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

Gu Yan paused for a moment and looked down at her.

Shu Zi didn't look up, and repeated herself:

"I don't want to sleep alone...you'll stay with me."

Gu Yan was silent for a moment, then turned around, walked to his room, and pushed open the door.

He walked to the bedside and gently placed her on the bed.

The moment Shu Zi's body touched the bed, she automatically rolled to the other side and patted the empty space next to her:

"You sleep here."

Gu Yan stood by the bed and looked at her for a few seconds before finally bending down to lift a corner of the blanket and lying down next to her.

As soon as he lay down, Shu Zi seemed to sense it, turned over, snuggled into his arms, pressed her face against his chest, and put her arms around his waist.

He felt like a little animal that had found its den, letting out a satisfied sigh of relief.

Gu Yan looked down at the person who was already sleeping peacefully in his arms, remained silent for a moment, reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, and gently tightened his arms around her in the darkness.

He lay there with his eyes closed, motionless, for a long time.

Shuzi nestled in his arms, fast asleep.

Occasionally, I would gently brush against his chin in my dreams, and each touch would make his body tense up a little more.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm himself down, but the warm touch in his arms and the lingering scent of wine intertwined like an invisible net, trapping him firmly in place.

He remained in that position for nearly half an hour until he was sure Shu Zi was completely asleep, then he carefully and inch by inch removed her arm from his waist.

Shu Zi frowned in her sleep, mumbled something indistinctly, turned over, rolled to the other side of the bed, hugged the blanket, and continued to sleep.

Gu Yan gently lifted the covers and got out of bed. He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

The sound of water lingered for a long time in the quiet night.

When he came out again, his hair was still damp and his skin was slightly cold from the cold water.

He stood at the bathroom door for a moment, waiting for the chill to dissipate, before returning to the bedside, gently lifting the covers, and lying back down.

He had just lay down and hadn't even had a chance to close his eyes when the person next to him seemed to sense something, turned over in their sleep, and naturally stretched out their arm to rest on his waist, burying their face in his shoulder again.

The whole process was so smooth, like an instinctive reaction, that he didn't even open his eyes once.

Gu Yan was quiet for a moment, then finally sighed softly, reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead, his voice low and restrained:

"...Don't move, baby, be good."

Shu Zi gave a muffled hum, it was unclear whether she heard it or not.

As dawn approached, Gu Yan finally felt truly sleepy.

The person in his arms was breathing steadily, sleeping soundly without any guard, like a small animal that had completely let down its guard, nestled comfortably in his arms.

He glanced down at her peaceful sleeping face, and finally closed his eyes in the gradually whitening morning light.

A few hours later, sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint ray of light on the floor.

Shu Zi stirred in her sleep, her eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her vision gradually cleared from blurry. She blinked. Why didn't this room look like hers?

Then she noticed an arm across her waist.

Her mind went blank for two seconds, then she slowly raised her head and met Gu Yan's still-sleeping face.

The air carried his clean and crisp scent, mixed with a hint of last night's lingering shower gel fragrance.

When he was asleep, his eyes and brows were much softer than usual, his breathing was steady, and his arms were naturally wrapped around her waist.

Shu Zi stared at him for several seconds, fragments of last night's memories surfacing here and there.

She clung to him, refusing to go to sleep. She said, "Sleep with me," and he carried her to his room. She snuggled into his arms... and then she remembered nothing more.

She looked down at herself; her bathrobe was still on, and the ties were tied neatly.

She glanced at Gu Yan again; his clothes were neatly arranged, and a blanket was covering both of them.

Shu Zi smiled slightly, but instead of getting up immediately, she carefully adjusted her position, buried her face back in his chest, closed her eyes, and decided to stay in bed a little longer.

Then she heard a sleepy, deep voice above her: "Awake?"

Shu Zi froze, her face still buried in his chest, but the tips of her ears had already turned red.

She remained silent for two seconds, without looking up, choosing to play dead.

A low chuckle came from above, hoarse from just waking up: "Pretending to be asleep?"

"……No."

Shu Zi still didn't look up, her voice muffled against his chest, sounding weak, "I just woke up, really."

Gu Yan didn't expose her, he just smiled gently and tightened his grip on her waist slightly.

Shu Zi felt his movement, her heart skipped a beat, but she remained lying in his arms without moving.

The two lay there quietly for a while, neither of them speaking, as the morning light gradually spread throughout the room.

Finally, Shu Zi broke the silence: "...Did you sleep well last night?"

Gu Yan was silent for a moment, then spoke: "It's not good."

Shu Zi was stunned for a moment, then finally looked up at him: "Why?"

Gu Yan looked down to meet her gaze, raising an eyebrow: "What do you think?"

Shu Zi blinked, meeting his meaningful gaze, and her face flushed even more.

She muttered under her breath, "...How should I know?"

Gu Yan didn't speak, but just looked at her quietly, his eyes carrying a hint of a smile.

Shu Zi blinked, then seemed to suddenly understand something, and her ears turned bright red.

She quickly buried her face back in his chest: "...I didn't mean to."

Gu Yan's voice carried a hint of amusement: "It wasn't intentional?"

Shu Zi punched him in annoyance.

Gu Yan chuckled softly, the vibrations of his chest clearly reaching her ears.

Shu Zi was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "...So you took a cold shower last night?"

She seemed to vaguely hear the sound of water.

Gu Yan paused for a moment, but did not answer.

Shu Zi waited for a moment, but didn't get an answer, so she couldn't help but look up at him again.

Gu Yan met her gaze, remained silent for two seconds, then reached out and pressed her head back against his chest.

"Baby, don't ask anymore."

Shu Zi: "..."

That means it's been washed.

She said, "Next time I ask you to sleep with me, just throw me back into my own bed and ignore me."

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow: "That won't do."

Shu Zi looked up at him: "Then what are you going to do?"

Gu Yan looked down into her eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Baby, you were drunk last night."

He tightened his grip around her waist. "It's not that I'm incapable."