Chapter 17 Sharing a Bed? No, it was a Sleepless Night!
Yun Zhan's "hide-and-seek" strategy has completely failed. Yan Linye is like a human radar, always able to pinpoint his location accurately, and each appearance is accompanied by a gentle yet powerful attack that makes his heart race.
That day, a torrential downpour struck Hejian Prefecture, accompanied by thunder and lightning, a truly frightening sight. Yun Zhan, a "delicate city girl" who would cover his ears even during thunder in modern society, felt a little apprehensive about this enhanced version of an ancient thunderstorm. He retreated to his room early, wrapping himself up in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon.
"System, who are these thunder gods and lightning goddesses messing with? Why are they striking so loudly!" Yun Zhan muttered to himself as he listened to the thunder exploding outside the window.
[Based on meteorological data analysis, this thunderstorm is a normal natural phenomenon. We suggest the host relax and take this opportunity to consider a new assassination plan.] System Xiao Qi never forgets its primary duty.
"What am I thinking about! All I want right now is for the thunder to be quieter!" Yun Zhan buried his head in the blanket as well.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Yun Zhan, are you asleep?" It was Yan Linye's voice.
Yun Zhan was startled. How did he get here? He hesitated, wondering whether he should pretend to be asleep.
"The rain is too heavy. I was worried that your window wasn't sealed properly, so I came to check." Yan Linye's voice was particularly clear amidst the sound of the rain.
Yun Zhan had no choice but to get up, wrap himself in the blanket, and go open the door.
Outside the door, Yan Linye was also dressed only in his undergarments, with a casually draped outer robe over them. His hair was still damp, indicating that he had come in a hurry. He held a candlestick in his hand, and the dim yellow light illuminated his angular face, which, amidst the flickering lightning, possessed a breathtakingly handsome appearance.
"I...I'm fine." Yun Zhan lowered his head, not daring to look at him any longer.
Yan Linye walked in, carefully inspected the window, and then looked at the position of the bed, his brows furrowing slightly: "Your room is in a rather remote location, and the window frames are quite old. Tonight there's a thunderstorm, and you're all alone..."
Before he could finish speaking, another clap of thunder sounded, as if it had split the roof open.
"Ah!" Yun Zhan was so frightened that he shuddered and instinctively shrank closer to Yan Linye.
Upon seeing this, Yan Linye's eyes flashed with understanding and... barely perceptible heartache. He put down the candlestick and sat down naturally beside Yun Zhan's bed.
"I'll sit with you for a while, and we'll leave when the rain gets a little lighter." His tone was calm and natural, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Yun Zhan: "!!!"
Keep me company...?! In his room this late at night?! Is this...is this appropriate?!
Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he wanted to refuse, but then another thunderclap rang in his ears, and he swallowed back the words he was about to say. He silently wrapped himself tighter in the blanket and moved further into the bed.
The room was filled only with the sound of pouring rain and the occasional rumble of thunder. The candlelight flickered, casting two shadows, very close together, on the wall.
The atmosphere... is a bit too ambiguous.
Yun Zhan froze, not daring to move, feeling an absurdly strong presence from Yan Linye beside him. He could smell the clean scent of soap mixed with the freshness of rain on the other's body, and feel the warmth emanating from him... This was even more unsettling than thunder!
"System! Help! What's going on? Is he trying to take advantage of me?!" Yun Zhan cried out frantically in his mind.
[Based on the target's physiological data monitoring, heart rate and respiration are stable, with no signs of abnormal agitation. Current behavior leans more towards protective instincts. Host, it's your own heart rate that's out of control.]
"I was scared by the lightning!" Yun Zhan stubbornly insisted.
To break the suffocating silence, Yun Zhan tried to make conversation: "Um... Brother Yan, are you afraid of thunder?"
He wanted to slap himself as soon as he asked the question! What a stupid question! How could Yan Linye, a chosen one who could kill a tiger with one punch, be afraid of thunder!
Yan Linye turned his head to look at him, his eyes gentle in the candlelight: "Don't be afraid." He paused, looking at Yun Zhan's still somewhat pale face, and said softly, "However, when I was a child, my mother would always come to keep me company on stormy nights and tell me that thunder is the righteous sound of heaven, and there is no need to be afraid."
His voice was deep and pleasant, carrying the warmth of memories, which strangely soothed some of Yun Zhan's tension.
“Your mother… must be doing well,” Yun Zhan whispered.
"Hmm." Yan Linye's gaze was distant. "She's always been very gentle."
The two chatted casually. Yun Zhan did most of the talking, and Yan Linye answered. They talked about funny things from his childhood, his mother's teachings, and his ambitions for the future... Yan Linye's voice was unhurried, like warm spring water flowing slowly through the sound of thunder and rain.
As Yun Zhan listened, he unconsciously relaxed, and the blanket he was wrapped in came undone without him even noticing. He secretly turned his head and looked at Yan Linye's profile, which appeared particularly soft in the candlelight, and that bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart again.
This man, outwardly a ruthless and decisive leader, harbors such tenderness and gentleness within.
Time passed slowly, the rain subsided, and the thunder gradually faded away.
Yun Zhan yawned slightly, his eyelids starting to droop. He hadn't slept well during the day due to overthinking, and he had been frightened at night. Now, surrounded by a reassuring atmosphere, drowsiness overwhelmed him.
Watching his head nod little by little, Yan Linye's eyes lit up with a smile. He gently supported Yun Zhan's shoulders, helping him lie down slowly, and then tucked him in.
"Sleep now, I'll watch over you." His voice was as soft as a feather.
Yun Zhan mumbled a soft "hmm" in his sleep, his consciousness already fading. Before completely falling asleep, he seemed to feel a warm hand gently stroking his hair, a gesture filled with tenderness.
That night, Yun Zhan slept exceptionally soundly, without even having a dream.
Yan Linye, as expected, sat by the bedside and watched him for most of the night by the dim candlelight. Only when dawn broke and the rain had completely stopped did he quietly get up, blow out the candle, and quietly leave the room.
The next day, Yun Zhan woke up and stared blankly for a long time at the empty room and the bed next to him that had long since gone cold.
Last night... was not a dream.
Yan Linye really stayed with him there all night.
His heart felt full, swollen and aching. That feeling of being carefully cherished was something he had rarely experienced in either of his lives.
"System," he said, unusually without his usual jokes, his tone somewhat bewildered, "why is he so good to me?"
[This system cannot analyze the complexities of human emotions. However, based on behavioral patterns, it is speculated that the target may view the host as a precious possession that needs protection.] Xiao Qi analyzed calmly.
"Own possessions..." Yun Zhan murmured repeatedly, feeling a little uneasy. He didn't want to be anything like an possession! But... that feeling of being cherished made him damnably greedy.
He was getting deeper and deeper into this emotional vortex.
Meanwhile, Yan Linye looked at the newly risen sun and recalled the boy's sleeping face that he had relied on last night. A determined smile appeared on his lips.
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