Rainwater dripped from the pleated skirt onto the floor, and in moments, it formed a small puddle…
"ACHOO—"
Lin Xi wrapped her arms around herself, pursing her lips. She looked at the small apartment, so tiny you could take it all in at a single glance, and then at the narrow sofa. Leaving now was out of the question. Not only would the rain not stop anytime soon, but she also had nowhere else to go. Was she supposed to end up on the streets?
But if she didn't leave… She glanced at the tightly closed bedroom door and decided it probably wouldn't be so bad to stay here for one night. He seems like a decent guy, Lin Xi thought. Worst case, I just won't sleep too deeply tonight. Yes, that's it.
Just then, the bedroom door suddenly opened from the inside. Xue Yang stepped out, and their eyes met. Startled, Lin Xi immediately clutched the collar of her shirt.
Xue Yang averted his gaze and coughed lightly. "If you're not going to shower right away, I'll go first. I'll be quick."
"Oh."
Lin Xi stepped aside to let him pass. Xue Yang hurried into the bathroom and took the fastest hot shower of his life.
"You should take one too," he said as he came out. "It would be a hassle if you caught a cold." Then, as if remembering something, he added, "I won't come out of my room again tonight."
With that, he closed the door again, giving her no chance to respond.
"Hey—" Staring at the closed door, Lin Xi grew thoughtful. He really is quite the gentleman. He even made a point of telling me he wouldn't come out. But who knows if he just said that on purpose? Whatever. I'll just stay here for the night.
With that thought, she picked up her clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Xue Yang sat on his bed, pulled back the curtain, and looked out the window. He saw a sea of city lights and endless streams of traffic, but not one of those lights, not one of those cars, belonged to him. His mood was at rock bottom. His own life was a complete mess, yet he still had the heart to help someone else. He didn't understand himself sometimes.
Yanbei University is the highest academic institution every student dreams of. Everyone who comes here is full of dreams. Before, I never would have dared to imagine I could get in one day. My grades used to be abysmally bad. To put it simply, in the eyes of my teachers, I was a troublemaker, a black sheep, a bad apple, the one holding everyone back… No one ever expected that I, the deadweight, would end up at Yanbei. It made everyone's jaw drop. I used to think it was the magic of love and that Chen Ying was the one who gave me limitless motivation. They say that even the most beautiful promises can't compare to two identical university acceptance letters. When I excitedly presented my Yanbei acceptance letter to Chen Ying, she didn't even glance at it before shoving me out the door. At the time, I just thought she was being shy and didn't think much of it. Everyone said that now that I had gotten into Yanbei, the same prestigious university as Chen Ying, I would surely win her heart. I thought so too. That's why, right after military training ended, I set up a giant heart-shaped candle display below the girls' dormitory to confess my love to her. Unsurprisingly, I was rejected. She even said some incredibly hurtful things to me, ordering me to disappear from her sight.
The sound of the shower from the living room stopped. Guessing she was finished, Xue Yang haphazardly dried his hair and lay down on the bed. He had thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he ended up sleeping soundly until dawn.
「The next morning」
Xue Yang woke up at his usual time. When he opened his bedroom door, he found Lin Xi still asleep on the sofa.
She was wearing his white T-shirt, and the sight of her asleep took his breath away. Her hair cascaded over the side of the sofa, the ends brushing the floor and shimmering under the light. Asleep, her cheeks were rosy. She had worn a mask earlier, obscuring her face, but now, with the mask discarded in the nearby trash can, her stunning beauty was on full display. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her naturally curly eyelashes trembled slightly. With lips like cherries and skin as smooth as jade, she was the very picture of a sleeping beauty. It was impossible to look away. The broom she clutched in her arms disrupted the otherwise perfect picture, but it did little to detract from her beauty.
Lin Xi's petite frame was enveloped in Xue Yang's oversized T-shirt, making her look delicate. But the places that shouldn't be small were anything but. Her long, slender legs were crossed gracefully on the sofa.
Seeing such a sight first thing in the morning sent a strange heat rushing to his head, and Xue Yang abruptly averted his gaze. There had been plenty of beautiful girls at his old school, but none of them were like her—none who, just by lying there, could spark a man's wildest fantasies.
She had a worldly innocence that lent her an adorable clumsiness, and within that cuteness was an undeniable, cold pride. She was like a prized peony from a noble garden that had fallen among commoners; even in a slum, her exceptional nature was obvious at a glance.
What kind of treasure did I just pick up and bring home? Xue Yang couldn't help but wonder. Then again, it has nothing to do with me. We'll go our separate ways today and likely never meet again.
Sensing someone watching her, Lin Xi's eyes snapped open. She instinctively pulled the collar of her T-shirt higher, her gaze wary. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Damn it! How could I have slept so soundly in a strange man's house? I promised myself last night I wouldn't sleep so deeply! If he had just tried to do something to me, I wouldn't have even had time to react! If he dares to take one step closer, I'll whack him with this and run for it. She tightened her grip on the broom in her arms.
"Sorry," Xue Yang said. "I just didn't realize how beautiful you are."
"Of course I'm beautiful! And you're not allowed to look! Stop staring!"
Xue Yang looked away and pulled a 100-yuan bill from his pocket. "This is all I can give you. Take it for cab fare. You should go home. Your family must be worried since you've been out all night."
Lin Xi felt a pang of embarrassment. Was I just judging a gentleman by my own petty standards? She tried to get up, but the sofa had been so terribly uncomfortable that her whole body ached as if she'd been beaten, and she couldn't stand right away.
Growing up, every aspect of her life—food, clothing, housing, travel—had been the absolute best. She had never endured hardship like this and was always the center of attention, pampered wherever she went. Yet here, he had just left her to spend the night on a cramped sofa. She wanted to complain, but then she reconsidered. We were just strangers who met by chance. It was already incredibly kind of him to take me in, especially after I'd thought such terrible things about him.
"Thank you," she said, finally getting to her feet.
Her figure hadn't been as obvious when she was lying down. But now that Lin Xi was standing, a pair of long, gorgeous legs were revealed beneath the oversized T-shirt. The perfect curve of her legs as she moved was enough to inspire countless fantasies—a sight he thought only existed in comics and never expected to see in real life.
The girl before him was an absolute stunner.