Lin Yue never actually hit the ground.
One moment her balance slipped beneath her feet—
The next, a firm arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backward.
She collided lightly against Mo Chen's chest.
Her breath caught instantly.
For a brief second, everything felt unreal again.
He was too close.
Close enough for her to clearly see the faint crimson glow hidden within his dark eyes. Close enough to notice how unrealistically perfect his features were — sharp yet calm, cold yet strangely gentle.
Her heartbeat raced wildly.
Why is he this good-looking…?
Before her thoughts could spiral further—
A loud snore suddenly echoed nearby.
One of her teammates rolled over in sleep, mumbling nonsense.
Lin Yue jumped in embarrassment and quickly stepped away from Mo Chen.
"Right… normal situation," she muttered awkwardly.
She cleared her throat and pointed toward her sleeping friends.
"When will they wake up?"
Mo Chen glanced briefly at them. "Within an hour."
"And they won't remember anything?"
"They will remember coming here," he replied calmly, "but nothing about me."
Lin Yue crossed her arms.
"So basically… I'm the only unlucky person who remembers the supernatural monster."
Mo Chen looked mildly displeased.
"You speak boldly for someone who nearly died."
She laughed softly.
"You misunderstand. If I told anyone a mysterious guy froze time and teleported us, they'd send me straight to a hospital."
A faint smile almost appeared on his lips.
Lin Yue suddenly looked around the rooftop.
Cold night wind swept across the open space.
Her friends were still lying on bare concrete.
She sighed.
"Can't you just teleport everyone back to the dorm or something?"
Mo Chen shook his head.
"I do not waste power on trivial matters."
She blinked.
"…You teleported across cities but covering five students is wasteful?"
He remained silent.
She leaned closer, whispering dramatically, "So the mighty Night Sovereign is actually stingy."
"I heard that."
She grinned.
"Good."
Shaking her head, Lin Yue hurried toward a storage corner on the rooftop and found several spare event blankets left from university activities. One by one, she covered her sleeping friends carefully.
Only after ensuring everyone was warm did she finally sit against the wall, exhaustion catching up to her.
Mo Chen walked over and sat beside her without asking.
She glanced sideways.
"…You know there's a lot of space."
"I go where I choose," he replied calmly.
She rolled her eyes.
"Do you even have somewhere to stay?"
Mo Chen looked toward the distant skyline.
"No."
She blinked.
"…No?"
"Where I stand becomes my place."
Lin Yue stared at him.
After a moment she laughed helplessly.
"Well, that sounds cool, but modern society doesn't work like that."
Silence followed.
Then he said calmly,
"Then I will stay with you."
Her laughter stopped instantly.
She turned slowly.
"…Excuse me?"
"You awakened me," Mo Chen said. "Until my power stabilizes, remaining near you is optimal."
"No. Absolutely not."
"It is not your decision."
Her jaw dropped.
"You can't just move into someone's house!"
He looked genuinely confused.
"Why not?"
She buried her face in her hands.
"I live alone! My apartment is messy! My clothes are everywhere!"
"That does not concern me."
"It concerns me!"
Mo Chen simply leaned back against the wall, completely unbothered.
Lin Yue groaned dramatically.
"This is kidnapping but reverse…"
The wind grew colder as midnight deepened.
She rubbed her arms unconsciously.
The temperature dropped rapidly.
Mo Chen noticed first.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she tried to hide the cold.
Without speaking, he removed his black coat and placed it over her shoulders.
Lin Yue froze.
The coat still carried faint warmth.
She looked at him.
"…Thank you."
He said nothing.
Too tired to argue, she wrapped herself in the coat.
The warmth quickly spread through her body.
Her eyelids grew heavy.
Minutes passed.
Slowly—
Her head tilted sideways.
And rested against Mo Chen's shoulder.
Her breathing steadied.
She had fallen asleep.
Mo Chen remained motionless.
Moonlight illuminated the rooftop quietly.
For the first time since awakening, silence surrounded him without hostility or fear.
He looked down slightly at the sleeping girl beside him.
The human who had freed him.
The only one able to see him.
Strange.
He did not move away.
Morning sunlight broke across the rooftop.
Chen Xinyi was the first to wake.
She sat up groggily.
"…Why are we outside?"
Confusion spread as the others slowly woke.
Gu Yichen frowned. "Didn't we finish research yesterday?"
Zhao Lian rubbed her head. "Why do I feel like I forgot something important?"
Their gazes shifted—
And froze.
Lin Yue was sleeping peacefully.
Her head resting sideways.
As if leaning against… empty air.
Her posture looked unbelievably strange.
"…Why is her head floating?" Han Mo whispered.
Lin Yue stirred awake.
Realization hit instantly.
She jerked upright.
Mo Chen remained seated beside her, completely invisible to everyone else.
Her friends stared.
"What happened yesterday?" Gu Yichen asked.
Lin Yue's brain worked at lightning speed.
"Oh! That!" she said quickly. "We brought drinks up here after finishing work and accidentally fell asleep."
"We drank?" Han Mo frowned.
"There are no bottles."
"I threw them away!" she replied immediately.
Zhao Lian nodded slowly. "That… actually sounds like something you'd do."
Lin Yue clapped her hands quickly.
"Anyway! Weekend starts today. Everyone go home, rest, and pretend this never happened."
Too sleepy to argue, the group agreed.
Soon they left the rooftop together.
Mo Chen followed quietly behind Lin Yue.
At the campus gate, everyone waved goodbye.
Lin Yue headed toward the bus stop.
And, of course—
Mo Chen walked beside her.
She sighed.
"They really can't see you?"
"No."
She glanced sideways.
"…This is going to ruin my normal life."
"You ask many questions."
"And you answer none."
They walked in silence for a while.
She suddenly stopped.
"Oh—your coat."
She removed it and handed it back.
"Thanks."
He accepted it calmly.
They sat together on a bus stop bench.
Morning traffic moved normally around them.
Everything looked ordinary.
Except her life clearly wasn't anymore.
After a moment, she asked carefully,
"You're really staying at my place?"
"Yes."
"My apartment is small."
"I require little space."
"It's messy."
"I do not care."
She turned slowly toward him.
"…You're serious."
Mo Chen met her gaze calmly.
"I will stay with you, Lin Yue."
Her heart skipped again.
And for reasons she could not explain—
She didn't immediately refuse.
End of Chapter 4...