ALL NOVEL
Chapter 108
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, falling upon the person wrapped in a blanket on the bed, blinking her eyes groggily.
She stared at the chandelier on the ceiling for a moment, feeling disoriented and unfamiliar with the surroundings. It took her a while to remember that she had spent the night at Teacher Yu's place. Ji Nian yawned lazily, rolling over to enjoy a bit more sleep.
Suddenly, her body tensed. She... was in a bed?
Ji Nian sat up abruptly, looking around the room. The decor was simple yet gave a minimalist and clean impression.
Ji Nian lifted the blanket in bewilderment. Hadn't she fallen asleep on the sofa last night? Had she been sleepwalking?
Opening the bedroom door, she padded barefoot into the living room, finding the man wearing a gray sweater and casual pants, seemingly preparing food in the open kitchen.
Yu Luobai was carefully plating breakfast when he heard a sound and turned to see the woman with tousled hair falling over her shoulders, dressed in an adorable pink pajama set, looking at him with a confused expression.
"You're up?" Yu Luobai's eyes twinkled with amusement.
Ji Nian blinked mechanically and nodded, about to ask something when she saw him approach.
"Not wearing slippers again?" Yu Luobai frowned, spotting her shoes by the sofa. He walked over, picked them up, and helped her put them on.
Ji Nian was taken aback, feeling disoriented. Her voice came out raspy from just waking up, "Teacher Yu."
"Hmm?" Yu Luobai stood up, amusement in his eyes. He took her by the wrist and led her to the bathroom, chuckling, "There's a clean toothbrush. I've prepared it for you. Freshen up first, then we'll have breakfast."
Ji Nian watched as the man walked away, looking down at the toothbrush in her hand. She slowly began brushing her teeth, staring bewilderedly at her reflection in the mirror.
When she returned to the living room, a steaming hot breakfast was already laid out on the dining table.
Yu Luobai gestured for her to come over, saying, "It's been a while since I cooked. Come taste it and see if it's good."
Ji Nian approached and sat across from him, eyeing the abundant spread of porridge, milk, fried eggs, whole wheat bread, and ham.
"You made all this?" she asked in disbelief. He could cook?
Yu Luobai's lips curved into a smile, "Back when I was acting, one of my roles required me to play a chef, so I learned for a while."
Ji Nian nodded, taking a spoonful of the porridge in front of her. Surprise flashed in her eyes as she remarked, "It tastes quite good."
Yu Luobai's mood seemed pleasant today as he smiled, "Then have some more."
Ji Nian nodded and began eating slowly, remembering something and looking up at the man hesitantly, "Teacher Yu, wasn't I on the sofa last night?"
Yu Luobai's hand froze momentarily before he looked at her and answered, "Yes..."
"How did I end up... in your room?" Ji Nian asked, puzzled and a little embarrassed.
At that moment, Yu Luobai's eyes held a hint of innocence and dejection as he explained, "I'm not sure either. Last night, you wandered into my room in a daze and fell asleep right away. Our living arrangements are similar, so you might have been disoriented and forgot this was my place..."
Ji Nian nearly spat out the milk she was drinking, staring at him in shock. "I sleepwalked?!"
Yu Luobai suppressed his amusement and nodded seriously, "Likely you wanted to go back to your room in the middle of the night but forgot this was my place."
"Then what happened?" Ji Nian's eyes widened. She couldn't have shared the bed with Yu Luobai all night, could she?
"Then..." Yu Luobai pretended to frown, but inwardly found the situation hilarious.
Oh no, Ji Nian's heart sank. She had a habit of hugging things in her sleep. Had she cuddled him all night long?
Imagining the scenario, her face flushed red. The first time in her life sharing a bed with a man, and she had no recollection of it!
"You didn't... do anything to me, did you?" Ji Nian asked bewilderedly.
"No..." Yu Luobai's eyes gleamed with mirth, maintaining a serious demeanor, "Later, I gave you some space. I slept in the guest room last night."
Ji Nian breathed a sigh of relief, her expression apologetic, "Sorry, Teacher Yu. I really didn't know I would wander into your room at night."
Yu Luobai looked earnest as he spoke, "Ji Nian, you have to take responsibility for this."
Ji Nian dropped her spoon in shock, "Teacher Yu, did I really do something to you?"
Yu Luobai remained silent, giving her a look that implied she should figure it out herself.
Ji Nian's mind raced as she straightened her back defiantly, "Even if I did something, I'd be the one at a disadvantage!"
Yu Luobai burst into laughter, looking at her, "Ji Nian, men and women are equal nowadays."
Ji Nian's face reddened. She hadn't been drunk, so what could she have possibly done? At most, she might have wandered into his bed and clung to him, refusing to let go...
"I think I need to calm down..." Ji Nian said dazedly.
"Pfft." Yu Luobai chuckled and shook his head helplessly, "I'm just kidding. I carried you in last night."
Ji Nian stared at him in bewilderment. A plot twist?
"How could I let you sleep on the sofa?" Yu Luobai tapped her head, "After that, I went to the guest room."
"Yu Luobai!" Ji Nian's emotions had been on a rollercoaster this morning, toyed with endlessly.
Yu Luobai laughed, "Hurry and eat your breakfast. He Yi called earlier."
Ji Nian blinked, "When?"
"While you were still asleep. I answered for you," Yu Luobai raised his eyebrows, "She said for you to go to the set early, but then changed her mind and said it wasn't urgent."
Ji Nian's heart sank. Oh no, He Yi and Shen Shuyao must have jumped to conclusions.
"Your circuit breaker blew last night. I called the property management to fix it today," Yu Luobai smiled. "You should trust science. Don't come running up here again just because you got scared." Although inwardly, he hoped there would be a next time.
Ji Nian's face flushed with embarrassment. What a day - waking him up in the middle of the night was one thing, but she had also occupied his bed. Now their relationship was in an awkward state...
Yu Luobai gazed at the woman, his eyes softening with affection. He also found the situation amusing but knew he couldn't push her too hard. He would take it slow, gradually warming her up to the idea.
"Teacher Yu, I'm done eating. I'll head back first," Ji Nian said, feeling conflicted.
Looking back, she felt her behavior had been inappropriate. Knowing he liked her, she had stubbornly stayed at his place last night...
But she had genuinely been terrified when she saw that unfamiliar face in the mirror, even though she later realized it was her own reflection. Her first instinct had been to seek out Yu Luobai, perhaps because he lived nearby?