Lei had fallen asleep in Yu Min's arms as she felt safe.
Yu Min had noticed and smiled. He just stayed there holding Lei. Yu Min was also slowly starting to doze off.
Pan Shi knocked and entered.
The knock woke Yu Min up. He saw Pan Shi with Lei's medicine and put his finger to his mouth as if to say "shh, don't wake Lei up."
Pan Shi saw and nodded. She puts Lei's medicine down on the table beside them and leaves.
After about thirty minutes or so, Lei starts to wake up. Yu Min had fallen asleep with his arms still around Lei. Lei saw and smiled with a little hint of pink in her cheeks. It wouldn't be the first time that they had fallen asleep together as they would fall asleep together when they were younger and also when Lei had nightmares. She would try to get up without waking Yu Min up as she figured that he hadn't gotten much sleep while she was in the coma. Lei got up without waking Yu Min up and went to get something to eat from her table.
As soon as Lei sat down and took a bite of some grapes, Yu Min woke up and saw that Lei wasn't in bed. He looked around and spotted her at her table eating grapes. Yu Min let out a quiet sigh of relief. He got up and walked over to her. "Little Missy," he said as he looked down at her when he got closer to her.
Lei got startled and looked up at Yu Min. "Y-yes?" She answered as she had a scared expression on her face.
"What are you doing up?" Yu Min asked, even though he knew exactly why she was up. He wanted Lei to tell him the reason.
"I woke up hungry…" she replied as she looked away and down.
"Love, you just woke up after being unconscious for three days and haven't had your medicine," Yu Min stated as he kneeled down in front of her.
"I-I know, but I didn't want to wake you up because I know that you probably stayed up all of the nights that I was unconscious, so I wanted to let you sleep…"
Yu Min puts his hands on Lei's cheeks and lets out a sigh. "It's fine, love. You could've woken me up. I don't need sleep, especially when I'm taking care of you."
"You do need sleep, so that you have energy to take care of me when I'm ill or unconscious for days," she said as she realized that Yu Min had been taking care of her while her parents were home. "Yu Min, please don't tell me that my parents know about us."
"They don't, but they did ask if we were. I won't tell them even if they asked me if we were. I promised that I wouldn't tell a soul about us," Yu Min said as he let out a chuckle.
"Good," Lei stated as she looked back at him. She let out a small smile.
Yu Min smiled back. "How was your rest, Love?"
"It was ok. I mean I didn't have any nightmares…"
"Oh? Have you been having nightmares?"
Lei nodded. She didn't want to tell him about the nightmares or to be precise any of her dreams. Lei didn't want to worry Yu Min with her dreams and nightmares.
"You don't have to tell me, but if the nightmares get unbearable to keep to yourself, then please tell me," Yu Min stated as he looked at her, his hands still on her cheeks. He was worried about her.
"I know and when they do start becoming unbearable for me to handle myself, I'll come to you," Lei stated as she looked into his eyes.
"Good. I worry about you, love."
"I know and you don't have to worry about me."
Yu Min sighed. "Love, I'll worry about you if I want to and you can't do anything about it. I was worried about you before we started dating," he said.
Lei frowned as she already had a feeling that he was already worried about her. She just hopes that no one has found out that she's been poisoned.
Yu Min kissed her. "You shouldn't be doing anything alone when you know that your friends and I are willing to help you."
Lei's eyes widened. "I know. I just don't want anyone to get hurt because they were helping me…"
"You don't have to worry about that. They'd get hurt no matter what even if they don't help you," Yu Min stated as he thought using some logic to help Lei remember that everyone is human and real.
Lei tries to remark what he had told her, but she couldn't. 'He's right. I mean besides the fact that they're just characters in a book and that they're based off of my friends and Ru's friends' Xiao thought to herself.
Yu Min could see that Lei was deep in thought. He smiled and let out a small chuckle.
After a while, it was around sunset and dinner time. Yu Min had taken Lei out to the town. Yu Min made sure that Lei was relaxing and having fun. So, he made a bet with her to see who could find the most unnecessary, but useful thing. Of course, Lei being Lei, she accepts.
They ran off in different directions after they counted down. Lei ran off in the north. Yu Min ran off in the south.
As Lei was looking for it, someone bumped into her. She didn't notice until she had found something that she was looking for and went to grab her pouch that she keeps her banliang in. Lei noticed a piece of paper stuck in between her belt and hanfu. She grabs it out and opens it after she had paid for what she got. Lei skimmed it and saw that it's from Kai. As soon as she saw that it was from Kai, her eyes widened as she tried to look for him. Even though she knows that he's probably far away. 'He couldn't have gone far, right?' she thought to herself. Lei gave up after a few minutes of looking around for him. She walked back to where they started.
Once she got there, she saw Yu Min already there. Lei ran over to him and apologized to him for being late.
"It's fine, Lei. I'm guessing that you were struggling with finding something that's useful," Yu Min replied.
"Yeah, but when I was about to pay for the thing I got, someone bumped into me and slipped a note into my belt. But guess who the note is from?" Lei said-asked.
"Who?"
"Kai."
Yu Min's eyes widened. "What? How? Didn't he go on an adventure?"
Lei shook her head as she got closer to him. She stepped on her tippy-toes and whispered into his ear, "he was a part of the villain's group and I'm guessing that he was thrown into jail after his boss found out that he gave away his position."
Yu Min nodded as he remembered that Lei had mentioned that Kai was a part of the villain group to him. "He didn't get killed?"
Lei shook her head as she stepped away from him. "I guess not, but why didn't she kill him after that?"
"Maybe because she doesn't want to kill kids our age," Yu Min suggested.
"That wouldn't make sense, because why would she be after me if she doesn't want to hurt kids our age," Lei mentioned.
"It does if you think about it, but don't overthink it," Yu Min said.
Lei thought about it for a minute or so and realized that it was just part of a plan. Her facial expression showed that she realized it.
Yu Min chuckled as he saw her face. "Anyway, let's show what thing we got that is useless, but could be useful later on," Yu Min stated.
Lei nodded. "I think I've won this." Lei was quite confident in the thing she got.
"Are you sure about that?" Yu Min questioned, "on the count of three we show each other what we got, ok?"
"I'm sure," Lei said as she nodded.
Yu Min smiled as he started to count down from three.
Once he got to one, Lei and him showed the things they got. Yu Min got a baby toy. Lei got a wooden figure.
As soon as Lei realized what Yu Min had got, she turned red. "A baby toy!?!?" Lei blurted out.
Yu Min smiled, "yes. It's useless now, but it'll be useful in the future. You also got something for a child, Lei."
"Yeah, but I can give it to any kid that I see in the future that needs it," Lei stated as she was still red.
"Still, Lei. You got a kid's toy," Yu Min chuckled as he knew he had won.
"Yeah, but it could be for someone our age too!" Lei blurted out. "You win, even though you cheated."
"I knew I would win. Also, how did I cheat?" Yu Min asked.
"You knew that if you got a baby toy, you'd win because it is useless, but it'll be useful in the future," she said as she pouted.
"How is that cheating?"
"It just is, ok?"
"Ok, fine," he said as he hugged her.
Lei was still pouting and didn't hug back.
"How about I get you your favorite noodles?"
Lei nodded as she still had a pouty face.
Yu Min smiled and started walking with Lei in his arms.
As soon as they got the stall that makes Lei's favorite noodles, the boss started making the noodles. Lei and Yu Min sat down. Lei was pink still from being a candy apple red color a few minutes ago.
Yu Min was looking at her, smiling. He was just happy that Lei was his.
Lei caught him looking at her smiling. "Why are you looking at me smiling?" Lei asked.
Yu Min quickly looked away, with a hint of pink hue in his cheeks. "I wasn't looking at you, smiling."
"I caught you looking at me, smiling, and when I called you out for it, you looked away and also your blushing!"
"It's a bit chilly," Yu Min stated as he looked back at her.
"It's not chilly at all!" She shouted.
As soon as she shouted, the boss gave them their noodles.
Lei and Yu Min thanked the boss for the food.
Lei started to eat her noodles, even though the noodles were steaming hot. She started to fan her mouth. "HOT! That was hot!" She shouted as she was still trying to cool off her food by fanning her mouth.
Yu Min laughed as he poured some wine in a shallow bowl. He handed it to Lei after he had stopped laughing.
Lei took it and drank it. "That helped a lot. Thanks Yu Min," she said as she looked at him.
Yu Min nodded as he started to eat his noodles since he let his cool down a bit.
Lei found herself staring at Yu Min, or well Xiao found herself staring at Yu Min imagining Ru Tonghyon. Xiao was remembering the memories of them growing up before Ru left to be a trainee. She was smiling.
Before Xiao could snap her back into the moment, Yu Min noticed and waved his hand in front of her with a snap. "Lei, are you ok?"
Xiao, Lei, snapped back into the moment as she shook her head. "I'm fine. I was thinking about something," Lei replied.
"Oh? What were you thinking about?" Yu Min asked as he put down his chopsticks and spoon as if he wanted Lei to know that she had his full attention.
"Something you wouldn't probably understand me…or believe me," she said as she mumbled the last part. Lei, Xiao, knew that she couldn't say anything about this being a book and that she isn't who everyone thinks she is. She knew that if she did, she'd be breaking the whole law, rule, which is never for the author to break the fourth wall when writing.
Yu Min had heard what she had mumbled, but he didn't say anything. He was confused on why she would say that. "Why wouldn't I understand you?" He asked.
"Because you just wouldn't," Lei said as she ate.
After a while, Lei and Yu Min got done eating. Lei had told Yu Min that she wanted to be alone to walk back to her mansion. She also told him that she'd be fine.
Yu Min looked at her, but he nodded his head. "Ok. Can you send someone over to tell me that you got home safely?"
"Yes, Yu Min. Don't worry. I'll send Pan Shi over to your mansion to tell you that I got home," Lei replied.
"Good. If Pan Shi doesn't come, I'll come over to your mansion to see if you made it home," Yu Min stated.
Lei nodded. "Ok, fine."
Yu Min smiled, "well, goodnight, my lady."
"Goodnight, Yu Min," she said as she kissed him on his cheek, knowing that Yu Min would be offended if she didn't, before she walked away.
Yu Min smiled and watched her leave. He waited until he couldn't see her anymore before he left.
As Lei was walking home, she would ramble to herself about how she, Xiao, would get out of her book. She knows that if she were to die, she could possibly die in real life. Xiao wanted to go back to real life. She can't handle this anymore, even though it was her that made the book this way.
After a few minutes, she had gotten to Min's mansion. Lei looked up and saw that she had walked to the Min's mansion. "How did I end up here? I was clearly walking in the direction of my mansion. Did my legs just take me here? Did they listen to m-" Lei mumbled as she got interrupted by someone.
"Young Mistress Lei?" Someone called out.
Lei jumped as soon as she heard the voice. She looked at where the voice came from and saw Zhou, Yu Min's personal servant. "Hi Zhou," Lei stated.
"Why are you here? Young Master told me that you would send Pan Shi over to tell him that you made it home safely," Zhou questioned.
"I was, but my feet brought me here so I might as well see him," Lei replied as she let out a small chuckle.
"Young Master is currently washing up, so you'll have to wait."
Lei nodded. "I'll go and wait in the garden then, Zhou," she stated.
Zhou nodded and moved out of the way for Lei. "I'll let Young Master know that you're here and waiting in the garden," Zhou said before he left to go tell Yu Min.
"Ok," she said as she walked to the garden.
As she got to the garden, she heard Auntie Jiang talking to herself in the garden. Lei didn't want to scare her so she cleared her throat to announce herself.
Auntie Jiang heard and looked over and saw her. "Oh. Lei. What are you doing here?"
"I honestly don't know. I was walking home, but had zoned out and my feet brought me here. I hope that's okay with you," Lei stated.
"Oh? Also, it's perfectly ok with me that you came here," Jiang replied back.
Lei smiled. "I just have some much going on right now."
"Have you talked to Yu Min to get some of the things out of your mind?"
Lei nodded, "yes and no. I've told him certain things about what's going on. Auntie, you know how I am on how I don't really tell anyone what's going on."
"I know, Lei. But you also know that you can talk to Yu Min about anything. Also, you have to let people be worried about you," Jiang replied, "when you and Yu Min were little, Yu Min would always make sure that you were safe and getting along with everyone."
Lei tilted her head. "Huh? Really? I mean I knew that he did certain things for me secretly, but I didn't know that."
Jiang let out a small chuckle. "It seems like you still don't know a lot of Yu Min yet."
"I guess I don't," Lei said as she thought about it before she had answered her. Jiang's right about Lei not really knowing about Yu Min as well as she thought she did.
"But that's not necessarily a bad thing though. I mean you not knowing all the things he did for you growing up," Jiang stated.
Lei nodded. What Auntie Jiang was saying made sense to Lei, Xiao. All Lei could agree with was what Auntie Jiang was saying. If only Lei, Xiao, would go off, listen to the advice.
After a while of them talking, Yu Min comes over. "Mother, Lei," Yu Min said.
Lei got startled and was about to hit Yu Min.
Yu Min caught Lei's hand before she could hurt him.
Auntie Jiang chuckled. "You know that if you keep scaring her, she'll die sooner," she chuckled.
Lei's eyes widened.
Yu Min knew that his mother was being sarcastic, but he saw a glimpse of Lei's face.
Lei noticed that he saw her face and let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, Yu Min. You should listen to your mother," Lei stated, hoping that would reassure him. 'Please let that reassure him.'
Yu Min looked at her with a look of concern, but also with a hint of assurance. "You won't die sooner if I keep scaring you, if anything you'd live longer," he replied.
Jiang laughed. "Well, I'll leave you two love birds alone. I'm turning in for the night. Night you two. Don't stay up too late," she said as she went to leave.
"We won't, Auntie. If we do, blame Yu Min," Lei said as she smiled, "night Auntie."
Jiang chuckled as she left.
Yu Min looked at Lei as if he knew that it would be her that would keep them up late. "Really Lei?"
Lei nodded and smiled. "Yes, you know it's the truth."
"It would be the truth if you weren't sick, but since it's the opposite it would be you keeping us up late," Yu Min stated, "anyway, why are you here?"
Lei looked away from him as soon as she heard him starting to say that.
"What's wrong, Lei?"
"I was walking back home, but I was thinking about something, and then when I looked up I was here," Lei stated as she shortened the story.
"Oh? Thinking about what?"
"Something that you wouldn't believe me," Lei mumbled. She knew that if she were to tell anyone that she's not their actual Lei, that they would think that she's gone insane from dealing with the mission.
Yu Min heard her, but didn't say anything. He just hugged her from behind as he knew that she just needed a hug.
As soon as Yu Min hugged her, Lei just broke down crying. Lei felt weak for crying, but she knew that she would've broken down sometime later down the path.
Yu Min just held her as she cried. He knew just to hold her and let her cry from all the times she came to him, crying.
Minutes went by as Lei was still crying and Yu Min was still holding her. Yu Min had motioned Zhou to grab a coat for them since it was starting to get colder at night.
Zhou had given Yu Min the coat.
Yu Min had wrapped the coat around Lei to cover her as he knew that Lei didn't want anyone to know that she was crying, even though almost all of the servants at the Min's mansion knew Lei since she was seven years old. Yu Min started to hum a melody that he used to hum to calm Lei down and for her to stop crying.
Lei heard him humming the melody and started to calm down, also slowly stopped crying. After a while, Lei calmed down and stopped crying. "Th-thanks, Yu Min…" she mumbled.
Yu Min smiled. "You're welcome, love."
Lei yawned.
Yu Min picked Lei up and carried her to his room without warning.
Lei let out a quiet and quick scream as her eyes widened. "Yu Min, where are you taking me?!?!"
Yu Min smirked as he didn't answer her.
As soon as they went past Lei's old room, Lei immediately knew where he was taking her. Her face went red as she buried her face in his chest.
Soon after, they arrived at Yu Min's room. Yu Min kicked the doors open, instead of pushing the doors open with his back.
"YU MIN! What are you going to do?!?!" Lei exclaimed.
"It's not like we haven't slept together before," Yu Min replied casually as he placed Lei on his bed.
"Yeah, but that was before we were dating and when we were younger!" Lei stated-exclaimed.
"Ok, but what's the difference? I mean we took a few naps together."
"We viewed each other as friends, siblings. Taking naps together is different."
"How is that different?"
"It just is, ok? Don't get snarky with my reasoning," Lei stated as she looked at him.
Yu Min looked back at her, "I will get snarky with your reasoning, because it doesn't make sense."
"If you get snarky at my reasoning, then no affection from me for two days," Lei stated.
Yu Min sat down next to her, leaned forward, close to Lei's face, close enough to where their lips could touch.
Lei went a scarlet red color as soon as Yu Min's face reached her face. She went to put the blanket over her and hid underneath it to hide from Yu Min.
Yu Min then chuckled as he moved away from her after he saw that Lei was a scarlet red color. "I won't get snarky at your reasoning, Lei," Yu Min stated, "also, I'll sleep on the floor."
Lei slowly moved the blanket down from her head to shake her head. "You-you can-can sleep-sleep in bed-bed with-with me-me…" she murmured as she looked over at him as she was starting to go back to her normal skin tone.
"Are you sure? I can sleep on the floor," Yu Min replied as he looked back at her with a gentle look.
Lei nodded. "Yes-yes, I am sure."
"Ok. Do you want to change into a sleep hanfu?"
Lei shook her head no. As she shook her head no, she yawned and was starting to fall asleep.
Yu Min smiled as he took off Lei's shoes and then he took off his. He then climbed in bed and watched Lei as she fell asleep. Yu Min was happy that Lei still feels safe with him. He was also starting to fall asleep.
In the morning, Lei had woken up first and looked over at Yu Min, who was still asleep. She smiled and hovered her index finger over his eyebrows, eyelashes, and lips. She saw Yu Min move, she quickly removed her finger and went back to "sleep."
Yu Min smiled and let out a quiet chuckle as he opened his eyes. He looked over at Lei. Yu Min moved the piece of hair that was in Lei's face to behind her ear.
Lei let out a small smile when she felt Yu Min's hand against her face. She opened her eyes after she felt Yu Min move his hand away from her.
"Morning, Darling," Yu Min said as he smiled.
"M-Morning, Yu Min," Lei replied as she smiled back and stretched.
"How did you sleep last night?"
Lei looked at him, "I slept amazingly. How did you sleep?"
"I, also, slept amazingly," he replied with the biggest smile on his face.
"I should've guessed that," she said as she rolled her eyes, smiling. Lei was just happy that she didn't have any nightmares and also that she felt safe with Yu Min.
Yu Min let out a chuckle. "Yeah, you should have, love."
"But I didn't. Wh-" she said as she got interrupted by her stomach rumbling. Lei went red.
"Are you hungry?"
Lei nodded as she was still red. She was embarrassed, even though she knew that she shouldn't be as Yu Min knew that Lei ate after a few minutes of being awake.
"Ok, let's go and eat breakfast with Mother and Father," Yu Min said as he got up and went to put on his ru jacket.
Lei watched, but then looked away. She got up and out of bed after she had heard Yu Min walk towards the door. Lei felt as if she was being watched, but not by any of the servants or Yu Min. She ignored it as she thought it was just her being paranoid from being poisoned and kidnapped. Lei walked over to Yu Min after she had fixed her ru jacket.
Yu Min looked at her, smiling. "Ready?"
Lei nodded as she looked back at him, smiling back.
They left his room and headed to the dining hall.
As they were walking, Lei still felt eyes on her. She looked around secretly to see if anyone was watching her, without Yu Min noticing. 'Could it be her?' Lei thought to herself. Xiao didn't know what was going on now or what's even happening.
When they were closer to the dining hall, Yu Min had noticed that Lei was acting weirdly as if something was troubling. "Hey Lei, is there something bothering you?" he asked as he stopped and turned towards Lei.
Lei stopped and looked at him. She shook her head, but she also got closer to Yu Min. "I feel like I'm being watched, but I'm not certain for sure. Also, don't let them know that I told you," Lei whispered.
Yu Min looked at Lei in confusion, but also concerned. "What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is that I think the leader sent someone to watch my every move and word I say."
Yu Min had to think about that for a second. "But I remember hearing from Pan Shi that you have been hearing a voice?"
Lei's eyes widened. She had forgotten that she had asked Pan Shi if she had heard a voice but not seen anyone.
"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone else about it," Yu Min stated before Lei could hit him or yell at him.
Lei looked at him. "You better not have," she replied with an angry expression.
"I didn't. I wouldn't tell anyone about you that you didn't want them to know."
"Good. Now, let's go to the dining hall and act if everything is normal," Lei said as she backed up and started to walk towards the dining hall.
"Ok, my lady," Yu Min said as he chuckled and followed her. He was looking around to see if there really is someone watching Lei.