Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 610 Train to Busan (Xiao Dongxi) 6.2k
Jin Dongtian unconsciously turned over in his sleep, his arm instinctively reaching towards the source of warmth beside him.

When she fell asleep, there was clearly Liu Zhimin's fragrant and soft body lying next to her.

But in her hazy state, all she could feel in her palms was the coolness of the sheets and the smooth emptiness of the bed.

Instead of the expected fabric or body temperature, my fingertips felt an empty, hollow sensation.

Jin Dongtian's sleepy head felt like it had been doused with a bucket of cold water, instantly jolting him awake.

She opened her eyes and looked around sleepily—the pillow was empty, and the blankets were neatly lifted at one corner, as if no one had ever lain there.

The room was completely silent in the dead of night, with only the occasional faint sound of a car coming from afar outside the window, making the emptiness all the more jarring.

Jin Dongtian propped herself up and sat up, looking around her familiar little boudoir with a blank expression.

The faint light from the streetlights outside shone through the gaps in the curtains, outlining the contours of the desk and wardrobe.

She looked at the closed door and touched the cold sheets beside her, her heart clenching as if by an invisible hand.

"Unnie?" she called tentatively, her voice unusually clear in the silence, hoarse and confused, still not fully awake.

No one responded.

A strong sense of confusion instantly dispelled the remaining sleepiness of the golden winter.

Where did Yoo Jimin go?
What time is it?

It couldn't possibly be from waking up early, could it?

They went to bed quite late last night... and where could Liu Zhimin go in this unfamiliar environment?
Jin Dongtian frowned, threw off the covers and stepped barefoot onto the floor. The slightly cool touch made her even more awake.

She tiptoed to the door and listened intently to what was happening outside.

It was deathly quiet; everyone in the family was asleep.

She gently turned the doorknob, opened the door a crack, peeked out, and scanned the outside.

Darkness enveloped the living room and hallway, with only faint light filtering in from the windows.

Jin Dongtian's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could vaguely see that the bathroom door was closed and no light was coming out of the doorway, indicating that he hadn't come out to use the bathroom.

Unnie couldn't possibly have been in the bathroom for so long and still hadn't come out, could she?
But where else in the house could she stay?

Especially... in a time when even we're both uncomfortable with each other.

Her gaze, involuntarily drawn as if by a magnet, turned to the tightly closed door next door—her brother's room, and also the place where Quan Xuanhe was staying at the moment.

My heart skipped a beat.

Could it be... that they went there?
The idea, once it surfaced, grew wildly like weeds, instantly making Jin Dongtian feel uneasy.

Last night, she felt extremely uncomfortable sleeping next to him, as if she had suffered a great injustice. Yet, she dared to sneak into Quan Xuanhe's room in the early hours of the morning, at someone else's parents' house, at such a sensitive time?!

Is this something that can be done?
Wow.
Jin Dongtian was somewhat speechless.

Driven by a strong desire to verify and a feeling of being offended.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her turbulent emotions, and opened the door wider. Like a cat in the night, she silently tiptoed out of her room.

She held her breath, her sharp gaze sweeping across the living room sofa and dining room chairs in the darkness.

Empty, completely empty.

In the darkness, Jin Dongtian's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

It wasn't fear, nor was it crying, but rather an indescribable sense of absurdity mixed with intense irony.

Under such circumstances, right under her parents' noses and under the same roof, Liu Zhimin secretly ran away to Quan Xuanhe's side.
Really...

Liu Zhimin was nestled in Quan Xuanhe's warm and reassuring embrace. Her tense nerves had just relaxed when a heavy drowsiness swept over her, almost overwhelming her.

The warmth of Quan Xuanhe's embrace and the steady sound of his heartbeat were the most comforting solace in the darkness, making her feel that all her grievances and irritability were melting away.

Shh-!
Quan Xuanhe whispered the warning almost silently in Liu Zhimin's ear, his breath short and hot.

Liu Zhimin instantly became alert!

My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, suddenly stopping, only to start pounding wildly again the next second.
Her blood seemed to freeze instantly, then rush to her head in the next second, making her feel dizzy and suffocated.

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

The only sounds in the world were the rushing of her own blood and the slightly rapid heartbeat of Kwon Hyun-hyuk.

Liu Zhimin couldn't imagine what it would be like to be caught red-handed by Jin Dongtian. What difference would that be from being caught cheating?
That's so embarrassing.

The suffocating silence lasted for a few seconds? Or a dozen seconds? It felt like an eternity.

Just as Liu Zhimin felt her heart beating faster and faster, and even her breathing almost stopped.
knock knock.

A soft knock sounded on the door, not loud, but unusually clear in the dead of night.

Liu Zhimin was terrified and didn't want Jin Dongtian to find out.

Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and Kwon Hyun-hyuk immediately tightened his arms around her, providing firm support.

"Xuanhe oppa?"

Jin Dongtian's low voice came from outside the door, carrying a deliberately soft tone and a somewhat hesitant and tentative tone.

Are you...asleep?

Liu Zhimin looked up at him helplessly, wanting to know how he should answer.

Quan Xuanhe simply shook his head slightly.

After a brief silence, this short quiet moment was the most tense moment for Liu Zhimin.

Are you asleep?

Jin Dongtian stood outside the door with a suspicious look in his eyes, unsure of what to do next.

Time passed bit by bit.

Jin Dongtian waited patiently for a while longer, thought it over, and finally decided not to linger any longer, turning around and slowly leaving.

This time, it was the sound of footsteps gradually moving away from the doorway!
The sound traveled slowly and steadily towards Jin Dongtian's room.

The footsteps outside the door disappeared completely, followed by the sound of the door next door opening and closing softly.

Only after confirming that Kim Dong-won had really returned to her room did Yoo Ji-min slowly and very softly exhale a large breath, and her tense body relaxed.

She slumped into Quan Xuanhe's arms as if her bones had been removed, and the violent heartbeat that she had been suppressing earlier suddenly burst forth.

After the immense shock came extreme exhaustion; my back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, and my pajamas clung stickily to my skin.

Quan Xuanhe held her tightly in his arms, comforting her with his body heat and strength. His large hands repeatedly caressed her cold, sweaty vest, and his deep voice whispered in her ear with a soothing power, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe.

"It's alright, she went back to her room."

Liu Zhimin couldn't speak, she just buried her face in his neck, trying to absorb the comforting scent emanating from him, as if only in this way could she dispel the tension from before.

After a while, her trembling body gradually calmed down under Quan Xuanhe's continued comforting.

“She must know…” Liu Zhimin finally said, her voice barely audible, thick with a nasal tone.

"Is she going to..."

Liu Zhimin was betrayed by Jin Dongtian before, and now that she's been caught red-handed, wouldn't Jin Dongtian want to kill her?

Thinking of the possible consequences, that devastating storm—her body stiffened again.

"No." Quan Xuanhe interrupted her wild thoughts decisively, his tone firm.

"She was just testing me. If she really wanted to know or do something, she wouldn't have just left like that."

“She hasn’t said or done anything yet, which means she won’t do anything for the time being. Minjung is very smart.”

"She knows that making a scene won't do her any good, especially since this is her home. If things get out of hand, it will only make her parents look worse."

Quan Xuanhe's analysis was calm and clear, like a strong hand, stabilizing Liu Zhimin's wildly sinking heart.

Feeling the sense of security conveyed by Quan Xuanhe's words and embrace, Liu Zhimin's tense nerves finally relaxed little by little.

Several minutes after confirming that Kim Dong-won's door was closed, Kwon Hyun-hyuk slightly loosened his grip on her arm.

Liu Zhimin finally lifted her face from his neck. In her large, bright eyes, which were still lively in the darkness, there was still lingering fear and deep weariness, and they were moist as if they were soaked in sea fog.

Quan Xuanhe gently rubbed the corner of her eye with his fingertip. "She went back. Now, you need to sneak back quickly."

Liu Zhimin nodded vigorously and slowly struggled out of Quan Xuanhe's warm embrace.

She actually wanted to lie down a little longer. She had finally been able to enjoy Quan Xuanhe's embrace in peace, but was interrupted by Jin Dongtian.

Her feet touched the cold floor again, and the chill made her shiver instantly, clearing her mind a bit.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk carefully sat up and helped her straighten the neckline of her winter pajamas, which had been disheveled by sleeping, in the dark.

The door opened just wide enough for one person to pass through sideways. Liu Zhimin took a deep breath, tiptoed, and walked back quietly.

Her gaze was fixed on Jin Dongtian's door not far away, hoping it would remain locked, yet fearing it might open without warning at any moment.

The short walk made Liu Zhimin nervous.

Finally, holding my breath, I carefully controlled the force with which I turned the doorknob and gently opened the door.

The moment the door opened, Liu Zhimin's gaze peered inside.

In the darkness, the silhouette of Jin Dongtian curled up on the inside of the bed was faintly discernible. She seemed to be fast asleep, her body rising and falling slightly with her even breathing.
It seems that Jin Dongtian has already gone back to sleep.

Liu Zhimin tiptoed closer to the bedside, her movements even more cautious than before, for fear of waking Jin Dongtian.

She lifted a corner of the blanket and slid into the bed stiffly and very slowly, not even daring to move the blanket too much to create a draft.

Her cold feet touched the spot where she had been lying before. She carefully adjusted her position, lying on her side with her back to Jin Dongtian, her body taut like a fully drawn bow.

She pricked up her ears, every pore on her body alert to any change in the slightest breath around her.

Jin Dongtian's breathing remained long and steady, showing no signs of waking up.

Only then did Liu Zhimin dare to relax her tense body slightly.

But the heavy pressure did not disappear; instead, it pressed down on my heart even more clearly.

Everything that just happened is still vivid in my mind—Jin Dongtian's tentative knocking on Quan Xuanhe's door, the near-disruption that nearly led to his being broken into.

Did Kim Dong-won really not notice?
Or is she pretending to be asleep?

Will she make things difficult for me tomorrow morning?

Liu Zhimin closed her eyes tightly, trying to dispel the chaotic images in her mind, but only felt more confused.

She could only force herself to remain still, feigning sleep, anxiously awaiting the end of the long night. Liu Zhimin kept her eyes tightly closed, trying her best to maintain steady breathing, carefully suppressing even the slightest tremor.

She could clearly feel the gentle, long breath of Jin Dongtian not far behind her. This seemingly peaceful sleepiness was like an invisible net, locking her firmly to the edge of the bed, unable to move.

Every second felt like it was stretched out indefinitely, and my body began to ache from the deliberately stiff posture I was maintaining.

Finally, Liu Zhimin's willpower slid to the edge of true sleep amidst exhaustion and tension, and her breathing gradually became steady.

Liu Zhimin fell asleep.

Kim Dong-won, who had been facing away from Yoo Ji-min, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were clear and bright, showing no signs of sleepiness.

After confirming that Liu Zhimin was completely still, Jin Dongdong moved.

She moved so lightly that she made no sound as she slowly turned around to observe Liu Zhimin beside her.

Liu Zhimin, who was already fast asleep, had a calm face, but her brows were slightly furrowed, indicating that she was not sleeping very soundly.

Unnie.
She even sneaked off to Quan Xuanhe's place late at night.

That truly shows her loyalty and devotion.

Jin Dongtian quietly watched Liu Zhimin, his mind racing with thoughts.

In the darkness, Jin Dong lay silently on his side, his gaze like that of a nocturnal feline, sharply sweeping over Liu Zhimin's still slightly furrowed profile as she slept.

Sure enough...

Unnie really did go to see him.

A mixture of mockery, disappointment, and intense curiosity surged within Jin Dongtian's chest.

Unnie ran away, so is Kwon Hyeonhyuk asleep now?

Suddenly, Jin Dongdong had the idea of ​​going to talk to Quan Xuanhe.

What exactly is our relationship? Should we start dating on this trip?

If it's a definite answer.
She should stop doing things that annoy Liu Zhimin.
She quietly and very slowly moved her body away from the warm protection of the blankets.

Every breath was controlled to be extremely light, and every movement was precise to avoid any unnecessary noise from the mattress.

She drifted past her room door like a wisp of smoke, without looking back.

The cold touch of the doorknob traveled through his fingertips. Jin Dong paused for half a second, held his breath, and applied his body weight evenly, pushing the doorknob inward very slowly and carefully.

She got nervous too.

Her actions were exactly the same as Liu Zhimin's before, with the same caution, but with completely different emotions.

The door slid open a crack, and the faint light remaining in the living room outlined the furniture inside.

Jin Dongtian sidestepped and nimbly slipped inside, like a drop of water blending into the night, almost without a sound.

She glanced cautiously at Quan Xuanhe, took a few steps forward, and was just about to speak.

A warm and firm arm grabbed her arm with such force that she was caught off guard and was pulled violently toward the bed, her back slamming into a broad, warm chest and sinking into the bed.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put? Why did you run away again? Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

The moment those words reached Jin Dongtian's ears, she had only one thought.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk admitted his mistake.

Jin Dongtian felt a huge electric current surge through his body from his tightly bound waist and back, making his cheeks, ears, and even collarbone suddenly burn.

Quan Xuanhe's arm was embedded in her waist and abdomen like a branding iron. The unique masculine strength and the unfamiliar touch in his arms made her completely stiffen, and even her mind went blank.

His chest pressed against her back, the vibrations of his heartbeat clearly transmitted through the thin silk nightgown, eerily resonating with her own racing heartbeat in the silence.

While speaking, Kwon Hyun-hyuk seemed to unconsciously rub his chin against the hair on the top of her head.

A habitual, soothing gesture, mixed with lingering sleepiness and the wariness that had just returned.

Quan Xuanhe was truly exasperated with Liu Zhimin. She had only left a short while ago, and now she was back again, ruining his sleep.

He hugged Liu Zhimin and reached out to pinch the soft flesh on her face, rubbing it repeatedly between his fingers.

It was this subtle, unconscious intimate contact that seemed to ignite every nerve ending in Jin Dongtian's body.

The burning shame clung to her like vines, almost engulfing her and nearly robbing her of her ability to think.

An unusual feeling overwhelmed Jin Dongtian, leaving her completely passive at this moment.

"Ooppa, this is Minjung."

Jin Dongtian spoke in a trembling, low voice, his soft face slurred from being pinched.

This moment was like a bucket of ice water, instantly waking Quan Xuanhe.

The embrace suddenly froze.

The next second, as if he had been burned, he hurriedly let go of his arm.

If you weren't a buddy, you'd just walked in without a word, how would anyone know you were Jin Dongtian!

The moonlight had somehow slipped back in, filtering through the window and casting a hazy band of light into the room.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk finally recognized the person he had mistakenly embraced—Kim Dong-dong.

That face, which usually carried a bewildered expression, was now deathly pale in the shadows, with only its wide-open eyes shining brightly in the darkness, the pupils slightly contracting due to extreme shock and shame.

Her lips were slightly parted, her rapid breathing continued, and her body was stiff as if petrified. The silk fabric of her pajamas gleamed coldly in the moonlight, outlining the girl's slender shoulders and the slightly rising and falling contours of her chest.

Yes, you should be able to tell instantly.

The two had different eye sizes, and Kim Dong-won was very thin, which was completely different from Yoo Ji-min's slightly fleshy body.

The two stared at each other silently at very close range.

Time seems to have frozen.

Quan Xuanhe was no less shocked than Jin Dongtian. The lingering sleepiness, vigilance, and blame were instantly washed away, leaving only an emptiness replaced by astonishment.

He never expected that Jin Dongtian would come running over right after he saw Liu Zhimin off!
And yet, he actually hugged her himself, even after he had mistaken her for someone else.

He then realized that with a blanket separating them, even the sense of touch was blocked, no wonder he couldn't feel that it was winter next to him.

The sounds of breathing in the air were amplified infinitely.

at this time.

The girl exuded a fragrance different from Liu Zhimin's, and her bright eyes were now filled with shame, indignation, and some other indescribable emotion...

Every detail was being conveyed to Kwon Hyun-hyuk's mind at this moment.

The shock in Jin Dongtian's eyes was gradually replaced by a more complex emotion.

What almost broke through the defenses in her eyes was the sudden, intense ambiguity that made her fingertips tremble slightly, leaving her bewildered.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk stared at her for a few seconds, then spoke up somewhat awkwardly.

"...Minjun?"

Upon hearing Kwon Hyun-hyuk call his name, Kim Dong-won sat up abruptly, his movements as swift as a startled rabbit.

With his back to the faint light seeping in from the window, Quan Xuanhe could only make out her taut profile and her violently heaving shoulders.

In the darkness, her breathing was rapid and unsteady, and the warm feeling of shame and indignation seemed to still linger in the air between them.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's brain was racing, trying to sort out this extremely chaotic situation.

He never expected that, having just experienced the night raid by Liu Zhimin, Jin Dongtian would appear in his bed in the blink of an eye, and he would mistakenly hug her, thinking she was Liu Zhimin.

"...It's me, oppa..." Kim Dong-won's voice was dry and trembling, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, filled with intense embarrassment.

The intense heat of Quan Xuanhe's body, the feeling of being completely enveloped by his strong arms, remained like a brand on her back, waist, and even the soft flesh of her cheek where he had pinched her, burning every inch of her senses.

In the darkness, her face must have been incredibly red, her ears burning hot, her breathing completely out of rhythm, and her heart pounding wildly against her ribs, almost leaping out of her chest.

She didn't dare to look back at him at all; all her plans, all her "curiosity," and "wanting to chat" were crushed by the immense shame at that moment.

She was like a child caught red-handed trespassing in forbidden territory, and caught in such an extremely embarrassing way.

"Why are you here?"

"I...I..." Jin Dongtian stammered, his tongue seemingly tied in knots.

She couldn't even manage a bewildered, innocent smile to defuse the awkwardness, as she usually did.

"I went to the wrong place!!"

She practically spurred out this utterly clumsy excuse, her voice sharp and abrupt due to her urgency and panic.

After saying that, as if afraid of being questioned by Quan Xuanhe, she hurriedly stood up and took several steps back.

Jin Dongtian didn't know whether to leave or stay. He stood there awkwardly, clutching the hem of his clothes with both hands, his head down, not daring to look Quan Xuanhe in the eye.

Jin stood frozen in place in the winter. The cool floor seeped through her thin socks, but it did nothing to cool the burning heat on her cheeks or the pounding of her heart.

The faint light filtering through the window barely outlined the silhouette of Quan Xuanhe sitting on the edge of the bed.

After a brief moment of astonishment and subsequent silence, those deep eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and locked onto the uneasy Jin Dongtian.

She lowered her head, her thin shoulder blades slightly raised, like a small animal trying to shrink into its shell after being frightened. The cunning and sense of control she had shown when she caught Liu Zhimin was completely gone.

Quan Xuanhe rubbed his throbbing temples and sighed silently.

Tonight was truly...wonderful.

He suppressed the absurdity in his heart and a trace of displeasure at being disturbed, deliberately making his voice lower and steady, dispelling the suffocating atmosphere of anxiety in the room, and carrying an undeniable calming power.

"Minjung ah..."

The call made Jin Dongtian tremble almost imperceptibly, and he lowered his head even further.

"Wrong way?"

Quan Xuanhe's tone was very soft, with a slight rise at the end, carrying a hint of a rhetorical question, but without sarcasm. Instead, it sounded like he was helplessly stating an obvious fact.

This made Kim Dong-won feel even more ashamed than if he had been directly exposed.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over her nervously twisted fingers.

"Was it really just a wrong turn?"

Jin Dongtian trembled, lowered his head even further, and felt utterly ashamed.

(End of this chapter)