Chapter 22

The room, which had felt spacious and cold just moments ago, suddenly seemed intimate and cramped. The chill slowly receded, and the air grew warm.

Xi Yu walked to the door, passing in front of Yu Nianyi. “It’s not like the city center here. At night, keep the window closed.”

Yu Nianyi leaned against the doorframe. Her half-dry hair had already dried completely; fluffy and glossy, it spilled over her shoulders.

“Thanks for looking out for me, Sister Xi Yu. I know.”

Xi Yu hummed in acknowledgment, then took a few steps before stopping about three paces from the bedroom door and turning slightly. Her gaze swept over Yu Nianyi’s smiling face. “This door locks automatically. Keep that in mind.”

Yu Nianyi glanced down at the door handle out of habit; it was different from the one she remembered. A black card was inserted into it, and the green light on it stood out sharply in the dark.

She pulled the card out and held it between her fingers, lifting it toward Xi Yu with a small shake. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it with me.”

Xi Yu nodded. “Mm.”

After Yu Nianyi closed the door, she flopped heavily onto the bed. She buried her face in the blanket for a moment, then rolled onto her back, her eyes bright with triumphant amusement.

After lying there for a while, she sat up and took out her phone. There were several messages from Xi Yao sent more than half an hour ago, along with a friend request from Luo Yiran.

[Xi Yao: The hot springs here are really nice. Luo Luo and I soaked for a long time and felt amazing. If you and my sister have time, you should come try them too.]

[Xi Yao: Is my sister in the room? Or did she go out with that Chen Shuo?]

[Xi Yao: We also went to the stargazing room on the top floor. It was really well designed; super romantic! Only here could you really see the stars! We ran into Chen Shuo and Chen Ming. Are you and my sister in the room?]

Yu Nianyi curved her lips and made a voice call.

It rang for a long while before Xi Yao finally picked up.

“Only now do you have time to call me? So what was the busy little thing up to just now?” On the other end came the sound of Xi Yao chewing.

Yu Nianyi smiled, her eyes bright with mischief. “I was with Sister Xi Yu. I did what you told me and tried seducing her. Looks like it wasn’t pointless after all.”

“What?!” There was suddenly the sound of a hand slapping the table on the other end, and Xi Yao shouted, “You really went through with it?! Oh my god, how exactly did you seduce her? Does that even work on my sister, the little wooden block? Isn’t she uninterested in everything?”

“I used dirty talk, plus physical contact and visual stimulation. Even if she were straight, she’d understand what I meant.” Yu Nianyi curled up under the blanket and went on, “I thought she’d respond in some boring, perfunctory way, or refuse the food I fed her. I didn’t expect her to be so unexpected; she even played along. She’s basically a seasoned pro at this.”

Xi Yao stammered in disbelief for a while, then muttered, “She even ate what you fed her?! Is that even human? I feel like I’m dreaming…”

Yu Nianyi smiled smugly; her blond hair spilled over her shoulders and neck, shimmering faintly.

“So you even managed to shake my sister? As expected of Yu Nianyi, the woman with countless romances?” Xi Yao giggled on the other end.

At that, Yu Nianyi frowned before she could stop herself and clicked her tongue. “Hey, I haven’t dated that many.”

Xi Yao burst out laughing. “What’s this? You didn’t react like this before when I said it. Isn’t that the truth?”

Yu Nianyi pressed the blanket over her face. The smile faded as she muttered, “I just don’t like hearing it. Don’t say it again.”

“Hey, you—”

“Fine, I’m going to sleep. I’m hanging up.”

“Got it. I won’t say it, okay? Luo Luo added you as a friend; did you see it?”

“I saw it. I accepted her a long time ago. Help me say hello to Luo Yiran and thank her for covering for me in front of Chen Shuo this afternoon.”

“What cover? Why don’t I know about it…?”

A faint, unhurried voice came through the receiver: “Nothing, it’s…”

Yu Nianyi ended the call, tossed her phone onto the bed, and closed her eyes completely.

-

“You’re saying Uncle and Auntie even planted a mole in there? And it was the manager of that restaurant?” Lin Yan’s exclamation burst out from the other end of the line; he sounded a little incredulous. “This isn’t a TV drama. Isn’t that overkill?”

Xi Yu wiped her damp hair as she set her phone on the bed. Her long legs were crossed beneath her pajama pants, and her expression remained calm.

“That’s exactly why it’s the perfect insurance policy. Why wouldn’t they do it?” Xi Yu curved her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes. “A longtime friend and a business partner; Chen Shuo’s character and looks are at least passable. From any angle, he seems very suitable.”

Lin Yan sighed and fell silent for a long while.

“And you? What do you think?”

Xi Yu casually folded the dry towel and set it on the table, then picked up her phone and leaned against the headboard. It was already midnight; the scattered neon outside the floor-to-ceiling window had also faded, and everything was settling back into silence.

“No way.” Xi Yu frowned slightly and spat out those three words.

Lin Yan said, “I figured as much. With your personality, nobody can decide for you. If you’re annoyed by him, why not properly date someone? Since you don’t have any feelings for Chen Shuo, you can look at other people. There’s bound to be someone suitable for you.”

“Being stuck in the company all day is so boring…”

Xi Yu habitually raised a hand to press the bridge of her nose, only to find nothing there. When she looked up again, her glasses were lying on the table, the pair she had taken off before showering. She lowered her hand and rested it loosely on her leg, tapping out a steady rhythm.

“Don’t take it lightly. You’ll be thirty by the New Year. You should start thinking about relationships sooner or later. You’re going to be living in Jiayang for the long term, and people around you are definitely going to ask questions. Rather than letting others decide to set you up, you might as well choose someone you find agreeable yourself; even as a shield, that works.”

Xi Yu pressed her lips together, impatience flickering faintly between her brows. “Mm.”

“Ah, forget it. I heard your younger sister brought her little girlfriend along too? This trip should be pretty lively, huh?” Lin Yan chuckled. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Xi Yao. She’s still as energetic as ever.”

“Mm, it’s fine.” Following Lin Yan’s words, Xi Yu thought of the obedient, steady girl she had seen during the day. She did seem like a good match for Xi Yao. Her lashes lowered, her gaze falling on her own fingers, which were tapping with deliberate force.

Compared with that girl, there was another one who was especially eye-catching, especially flamboyant.

Bang—bang—

Suddenly, knocking sounded outside the door. It was uneven and muffled. Xi Yu looked toward the sound and stared at the closed door for a long time.

“What’s that?” Lin Yan’s voice came through in surprise. “Didn’t Chen Shuo book a suite? Is the soundproofing here really that bad? You can even hear noises from outside the suite.”

Xi Yu stood and walked to the door. “No. It’s another girl.”

“……” The room suddenly fell silent. After a few seconds, Lin Yan’s slow voice came again: “Another girl? You’re sharing a room with someone else?”

“Chen Shuo’s that stingy…?”

“And didn’t they say it was just your sister and her girlfriend? Where did another person come from…?”

Xi Yu opened the door. The light inside the room spilled all at once into the dark living room; the beam fell directly on a corner of the sofa, where a pair of legs was lit up, fair and long, crossed quietly there.

Xi Yu’s gaze stalled for a few seconds. She looked at the motionless person on the sofa for a long while before finally lifting a foot and walking over.

Yu Nianyi was still wearing the black nightdress she had put on before bed. Her head rested on her arm; her usually smiling eyes were shut tight, her thick lashes lying against her cheeks, her face peaceful and serene.

Xi Yu crouched down, one knee touching the floor, and looked down at Yu Nianyi’s face. She placed a hand on her arm and shook it gently. “Wake up.”

The sleeping person didn’t move at all; instead, her brows furrowed at once, as if she hated being disturbed.

Her lips moved, letting out a sound, and she turned over directly, presenting her back to Xi Yu.

The nightdress was pulled up completely by the movement and fell in a messy drape over her legs. Xi Yu only glanced at it briefly before quickly looking away and standing up.

She looked toward Yu Nianyi’s closed bedroom door. The place where the card was inserted was flashing an eye-searing red light now.

Xi Yu withdrew her gaze, took a blanket from the cabinet, and quickly covered Yu Nianyi’s lower body with it. Then she half-bent down and picked the girl up. The sleeping person’s head lightly bumped against the side of Xi Yu’s face with the motion; the tip of her nose occasionally brushed against Xi Yu’s exposed neck.

The warmth on her neck came in a steady rhythm, like a feather lightly brushing past, making her itch inexplicably. Xi Yu tilted her head slightly and strode into her own room.

She laid Yu Nianyi down gently on the bed, and the blanket followed to cover her.

The sleeping girl had no idea at all. Instead, she was especially unceremonious; she rolled over, hugged the blanket, and slept in the middle by herself, even nuzzling her nose into the pillow and sniffing it a few times, her face full of contentment.

Xi Yu braced one hand on the bed and looked down for a few seconds, then withdrew her gaze and picked up her phone.

“You’re back? What happened? Who are you sharing a room with?” Lin Yan asked immediately when he heard the movement.

Xi Yu left the room and walked into the living room.

“It’s nothing. It’s Xi Yao’s friend.”

“A friend? So there was more than one? There’s actually another one?!"

“You let her share a room with you?”

Xi Yu leaned back on the sofa and glanced over the living room furnishings; then she suddenly remembered that her glasses were still in the inner room. She set her phone beside her and lay down completely. “Mm.”

“What do you mean, mm?! Who is she? You’re actually used to sleeping in the same room as someone else?”

Lin Yan’s voice echoed through the entire living room, sounding oddly loud. Xi Yu’s expression stiffened; she rubbed her temple lightly and said three words: “Yu Nianyi.”

“Yu Nianyi?”

“I’m sleepy.” Xi Yu said abruptly.

“Huh?” Lin Yan had only just made a sound as if he still wanted to say more, but Xi Yu quickly pressed hang up and set the phone aside.

The surroundings returned to silence once more.

Xi Yu closed her eyes, casually pulled the blanket over herself, and fell asleep.