As the night deepened, pale moonlight spilled quietly through the window, wrapping the room in a soft silver glow. The cool breeze of early summer drifted inside, carrying with it a refreshing calm.

“Should we head back?” Lu Shijing asked softly after noticing how cold her fingertips had become.

“Okay.”

Gu Nansheng glanced in Lin Manqing’s direction. From afar, she and Shen Yi still seemed lost in cheerful conversation.

“Let’s go inside first.”

Lu Shijing packed up their things, and the two of them headed back to Room 301.

Truthfully, Gu Nansheng’s heart felt like complete chaos.

This was the first time she would be sharing a room with Lu Shijing.

The memories of her embarrassing dream from the previous night resurfaced in her mind, instantly making her throat dry.

Thankfully, Lu Shijing seemed completely unaware of the storm raging inside her head.

The moment they entered the room, Gu Nansheng froze.

A giant round bed sat directly in the center.

She stood there silently for nearly half a minute.

“There’s only one bed,” Lu Shijing said quietly after noticing her stunned expression.

“Uh…” She forced herself to recover. “It’s… definitely big enough.”

The thought of sleeping beside him made heat spread rapidly across her face.

“I can sleep on the floor,” he offered.

“How could we let that happen?” Gu Nansheng replied immediately. “It’s too cold tonight.”

Besides, she reminded herself, she was older than him.

She had to act like the mature one.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she added,

“Ahem… we’ll just share the bed.”

“Then I’ll let you shower first.”

Before he could say anything else, Gu Nansheng hurried into the bathroom.

Leaning against the wall, she took several deep breaths.

Just imagining herself sleeping beside Lu Shijing made her pulse race uncontrollably.

What was wrong with her?

Get it together, Gu Nansheng.

She lightly patted her cheeks before turning on the shower, hoping the water would wash away her restless thoughts.

Outside, listening to the sound of running water, Lu Shijing quietly steadied his own nerves.

Shen Yi had sent a message asking whether they made it back safely.

As he unlocked his phone, he suddenly realized his palms were damp with sweat.

He was nervous too.

Sharing a room, and a bed, with the girl he liked felt like a serious test of his self-control.

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Gu Nansheng suddenly realized something horrifying.

Her pajamas were still inside her suitcase.

After hesitating for several minutes, she finally gathered the courage to call out.

“Lu Shijing?”

“I’m here.”

“Could you… bring my pajamas for me? I forgot to take them out. They’re inside my suitcase.”

“Alright.”

Walking over, Lu Shijing discovered the suitcase had a lock.

“What’s the password?”

Receiving no answer, he repeated a little louder,

“What’s the password, sister?”

Gu Nansheng sighed helplessly.

“051223.”

The moment he entered the code, the corners of Lu Shijing’s lips lifted slightly.

His birthday.

So she had used his birthday as the password.

Behind the bathroom door, Gu Nansheng heard his quiet laugh and immediately wanted to disappear from embarrassment.

After opening the suitcase, Lu Shijing grabbed the pajamas he found and knocked gently.

She cracked the door open just enough to reach out and take them.

But the moment she unfolded the fabric, she froze.

This was definitely not what she usually packed.

A sudden memory flashed through her mind.

Lin Manqing’s suspiciously mysterious smile.

Don’t tell me…

Did she switch my pajamas?

Gu Nansheng nearly cried.

“Are there really no other pajamas in there?” she called out hopefully.

Lu Shijing checked again.

“Nope.”

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Left with no choice, Gu Nansheng reluctantly changed.

She could hardly walk out wrapped in a towel forever.

“Lu Shijing?”

“Hm?”

“Close your eyes. I’m coming out… and don’t ask questions.”

“Alright.”

Obediently, Lu Shijing turned around and shut his eyes.

“They’re closed.”

The bathroom door opened quietly.

Gu Nansheng dashed across the room at lightning speed and buried herself beneath the blanket like a tightly wrapped burrito.

“Okay,” she mumbled. “You can shower now.”

“Alright.”

After Lu Shijing entered the bathroom, the room fell silent again.

Lying beneath the blanket, Gu Nansheng stared at the ceiling while the sound of running water echoed through the room.

Unfortunately, her imagination immediately began causing trouble again.

She buried her face deeper into the blanket.

Hopeless.

She was absolutely hopeless.

When the shower finally stopped, Lu Shijing changed into his pajamas and softly asked,

“Sister, can I come out now?”

“Mm… yeah.”

Gu Nansheng rolled over toward the wall, leaving half the bed open.

The mattress dipped slightly as he lay down beside her.

“I’m turning off the lights.”

“Okay.”

Darkness instantly filled the room.

The silence felt strangely overwhelming.

The only sounds left were their breathing and the occasional rustle of blankets.

Neither of them moved too close.

Neither seemed able to fall asleep.

Gu Nansheng silently tried counting sheep.

One sheep.

Two sheep.

Three sheep.

Eventually…

Five thousand five hundred and sixty-eight sheep.

Forget it.

This wasn’t working.

“Lu Shijing?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you still awake?”

She had assumed he had fallen asleep long ago.

After a pause, he sighed quietly.

“How am I supposed to sleep?”

She was right beside him.

Every breath she took seemed impossibly loud in the stillness of the night.

Every small movement made his heartbeat spiral further out of control.

Gu Nansheng suddenly relaxed.

So he was nervous too.

The realization somehow made everything feel easier.

Why was she acting so hesitant?

She liked him.

She had liked him from the very beginning.

“Lu Shijing…” she whispered softly.

“Hm?”

“I’m cold.”

He paused.

“Should I turn on the air conditioner?”

“…”

Top student brain.

Completely hopeless.

Giving up on subtlety, Gu Nansheng moved closer and wrapped herself around him.

“This way is warmer.”

“Sister…” Lu Shijing stiffened immediately.

“What?” she muttered stubbornly. “Can’t I hug the person I like?”

The honesty of her own words surprised even her.

Moonlight streamed softly through the window.

In the quiet of the night, the distance between them slowly disappeared.

Lu Shijing looked at her for a long moment.

His gaze was warm, gentle, and impossibly soft.

“You really like me that much?” he asked quietly.

Gu Nansheng met his eyes.

“What do you think?”

The air between them turned quiet.

Tender.

Unspoken emotions drifted silently in the darkness.

She leaned forward first, resting lightly against him.

The warmth of his embrace settled around her naturally.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

Outside, the night breeze stirred softly through the flowers beyond the window.

Inside, time seemed to slow.

Eventually, Lu Shijing lowered his head slightly and whispered against her hair,

“Sister… stay close.”

That night, wrapped in moonlight and quiet warmth, the two of them stayed together until sleep finally found them.

For Gu Nansheng, the dream she had imagined countless times turned into something even better, not dramatic or overwhelming, but warm, comforting, and real.

And somewhere between laughter, nervousness, and quiet heartbeats, they both realized that being together felt far more precious than either of them had expected.