Shu Ying herself didn't know when she fell asleep.

By the time Xie Zhiyan finished handing everything over and returned home, it was already past midnight.

He unlocked the courtyard gate with his key and was rubbing his temples as he walked into the house when he saw a sliver of light coming through the crack in the main room door.

He was taken aback.

Is his wife still waiting for him?

Xie Zhiyan immediately quickened his pace and pushed open the door to go inside.

Just as he was about to frown and feel sorry for Shu Ying for not resting so late, he stepped into the room and saw Shu Ying leaning against the sofa, fast asleep.

Under the soft light of the living room ceiling light, Shu Ying's profile was smooth and beautiful, with a smooth face shape, like a finely carved piece of jade, radiating a warm and beautiful luster, and her jet-black hair was casually scattered over her shoulders.

Compared to her serious and tidy appearance with her hair neatly tied up during the day, her messy hair piled up on her shoulders now gives her a more lazy and natural vibe.

She seems to be beautiful no matter what she looks like.

Whether it's serious and orderly or lazy and natural, the temperament is innate, and each has its own beauty.

But beyond her beauty, her deep breaths and tired face also revealed how hard she had worked all day.

Xie Zhiyan sighed silently, feeling sorry for her. He stepped forward, his arms reaching behind her head and under her legs, and was about to carry her upstairs in his arms.

Before he could exert any force, Shu Ying's hand, still half-asleep, climbed up his neck.

Like a vine growing helplessly, she suddenly found support, wrapped her arms around him tightly, adjusted to the most comfortable position, rested her head on his shoulder, and fell asleep again.

Xie Zhiyan was afraid of waking her, so he didn't dare to move the whole time.

After Shu Ying adjusted her position in his arms, he gently looked down and saw her sleeping soundly so close to him, and couldn't help but smile softly.

Such a peaceful sleeping posture can probably only be found when he's around.

Xie Zhiyan couldn't resist, gently lowered his head and kissed her between the eyebrows, then carried her upstairs.

Whether it was the kiss that woke her up, or the sudden movement upstairs, Shu Ying shifted uncomfortably in Xie Zhiyan's arms, opened her eyes groggily, hummed twice, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice—

What time is it?

After saying that, I saw the numbers that the hour and minute hands of the clock on the second-floor stairwell were pointing to.

Shu Ying instantly became more alert.

"Why is it so late? Did you just get back?"

Xie Zhiyan gave a soft "hmm": "Did I wake you up?"

Shu Ying squinted and patted him on the shoulder.

“That’s not what I meant. I just felt sorry for you coming home so late again.”

"Do you have to go to early training tomorrow morning? You won't get more than a few hours of sleep."

"Don't you get tired of this all the time?"

With Shu Ying's arm around his neck, Xie Zhiyan held Shu Ying firmly with one hand and gently stroked her long hair with the other.

"Don't worry about me, I only need a few hours of rest, I'm used to it."

"When we're on a mission, we sometimes stay up all night."

"We're physically fit, it's okay."

Shu Ying frowned and gave him a serious look.

"That's pseudoscience. Even the strongest people need enough sleep, otherwise they are prone to various diseases."

"Don't do anything else later, just wash up and go to bed. Get some rest as much as you can."

Xie Zhiyan had already pushed open the bedroom door, but upon hearing this, he paused, looked down at her with a half-smile, his eyes deep.

"Making trouble? You mean..."