A Morning’s Rest

Perhaps due to excessive fatigue combined with waking up too early, Bai Xia’s head began to nod in class mere minutes into the morning study session. Her snow-white long hair cascaded over the textbooks on her desk, and the girl struggled to keep her ruby eyes open, fighting against her overwhelming drowsiness. It was no use; she was just too tired.

Had Mo Bai been gentler last night, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a state. As thoughts drifted, the girl’s pale neck finally gave way, and her head slumped onto the open textbook with a thud. Her long hair spilled across the desk, revealing faint red marks on the nape of her neck. The sight caused Mo Bai to panic, prompting him to quickly tuck her hair back, concealing the marks. Granted, the red marks were from their playful moments the night before, but such things were best kept hidden.

“Sleep if you’re tired. After all, grades won’t matter much for you anymore…”

Mo Bai whispered, his fingertips gently brushing through Bai Xia’s soft hair. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow on the sleeping girl’s face, her peaceful breathing indicating deep slumber. Though Mo Bai had seen her sleep before, witnessing the girl’s unguarded sleep beside him, with her white hair entwined in his fingers, stirred memories of the night before, when Bai Xia had trembled in his arms, her eyes red with tears as she pleadingly begged for mercy. In truth, he had wanted to stop then, but her pleas only fueled his desire to tease her further. In the end, things had gotten out of hand.

Perhaps he should exercise more restraint next time. Mo Bai sighed, remembering that Bai Xia no longer needed to worry about academics or work. With her abilities, she would undoubtedly pursue a path toward the extraordinary, and he would ensure her comfort. Still, he wondered about the nature of her abilities.

What exactly were Bai Xia’s powers? Apart from the extraordinary strength and shockwave capabilities he had witnessed, Mo Bai had rarely seen her use them. Oh, and there was that transformation ability that had fooled him for so long. Was Bai Xia a versatile learner? Typically, a superhuman’s abilities were their primary focus, with secondary skills being supportive. His own abilities, for instance, were sword-related, so naturally, he had also learned related skills in agility and speed. But Bai Xia… he was still uncertain about her core abilities. Although she was likely from the outsider group, her ability development should parallel that of humans. Perhaps he should find an opportunity to ask her.

Mo Bai rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze falling on Bai Xia’s shoulders, rising and falling gently with each breath. In her sleep, she unconsciously shifted closer, her silver hair falling to reveal the faint red marks on her neck. Mo Bai reached for his school jacket, draping it over her to hide the marks. Feeling the warmth, Bai Xia instinctively snuggled closer to him.

Their intimate moment did not go unnoticed by their classmates. The boys were amazed that the charming white-haired girl was so close to the usually aloof Mo Bai, while the girls were surprised to see him attending to a girl with such care. But Mo Bai paid no mind to the curious glances and whispers. After all, graduation was just around the corner, and he had little attachment to his classmates. His sole concern now was the sleeping girl beside him.

Morning passed both quickly and slowly. For the deep sleeper, it was merely a blink and a yawn. Feeling guilty for how he had teased her the night before, Mo Bai let Bai Xia sleep through the morning, allowing her rest from the early study session. With her status as a mere observer, the teachers paid little attention, as her sleep did not disrupt the class. So, when the noon bell rang, Bai Xia finally lifted her head, rubbing her eyes sleepily before letting out a yawn.

“My little maid finally woke up?”

Mo Bai leaned on his hand, watching Bai Xia with amusement. Her hair was a messy tangle, and her cheeks bore the imprint of her textbook, a picture of adorable disarray. “Wha-what time is it?” Bai Xia mumbled, looking around the nearly empty classroom. Her mind struggled to process, until Mo Bai held up his phone, showing her the time: 12:10.

“What do you mean, what time is it? You slept through the entire morning!”

Bai Xia stared at the phone, her red eyes widening in disbelief. Usually, even after school and work, she never slept this long, let alone in such a disheveled state.

“Why didn’t you wake me up, Mo? It was all important classes!”

“You were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to disturb you, and you slept through both the start and end of classes,” Mo Bai explained, chuckling as he tousled her hair. “Hey, don’t mess up my hair! We’re in school!”

“You’re my little maid, so what if I ruffle your hair a bit?”

Bai Xia blushed, trying to escape his playful touch, but accidentally knocked over a pen case. The sound of pens and pencils scattering across the floor echoed in the nearly empty classroom, startling her. “You… you’re teasing me again,” she muttered as a blush crept up her cheeks, her ears turning red.

****

“So, little maid, you mean we should find a quieter place?” Mo Bai teased, playfully pinching her reddening ears, drawing out the words as a soft blush spread from her ears to her cheeks.

“You… you’re always teasing me…”