I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

She bit her lip and waited a while longer.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, with thunder rumbling one after another, showing no sign of stopping.

Her heart was beating faster and faster, and her breathing became somewhat rapid.

The phone lit up again.

Director Liu: "Dear teachers, the rain is too heavy. The electrician said it will be a while before the power is restored. Please get some rest. It should be fine tomorrow."

Then, the phone screen went black; it was out of battery.

Shu Zi froze for two seconds, then pressed the power button a few times in disbelief, but the screen remained unresponsive.

She stared at the black screen and cursed under her breath.

Another bolt of lightning struck, and she was so frightened that she threw her phone aside, shrank into the blankets, and curled herself up into a ball.

It was stuffy and hot under the covers, but she didn't dare stick her head out.

The thunder outside the window grew louder with each rumble, making her shrink deeper into the covers with each sound.

She grew increasingly frightened under the covers, and then she thought of Gu Yan next door.

Shu Zi was hesitating whether to go or not when a bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a thunderclap.

Shu Zi decisively threw off the covers and got out of bed, not even having time to put on her shoes, stepping barefoot onto the floor.

In the darkness, she found her way to the bedroom door by memory, opened it, and found herself in a small living room, which was also pitch black.

She took a deep breath, and using the occasional flashes of lightning outside the window as a guide, she groped her way to the door of the second bedroom, raised her hand, and gently knocked twice.

A few seconds later, she heard footsteps approaching and the door was pulled open from the inside.

The light shining inside is probably a cell phone flashlight.

Gu Yan stood behind the door, wearing a dark nightgown with the neckline slightly open, revealing a small part of his collarbone. His hair was a little messy, as if he had already lain down.

He paused for a moment when he saw Shu Zi at the door.

She stood outside the door, a flash of lightning briefly illuminating her slender figure.

She crossed her arms and stood barefoot on the floor, looking a size smaller than she had during the day.

She opened her mouth, her voice soft and gentle, with a hint of grievance: "...Gu Yan, I'm scared."

Gu Yan didn't speak, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then fell on her bare feet, his eyes darkening.

Then he reached out, put one arm around her back, and put the other arm under her knees, lifting her up in his arms.

Caught off guard, Shu Zi was suddenly lifted into the air. She instinctively gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"...What are you doing?" Her voice was muffled, with a hint of panic, but she didn't struggle.

Gu Yan didn't answer, but simply carried her a few steps closer to the bed, gently placed her on the edge of the bed, then straightened up and stood by the bed looking down at her.

Shu Zi sat on the edge of his bed, barefoot, her toes slightly curled, her whole body curled up into a small ball.

She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him.

Another flash of lightning outside the window, and she instinctively shrank back into the bed.

Gu Yan didn't say anything. He turned around, walked to the window, and drew the curtains tightly. Then he walked to the door, closed the door that he hadn't closed earlier, and then turned back and squatted down in front of her.

He squatted down at a height that allowed her to look him in the eye.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" he asked in a low voice.

"...It's too dark," she answered softly.

He didn't reply immediately, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, feeling an indescribable presence on her skin.

After a moment, he whispered, "Go to sleep."

Shu Zi looked up at him.

He squatted down in front of her, showing no intention of getting up, patiently waiting as if waiting for her to make a decision.

"Don't you want to sleep yet?" he asked again, his tone not urging, but indulgent.

She bit her lip, deciding not to care anymore. It wasn't like they hadn't slept together before; they had just slept together this morning.

She uttered a single word: "Sleep."

Then she scrambled to the other side of the bed, lifted a corner of the blanket, and squeezed herself inside.

The movements were executed in one smooth motion, carrying a sense of "if you're going to do something, do it all" decisiveness.

A soft laugh came from behind me.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Shu Zi felt a sudden heat on the back of her neck. She buried her face in the pillow, pretending not to hear.

After a while, she felt the spot next to her sink slightly, and Gu Yan lay down on it.

She slept on the edge of the bed, with her back to Gu Yan, a distance between them.

The rain pattered softly outside the window, and thunder occasionally rumbled across the sky.

Then, a thunderclap exploded overhead without warning, making the windows rattle.

Shu Zi trembled slightly under the covers, her breath caught in her throat for a moment, and her body involuntarily shrank closer to the center.

The next second, she felt a tightening around her waist.

An arm swept across her waist with irresistible force, pulling her over.

Her back bumped into a warm chest, her waist was firmly encircled by his arm, and his palm was pressed against her lower abdomen, the temperature burning hot through the thin fabric of her pajamas.

She was completely enveloped in his arms.

Shu Zi froze, "You..."

Gu Yan gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice soft, tinged with a lazy drowsiness: "Sleep."

Shu Zi froze in his arms, not daring to move.

The thunder outside the window continued, but it seemed to be isolated from the world by his body heat.

She could feel his heartbeat, one beat after another, against her back.

Her breathing gradually calmed down, and her tense body slowly relaxed.

She didn't break free or speak; she simply closed her eyes gently.

She couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided, and the thunder faded into the distance, but she just couldn't fall asleep.

She could feel Gu Yan's steady breathing brushing against the top of her head.

His arms were still wrapped around her waist, not letting go, his palm pressed against her side through the thin nightgown, carrying a reassuring weight.

She thought he was asleep.

So slowly, little by little, she turned around in his arms.

I moved very gently, afraid of waking him.

He seemed to be fast asleep, unresponsive, and his arms were not clenched.

In the darkness, she couldn't see his face.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched his brow, slowly sliding down along the curve of his brow bone, across the bridge of his nose, and stopping at the tip of his nose.

His breath brushed against her fingertips, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Her fingertips continued downwards, gently landing on his lips, which were beautifully shaped, their soft contours palpable even in the darkness.

She remembered the kiss in the bathroom, and her fingertips lingered there for a moment.

Then her fingers continued down, gliding over his chin and landing on his slightly protruding Adam's apple.

She gently poked it.

After hesitating for a moment, she propped herself up slightly and gently pressed her lips to his Adam's apple.

It was very light and quick.

The next second, she felt the arm around her waist tighten suddenly.

Immediately afterwards, the world spun around.