away the terrifying dreams, so she let it guide her forward.