"You're staying at my place? My home only has two bedrooms. One is shared by my sister and me, where will you sleep?"
After understanding the meaning in Liu Chen's eyes, Ren Yu proactively offered:
"I can sleep in the study. Just give me two blankets."
Liu Chen looked at Ren Yu, who spoke with sincerity, and found it hard to believe. A genius, still in college and already worth a billion, sleeping on the floor of the study?
Liu Chen was about to soften and suggest that she and Sister Si Yu sleep in their mother's bed while Ren Yu take hers, but then she immediately recalled the little trick Ren Yu had played when he entered the house.
Thinking of this, Liu Chen finally held back.
"Alright."
After saying this, Liu Chen quickly turned and went to the closet to get blankets, afraid that if she looked at Ren Yu again, she would change her mind.
However, by the time Liu Chen returned with the blankets, she found that Ren Yu had already opened the study computer and logged into QQ. As soon as he logged in, the message box popped up rapidly.
"Boss, how was it? Did you move Big Sister with the snowflake on your shoulder to tears!"
Liu Chen, holding the blankets and intending to help Ren Yu spread them, heard this and coldly snorted, directly placing the blankets into Ren Yu's arms.
Without a word, she walked out of the study and pulled He Siyu back to the bedroom.
As soon as they returned to the room, Liu Chen saw He Siyu looking at her with a probing expression, as if she had something to say but was hesitant.
Recalling the promise she made to Teacher He Long when she brought He Siyu with her, Liu Chen immediately said, "Sister Si Yu, you can ask me anything, I won't get angry."
He Siyu pursed her lips before asking:
"Is he, your boyfriend?"
Liu Chen was stunned by the question and didn't know how to answer.
"Why do you ask?"
He Siyu asked with confusion:
"Because, you treat him differently from others."
Did she treat Ren Yu differently?
Liu Chen had never considered this question, or rather, she had never noticed it.
But, seeing the confused look on He Siyu's face, for some reason, Liu Chen felt as if her brain had short-circuited, and the words just slipped out.
"He likes me, and I like him too, but we're not a couple yet."
He Siyu nodded, her confusion deepening. Perhaps in her mind, liking was liking, and if both parties liked each other, then they were a couple.
Liu Chen didn't know how to explain, so in the end, she sighed and explained nothing.
-
When she heard He Siyu's steady and long breaths by her pillow, Liu Chen opened her eyes.
It was laughable. Tomorrow she was going to meet Hu Xingfa head-on, yet tonight her reason for not being able to sleep was Ren Yu.
The thought that Ren Yu was sleeping on the floor in the study next to her bedroom kept her awake. Her rational mind told her that she needed to attack Hu Xingfa with all her might tomorrow and should conserve energy now, but as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind involuntarily conjured up the moments of close proximity with Ren Yu earlier that day.
The breath that sprayed between them, the moment her heart pounded faster.
Touching her chest with her hand, feeling her heart still beating 'thump-thump-thump', Liu Chen couldn't help but whisper to herself:
'It's perfectly reasonable for me to get out of my bedroom to get a glass of water and check on Ren Yu, who's staying at my place. It shows the host's warmth and hospitality. Makes perfect sense.'
Having barely convinced herself, Liu Chen held her breath, lifted the blanket, and slid off the bed. She then tiptoed to open the bedroom door and stepped out.
All the lights in the house were off, and the hallway was dark. Only the moonlight from outside cast a glow into the living room, allowing her to vaguely see its layout.
Liu Chen walked to the study door and stopped. She placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it downwards, then gently pushed the door open.
As soon as she opened a crack, revealing a warm yellow light, the study door swung open inward by itself, revealing Ren Yu standing behind it, wearing only a loungewear top.
Shen Hong's voice could be heard from the study:
"Boss, why did you leave?"
Liu Chen tilted her head slightly, looking at Ren Yu, who was standing behind the door and opening it. For the first time, she felt a sense of panic.
Almost instinctively, Liu Chen blurted out the excuse she had just concocted.
"I woke up thirsty and came out for some water. I wanted to see if you were asleep."
Ren Yu's voice was tinged with a smile: "Perfect timing, I'm thirsty too. I don't know where the cups are kept. Can you show me?"
Liu Chen, caught red-handed while trying to sneak a peek, felt guilty. Thinking about leading him to the kitchen to find cups in the dark, her first reaction was to refuse:
"Uh, I'll pour it for you. Don't you have something to do?"
Before Ren Yu could reply, Shen Hong's voice came from the computer behind him:
"No, no, we just finished talking. Goodnight, Boss!"
With that, Shen Hong hung up the video call without waiting for Ren Yu to say goodnight.
Ren Yu looked down at Liu Chen, who was standing in front of him, her face flushed like a watermelon without her realizing it, as she tried to maintain a calm expression. He asked:
"I don't have anything to do now."
Liu Chen avoided direct eye contact with Ren Yu and turned around, saying, "Oh... then, let's go together."
Liu Chen walked ahead, with Ren Yu in his loungewear behind her. The two of them, like a young couple, moved through the darkened living room and then into the kitchen, where only moonlight shone.
Honestly, Liu Chen was not very familiar with her own kitchen. Besides staying there for a longer period during the summer, she had mostly stayed at the Chen family's old residence afterwards.
Therefore, after searching through the cabinets below, Liu Chen couldn't find any cups.
No choice, Liu Chen closed the cabinet doors below and opened the cabinet doors above.
Liu Chen, at 165 cm tall, could only vaguely see the plastic bottles placed on the outermost edge after opening the upper cabinets. Gripping the bottom of the wall cabinet, she stood on tiptoe, trying to see if there were any cups.
As soon as she stood on tiptoe, a hand reached over from above her head and into the wall cabinet.
Ren Yu's voice came from above:
"Found them. Do you want big or small?"
In the quiet night, Ren Yu stood behind her. Even though they maintained a fist's width of space between them, Liu Chen felt as if she could hear Ren Yu's breathing and heartbeat.
"Whatever, either is fine."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yu lowered his gaze, looking at Liu Chen, who had turned her head towards the kitchen balcony. The corners of his lips curled up again.
"Okay, then I'll just pick two."
"Mhm."
After Ren Yu took two cups, washed them, and poured warm milk, he brought them to the living room and placed them on the coffee table. Liu Chen looked at the couple's mugs on the coffee table and fell silent.
Ren Yu looked at the silent Liu Chen and chuckled:
"Weren't you thirsty? Drink some warm milk, get some sleep, and I'll be with you tomorrow."
Liu Chen looked at the little boy on Ren Yu's cup, sticking his butt out and pouting his lips, then glanced at the little girl on her cup, who was also sticking her butt out and pouting.
Closing her eyes, she picked up her mug and drank it all in one gulp!
As Liu Chen drank with her eyes closed, she didn't see Ren Yu's smile, which shone as brightly as countless stars under the moonlight.