Ruan Xi thought she had made a mistake, froze, her heart tightening, quietly clutching the edge of the duvet.
In the instant she held her breath, she slowly realized that it wasn’t that she had made a mistake, but that she had misunderstood.
Cheng Daichuan was just worried about a good friend.
Just like how Shi Chao worried about them running into rough seas on the Cruise Ship, or how they all worried about Shi Chao, far away at Cheng Daichuan’s house, calling endlessly with missed calls, fearing he’d gotten into trouble…
It was just concern, just basic human nature.
Ruan Xi felt ashamed of her own misunderstanding, her grip on the duvet slowly loosening, but her ears burned with heat, and she curled up uneasily under the covers.
The Air Conditioner was set to sweep up and down, and a wave of cold air blew by.
It always felt like there was something in the guest room— chilly and floating, drifting around unseen.
Ruan Xi huddled inside the duvet, experiencing two kinds of worry at once.
On one hand, she thought, “Ah! I really shouldn’t have eaten that Ice Cream!” On the other, she kept stealing glances at Cheng Daichuan.
Cheng Daichuan was lost in thought and, after finishing that sentence, didn’t say anything more.
Would he think she was acting weird?
What Cheng Daichuan had said just now wasn’t a problem.
If he’d said that to Shi Chao, Shi Chao probably would’ve flung the duvet open to welcome him already.
Maybe he’d even give Cheng Daichuan a round of applause and a cheer, warmly inviting Chuanbao to join him under the covers.
Because of certain feelings, Ruan Xi couldn’t be as honest or open as Shi Chao.
But letting the conversation freeze here felt strange too.
Ruan Xi’s mind raced, starting to mentally prepare herself—
After all, they’d slept on the same Sofa before.
Is there really any difference between leaning on the same Sofa to play games on the iPad together and chatting on the same bed?
She’d even fallen asleep on his shoulder in the Movie Theater, and when he teased her about her heavy head, didn’t she just laugh it off and say it was because it was “full of wisdom”?
It’s fine, Ruan Xi. That’s just how good friends get along.
Sharing a bed isn’t a big deal.
Especially when… the skin exposed outside the duvet caught a chill from the Air Conditioner, and she couldn’t help but think of Shi Chao’s talk about the Morgue.
Comparing the two, it was still those unseen, untouchable things that were scarier!
Cheng Daichuan spoke: “Ruan Xi…”
Almost at the same time, Ruan Xi moved.
She scooted further in on the Single Bed: “Cheng Daichuan, come here!”
Cheng Daichuan squinted at her.
Ruan Xi was still wrapped up in the duvet like a burrito, only her forehead and a pair of blinking eyes showing, urging him: “Come on.”
Cheng Daichuan got up, got out of bed, put on his slippers, walked over to Ruan Xi’s bedside, and looked down at her.
Every move Cheng Daichuan made stirred a tiny noise in the quiet guest room.
Ruan Xi picked up on every sound, her heartbeat quickening.
But Cheng Daichuan just ruffled her hair, as if to say, how could you be this scared?
“I always feel like there’s something under the bed…”
“There is.”
Ruan Xi’s heartbeat changed to a different kind of fast, struggling under the covers: “Ah!”
“Your slippers.”
“Cheng Daichuan!!!”
The one who’d just had his name yelled didn’t panic at all and calmly sat down on Ruan Xi’s bed.
Ruan Xi felt the mattress dip beside her, her mind spinning as she muttered her own wild thoughts.
She thought about how terrifying all those things Shi Chao said were, “They’ve been giving out Free Ice Cream for days now…”
Just how many Passengers must have died for them to need to clear out so many spots in the Cold Storage?
But as she muttered these things, Ruan Xi couldn’t tell if she was more afraid, or just hoping to distract herself by talking about them.
Cheng Daichuan took his own Pillow, propped it up at her headboard, and sat beside Ruan Xi, reminding her: “We’re on the Dusk, not Terrifying Cruise.”
Ruan Xi, startled like a clam, immediately tucked her head under the covers, her voice muffled: “Don’t mention that movie…”
Just like Titanic, they’d watched that movie at Cheng Daichuan’s house with the projector.
It was all Shi Chao’s fault for insisting on watching it.
The plot was so bizarre— identical female leads popping up out of nowhere, mind-bending and creepy, nearly scaring Ruan Xi out of her wits.
In the latter half, Ruan Xi spent the whole time covering her eyes, teeth chattering in fright, and afraid of being teased, she didn’t dare make a sound.
Just when Ruan Xi had her eyes tightly shut, suddenly a Bluetooth Earphone was slipped into her right ear.
The earphone was cool, and a gentle French Song played inside, like a tune from an old movie.
Shang Auntie often hummed it, the melody very soft, lingering in the ear.
Ruan Xi turned in surprise, meeting Cheng Daichuan’s smiling peach blossom eyes through the French Song…
Back then, whenever Ruan Xi was afraid, it was always Cheng Daichuan by her side—just like now.
Only, now, the distance was even closer…
The Single Bed was a standard 1.2 meters wide.
No matter how she turned over, there was still enough space to sprawl on the duvet.
But with Cheng Daichuan on this bed… it felt completely different, and she was afraid even a slight movement would touch him.
Now, the room wasn’t cold and drafty anymore. Instead, it was stifling— hot and stuffy, like the duvet had turned into a down sleeping bag, making her sweat.
Cheng Daichuan played on his phone, then tapped it to Ruan Xi’s forehead: “Aren’t you hot?”
Hot, so hot her scalp tingled.
Ruan Xi lifted the duvet a bit, and, imitating Cheng Daichuan, propped up her Pillow and leaned against it.
She caught a glimpse of Cheng Daichuan’s phone screen.
He was playing Hearthstone, his face expressionless, but the hero portrait he controlled had just exploded.
Ruan Xi was a little surprised: “You lost?”
Cheng Daichuan seemed calm: “The opponent was strong. Want to play?”
“You play, I’ll just watch.”
This round, Cheng Daichuan won, but he made a misplay in round five.
Even a noob like Ruan Xi could tell, so she waited until the end to call him out: “Cheng Daichuan.”
Cheng Daichuan turned: “Hm?”
“Fess up.”
Cheng Daichuan paused: “About what?”
“You actually cared a bit about what Shi Chao said, didn’t you?”
“…Not really.”
Ruan Xi poked Cheng Daichuan’s shoulder: “I caught you making a mistake just now.”
“Sleepy.”
Actually, Ruan Xi was sleepy too— not just sleepy, but tired, though she still wanted to play a few rounds herself.
Maybe she’d wiped out too many times on the surfing machine, now even raising her arms felt sore.
So tired, but still unable to sleep…
The scary atmosphere hanging in the air had already faded, leaving Ruan Xi just feeling anxious.
Cheng Daichuan’s pajamas were thin, seeming soft.
He held his phone in one hand, and dealt cards with the other, his knuckles shifting with each move… Ruan Xi watched, feeling an itch she couldn’t describe.
Finally, after Cheng Daichuan finished his game, Ruan Xi, exhausted, bargained with him: “Let me play a round too.”
Otherwise, it was just too torturous.
“Go ahead.”
She pushed against the bed, sat up straighter, and took his phone.
The phone was still warm from his hand.
Cheng Daichuan’s rank was too high, so all the opponents matched were tough.
Ruan Xi couldn’t win on her own, so she asked for help, the two of them nearly bumping heads as they played on the same phone.
After another round, Ruan Xi was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, but still turned to hand the phone back: “Cheng Daichuan, we won…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, because Cheng Daichuan’s face was so close.
Silence. Without blinking, Ruan Xi and Cheng Daichuan stared at each other for a few seconds.
A storm raged in her chest, her heart pounding wildly.
Cheng Daichuan took the phone from her, his fingertips brushing hers, gaze never leaving her: “Not playing anymore?”
Ruan Xi had wanted to sleep, but, flustered, shook her head: “Let’s play another round.”
After all of Ruan Xi’s “ten thousand plans,” even Cheng Daichuan felt a little tired, not to mention Ruan Xi.
It was no surprise when Ruan Xi fell asleep holding the phone again.
Cheng Daichuan had been watching, and when the phone slipped from Ruan Xi’s hand, he reached out to catch it.
Ruan Xi’s hand landed on his chest, and on the side of her left thumb, near the joint, was a faint scar.
Cheng Daichuan knew how she’d gotten that scar—
Back in their second year of high school, Cheng Daichuan suddenly came down with a High Fever.
Madam Shang was away on a business trip, so it was just him and the useless Ais.
Ruan Xi and Shi Chao rushed over after school, carrying big bags of Supermarket Plastic Bags, patting their chests and promising to make a nutritious dinner for their sick friend.
The Antipyretic hadn’t worn off, Cheng Daichuan was groggy and didn’t feel like talking, only grunting when Ais stomped all over him without mercy.
Half-awake, he’d sometimes hear the two goofballs chatting:
“Xi-zi, is your cooking edible?”
“It definitely won’t kill anyone.”
“Why can’t we just order Takeout?”
“Takeout isn’t nutritious!”
“Shi Chao, oh no, this Egg Pancake is ruined, it’s burnt.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Hehe… It’s not good for the patient to eat burnt food, so you eat it, okay?”
“Am I the Trash Bin?!”
“Good buddy, I’ll buy you Potato Chips tomorrow!”…
When Shi Chao woke him up for dinner, Cheng Daichuan was still a bit out of it, sitting up and closing his eyes for a moment before heading to the Restaurant with them.
Ruan Xi wore Shang Auntie’s apron, full of pride: “Come taste Chef Ruan’s cooking!”
Even in his feverish haze, Cheng Daichuan noticed Ruan Xi’s hand wrapped in several layers of Bandage.
He frowned: “You’re hurt?”
Ruan Xi smiled slyly and hid her hand behind her back: “Just a little cut, I nicked it with the Kitchen Knife.”
Shi Chao started to say something but was silenced by Ruan Xi stepping on his foot.
Later, Cheng Daichuan saw a wad of tissue stained with blood in the Kitchen Trash Bin.
That was Ruan Xi.
A girl who liked to act tough and was never on guard with others.
Cheng Daichuan hadn’t expected that when he crossed the line with, “I’ll go to your bed,” Ruan Xi would actually agree.
He didn’t even know what to say.
As for now…
She was sleeping right beside him, the faint scent on her body stirred up by the Air Conditioner, lingering and elusive.
Cheng Daichuan glanced toward the fridge in the dim light, feeling a headache: Looks like he won’t be sleeping again.
Not sleeping was annoying too—he always ended up seeing people who had nothing to do with him.
He scrolled through his Friend Circle and saw a post Zhang Xu had made half an hour ago—a photo of an arm holding a dog.
Cheng Daichuan had known Zhang Xu for a long time.
They’d gone to the same junior high, Zhang Xu was a high jump athlete, always training near the school soccer field after class, and they’d interacted a bit during sports meets.
Guys get to know each other easily, not that close, but they had each other’s contacts.
There was a period when Ruan Xi liked to go off by herself after school, wandering around as if waiting for someone.
On a perfectly ordinary dusk, Cheng Daichuan saw Ruan Xi, ears bright red, blocking Zhang Xu and his friend’s way…
That image flashed through Cheng Daichuan’s mind, making him uncomfortable, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruan Xi’s discarded duvet, planning to cover her up before returning to his own bed.
But Ruan Xi moved first.
She rolled over, flinging a leg and an arm across, and just like that, she used Cheng Daichuan as her human pillow.