Finally, everything was settled, and Jiang Cheng obediently wrapped himself up tightly.
He stumbled out of the bathroom.
Well, maybe a bit too obediently.
“This… Chengzi, you don’t have to be wrapped up so tightly…”
Jiang Lingwei’s mouth twitched slightly as she spoke in the most tactful tone she could muster.
“I mean, it’s fine to be wrapped tightly…”
“Uh-huh.”
A muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.
“I’m fine.”
“Aren’t you hot, bro?!”
When Jiang Lingwei shifted her gaze to the side, she could hardly bear to look at her man.
Fortunately, the blanket was big enough—it was originally meant to cover the bed; otherwise, with Jiang Cheng’s build and wrapping style, an ordinary blanket really wouldn’t suffice.
When she said “wrap tightly, like a rice dumpling,” it was just an exaggeration—she didn’t actually want him to become a literal rice dumpling!
Even she herself, to be honest, wasn’t that strict about Jiang Cheng going to bed. Although the dual-ball restrictor on top was a bit uncomfortable during sleep and was taken off early, she still wore underwear under her pajamas.
Jiang Cheng didn’t seem like any dishonest pervert.
As for seeing certain cylindrical things… if Jiang Lingwei were a typical woman, she might feel a bit shy, but she actually had a little brother, so just a glance was nothing embarrassing compared to the flushed, heart-thumping feeling she got when confessed to.
At this moment, Jiang Cheng had, because of one sentence from her, wrapped himself up even more thoroughly than a mummy, with only a slit left for his eyes visible; everything else was covered.
“This is too weird.”
She got out of bed and reached out to touch Jiang Cheng’s arm wrapped inside the blanket—originally intending to pull his arm, but it was impossible to grab it. His arm was thicker than hers and the blanket in between made it impossible to pull.
In the end, with some pushing and pulling, Jiang Lingwei shoved him toward the edge of the bed.
“At least let your head out.”
Leaning against the bed, she slightly raised her head, looked at the pair of eyes peeking out from the blanket for a second, then looked away, scratching her cheek with a small hand as she said:
“You look like you’re even having trouble breathing. What kind of situation is this? It’s like we’re playing some weird kind of kinky game…”
She patted the area around his abdomen, and even through the blanket, she could vaguely feel the firm muscles underneath, making her tap a few more times before saying:
“You should unwrap a bit…”
After Jiang Lingwei finished speaking, a muffled voice came from under the blanket.
“No need. As long as it makes you feel better.”
“Unwrap quickly! You make me even more worried like this!”
“Alright!”
After some fussing, Jiang Lingwei finally managed to press Jiang Cheng down on the bed. The guy had been more reserved just now. Even though she had agreed, he refused to unwrap more, only struggling to free the blanket around his head to at least expose his handsome face so he could breathe freely.
“You stay here. Just one last question, are you really not hot?”
“No.”
Jiang Cheng’s eyes were resolute. His expression stiffened for a moment before relaxing into a smile.
“I’m already satisfied just to be able to sleep in bed!”
“…Alright then.”
Whatever had happened before was one thing; at least now, Jiang Lingwei didn’t feel any romantic atmosphere at all.
She even found herself thinking less and less of Jiang Cheng as a potential lover, and more as a good brother.
Right now, she just suspected she had raised a husky.
Able to eat and drink, but some of the things he did were a little abstract. Yet in certain aspects, he was so loyal that it was impossible to complain about him.
Handsome and brooding like a seasoned old soldier when serious, but once he smiled, his goofy side came through completely.
Pushing back the hood of her little tiger pajamas, Jiang Lingwei fully relaxed, reaching for the light switch.
“I’m turning off the light now.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Click.
The lights went out, and in the darkness, Jiang Lingwei’s voice was heard as she crawled into the covers.
“Good night, Chengzi.”
From the other side came a voice laced with a hint of a smile.
“Good night, Xiaowei.”
Jiang Cheng, only his head sticking out, looked up at the ceiling and softly replied.
“Zzzz…”
After a while of silence, Jiang Lingwei turned over and said:
“Oh, I’ll say this first: Chengzi, sleep easy, don’t think too much. Tomorrow, I’ll help you get familiar with this world.”
She yawned quietly.
“Don’t worry about me tonight; you just sleep. I usually stay up late.”
It had been a long time since she shared a room with someone else, and Jiang Lingwei almost forgot that she wasn’t used to sleeping with others.
It wasn’t because Jiang Cheng’s identity was special—it was just her own habit.
Even with Jiang Yao, she would stay up late, especially that one time Jiang Yao stared at her all night!
So, even sleeping with her daughter was something she wasn’t used to. Jiang Cheng was probably the same.
Now Jiang Lingwei could almost predict how she would lie there wide awake, staring at the moon outside the window, thinking about things.
To avoid disturbing Jiang Cheng’s sleep, she said it all in advance.
After that, Jiang Lingwei started thinking:
(Tomorrow, what should I do…)
“…”
“Ugh…”
Yawning again, Jiang Lingwei’s eyes gradually narrowed until the gap between her eyelids was very small, very small…
Listening to the soft, even breathing beside her, Jiang Cheng wore a puzzled expression.
(This is called… usually staying up late?)
(Alright.)
He had no objections.
Nestled in the cocoon made of blankets, he closed his eyes.
Though Jiang Lingwei told him not to overthink, Jiang Cheng couldn’t help it.
Sleeping in the same bed with Jiang Lingwei was still a first in his memory!
He didn’t plan on doing anything really; otherwise, he wouldn’t have wrapped himself up like a cocoon.
It was just that Jiang Lingwei really didn’t guard herself against him at all.
This kind of trust made a warm current surge in Jiang Cheng’s heart.
From the very beginning, Jiang Lingwei had placed the greatest trust in him.
No matter the reason for this trust, it was priceless in itself.
Yes, Jiang Lingwei never questioned him about many things. For those things he claimed not to remember, the girl (in her Aurora form) just nodded in acknowledgment, sighed, patted his shoulder, and said things like, “It’s mostly for the child’s sake.”
In fact, Jiang Cheng had indeed forgotten many things, but he was somewhat different from Jiang Lingwei, who had fully regressed in memory.
Besides love, some fragments of memories still lingered in his mind like shattered glass.
For example, after crossing the Dark Gate and becoming human, buried in ruins, and being rescued by that lone pink-haired girl.
That shattered yet still strong light—no matter how deep the darkness, it couldn’t drown it out…
Jiang Cheng knew he had fallen in love with her from that moment.
Closing his eyes, the girl’s voice echoed in his ear:
“Don’t worry!”
“I am the Magical Girl [Aurora].”
“I will save you, save everyone.”
“Trust me!”
He had once been a void of emptiness, and from that moment on, he was Jiang Cheng.
These memories were so vivid they made Jiang Cheng feel as if the ruins were pressing down on him again.
“?”
(Not right.)
In the dark, Jiang Cheng opened his eyes. His pupils trembled as he felt the even breathing at his neck and the large leg that had silently slung over his waist.
His entire body stiffened.
By the moonlight, his eyes looked down and saw Jiang Lingwei, wearing her little tiger pajamas, pressed tightly against his shoulder, an arm unconsciously resting on his chest.
Her head rested where his arm was, and even in sleep, she wore a faint smile.
Yes, Jiang Lingwei had a habit.
When relaxed and asleep, she liked to hold onto something.
(How am I supposed to sleep like this?!)
Surrounded by a faint fragrance, Jiang Cheng kept his eyes open, afraid to move so as not to disturb the beauty sleeping beside him.
He endured until late into the night, until at some point, his head finally tilted—
And he peacefully drifted into sleep.