He had never observed a person so closely before, because they were so dirty.

He usually maintains a distance from people, much like a safety line between a painting and its viewer.

But now, that line has been broken.

Just then, Zi Xi gently turned over in her sleep, unconsciously moving closer to him.

Just as she turned around, her lips lightly brushed against Jin Ye's lips.

The touch was softer than I could have imagined, carrying the warmth of sleep, fleeting like a butterfly's rest.

Jin Ye froze abruptly, his pupils contracting slightly, a kind of electric shock coursing through his body from that brief point of contact.

He should have pushed her away and been angry at her for overstepping her bounds, but he didn't move.

At that very moment, a clear female voice entered his mind.

My shoulders are so sore...who's bumping into me?

Jin Ye suddenly sat up and looked around.

The studio was completely empty except for him and the sleeping Zi Xi.

The voice rang out again, as soft as a whisper.

I'm so hungry...

Jin Ye's gaze suddenly fell on Zi Xi's face.

She was still asleep, her lips tightly closed and her breathing steady.

I'm so thirsty, I need to go back and buy some milk tea...

The voice sounded for the third time, and this time Jin Ye was certain that the voice seemed to come from Bai Zixi.

"Miss Bai?"

He spoke tentatively.

Zi Xi frowned slightly in her sleep but did not wake up, as if she was talking in her sleep?

At the same time, another voice drifted into his mind.

Who's calling me...? I'm so tired, I want to sleep a little longer.

Jin Ye suddenly stood up, knocking the paint tube to the ground with a crackling sound, which finally woke Zi Xi.

Zi Xi opened her eyes, blinked in confusion, and then realized that she had fallen asleep during work hours.

【I'm very sorry, I shouldn't have fallen asleep. If Mr. Jin is unhappy, you can deduct my pay for today.】

She quickly sat up, her face full of apology, and hurriedly reached for her tablet to type an apology.

But what I was really thinking was: "What happened? How did I fall asleep...?"

Jin Ye didn't look at the tablet; his gaze was fixed firmly on her eyes.

He could hear his own heart pounding like a drum, and his face showed a mixture of disbelief and shock.

"You just now..."

He started speaking but then suddenly stopped.

How can this be explained by saying that he seemed to have heard her thoughts?

This is insane, even too insane for a madman like him.

Zi Xi tilted her head in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

When she realized that Jin Ye was just staring at her without saying a word, another thought uncontrollably drifted into Jin Ye's ears.

Why is he looking at me like that? Like he's seen a ghost. Did I not only sleep, but I also drool? And on the sofa?

Jin Ye took a deep breath. Bai Zixi's inner thoughts were so lively, which was in stark contrast to her calm and dignified appearance.

"What...did you dream about just now?"

He struggled to organize his thoughts.

Zi Xi blinked, clearly surprised by the question.

[I don't quite remember, maybe I dreamt I was in class? Why are you asking this?]

She wrote this with her head down.

At the same time, Jin Ye clearly heard another voice.

Did I drool so much I flooded the sofa? Why are you asking me what I dreamt about?

Jin Ye suddenly realized that he could indeed hear Zi Xi's thoughts.

She was completely unaware of this, and her inner thoughts were far more complex than they appeared.