The Sleepwalking Excuse and the Social Media Blunder

Chu Ci was drenched in sweat, his entire body stiff as he lay ramrod-straight on the bed. A tiny version of himself was kneeling and kowtowing frantically in his mind, praying for these ten minutes to end as quickly as possible.

Beside him, Ji Yanli had gone still again, save for the faint, cool brush of his breath circling Chu Ci’s ear. Chu Ci didn’t dare turn his head, unsure if the other was awake or not. His hand at his side curled slightly, his fingertips nervously brushing the bedding beneath him.

Any trace of sleepiness had long since evaporated. Chu Ci stared wide-eyed into the darkness until his eyes ached and physiological tears wetted the corners of his lids, forcing him to blink.

He had never felt ten minutes could be so grueling.

He cautiously turned his head to glance at Ji Yanli. Seeing that the other’s eyes were still closed and he didn’t appear to have been woken up, Chu Ci’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled back into place. He let out a silent sigh of relief.

Because the villa area was quite a distance from the city center, the night here was exceptionally silent. The lights at the downstairs entrance remained on, casting a hazy white glow through the glass window that merged with the cold moonlight.

Finally, half of the time had passed under Chu Ci’s mounting anxiety.

The duvet was infused with Ji Yanli’s unique scent, which drifted into Chu Ci’s nose from time to time, making his head feel dizzy and dazed.

His right hand was nearly falling off the edge of the bed, yet Chu Ci didn’t dare move an inch further inward. The cold night wind squeezed in through the gap under the door, hitting Chu Ci and causing him to shiver reflexively.

As time ticked by, the tension in Chu Ci’s heart eased significantly. He stared at the ceiling with a look of weary resignation, silently marveling that being a “pervert” wasn’t as easy as it looked.

He couldn’t understand just how much the original owner must have liked Ji Yanli—stealing his clothes, sneaking into his bed… he was one step away from stripping himself bare and presenting himself to Ji Yanli.

…Wait a minute!

Chu Ci suddenly realized something terrible.

What if that really is his wish!!

At that thought, Chu Ci instinctively clutched his own clothes tight.

My god, my heavens, my shirt, and my coat.

—Let me go home!!!

Chu Ci wanted to cry but had no tears.

The illusory timer in his head finally reached the last two minutes. Despite his aching, swollen eyes, Chu Ci slowly, step by agonizing step, began to shuffle toward the edge of the bed. Ji Yanli was too close now; Chu Ci didn’t dare be reckless. If Ji Yanli opened his eyes, everything he had just done would turn into bubbles!

Chu Ci instinctively held his breath as the dissipated tension surged back. Half his body was hanging off the bed. When the time hit the final second, Chu Ci practically rolled onto the floor.

“Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission 【Share a bed with the male lead for ten minutes】!” Xiao Ba’s voice replaced the countdown, echoing joyfully in Chu Ci’s mind. It appeared out of thin air beside him, flying over to gently bump his head.

“Host! My performance results this month will definitely be number one!”

Chu Ci’s lips twitched stiffly. He lifted his head to glare death at Ji Yanli, answering through gritted teeth: “Well, congratulations to you.”

Xiao Ba didn’t catch the sarcasm in his tone, its small eyes curving into crescents. “Hehe, it’s all thanks to the Host.”

Chu Ci’s arms trembled violently as he propped himself up. Just standing up made him feel like he was on the verge of collapse.

“Can I go back now?” He moved his thin lips, speaking directly to Xiao Ba in his mind.

Xiao Ba bobbed up and down, mimicking a nod. “Of course! Host, hurry back and rest!”

Chu Ci let out a long breath. His steps were hollow as he turned around—

Then, without warning, his wrist was seized from behind. Chu Ci froze. Before he could react, his entire body was forcibly dragged back onto the bed!

It happened too fast. Chu Ci’s back hit the soft mattress, and the duvet—still warm with body heat—covered him completely, blocking out the cold air. The scene before his eyes plunged into pitch-black darkness, and Chu Ci’s heart skipped a beat.

He felt a strong heat source approaching him. The familiar scent invaded his nose. The small Adam’s apple in his throat bobbed with difficulty. Chu Ci lifted his eyes, staring at Ji Yanli’s silhouette in the dark.

Alarm bells were screaming in his mind.

When the fck did this kid wake up?!!*

“Speak. Coming to my room in the middle of the night… what exactly are you trying to do?” The youth’s voice was low and raspy, lacking its usual gentleness. He leaned close to Chu Ci’s ear, his hot breath spilling across Chu Ci’s earlobe and the side of his neck.

Chu Ci shivered instinctively, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest.

He blinked rapidly several times, pretending to be “deaf” and not answering. After a moment, Chu Ci thought of something. He opened his mouth wide and let out a yawn, rubbing the corners of his eyes before turning his head in bewilderment.

“Where is this?!” His voice was exceptionally theatrical. He even acted more shocked upon realizing he was being restrained by Ji Yanli. “Ji Yanli? Why are you here??”

Ji Yanli paused. “…This is my room.”

Hearing this, Chu Ci acted as if he had just realized, sighing with a slightly apologetic tone. “Ah… sorry, I forgot to tell you. I sleepwalk.”

“Sorry, truly sorry. This problem is a hereditary trait in my family.” He lied through his teeth while casually trying to crawl out from under the covers.

Unexpectedly, Ji Yanli held the corner of the duvet down tight. If one didn’t know better, they’d think he was trying to show off a glow-in-the-dark watch.

Chu Ci’s eyes darted back and forth.

‘Wait, according to the script, Ji Yanli should believe me.’

‘Isn’t this reason perfectly logical?’

‘…Did Ji Yanli see through it?’

‘Is my acting really that clumsy?’

Ji Yanli lowered his eyes, feeling the steady warmth radiating from Chu Ci. He let out a soft laugh. “Is that so? Well, since you’re already here, why not just sleep here tonight?”

“I’m afraid if you sleepwalk again, you’ll mistake my head for a watermelon and try to slice it.”

‘I want to kick your head like a soccer ball!’

Chu Ci curled his lips into a forced smile. “No, no, when I sleepwalk, I just like to walk around. I won’t do anything harmful.”

Instead of letting go, Ji Yanli leaned even closer, their breaths entwining. “Is that so? Then I really can’t let you go.”

“What if you accidentally jump out of a window?”

Chu Ci felt a vein in his temple throb. “I—”

Before he could finish, he felt Ji Yanli lean against his chest. A fluffy head ruffled against Chu Ci’s chin. Chu Ci’s breath hitched instantly, and his heart went wild.

‘HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME—!!’

Perhaps finding Chu Ci’s thoughts too noisy, Ji Yanli reached out and covered Chu Ci’s lips with his hand. “So loud.”

Chu Ci didn’t dare move an inch.

The air inside the covers was thin, and being pressed so tightly against Ji Yanli caused his body temperature to spike uncontrollably. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His head grew dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Finally unable to bear it, Chu Ci reached out and gently pushed Ji Yanli’s shoulder.

“Ji Yanli,” he said muffledly, his voice soft as if he were acting spoiled. “This is too uncomfortable.”

Ji Yanli didn’t answer, simply leaning against him quietly. Just as Chu Ci thought he might have fallen asleep, Ji Yanli’s voice drifted into his ear. “Don’t you like this feeling?”

“A narrow space with only the two of us.”

“No one is watching. I’m just pressed against you like this.”

The darkness hid Ji Yanli’s expression perfectly; Chu Ci couldn’t even see his eyes. If he hadn’t recognized the voice, Chu Ci would have thought the person pinning him down was someone else entirely.

Ji Yanli seemed to have changed.

According to the original personality, he would never say such strange things.

A dangerous aura enveloped Chu Ci, making it hard to breathe. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his trembling voice. “Ji… Ji Yanli, are you still half-asleep?”

Ji Yanli curled his lips. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Then, he lifted his head and asked Chu Ci, “Are you scared?”

Chu Ci shook his head, stammering his reply: “N-no, I’m not.”

“You are a ray of light illuminating my darkness, something I can’t even grasp. How could I be scared?”

While Chu Ci said this out loud, he was actually close to tears.

‘Why are you giving me a buff at a time like this!’

Ji Yanli tilted his head, his cheek brushing against Chu Ci’s—intentionally or not. “Really? I’m going to believe you then.”

Chu Ci’s breath hitched.

‘Why would you believe me! You didn’t believe me before, but you believe me now!’

The youth’s inner thoughts couldn’t be hidden at all. Ji Yanli let out a helpless laugh and whispered a single phrase: “Little liar.”

The voice was gone in an instant. Chu Ci felt the weight lift as Ji Yanli let go and lay down beside him.

“No more playing. Rest early.” With that, Ji Yanli turned away and closed his eyes, acting as if he were truly letting Chu Ci off.

Chu Ci watched him warily, then scrambled out of the bed and away from the covers in a panic, fleeing the room as if he had seen a ghost.

—He even remembered to grab his own quilt.

Chu Ci rushed all the way back to the guest room, locking the door and jumping into bed in one smooth motion.

The scorching heat on his cheeks hadn’t faded. His heart was thumping so hard his entire body was vibrating.

Terrified! Absolutely terrified!!

No one told him that if he woke Ji Yanli up in the middle of the night, Ji Yanli would go crazy!

Is this the power of morning/night grumpiness??!

Chu Ci’s head was filled with the scenes from moments ago; he couldn’t drive them away even with his eyes closed. He tossed and turned, attempting to hypnotize himself into sleep, but failed.

Finally, a glow lit up the room. Chu Ci fished out his phone and began to vent on his social feed.

Don’t Mess With My Burning Butt: Can’t sleep after being harassed in the middle of the night. I hope everyone who is asleep falls off their bed—especially Ji Yanli.

After posting, Chu Ci felt satisfied. He turned off the screen and tossed the phone aside.

A moment later, the phone vibrated twice.

Chu Ci, who was finally drifting off, was woken up. He instinctively reached out and checked the notification.

[Your friend “Fake Poser” liked your post.]

[Post content: “Don’t Mess With My Burning Butt: Can’t sleep after being harassed in the middle of the night. I hope everyone who is asleep falls off their bed—especially Ji Yanli.”]

Chu Ci froze.

Chu Ci’s eyes widened.

How did he forget to block Ji Yanli!!