They had shared a bed before, during the New Year's visit to Yu Shuman's home, where they spent several nights sleeping together. But back then, their relationship was purely platonic.
In Yu Shuman's mind, Qin Ran was just her beloved junior and good friend. But now, with their relationship having evolved, sharing a bed felt a bit more complicated.
Back then, they each had their own blankets. Even though they were on the same bed, everything was innocent and proper.
When Yu Shuman followed Qin Ran into her bedroom, she noticed there was only one blanket now, meaning they'd have to share. Qin Ran pulled out a pillow from the wardrobe, fluffed it up, and placed it on the bed before climbing in herself.
Noticing that Yu Shuman hadn't followed, Qin Ran knelt on the bed, looking at Yu Shuman with a puzzled expression. "Senior, come on. Aren't you tired?"
To say she wasn't tired would be a lie.
Just as Qin Ran had said earlier, Yu Shuman had arrived home late last night and got up early to make breakfast. After eating, she naturally felt sleepy. The bed, with its soft and inviting appearance, only made her feel more tired.
Qin Ran opened her arms towards Yu Shuman. After a moment of hesitation, Yu Shuman realized there was no reason to overthink it. They had shared so many kisses—why hesitate now? So, Yu Shuman lifted her leg onto the bed, scooting closer to embrace Qin Ran.
Without a doubt, Qin Ran had missed Yu Shuman terribly, starting from the first day she left. By now, her longing had seeped into her very bones. And Yu Shuman? She must have missed Qin Ran too, which was why she had hurried home on the last flight available, rushing back as quickly as she could.
The first thing Yu Shuman did upon arriving home was check on Qin Ran. She had looked exhausted, sleeping soundly in bed. Yu Shuman could only close the door quietly, return to her own room, and struggle to fall asleep.
Early this morning, unable to sleep any longer, she got up to make breakfast for both of them.
Now, feeling Qin Ran's warmth in her arms, Yu Shuman completely relaxed. Holding Qin Ran brought her a deep sense of satisfaction.
The two of them fell back onto the soft bed. At some point, their position shifted, and Qin Ran's head ended up nestled against Yu Shuman's chest. Yu Shuman instinctively blushed, calling out softly, "Junior…" Qin Ran looked up at Yu Shuman from her embrace, her eyes full of confusion, silently asking what was wrong.
Unable to tell Qin Ran that she wasn't in the right spot, Yu Shuman simply reached out to gently ruffle Qin Ran's hair, encouraging her to stay still.
Holding Yu Shuman, Qin Ran soon drifted off into a deep sleep. It was clear she was truly exhausted. Yu Shuman stroked Qin Ran's hair, her fingers lazily running through the soft strands, soothing her gently.
As Qin Ran fell asleep, emitting soft snores of fatigue, Yu Shuman found herself growing drowsy as well. She considered setting an alarm to wake up in time to make lunch. Sleep was important, but skipping meals would be bad for their health.
She remembered reading in novels how those domineering CEOs always had stomach problems from skipping meals—a result of their unhealthy habits. Although Qin Ran wasn't domineering, she was still a CEO. Skipping meals and working too hard would be terrible…
Yu Shuman's thoughts, though fragmented by fatigue, kept drifting. She could feel Qin Ran's steady breaths against her chest, warm through the thin fabric of her shirt. It wasn't scorching, just comforting.
Unable to resist, Yu Shuman tightened her embrace around Qin Ran, holding her like a little girl would clutch her favorite doll, as if Qin Ran were her most cherished treasure. Yu Shuman's eyelids drooped, her body curling slightly as she hugged Qin Ran tighter, eventually drifting off to sleep herself.
She slept soundly, without dreaming.
The smart home system detected that both of them were asleep and automatically dimmed the lights to create a perfect sleeping environment, while the blackout curtains ensured that no light could disturb their rest.
When Qin Ran woke up, she immediately felt the softness of Yu Shuman's embrace. It took her a moment to realize where her head was resting, and her face flushed red. She remembered how, before falling asleep, she had nestled into Yu Shuman's chest when she called her name.
At that time, Qin Ran had been so tired that her mind didn't register the reason for Yu Shuman's call. But now that she was fully awake, she understood, though it was too late—she had already spent hours sleeping in Yu Shuman's arms.
The room was dim, and Qin Ran couldn't tell what time it was. Groping around the bed, she eventually found her phone. The sudden brightness of the screen made her squint as she adjusted her eyes. It was already past 7 p.m. They had slept from morning till evening... Qin Ran yawned, realizing that after resting on Yu Shuman for so long, her arms were probably numb.
Feeling a bit guilty, Qin Ran gently tried to move out of Yu Shuman's embrace. But as soon as she shifted, Yu Shuman, still half-asleep, reached out and grabbed onto Qin Ran's shirt, mumbling softly, "Mmm…"
The sound, full of sleepy cuteness, had a hint of allure. Qin Ran, still blushing, looked at the hand gripping her shirt with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Senior…" She knew Yu Shuman couldn't sleep any longer—they had already slept the whole day. If they didn't get up now, they'd have trouble sleeping tonight and it would take days to get back on schedule.
Besides, oversleeping could lead to dizziness and wasn't good for their health. So, Qin Ran gently tried to rouse Yu Shuman. But in her half-awake state, Yu Shuman simply mumbled something incomprehensible and snuggled back into sleep. Qin Ran sighed and decided to get up and prepare some food.
There wasn't time to cook from scratch—though there was food in the fridge, it would take at least an hour or two to prepare, and that was too long. She checked the kitchen, confirming that the housekeeper hadn't come by today. Qin Ran had given the housekeeper the day off, not knowing when she'd return from her trip, and had planned to rest today. Assistant Wu had informed the housekeeper to return tomorrow.
Hoping for a miracle, Qin Ran checked the kitchen one last time, only to find it as she expected—no prepared meals. She sighed, sat down in the living room, and pulled out her phone to order delivery.
She found a well-rated barbecue restaurant on the "must-eat" list, ordered some popular dishes, paid extra for express delivery, and sat back to wait. She also added some side dishes and drinks, including marinated seafood and various cold appetizers.
Thanks to the power of money, everything arrived within half an hour. When Qin Ran opened the door, it was the building's concierge with the delivery. Since food deliveries couldn't be brought directly to their floor, the concierge had brought it up. Qin Ran thanked them, took the food, set up the grill pan, and arranged everything neatly before heading back to the bedroom to wake Yu Shuman.
Yu Shuman was still sound asleep, now hugging the blanket in Qin Ran's absence, even wrapping her legs around it. Qin Ran gently nudged her. "Senior, time to wake up. We've slept enough for today."
Half-awake, Yu Shuman instinctively grabbed Qin Ran, pulling her back into her embrace. Qin Ran struggled a bit, which finally stirred Yu Shuman from her sleep. As she woke, her eyes were still hazy with sleep, gazing at Qin Ran with a slight confusion.
Yu Shuman looked so adorable that Qin Ran couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her on the lips. Despite being groggy, Yu Shuman instinctively responded to the kiss. Qin Ran, taking advantage of the situation, deepened the kiss, gently sliding her tongue into Yu Shuman's mouth, inviting her to dance together.
Yu Shuman, still half-asleep, responded lazily. When she fully realized what was happening, she gently pushed Qin Ran away.
"Junior!" Yu Shuman quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed. Qin Ran, confused, asked, "What's wrong?"
"I haven't brushed my teeth yet!" Yu Shuman admitted, embarrassed. After sleeping for so long, her mouth didn't feel as fresh as it did when she was awake. Flustered, she jumped out of bed and rushed to her room to brush her teeth and freshen up before coming back out.
When she returned, Qin Ran was already sitting at the dining table, fiddling with her phone. She set it aside as Yu Shuman approached, inviting her to sit down for dinner.
In addition to the heavy-flavored dishes, Qin Ran had also ordered pumpkin porridge. It was best to start with something light after waking up before diving into the barbecue.
After brushing her teeth, Yu Shuman easily accepted the plan, sipping the pumpkin porridge from a small bowl before helping with the grilling. "I haven't had barbecue in so long," Yu Shuman remarked. "Sister Li never outright forbade it, but with all the oil and seasoning, it's better to eat less of it."
As Qin Ran grilled the meat, she added some side dishes to Yu Shuman's plate. "This seafood salad is really good, made with passion fruit—gives it a unique flavor." She placed a piece of whelk in Yu Shuman's bowl. After a couple of failed attempts to pick it up with chopsticks, Yu Shuman gave up and used a toothpick to extract the meat.
Qin Ran was right—it was delicious.
Biting into the cold, flavorful seafood, sipping on chilled drinks, and listening to the sizzle of the barbecue, all after a satisfying nap—it was a perfect moment.
Qin Ran was enjoying herself, even making lettuce wraps for Yu Shuman, filling them with garlic, grilled meat, and sauce. "Grilled meat and garlic are a match made in heaven!" Qin Ran exclaimed, handing the wrap to Yu Shuman, who took a bite, enjoying how the garlic balanced the richness of the meat.
But then Yu Shuman casually mentioned, "Oh, Junior, when I came back last night, I noticed your suitcase was open in the hallway, so I unpacked it for you. There was a bottle that seemed like perfume, so I put it on your dressing table."
Qin Ran froze, her smile faltering as she thought of the little bottle that just wouldn't go away: You again?!
Little Bottle: Hehe...