Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

The moonlight made the village road appear white as he walked west along the dirt road.

The windows of Bell's farm were still unlocked.

When he climbed in through the window, Bell was lying on the bed, the blankets kicked up to her waist.

One leg stretched out from under the covers, bare and dazzlingly white in the moonlight.

Bell wasn't asleep at this moment; he was intentionally waiting for Lin Yu to arrive.

Lin Yu walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Belle turned over to face him, her eyes shining in the darkness.

"here we go again?"

"Um."

"Where is Arya?"

"Going to sleep."

Bell didn't ask any more questions and lifted a corner of the blanket.

Lin Yu took off his coat and lay down inside. Bell leaned in, pressed his face against his chest, and wrapped his arms around his waist.

......

......

Day three.

When Lin Yu opened his eyes, it was still dark.

The light filtering through the curtains was grayish-blue, casting a thin layer of darkness over the room.

Arya slept next to him, her face pressed against his shoulder, her cheeks slightly puffed out, making her look very cute.

His lips parted slightly, his breathing was light and even, and warm air gently brushed against his skin.

One leg was draped over him, her calf, encased in black stockings, pressed against his thigh; the stockings felt smooth and warm to the touch, carrying the heat of her body.

Arya's hand gripped Lin Yu's clothes tightly, as if afraid that Lin Yu would be gone when she woke up.

Seeing this, Lin Yu recalled what Arya had said last night:

"If you have to leave, be sure to wake me up, and I'll make you breakfast."

She spoke very seriously, staring directly at him, as if afraid he wouldn't agree, and repeated herself:

"You must call me, and don't sneak away."

Lin Yu agreed at the time.

But now he looked at her face, at her fingers clutching the hem of her dress, at her slightly furrowed brow.

Even sleeping is restless; there's a faint vertical line between her brows, as if she's worrying about something even in her dreams.

He slowly raised his hand, gently pressing his fingertips against her brow, smoothing out the vertical line.

Arya's brows relaxed, but her fingers, still gripping the hem of her dress, didn't loosen.

Instead, she tensed up again, as if sensing something, and then snuggled closer to Lin Yu, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Lin Yu's hand stopped on her head, his fingers running through her hair.

He lay there, listening to the occasional chirping of insects outside the window and Arya's even breathing.

Time passed little by little.

The grayish-blue light slowly brightened, turning into a pale gold, seeping in through the gaps in the curtains and drawing a thin line of light on the bed sheet.

Lin Yu knew it was time to leave.

He ultimately did not choose to leave secretly, because that would leave him with regrets.

"Arya," Lin Yu called out.

Arya didn't move, her breathing remained even, and the warm air brushed against his fingertips.

"Arya," Lin Yu called again, this time louder, and moved his fingers away from her lips, gently pinching her cheek.

Arya's eyelashes trembled, her brow furrowed slightly, and then she slowly opened her eyes.

A thin layer of mist still veiled her eyes, and her vision blurred for a moment before finally focusing on Lin Yu's face.

"Good morning," Lin Yu said.

Arya didn't answer, and her arm went through Lin Yu's waist.

She snuggled into his arms, pressed her face against his chest, buried her face in it, and rubbed against him like a kitten trying to recognize its owner's scent.

Lin Yu placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair and slowly combing it.

Her hair was fine and soft, with a faint fragrance and a touch of warmth from sleep.

"I'll go make you breakfast," Arya said sullenly, propping herself up on her arms to get up.

As soon as her hands touched the bed, Lin Yu's hands slid down from above her head and gripped the back of her neck.

He tightened his fingers slightly, pressed his palm against the skin on the side of her neck, and pressed his thumb against the back of her ear, giving it a gentle rub.

Arya paused, her elbows, which were supporting her on the bed, went slightly weak.

Lin Yu didn't say anything, but simply held the back of her neck and pulled her towards him, forehead to forehead, nose to nose.

His breath brushed against her lips, warm and slow.

"Lin Yu..." Arya's voice trailed off, her eyelashes fluttering twice.

……

……

"I should go," Lin Yu said, his voice a little hoarse.

Arya tightened her grip but didn't move.

"Arya".

"...I'll go make you breakfast." She finally spoke, her voice soft and gentle, as she propped herself up on her arms to sit up.

Lin Yu raised his hand to stop her, his fingers gripping her wrist, and pulled her back into his arms.

He lowered his head, pressed his lips to her forehead, and kissed her.

Then it's the space between her eyebrows, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

It was a very light and short kiss, without any deep entanglement, just lips touching lips for two seconds.

"Get some rest," he said.

Arya opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She watched Lin Yu sit up, watched him pick up his coat and put it on, and watched him walk to the door.

"Lin Yu," she called out.

Lin Yu turned around.

Arya sat on the bed, the blanket slipping down to her waist, revealing her bare shoulders and collarbone. Her hair hung loosely beside her face, making her look small and thin.

"Be careful." Arya pursed her lips.

Lin Yu nodded, opened the door, and went out.