315. Before Sleep
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Lin Nan’s life was pretty sweet these days.
Her living expenses had doubled compared to before, so she had enough to get by. And if things ever got tight, she could toss her hair and confidently tell Chen Yao to treat her to dinner as his girlfriend.
But knowing Chen Yao, he’d only do that if he was on the verge of starving.
So she thought the new magic didn’t really serve a purpose for her anymore. After all, her goal wasn’t to become extraordinary. Following the disaster of turning into a girl, the only thing she hoped for in life was to live peacefully without too many bumps along the road.
But she definitely underestimated her own greed.
“Unlimited stamina? Yeah, that’s impossible. I don’t know enough about magic to achieve anything that deep…” Lin Nan lay on her brand new sheets, muttering about the pros and cons. “But going three days without wearing underwear would just be a little uncomfortable. Throw in my period… I should set an alarm to remind me every half hour.”
Purification Magic was quite handy; it turned Lin Nan into a little fairy who didn’t need to run to the bathroom, significantly reducing her sanitary pad use during that time of the month. She could even use it occasionally to stay clean!
But now that she thought about it, getting a more advanced Purification Magic spell would save her even more trouble. That way, she’d never bleed again, and certainly wouldn’t mess up the sheets like she did tonight.
While brainstorming potential spells in her mind, Lin Nan opened the door only to see Chen Yao snap his laptop shut.
Before she could even ask what was up, Chen Yao blurted, “Why are you wearing boys’ clothes again?”
“Using them as pajamas,” Lin Nan replied casually as she moved to the coffee table and turned on the kettle. Waiting for the water to boil, she curiously asked, “Why were you acting so nervous just now?”
Chen Yao kept his cool. “Nervous? I was just getting ready for bed.”
Getting ready for bed, huh?
After knowing him for seven or eight years, Lin Nan could read his emotions like a book. With just a glance, she noticed the tension lurking deep within him.
With a knowing smile, she looked at his laptop and asked, “How about you sleep in my bed tonight? You look pretty uncomfortable on that couch.”
Even if it was just a one-bedroom apartment, it was so small that there wasn’t enough room to lay down properly, whether in the living room or bedroom.
“Uh, well, you see…” Chen Yao started to tease but quickly backed off.
Sleeping with your girlfriend isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing!
Sure, you could cuddle and sneak a kiss, but not going all the way? For a young guy, that feels like torture.
They say that over time it might even lead to all sorts of awkward scenarios.
But for some reason, Lin Nan was feeling unusually generous tonight. Seeing him hesitate and fail to finish his thoughts, she nodded directly. “Yeah, let’s sleep together. I don’t want to sleep on the couch either.”
Why does it suddenly feel a bit chilly?
Chen Yao rubbed his arms, realizing he felt like he was under someone’s suspicious gaze.
“Um, just keep your distance,” he sighed. “Let’s sleep far apart, as far as we can.”
Lin Nan was taken aback, pouting, “Then you might as well sleep on the couch.”
“No, what I meant was if we sleep too close…” Chen Yao frantically scratched his head, trying not to be too direct, “it would be… uncomfortable, okay?”
Their relationship had only been a couple of months, and during that time, they hadn’t been particularly intimate. Some things still felt too embarrassing to say out loud.
But even so, Lin Nan got the message.
She glanced at Chen Yao’s pants with a teasing look. “But I’m really far from you right now. Isn’t it the same?”
Chen Yao’s face, thick-skinned like cowhide, began to redden, but looking down at the couch, there was nothing to hide behind, and it made the whole situation more awkward.
Lin Nan stretched, her earlier sleepiness already dissipated. She opened her laptop and told Chen Yao, “You should go shower first.”
“Right!”
Chen Yao hurried to grab his clothes and darted into the bedroom. Meanwhile, Lin Nan opened her laptop and waited until she heard the sound of water running. Then, she dashed over to Chen Yao’s computer.
There was a password?!
Is this guy really that cautious of me now?
Fuming, she put the computer back where it was.
“Chen Yao! What’s your computer password?!”
The sound of running water increased just a bit, and Chen Yao called out from inside, “What did you say?”
“I’ll just come in and tell you!”
“Wait, wait! Why would you come in?!”
Lin Nan waited a moment at the bedroom door before prying it open a crack to peek inside. Sure enough, Chen Yao had thrown on some shorts and was drying off his arms with a towel.
Realizing Lin Nan’s eyes were peering through the crack, Chen Yao sighed and rolled his eyes. “Are you an idiot? That’s called peeping!”
“Like you haven’t seen anything before! Not like I’m bigger than you,” Lin Nan retorted as she stepped inside, flopping onto the bed and rolling around with the blanket. Sideways, she looked at Chen Yao in the bathroom. “Just mop the floor a bit; it’s too damp, and there might be cockroaches.”
“Try it and see how big it is,” Chen Yao shot back lightly, drying off his upper body before grabbing a mop to clean the bathroom.
Suddenly, Lin Nan recalled what she had seen a couple of days earlier, and her cheeks instantly flushed.
Once Chen Yao finished tidying up, he stretched and sat at the head of the bed, glancing at Lin Nan, who was nestled at the other end of the bed. He felt a bit conflicted.
The couch outside was way too small. After a few nights on it, his back ached like crazy. If he stayed longer, who knows what kind of weird ailments he’d develop. But sharing the same bed with Lin Nan? That was its own kind of challenge.
“Let’s go to sleep,” he said, switching off the bedroom light and lying down a bit nervously.
Even though there was plenty of space, and they were lying apart, he could still smell the sweet scent of Lin Nan that surrounded him.
He lay there with his eyes shut for maybe ten minutes when he found a blanket covering him. He opened his eyes to see Lin Nan had scooted closer to him.
Curled up beside him, she pulled half the blanket over herself and, glancing at him, mumbled, “It’s chilly with the AC on. Don’t catch a cold!”
Chen Yao turned to face her, cautiously wrapping an arm around her waist.
He really couldn’t help himself.
“Don’t start getting all handsy,” Lin Nan murmured, feeling warm nestled in his embrace, her cheeks flushed.
“Okay.” As he agreed, Chen Yao’s hand slid from her shoulder down to her waist.
Lin Nan shivered a bit, but then noticed his hand slowly moving lower. Even with clothes between them, each touch sent tiny electric jolts from her skin straight to her brain.
She was getting warm all over.
Finally, when his hand reached her hips, Lin Nan felt she couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to pull away.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not wearing any underwear?”
Chen Yao’s clueless question hit her like a lightning bolt.
