"How long do you plan on continuing to stare?"
Hearing his words, Qin Lian was startled. She nearly fell off the bed. She had been leaning on one arm while sneaking a glance at him, and his sudden words completely threw her off.
At this point, pretending to be asleep would only be more embarrassing.
Trying to play it cool, she straightened up, brushed her hair behind her ear, and replied with a nervous cough, "I... I wasn't staring at you. I just... got thirsty and woke up to get some water. Don't mind me. Go back to sleep."
Xu Yinchen raised a brow, opening his eyes to look at her.
Under the moonlight, she sat there in her pajamas, long black hair cascading around her shoulders. There was something quiet and unexpectedly gentle about her appearance.
He didn't say a word. Instead, he looked away and stood up.
Qin Lian blinked as he turned on the room's light and walked toward the door.
"Wait—where are you going at this hour?" she asked, unable to hide her confusion.
Xu Yinchen, dressed in cotton-checked pajama trousers and a faded gray sleeveless vest that revealed his strong, muscular arms, looked far more casual than his usual composed self.
His slightly tousled hair and laid-back appearance only made him more dangerously attractive.
"Didn't you say you were thirsty? I'm going downstairs to get some water. Do you need anything else?" He asked casually as he put on his shirt, leaving it unbuttoned and covering his bare arms.
She noticed it.
It was hot. He didn't need to wear it, but he still did to cover himself. Was it because she was in the room?
Qin Lian lowered her eyes to avoid looking at him. She hadn't expected him to get up immediately just to get her water.
What surprised her more was that he didn't tell her to get it herself or ignore her completely.
"Oh... no thanks. Water is enough," she said quickly, feeling a bit guilty about it.
After all, she wasn't even thirsty. It had just been an excuse.
Well, she can just drink some water and go to sleep.
...
When Xu Yinchen returned to the room, Qin Lian was still sitting on the bed, waiting for him.
He paused at the door, a little stunned to see her looking at him with those bright, smiling eyes as if she was waiting for him.
Her smiling gaze made him uncomfortable for some reason. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he walked over and handed her a glass of water.
Then, he placed the water jar on the bedside table next to her.
As she drank, he extended his hand, and there was a small white pill in his hand.
Qin Lian looked at him in confusion. "What's this?"
His gaze briefly shifted to the bandage on her head. He pursed his lips before speaking.
"You're hurt. It's a painkiller. It'll help reduce the pain and help you sleep better tonight."
She blinked, a little surprised.
Only now did she realize how stiff her body felt, and the dull ache in her head had worsened.
Unknowingly, she had been frowning, even massaging her temple now and then, but she hadn't paid much attention to it.
But he did.
From the moment she arrived, Xu Yinchen had noticed the way she winced occasionally or touched her head as if trying to ease the discomfort.
The bandage was carelessly wrapped and uneven, clearly hadn't been done by a professional doctor. From the looks of it, she hadn't even been properly treated yet.
Moved by his quiet attentiveness, Qin Lian took the pill without a word and swallowed it with water.
As she finished and moved to place the glass back on the bedside table, Xu Yinchen, still standing in front of her, reached out before she could.
He gently took the glass from her hand, placed it on the table, and carefully covered it with an old coaster.
Watching this meticulous and quietly organized man, Qin Lian couldn't help but smile in admiration.
"You should go to bed now," he said, gently urging her to rest.
"Oh, yes. I'm sleeping. You should sleep too. Good night," she replied with a warm smile.
Hearing her words, Xu Yinchen glanced at her. The moment his eyes landed on her smiling face, he froze for a second.
A fleeting smile tugged at his lips, one that vanished almost immediately as he gave a stiff nod and said, "Go to sleep."
Then, without another word, he quickly turned off the lights and went to lie down.
Qin Lian blinked, a little surprised by how fast he retreated to bed. But... had she just seen him smile?
Or was it just her imagination?
She couldn't help but wonder if her eyes were playing tricks on her.