In order to avoid being banished to the study again, Cheng Jun decided to rearrange the layout of the room that hadn’t been used for years.
He had the bed in the study removed, leaving only the desk and bookshelves, instantly making the room appear much more spacious. Cheng Jun suggested getting another desk so that Ruan Jiujiu could work in the study as well.
Ruan Jiujiu said, “I don’t want that.”
Since there was now only one bed left in the entire house, Cheng Jun officially moved into Ruan Jiujiu’s room. Ruan Jiujiu was in the middle of removing her makeup when she caught sight of Cheng Jun. He alternated between sitting on the edge of the bed and lying in the center, rolling back and forth, all while she watched in confusion.
Ruan Jiujiu asked, “Cheng Jun, how old are you?” A person in their twenties still playing on the bed like this?
Cheng Jun stopped his rolling movements. He lay on his back with his hands outstretched, as if measuring the size of the bed.
Cheng Jun slowly said, “The bed seems… a bit small. I think I should get a bigger one.”
Ruan Jiujiu was taken aback. “It’s not small at all.”
When they both lay down flat to sleep, there was more than enough space. How could it be too small?
Cheng Jun explained, “It’s a bit cramped when I turn over.”
Ruan Jiujiu instinctively looked at the bed. She recalled Cheng Jun’s actions just now, blinked her eyes a few times, and after a moment, she blushed and glared at Cheng Jun.
“You shameless person! No, we’re not changing!”
So, Cheng Jun’s desire for a larger bed was for more spacious rolling sessions?
“But I might fall off.”
“If you fall off, you’ll land on the floor,” Ruan Jiujiu retorted without hesitation.
Cheng Jun lay back on the bed, lost in thought.
“That actually doesn’t sound too bad.”
Ruan Jiujiu stared at him in disbelief.
And so, Cheng Jun officially settled in Ruan Jiujiu’s bedroom. No, it should be said that he had successfully exercised his right as the male head of the household. He lay on the bed, hugging a soft pillow, and turned to watch Ruan Jiujiu busy with her skincare routine. She removed her makeup, washed her face, and then applied layer after layer of skincare products.
One person doing skincare, the other person watching the skincare routine—it was strangely harmonious.
Cheng Jun said, “The way you’re doing this makes you look like you’re applying glue.”
Ruan Jiujiu replied, “Shut up.”
“What’s this?”
“Lotion.”
“What’s this?”
“Serum.”
“What’s this?”
“Eye cream.”
“What’s this?”
Ruan Jiujiu, in the middle of applying neck cream, stopped with a hint of annoyance and said, “Are you the ‘100,000 Whys’? Where are all these questions coming from?”
Receiving the death signal, Cheng Jun finally stopped asking questions and lay on the bed, waiting for Ruan Jiujiu. It was early summer, and the weather was gradually warming up. Ruan Jiujiu wasn’t wearing much, and her cotton and linen nightgown revealed a pair of slender, straight legs that had been hidden under layers of clothing all winter. Her skin, which had been kept covered all winter, was now pale and radiant, making her legs appear exceptionally fair as she continued to apply body lotion.
She said, “Tomorrow is Saturday, it’s a good day to go out and get some sun.”
Cheng Jun responded with a simple “Hmm” and continued to stare at Ruan Jiujiu as she applied body lotion.
Ruan Jiujiu said, “Can you please stop staring?” She was starting to feel uncomfortable.
The scent of the body lotion was slightly sweet and not too overpowering. Ruan Jiujiu had a pleasant fragrance all over her body. Cheng Jun propped up his elbow and half-sat, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and planting a gentle kiss on her neck.
Her fair skin flushed a rosy pink.
Ruan Jiujiu couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily. She had originally complained, but her tone had become soft, as if she were coquettish. “Don’t move around, I haven’t finished applying.”
His face buried in her neck, and his breath carried the pleasant fragrance. Her skin was soft but warm, and she blushed all over, even her bare toes were tinged with red. The scene was incredibly beautiful.
“I’ll help you apply,” he said in a low voice.
…
After this application, Ruan Jiujiu didn’t go out to soak up the sun until the late afternoon the next day. Her waist and thighs ached, and her whole body felt boneless and uncomfortable. She walked ahead, slightly hunched, and behind her was Cheng Jun, who had gone from being punished to helping her, holding an umbrella.
Cheng Jun looked at Ruan Jiujiu and couldn’t help but start pondering something.
Ruan Jiujiu was dressed in a long coat and pants, with a hat and sunglasses. Before going out, she applied sunscreen to the exposed skin and couldn’t help but shoot a glare at Cheng Jun while doing so.
Now, she was bundled up tightly, even holding an umbrella. Was this what women meant by “soaking up the sun”?
Mr. Cheng remained silent.
If Ruan Jiujiu knew what Cheng Jun was thinking at this moment, she might want to give him another punishment.
The sunlight today was just right, warm and pleasant. It felt cozy when it shone on her, and occasionally a breeze brought a touch of coolness. Ruan Jiujiu squinted her eyes, took off her sunglasses, and tilted her head. The park’s pathways were lined with trees, and the rustling of the leaves created a soothing sound. The fresh greenery couldn’t help but lift her mood.
Ruan Jiujiu sighed, “It’s really nice.”
Cheng Jun stared at the nearby supermarket, where two large freezers were filled with ice cream. “Hmm.”
“Let’s sit down for a while; I’m a bit tired.”
With aching back and waist, walking wasn’t the wisest choice. Perhaps she should consider going to a massage parlor.
Ruan Jiujiu’s mind quickly flashed back to the red marks on her fair skin from their activities in the shower.
“…”
Never mind, she would just stay quietly at home.
The two of them sat on a bench, conveniently shaded by a large tree. Cheng Jun put away the umbrella, his gaze flickering for a moment, and then he said slowly, “I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Oh.”
Then…
Ruan Jiujiu watched as he said he was going to the restroom but actually headed towards the supermarket.
Did he think she was blind?
Ruan Jiujiu sighed with a mix of amusement and exasperation as she watched Cheng Jun’s retreating figure. She saw him take a detour and, in the end, stand in front of the freezer, apparently contemplating which ice cream to choose.
A gentle breeze brushed against her cheek, and Ruan Jiujiu began to feel drowsy. She couldn’t help but yawn and rub her eyes. She thought it would be nice if there were outdoor beds in the park; she would definitely take a good nap.
Just then, someone called her name from behind.
“Jiujiu!”
Ruan Jiujiu instinctively turned around but didn’t see anyone. There was only the sound of rustling tree leaves in the open park. With not many people around, she sat on the bench, looking around, and realized that she might be a bit tired, leading to a momentary illusion.
Ruan Jiujiu rubbed her cheeks vigorously to wake herself up a bit.
“Where did these supernatural events come from in broad daylight? It’s just that her mental state isn’t too good.”
When she looked back again, there was no trace of Cheng Jun and no supermarket either. Ruan Jiujiu stared in astonishment at the scenery in front of her. There was a flower bed ahead, and at this time of the season, the flowers were in full bloom, incredibly beautiful.
The sun was shining brightly at this moment, but an inexplicable chill ran down her spine.
So… is this an illusion or reality?
Someone called her name from behind, “Jiujiu.”
Ruan Jiujiu jumped in surprise, almost leaping off the bench.
She turned around in a panic, her face pale as if she had seen a ghost. Cheng Jun was holding two boxes of ice cream in his hand, looking at Ruan Jiujiu with a puzzled expression, and said in a gentle tone, “Are you too tired?”
Ruan Jiujiu replied, “What?”
“It’s only been a short while, and you fell asleep on the bench.”
“Huh?”
She had actually fallen asleep just now?!
Ruan Jiujiu slapped her cheeks to wake herself up a bit. No wonder she had seen strange scenes and thought something supernatural had happened to her. It turned out she had dozed off in a daze.
Cheng Jun said, “Let’s go back.”
They went back so that Ruan Jiujiu could get some rest. Her face had been pale just now, her eyes wide and round, as if she had seen something unbelievable. She looked panicked, likely scared by something. Cheng Jun reached out and gently touched her head. His hand rested on her soft hair, and the hand that had held the ice cream felt cold but gentle.
The gentle touch gradually helped Ruan Jiujiu calm down.
Ruan Jiujiu let out a sigh, “It’s all your fault. You made me sleep poorly last night.”
Cheng Jun crouched in front of her, as if comforting a child, and spread out the two boxes of ice cream in his hands.
“You pick first. Which one do you want?”
Ruan Jiujiu, inexplicably comforted, couldn’t help but smile. Then, she put on a serious face and asked, “Didn’t you say you were going to the restroom?”
“Oh, it’s on the way,” Cheng Jun responded as if it were a serious matter.
Ruan Jiujiu chuckled and chose the left ice cream, which was cranberry flavored. “I’ll have this one.”
With one box of ice cream in each hand, they walked and ate at the same time. The cold ice cream melted in their mouths, making Ruan Jiujiu, who had been sun-drenched a moment ago, feel more awake. As they were about to exit the park, she bit her spoon, as if she had something on her mind, and couldn’t help but turn back.
Across the straight avenue, there was a supermarket, and the ice cream freezer at the entrance was quite eye-catching.
“…”
“What are you looking at?” Cheng Jun followed Ruan Jiujiu’s gaze as he looked back.
“Nothing,” Ruan Jiujiu mumbled while biting her spoon. “Let’s go home; I’m exhausted.”
Perhaps it was because of the recent events, the busy work schedule, and unexpectedly meeting Cheng Jun’s mother, Ruan Jiujiu’s mental state wasn’t at its best.
After eating ice cream, the two of them returned home, and Ruan Jiujiu changed into her pajamas before collapsing into bed.
It turned out that her body was indeed too fatigued. She almost fell asleep within seconds.
In her dream, Ruan Jiujiu felt like she was floating on a cloud, weightless, which made her somewhat fearful. She instinctively hugged herself but then noticed faint light in the pitch-black room. A figure was huddled under the covers, entirely engrossed in looking at a phone.
The room was small, filled with various small plush toys, and had a few old posters on the walls that Ruan Jiujiu found strangely familiar.
The girl lying in the bed suddenly turned over.
“What on earth! What kind of plot is this, my goodness! What was the author thinking?”
Her voice sounded oddly familiar.
Ruan Jiujiu instinctively walked towards the figure, and as she did, she realized she was moving forward herself, ultimately coming to a stop.
The light from the phone illuminated the person’s face, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes fixed on the screen, with an expression that seemed to be holding back some words.
“I really want to comment on this… Well, I’ll say it tomorrow morning.”
She turned off her phone, lifted her face from under the covers, and then their eyes met.
“…”
Ruan Jiujiu woke up in a cold sweat and saw Cheng Jun reaching out as if trying to wake her up. She instinctively fell into Cheng Jun’s arms and held him tightly.
Cheng Jun lowered his head, tightened his embrace, and gently stroked Ruan Jiujiu’s back to help her calm down.
Cheng Jun asked, “Another nightmare?”
“Yeah…”
Was recalling the memories also considered a nightmare?
The author has something to say: There will be a second and third update today! I’ll update earlier this time _( :3∠)_
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