The April night breeze, carrying the sweet fragrance of late-blooming cherry blossoms and a touch of coolness, slipped through the half-open window.
When Yu Jiuyuan pushed open the master bedroom door, Rong Shenghan was sitting on the edge of the bed flipping through a book. The warm yellow bedside lamp bathed him, softening the contours of his profile.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, his eyes devoid of emotion, but his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the book pages, a small gesture he only made when he was restless.
"I'm back." He closed the book, his voice as flat as if he were talking about the weather.
Yu Jiuyuan kicked off her high heels, walked over barefoot, bent down and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, resting her chin on the top of his head: "Have you been waiting long?"
She still carried the chill of the outside air, mixed with a faint, non-existent scent of pine wood, which she had picked up when she went to the flower shed with Lin Yanran that afternoon.
Rong Shenghan didn't answer, but just struggled slightly.
Yu Jiuyuan chuckled softly, walked around to him, squatted down, and looked up at him.
She untied the silk scarf from her neck and tossed it casually onto the carpet, her fingertips slowly sliding up his knee: "Are you angry?"
He looked down at her, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes: "No."
"No?"
Yu Jiuyuan raised an eyebrow, then suddenly reached out and loosened the belt of his bathrobe, her fingertips brushing against his waistline. "So what are you arguing with me about?"
Rong Shenghan paused in his breathing, reaching out to press her hand down, but she grabbed his wrist and pressed it to his side.
Her palms were warm, with thin calluses from practicing shooting.
"I went to the flower shed with Lin Yanran this afternoon for a student council activity."
She tilted her head back and kissed his Adam's apple, her voice muffled, "He shielded me from the falling flower stand, that's all."
He remained silent, but his fingertips twitched slightly.
Yu Jiuyuan knew that he had taken her words to heart.
She stood up and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling on her shoulders like shattered silver.
“Shenghan,” she called softly, reaching out to push him down onto the bed. “You know, here…” her fingertip touched his chest, “only you can stay here.”
Rong Shenghan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he reached out to wrap his arms around her waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
His breathing trembled slightly, like a beast seeking comfort: "Yu Jiuyuan, you can't always be like this."
"However?" she kissed his earlobe, her voice as soft as spring water, "Does it always make you feel uneasy?"
He didn't say anything, he just hugged her tighter.
Yu Jiuyuan chuckled, flipped over and straddled him, leaning down to kiss him.
The kiss began gently, gradually turning into a hint of urgency, as if they wanted to meld each other into their very bones.
Her fingertips traced his back, feeling his muscles tense instantly. A triumphant smile flashed in her eyes. She knew too well how to soothe him, just as he knew too well how to make her let down her guard.
The cherry blossoms outside the window fell all night, but the temperature inside the room kept rising.
Rong Shenghan's hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, his fingertips burning hot, carrying a possessiveness that had been suppressed for a long time.
Yu Jiuyuan reciprocated his feelings, whispering in his ear the words he wanted to hear. Those phrases, "only you" and "I care about you the most," enveloped his heart like honey.
She knew she was being biased.
She admired Xie Zhecheng, indulged Yuan Xu, deliberately courted Lin Yanran, and used the Ji brothers. Only with Rong Shenghan was she willing to shed her cold shell and reveal her true softness.
Perhaps it was because he always appeared when she was at her most vulnerable, perhaps it was because his gaze towards her always carried an almost obsessive focus, or perhaps it was simply because he knew best how to make her fall for him.
In the latter half of the night, Rong Shenghan finally fell asleep after Yu Jiuyuan had repeatedly told him to be more restrained, but his brows were still slightly furrowed.
Yu Jiuyuan tucked him in and gently smoothed the wrinkles between his brows with her fingertips.
The moonlight fell on his face, and his eyelashes were long, like small fans.
She lowered her head and kissed his forehead, whispering, "Sleep, I'm here."
She was gazing absently at the moonlight outside the window when the system notification sounded in her mind.
[System Notification: Rong Shenghan's emotions are fluctuating (positive +30)]
Yu Jiuyuan curled her lips into a smile.
Lin Yanran, that tough nut to crack, was softened a bit yesterday afternoon in the flower shed. With a little more effort, she should be almost done.
She turned her head to look at Rong Shenghan, who was fast asleep beside her, and reached out to brush away the stray hairs from his forehead.
Take your time. She has plenty of time to keep all these people firmly by her side, like leading docile pets, towards the ending she has already planned.
The night is still long, and spring has only just begun.
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