CH 4

Sharing A Bed Late At Night?

Ying Ruoyun was so embarrassed that his ears turned red, but the night covered it up: "I didn't find it, so I was planning to leave."

"Oh," Tan Xiaoshi said, puzzled again, "I heard a banging sound inside, you guys make quite a lot of noise looking for the score."

Ying Ruoyun's heart practically jumped into his throat, and he could only change the subject, "What brings Sister Xiaoshi here?"

"I left my keys here and came to get them, why haven't you gone home?"

Ying Ruoyun was so relieved: "I'll be heading out, Conductor Shu, Sister Xiaoshi, see you tomorrow."

"Wait." Shu Jingzhi called out to him.

"Conductor Shu, is there anything else?" Ying Ruoyun smiled.

"I'll send you home."

"If I remember correctly, we seem to be travelling on different roads." Ying Ruoyun said, "I drove here myself, so I won't trouble you."

Before waiting for a reply, Ying Ruoyun left the office as if he didn't want to stay a second longer.

What he hadn't anticipated was that a summer thunderstorm would break a certain power supply. When he got home, he had just had a glass of water in the living room when the power went out in a flash and darkness overtook him in an instant.

To make matters worse, his cell phone had only 2% battery left and switched off just as he wanted to call to enquire. His laptop was in the office at the concert hall, and he hadn't brought it home.

Ying Ruoyun was a little anxious; he had night blindness, and in this situation, it was like being blind.

The moon shone through the curtains, and, with his sense of the light, he groped his way to the window.

With a thud, he slammed into the shelf and the glazed vase fell to the ground with a loud crash, sending shards of porcelain scattering all over the floor.

He suddenly felt sorry for the flowers in the vase, which he had only bought that morning and whose petals were still covered in dew.

He took a few steps forward, tripped over the sofa and was about to fall to the floor when he fell into a warm embrace: "Be careful."

It was Shu Jingzhi.

Ying Ruoyun was shocked: "Why are you here?"

Shu Jingzhi asked, "What did you hit?"

"Conductor Shu? How are you here?"

"I live downstairs."

"How can you live downstairs?"

"I just moved in today."

"But this is my living room."

"The window was open."

"You climbed in through the window?"

Shu Jingzhi didn't answer the question, "What did you hit? Does it hurt?"

A warm feeling welled up in Ying Ruoyun's heart, he had night blindness, and Shu Jingzhi knew it.

When they were together, no matter how late it was, Shu Jingzhi would always leave a night light on for him until he fell asleep.

In the night, Ying Ruoyun could not actually see his face clearly, it was only the touch of his skin, the burning temperature, that told him everything was not an illusion.

"Is it here?" Shu Jingzhi rubbed the corner of his forehead: "It's red."

"It's okay," Ying Ruoyun said, "Help me open the curtains."

"Even if you open the curtains, can you see clearly?"

"Yes."

"Lies."

"Conductor Shu, I can do it myself."

As if in anger, Shu Jingzhi let go of him, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and pulled the curtain open with a clatter.

Ying Ruoyun tried very hard to discern the direction through the moonlight, but it was futile in the end.

The absence of his scent added to the panic: "Conductor Shu, are you still there?"

"No."

Ying Ruoyun laughed: "Alright, I was wrong, I may have to trouble you after all."

"On what basis?"

"I basically can't do anything right now, can you just sit back and watch?"

"Why should I care about you?"

"I never knew that the elegant and noble Commandant Shu could be so narrow-minded."

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"The phone ran out of battery."

"Liar!"

"It's true that it's dead, otherwise how would I be in this situation?"

"Where you hit it, does it still hurt?"

"It's nothing."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

“Mmm. Going to bed?"

"No, I haven't showered yet."

"You are like this now, can you still take a shower?"

"Did you bring your phone? Lend me the light."

"I don't have it."

"You really didn't bring it?"

"I climbed up through the window from downstairs, why would I bring my phone?"

"Then just take me to the bathroom door."

"I can help you wash."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not joking."

Ying Ruoyun took a deep breath, "No, thank you."

After taking a messy shower and blow-drying his hair, Ying Ruoyun came out of the bathroom, and had just taken a couple of steps while holding onto the wall when he was picked up and placed on the bed in the bedroom.

Shu Jingzhi began to unbutton his shirt.

Ying Ruoyun swallowed and grabbed his hand, "Conductor Shu, this is not appropriate, is it?"

Shu Jingzhi paused his movements, his eyes teasing: "What's inappropriate?"

"What do you think?"

"We've already done everything that's inappropriate."

"We've already broken up."

"It's okay to be broken up."

"Shu Jingzhi," Ying Ruoyun gritted his teeth, "don't go too far."

"If I force you, what can you do?"

"I'll make you regret it."

"Oh? I'd like to hear more."

"I haven't thought about it yet."

"Then may I assume that you are helpless against me?"

"Shu Jingzhi, there are limits to self-righteousness."

"Do you like being forced by me?"

Ying Ruoyun sat on the edge of the bed as Shu Jingzhi knelt down and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You really have changed too much."

"You have too, haven't you?"

Ying Ruoyun suddenly wanted to see if he still looked the same as he remembered.

But tonight, he couldn't do it.

Shu Jingzhi said, "You buttoned it the wrong way."

His fingertips brushed across his skin, a touch that seemed to tantalise the heart.

"This habit has been going on for so many years, how come it still hasn't changed in the slightest." Shu Jingzhi unbuttoned his pyjamas one by one, and then carefully buttoned them up again: "With your personality, how can you be alone in a foreign country..."

Ying Ruoyun's throat was a little sour, and the hand holding his shoulder trembled.

"Forget it, it has nothing to do with me." Shu Jingzhi finally straightened the folds of his clothes for him and kissed the corner of his forehead that was red from the impact, "Good night."

"You're leaving?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Can you, just stay a little longer?"

"Okay."

The night was tender, and his tone was gentle.

Ying Ruoyun suddenly had an illusion; it was as if his former lover had returned to his side.

He knew that this night would pass, that tomorrow would come, and that they would once again be unfamiliar with each other.

But tonight, he could indulge himself a little.

The curtains were drawn back, and the silver moonlight poured into the room.

While ordinary people hate the light of the night, Ying Ruoyun loves the hazy beauty of it.

At this moment, for example, he could perceive the moon's slight brightness and trace his silhouette in his mind.

With his scent in my nose, I could sleep easily.

At midnight, he was a little thirsty.

When Ying Ruoyun woke up, he touched the light switch at the bedside, but it did not respond.

Was there still no electricity?

Shu Jingzhi should have left already, Ying Ruoyun thought, so he should bear with it and wait until the morning.

He turned around, but was surprised to bump into a warm body.

Shu Jingzhi hadn't left yet?

He touched it subconsciously, but the feel of it, mhmm!

Wait, why was he naked?

Why does Shu Jingzhi sleep without clothes on?

Is he a pervert?