Stealing food
It was past two in the morning, and all was quiet. Only a dim nightlight was left on in the bedroom, outlining the silhouettes of the two people sleeping in each other's arms on the bed.
Qi Shuo was fast asleep, his arms habitually wrapped around Tan Huaiyu's waist, encircling him in his arms, his chin resting on the top of his head, his breathing even and long.
The person in her arms seemed to be sleeping restlessly, shifting slightly before moving again. Then, cautiously, she began to try to move out of Qi Shuo's strong arms and warm embrace.
Qi Shuo seemed to sense something in his sleep, his arms unconsciously tightening slightly, and a muffled nasal sound came from his throat, carrying the drowsiness of not being awake and a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.
Tan Huaiyu paused, waited a few seconds, and seeing that Qi Shuo did not make any further moves, he resumed his slow but determined "escape".
He first gently pried Qi Shuo's hands off his waist, his movements as delicate as if he were disassembling some precision instrument. Then, little by little, he withdrew his body from that warm and cherished embrace.
Just as he had successfully escaped most of the way, with one foot already on the edge of the bed, preparing to quietly get out of bed—
"Hmm... Huaiyu?" Qi Shuo's deep, hoarse voice, heavy with sleepiness, sounded behind him. He was clearly not fully awake yet; his eyes were still closed. He subconsciously reached out to touch the side, only to find nothing. His brows immediately furrowed, and his voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension and dependence, "...Where are we going?"
Tan Huaiyu froze, remaining half-up, not daring to move, and replied softly and vaguely, "...to the toilet."
This reason is perfectly justified and irrefutable.
Qi Shuo gave an "Oh," seemingly accepting the explanation. He withdrew his outstretched hand and placed it back on the spot where Tan Huaiyu had just lain, still warm from the touch. His eyelids twitched, but he didn't open them. He just mumbled, "...Come back quickly." Then he turned over, facing the direction Tan Huaiyu had been sleeping, as if trying to retain that warmth and scent before drifting back to sleep.
Tan Huaiyu breathed a sigh of relief, quietly got out of bed, and walked barefoot on the soft carpet with almost no sound. He walked to the door, glanced back at Qi Shuo who had curled up on the bed again and seemed to be asleep, then gently closed the door and went out.
The living room was pitch black, with only the faint, ever-present light from the city filtering through the windows barely outlining the furniture. Tan Huaiyu didn't turn on the lights, relying on his familiarity with the house, and groped his way towards the bathroom.
However, his steps faltered almost imperceptibly as he passed the kitchen doorway. Then, as if drawn by an invisible magnet, he turned and slipped silently into the kitchen.
In the bedroom, Qi Shuo did indeed drift off to sleep again at first. But the feeling of emptiness in his arms and the lack of warmth beside him made him sleep restlessly.
Subconsciously, he was still waiting for the person who said they were going to the bathroom to come back and fill the emptiness in his arms again.
One minute, two minutes... five minutes passed.
The person hasn't returned yet.
Qi Shuo's sleepiness gradually dissipated, and his brows furrowed more and more deeply. Why did it take so long to go to the toilet? Was his stomach upset? Was the hot pot he ate for dinner too spicy? Or did he catch a chill while sleeping?
Various worries began to surface uncontrollably. Qi Shuo could no longer lie still; he abruptly opened his eyes, all sleepiness gone. The room was quiet, save for his own breathing. There was no sound of water or movement from the bathroom either.
His heart tightened, and he immediately sat up, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. Without even putting on shoes, he hurried barefoot to the bathroom. The slight annoyance at being disturbed from his sleep had long been replaced by worry about Tan Huaiyu's health.
"Huaiyu?" He pushed open the bathroom door, but the room was empty, and the lights weren't even on.
Qi Shuo's heart skipped a beat. Where did he go? Was he in the living room? Did he faint?
He immediately turned around and walked hurriedly towards the living room, his eyes scanning the sofa and carpet urgently... No one was there.
"Huaiyu?!" His voice rose involuntarily, sounding somewhat abrupt in the quiet night, carrying obvious anxiety.
Just then—
“Clatter.”
A very faint sound, yet unusually clear in the silence, like the gentle closing of a cabinet door, came from the direction of the kitchen.
Qi Shuo abruptly stopped, turned around abruptly, and looked at the dark kitchen doorway.
When he came over just now, it seems he didn't notice the kitchen?
He tiptoed, held his breath, and walked toward the kitchen. The closer he got, the more pronounced the faint, sweet aroma of cookies or pastries became.
Qi Shuo's worries were instantly replaced by an absurd, familiar premonition mixed with "I knew it" and "I've been tricked by this kid again."
He walked to the kitchen doorway, but didn't go in immediately. Instead, he turned sideways and peered inside using the faint light coming in from the window.
In front of the kitchen counter, a slender figure wearing light-colored pajamas stood with his back to him, slightly bent over, his upper body almost reaching into the open wall cabinet, seemingly trying to rummage through something.
The rustling sound of plastic wrapping paper rubbing together was particularly clear in the quiet kitchen.
Qi Shuo: "..."
He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, watching the figure "committing the crime" with a leisurely air. All his previous worry and anxiety had now turned into a helpless yet amusing indulgence.
He didn't speak immediately, but just watched quietly.
Tan Huaiyu seemed to have found his target. He took something out of the wall cabinet, straightened up, and let out a soft "ha" of satisfaction and a hint of smugness. In the dim light from the window, Qi Shuo saw that he was holding a… individually wrapped small bag of soda crackers? Or a chocolate wafer?
Tan Huaiyu skillfully tore open the packaging bag, pinched out a biscuit, and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth, then made a very soft, satisfied chewing sound.
"Crack... Crack..."
In the quiet kitchen at dawn, the sound was amplified countless times.
Qi Shuo's lips twitched involuntarily. He looked at Tan Huaiyu, who was eating with the satisfaction of a cat that had just stolen some fish, and then remembered how he had been foolishly fooled by Tan Huaiyu's excuse of "going to the toilet," and how he had worried about it for so long…
Without further hesitation, he abruptly pressed the light switch at the kitchen doorway.
"Smack."
A bright white light instantly filled the entire kitchen, so bright it hurt the eyes.
Tan Huaiyu, who was secretly eating, was startled by the sudden bright light and nearly dropped the biscuit in his hand. He turned around abruptly, still clutching the half-eaten snack in one hand, and instinctively putting the other behind his back as if trying to hide the "evidence." His mouth was bulging with food, and his eyes were wide open, filled with the terror and helplessness of "caught red-handed!"
When Tan Huaiyu saw the person standing at the door with his arms crossed, looking relaxed, with a face as black as the bottom of a pot and a half-smile in his eyes, his face flushed bright red, even the tips of his ears turned pink.
He wanted to speak, to explain, but his mouth was stuffed full, and he could only make muffled "mmm" sounds, looking both stupid and pathetic.
Qi Shuo approached step by step, his footsteps light yet carrying an invisible sense of pressure. He stopped in front of Tan Huaiyu, his gaze lingering for a moment on Tan Huaiyu's bulging cheeks from being stuffed with food, then slowly moving down to Tan Huaiyu's hand behind his back, before sweeping over the cookie crumbs on the corner of his mouth.
"To the toilet?" Qi Shuo repeated his reason slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but carrying a calmness that sent chills down Tan Huaiyu's spine.
Tan Huaiyu swallowed the food in his mouth with difficulty, choking a little from swallowing too quickly, coughing twice, and his face turned even redder. His eyes darted away, avoiding Qi Shuo's gaze, and he explained softly and weakly, "...I...I finished...and...I was a little hungry...so I just wanted to find something to eat..."
"Just by the way?" Qi Shuo raised an eyebrow, reached out, and easily snatched the half-eaten bag of cookies from his hand behind his back. He looked at it and said, "Chocolate wafers? Eating something so sweet in the middle of the night? And 'just by the way'? Tan Huaiyu, keep making things up."
Seeing the "evidence" being confiscated, Tan Huaiyu knew he was in the wrong, lowered his head even further, and said in a voice barely audible, "...I only ate a little bit..."
"Just a little?" Qi Shuo tossed the cookie bag onto the counter with a soft thud, startling Tan Huaiyu. Qi Shuo took a step forward, closing the distance between them instantly. He lowered his head slightly, looking into Tan Huaiyu's evasive eyes, his voice low and dangerous, "I was lying in bed, worried you weren't feeling well, so I rushed over to find you, and what did I find? You were here 'snacking away' and sneaking snacks? Hmm?"
Tan Huaiyu's face was flushed red, overwhelmed by immense embarrassment and a touch of awkward regret.
He reached out and carefully grabbed the hem of Qi Shuo's pajamas, gently tugging at it. He looked at Qi Shuo with his wet, amber eyes, which seemed to scream "I'm sorry, please forgive me," trying to fool him.
"...A-Shuo, I was wrong...I just suddenly had a craving...I won't do it again next time, please don't be angry..."
"Greedy?" Qi Shuo looked at him like this, and most of the helplessness in his heart had disappeared, but he still kept a straight face. "Didn't you eat enough for dinner? Or was the hot pot I made not good?"
"No, no! Dinner was delicious! I'm full!" Tan Huaiyu quickly shook his head, his eyes incredibly sincere. "It's just... I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly wanted something sweet... I don't know why..."
Seeing his pitiful yet adorable appearance, Qi Shuo finally couldn't hold back anymore. He sighed helplessly, reached out, and gently wiped away the cookie crumbs from the corner of his mouth with the pad of his thumb.
“Next time you’re hungry, wake me up and I’ll make you something hot. Eating cold and sweet things in the middle of the night isn’t good for your stomach.” Qi Shuo’s tone softened, filled with indulgence and concern. “And you have to tell the truth. Don’t lie to me again and say you’re going to the bathroom, making me worry.”
"Mmm! I know! I promise!" Tan Huaiyu nodded vigorously as soon as the alarm was over, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She snuggled into Qi Shuo's arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rubbed her face against his warm chest. "I knew Shuo was the best~"
Qi Shuo was rendered speechless by his skillful coquettishness, and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. Under the bright kitchen light, the two embraced in their pajamas, one with a look of utter satisfaction, the other with a look of utter helplessness.
"Want some more?" Qi Shuo rubbed his chin against the top of his head and asked in a low voice.
"I'm not eating anymore," Tan Huaiyu shook her head in his arms, her voice muffled, "I'm full after you scared me like that."
Qi Shuo chuckled softly, his chest heaving. "Serves you right. Let's go back to sleep."
"Mmm." Tan Huaiyu obediently replied, letting Qi Shuo hold his hand, turn off the kitchen light, and walk back to the bedroom together.
Lying back down on the bed, Qi Shuo habitually pulled Tan Huaiyu into his arms and held her tightly. Tan Huaiyu obediently scooted into the bed as well, finding a comfortable position.
"Are you still hungry?" Qi Shuo asked in the darkness.
"I'm not hungry anymore," Tan Huaiyu answered softly, then paused and added, "But... if you had some warm milk..."
Qi Shuo: "..."
He smiled helplessly, said nothing, but tightened his arms, holding the "proud little devil" in his arms even tighter.
"Go to sleep," he commanded.
"Oh." Tan Huaiyu obediently shut up, snuggled into his arms, and closed her eyes contentedly.
Hmm, although getting caught cheating is a bit embarrassing, the feeling of being worried, scolded, and then hugged tightly in the end... doesn't seem so bad?
At least, next time he's hungry in the middle of the night, he'll know he can wake the person next to him with a clear conscience, instead of sneaking around in the closet himself.
The night outside the window remained deep and dark.
Inside the bedroom, the two embraced, their breathing becoming even and intertwined once more.
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