Chapter 25: Whispers in the Night

Qiu Mian’s brain was still in overload as Qiu Kui’s warm hand pulled her stumbling toward the bed.

The soft mattress waited behind her, radiating a dangerous allure.

We’re on it! We’re actually on the bed!

Wait! This isn’t right! This is escalating way too fast!

Stay calm, Qiu Mian! You’re supposed to be a mature transmigrator! Keep it together!

Her face burned from the rush of blood. Qiu Kui gently pressed on her shoulders, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed.

The soft mattress sank deeply beneath her weight.

Qiu Kui circled to the other side, carefully lifted one corner of the blanket, and slipped in. Then she reached over and switched off the bedside lamp with a soft click.

The room plunged into darkness. Only the faint moonlight filtering through the window and the distant glow of streetlamps outlined the blurry shapes of the furniture.

With sight taken away, every other sense sharpened.

The warmth of another person’s body radiated from beside her.

The silky rustle of a nightgown against the sheets, the gentle sound of breathing right next to her ear.

The warm breath carrying Qiu Kui’s unique scent wrapped around Qiu Mian in delicate threads.

So— so close! Way too close!

Qiu Mian didn’t dare move. She kept her hands folded primly over her stomach and stared wide-eyed at the vague patterns of light on the ceiling.

Every tiny shift beside her pulled her nerves taut.

Several minutes of silence passed before Qiu Kui’s soft voice broke it.

“Jie-jie… are you asleep?”

“No.” Qiu Mian forced out the single word.

“Oh…” Qiu Kui answered quietly and fell silent again.

But Qiu Mian could feel her slowly—extremely slowly—shifting a little closer.

The source of heat under the blanket drew nearer.

“Jie-jie…” Qiu Kui spoke once more.

“Those things you said in the kitchen today…”

Qiu Mian’s heartbeat skipped.

“Mm.”

“You never used to say things like that before.”

“Even though it’s different from the gentle way you were a long time ago… you’re always so cold now, and you barely speak. And when you do… your words are so sharp they make people afraid to get close.”

The original host…?

Qiu Mian stayed quiet and listened.

“But the Jie-jie now…” Qiu Kui paused, searching for the right words.

“Sometimes you still look fierce, still keep that cold face… but…”

Her voice grew softer, gentler.

“But… you tell me to rest earlier, you… put food on my plate—even if it’s way too much…” At that, she let out a tiny breath of laughter.

“You… stand in front of me, you care who I talk to… and in the kitchen you told me… you wouldn’t get tired of it…”

With every sentence, Qiu Mian’s heart softened a little more—and grew heavier at the same time.

“This kind of Jie-jie… is really gentle.”

Qiu Kui’s final words were a quiet affirmation.

In the dark, Qiu Mian felt her earlobes grow even hotter.

She opened her mouth, wanting to protest that she wasn’t gentle at all, or that it had only been casual, but under Qiu Kui’s gentle “accusation,” any denial felt weak and pointless.

“…Go to sleep.”

In the end, that was all she could manage—an utterly unconvincing command.

Qiu Kui seemed to laugh softly again.

Then Qiu Mian felt the mattress dip once more as a warm, soft body cautiously pressed against her from the side.

First came the arm, the clear warmth passing through the thin nightgown fabric.

Then the shoulder, the side of her waist…

Qiu Mian’s whole body gave an involuntary shiver.

She—she’s pressing close!

Just as the tension threatened to suffocate her and she debated whether to bolt away or pretend to be asleep, Qiu Kui stopped.

She didn’t press fully against her. She kept a teasing, almost-there distance, her warm breath brushing Qiu Mian’s earlobe and the side of her neck, tickling faintly.

“Jie-jie now… is different from before.”

Qiu Kui’s voice came right beside her ear, thoughtful.

“You’re gentler with other people.”

“But… that’s… actually pretty nice.”

Her voice dropped even lower. Beneath the soft tone, a faint thread of possessiveness slipped through.

“But Jie-jie’s gentleness… shouldn’t be given to too many people.”

“Having me… just me is enough.”

Before Qiu Mian could think it through or react, Qiu Kui moved again.

One arm slid beneath Qiu Mian’s neck.

The other hand tentatively wrapped around her waist.

The embrace from behind made Qiu Mian’s body snap tight like a drawn bow.

Her back sank completely into a warm, soft hold.

The cool touch of the nightgown contrasted sharply with the warm, yielding skin beneath it, transmitting clearly through the thin fabric.

A few strands of Qiu Kui’s long hair spilled into the hollow of her neck, bringing a faint itch.

H-hugged! From behind!

Qiu Mian’s brain completely shut down. All the blood in her body seemed to rush to the places being touched. Her cheeks burned hot enough to fry an egg.

“This way… you won’t be afraid of the dark anymore.” Qiu Kui gently buried her face against the back of Qiu Mian’s shoulder. Her muffled voice came through as the arm around Qiu Mian’s waist tightened just a fraction, confirming her presence.

Qiu Mian thought about pushing her away, but her body refused to obey. Or perhaps some corner deep inside her craved the sense of safety that came from being held so tightly in the darkness.

Since her transmigration she had barely had time to breathe—Misaki’s provocations, the scarcity of clues, her worries about the plot, her guilt and tenderness toward Qiu Kui… This sudden embrace felt like a safe harbor, letting her taut nerves relax for a brief moment.

The two of them stayed like that in the dark, quietly embracing, neither speaking again.

Only their intertwined breaths and the body heat and heartbeats passing through thin layers of cloth remained.

After what felt like a long time, when Qiu Mian’s body had begun to ache faintly, Qiu Kui’s voice rose once more, still pressed close.

“Jie-jie…”

“Mm?” Qiu Mian answered instinctively.

“Can you turn around?” Qiu Kui requested softly. The arm around her waist loosened a little.

Qiu Mian hesitated.

In the darkness, it somehow felt safer.

She slowly turned beneath the blanket, shifting from back-to-back to lying on her side facing Qiu Kui.

The distance between them shrank even further.

By the faint light from the window, she could just make out the elegant lines of Qiu Kui’s face in the dark.

Qiu Kui gazed at her quietly. Her eyes traced Qiu Mian’s brows and eyes in the dimness, then slowly drifted lower, across the bridge of her nose, and paused on her lips for several seconds.

The stare made Qiu Mian unbearably self-conscious. Her cheeks burned and she instinctively wanted to look away.

“It’s really nice,” Qiu Kui suddenly whispered. The corners of her mouth curved into a gentle smile.

Her purple eyes reflected the faint light from outside and Qiu Mian’s slightly dazed face.

“What… is nice?”

Qiu Kui didn’t answer directly.

She simply leaned in a little closer, close enough that Qiu Mian could count her fluttering lashes.

Then she reached out with her fingertips and, with extreme gentleness, brushed a stray lock of hair that had fallen across Qiu Mian’s pillow.

“Jie-jie being here… like this…”

“It’s really nice.”

With that, she let out a soft sigh, closed her eyes, and her long lashes cast gentle shadows on her eyelids.

The arm resting at Qiu Mian’s waist didn’t pull away; it simply grew lighter and more tender.

She stayed in that position, her breathing gradually evening out into the steady rhythm of sleep.

Qiu Mian was left with her eyes wide open in the darkness, feeling the warm breath so close by, her heartbeat refusing to settle for a long, long time.

This… this is bad…

This time… it’s really, really bad…