The Warmhearted You

Chapter 4: Tenderness in the middle of the night

It was late at night.

He Yu couldn’t sleep, the more she wanted to, the less tired she felt.

She tossed and turned, but sleep still eluded her. Then she heard a knock on her door. At first, He Yu thought she was hallucinating because it was the middle of the night, but then a second knock sounded, and she lifted herself from the bed.

She grabbed whatever she could find and put it on. It was a simple shirt, but it was long and large enough that it reached just above her pale thighs.

Due to her half-clothed state, she didn’t turn on the lights and answered the door. She opened the door wide enough that only half of her body could be seen.

“What’s the matter?” She whispered.

“Can’t sleep. Ah-Ning snores too loudly and talks in her sleep. Mind if I stay here instead?” asked Ye Xun, her head slightly bowed.

Since she was in a hurry, He Yu hadn’t put her shirt on properly. The buttons were all mismatched, and the neckline was loosened wide, and although there were no lights on, the moonlight was very bright. So when Ye Xun lowered her eyes, she could see everything.

Ye Xun looked away, turned her head slightly to the side, and the tips of her ears were turning red.

He Yu hesitated for a while and then nodded her head: “Ok, but wait outside a bit.”

“Ok.” Ye Xun replied.

He Yu closed the door gently and quickly threw on some outer clothing, tugging on a pair of shorts. Then she dug around for some extra blankets, shook the dust off, and finally let Ye Xun come in.

But she still refused to turn the lights on.

She felt feverish and hot, her head was spinning as her thoughts jumbled together. She knew she shouldn’t have opened the door, let alone agree to the proposal, but she did it anyway.

It’s probably because of the lack of sleep, she thought.

“Sleep.” said He Yu as she grabbed a blanket and laid down in the bed. She turned to her side, her back facing Ye Xun, and left as much space as possible between them.

Ye Xun didn’t say a word as she laid down next to He Yu.

Too tired to care anymore, exhaustion washed over her, and He Yu closed her eyes.

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He Yu woke up 5 minutes before 7:30. Her daily lifestyle had ingrained it into her so that she no longer needed an alarm clock to wake up. She jolted when she felt a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. Her eyes shifted from her waist to glance at the person beside her.

Ye Xun was still fast asleep and breathing softly, her chest rising up and down.

He Yu heaved a sigh of relief and slowly lifted the hands off her waist. She got out of bed and opened her closet in search of an outfit. She first put on a pair of undergarments, and after changing into the outfit she picked, she tiptoed out of the room.

Meanwhile, the still fast asleep Ye Xun suddenly opened her eyes. There was not a hint of drowsiness in her eyes. She rolled over onto her back, looked up at the ceiling, and thought about what had just happened.

She clenched and unclenched her hands, as though she could still feel that soft and silky waist, the feeling lingering on her palms. Remembering the body that was next to her, the skin so tender and smooth, made her heart skip a beat.

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Since there were two extra people to feed, He Yu skipped her morning job to cook breakfast instead. When she finished, she called the two children to get up and eat.

She was no longer confused or feverish this morning and watched impassively as the two students ate. He Yu barely spoke, hoping that they would finish eating and leave quickly.

The cousin seemed like she was in a hurry and ate quickly. She then thanked He Yu for her hospitality and rushed out the door, dragging Ye Xun with her. The door closed, and He Yu let out a sigh of relief she didn’t know she was holding.