Yun Shunnian’s bite was a little hard. Mu Qi’s body trembled slightly from the intense pain, yet he did not push Yun Shunnian away.
“Does it hurt?” After an unknown amount of time, Yun Shunnian finally looked up and gently traced the spot she had bitten Mu Qi.
Mu Qi didn't understand but gazed intently at Yun Shunnian. “It hurts.”
“If you have those messy dreams again, I’ll make you hurt more,” Yun Shunnian said, feigning a threat.
Mu Qi startled, then asked, “Niannian knows what I dreamed about?”
Yun Shunnian’s expression darkened. She said nothing and rolled over, her back to Mu Qi.
“Niannian, the dreams aren’t real, right?” Mu Qi’s eyes dimmed. He didn’t press further, turning to embrace Yun Shunnian from behind.
Yun Shunnian gritted her teeth. “Of course not.”
“It’s good that they aren’t real.”
Mu Qi sighed softly, his chin resting on the top of Yun Shunnian’s fluffy hair. His noble phoenix eyes held a flicker of fragile unease, and he could no longer bring himself to close them.
Time trickled by.
Mu Qi maintained his embrace of Yun Shunnian from behind.
Yun Shunnian’s breathing gradually deepened. Unconsciously, she turned and burrowed into Mu Qi’s arms, her entire head buried in the crook of his neck.
Yun Shunnian’s lips curved into a bashful smile as she inhaled Mu Qi’s crisp scent.
…
“Mu Qi, what time is it?”
“Almost six.”
In the early morning, Yun Shunnian woke up groggily and met Mu Qi’s gaze.
“Mhmm,” Yun Shunnian responded, then instinctively snuggled closer into Mu Qi’s embrace before quickly falling back asleep.
Mu Qi was not surprised. He indulgently stroked Yun Shunnian’s head.
*Knock, knock—*
A moment later, the master bedroom door was knocked upon. It was Zhang Sao.
“Mrs. Mu, Mr. Mu, breakfast is ready.”
“Mhmm.” Yun Shunnian, still half-asleep, instinctively replied. However, her voice, like a tiny kitten’s, was too soft for Zhang Sao to hear.
Mu Qi covered Yun Shunnian’s ears. “Zhang Sao, you can go down first.”
Zhang Sao immediately responded to the affirmation and quietly walked away.
“Niannian, time to eat.”
After Zhang Sao left, Mu Qi’s gentle voice whispered into Yun Shunnian’s ear.
At that moment, it was unclear whether the sound was meant to wake her or lull her back to sleep.
Yun Shunnian felt a tickle and scratched her ear. A moment later, she opened her eyes.
In those brief few minutes, Yun Shunnian had a dream.
She dreamed that Mu Qi was calling her, but when she followed the sound, she couldn’t find him anywhere.
Such an unsettling dream made Yun Shunnian tremble with unease.
“Mu Qi, didn’t you sleep well?” Yun Shunnian raised her hand and caressed the faint dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m alright. Let’s go wash up, Niannian.” Mu Qi realized his state and quickly stood up, turning his back to Yun Shunnian so she wouldn’t see him.
“Carry me,” Yun Shunnian said, hugging Mu Qi from behind.
Remembering Mu Qi’s injured wrist, she added, “With one hand.”
“Alright.”
…
“Mu Qi, why aren’t you sleeping?”
After washing up and finishing dinner, Yun Shunnian cupped Mu Qi’s face with both hands, her gaze filled with probing intensity.
“Mu Qi, why aren’t you sleeping?”
Mu Qi blinked, avoiding Yun Shunnian’s gaze.
There were few things that could instill fear in Mu Qi, and the uncontrollable nightmares he experienced every night were one of them.
If closing his eyes meant “losing Yun Shunnian,” Mu Qi would rather stay awake all night.
Mu Qi remained silent, and Yun Shunnian couldn’t help but speculate.
Was he afraid of revealing his true thoughts?
Did Mu Qi still have feelings for Ling Xue?
Thinking this, Yun Shunnian’s eyelashes drooped, and a fierce surge of resentment coursed through her.
If he was this worried, it would be better to completely sever Mu Qi’s lingering hopes.
Yun Shunnian didn’t press further. She stayed within Mu Qi’s line of sight for the entire day.
“Mu Qi, go to sleep now.”
That night, Yun Shunnian and Mu Qi lay down together. Seeing Mu Qi still awake, Yun Shunnian gently covered his eyes with her hands.
Mu Qi was silent for a moment before finally responding, “Mhmm.”
Mu Qi was obedient in front of Yun Shunnian.
Yun Shunnian continued to cover his eyes until she was sure he had fallen asleep. Then, she quietly slipped out of bed.
Five minutes later, Yun Shunnian, clad in black, entered the garage, chose an SUV, and sped down the winding mountain road.
Half an hour later, Yun Shunnian’s SUV stopped outside a high-end residential complex in the capital.
As Yun Shunnian had expected, there were many guards at the entrance.
“Hello, please show your travel code.”
Unsurprisingly, Yun Shunnian was stopped at the gate.
Yun Shunnian’s expression remained unchanged. “I forgot it.”
“Then please have someone from your family bring it for you.” The guard, seeing Yun Shunnian’s elegant and wealthy demeanor, spoke politely.
The mention of family immediately brought Mu Qi to Yun Shunnian’s mind.
“He’s not here.”
“Then please have the property management verify your information. Only after confirmation can we let you in.”
“Oh.” Yun Shunnian’s palm strike fell with her words.
The guard who had just spoken to Yun Shunnian instantly fell to the ground, his legs weak.
A few seconds later, the others reacted and walked towards Yun Shunnian together.
From their hiding spot, Shan Gong and others saw this and immediately moved to intervene. However, before they could reach them, they saw Yun Shunnian signal them to stand down.
Yun Shunnian's strength was immense. Faced with absolute power and speed, the men in front of her fell one after another before they could even resist.
…
A few minutes later, Yun Shunnian and Shan Gong’s group arrived downstairs from Ling Xue’s apartment.
From the outside, nothing seemed amiss. But once they took the elevator to Ling Xue’s floor, they saw more patrolling personnel.
The people on the entire floor stood rigidly, their patrols orderly. It was likely that Yun Shunnian and her group had been detected from downstairs.
“Hello, we are the security guards hired by Miss Ling.” Yun Shunnian’s gaze fell on the nearest few individuals, her face devoid of emotion.
A tall figure approached Yun Shunnian. “We haven’t received any notification. We need to confirm with Miss Ling first before we can let you in.”
“Oh.” Yun Shunnian raised her hand, her tone dismissive.
Shan Gong, following behind Yun Shunnian, saw her signal and immediately led the people behind him to engage the opponents.