"Wahaha, I get to sleep with Hayashi!"
Shenxiang Village, Shrine, Night.
In what was originally Yan Huan's bedroom, Kuixiang in her pajamas was bouncing around on the tatami, kicking the scattered bedding.
Beside her, Hayashi's face turned slightly red, awkwardly tugging at her sleeve,
"Don't make it sound so weird..."
Yan Huan, without pajamas, just changed into a white T-shirt and shorts, resting his chin, still trying to argue,
"Is it really okay for you two to sleep together? How about I sleep with Hayashi, Kuixiang you sleep with sis?"
"No no no, I want to sleep with Hayashi! Besides, Hayashi's mom and dad aren't in the village, so mom often invites Hayashi over for the night."
"..."
Listening to Kuixiang's words, Yan Huan couldn't help but pause.
Because he suddenly remembered, in his childhood An Le often invited him to her house for sleepovers too.
At that time, when she couldn't sleep, he would tell little stories to lull her to sleep.
But it seems that tonight he's destined for trouble.
Oh well, since he's chosen to take the road less traveled, what is there to fear...
"Alright then, you two rest well, I'll head back to my room."
Yan Huan crossed his arms, watching them both dive into the bedding, and planned to get up and leave.
"Good night, big brother..."
"...just calling me brother is fine."
Always feels like calling me "big brother" gives me a bit of PTSD.
Yan Huan gave a slight smile, glanced back at the two little ones lying in the bedding, and gently pulled the room's light switch.
As he pushed the door open, the night at the shrine was silent, a few peach blossoms in the courtyard rustled faintly in the night breeze.
Drawn by the subtle scent of peach blossoms, Yan Huan's gaze was pulled toward a room lit nearby.
It was An Le's room.
Placing his hand on the doorknob, Yan Huan swallowed nervously, hesitated for several seconds before pulling the handle down.
"Click~"
The light inside was warm and gentle.
The room was empty, with nothing else but two neatly arranged sets of bedding on the tatami, and a tidy bed.
An Le lay in bed, only half her face showing as two hands clung to the edge of the bedding.
She blinked her watery eyes, and set aside neatly were several pieces of clothing that originally should have been on her.
Making it tempting to imagine what she was actually wearing beneath the bedding at the moment.
"Xiao...Xiao Huan..."
Seeing Yan Huan push the door open, the lump in the bedding wriggled slightly; she had turned to look at him.
Seeing this, Yan Huan immediately put on a mask of composure, and walked into the room calmly, smiling as he asked,
"Sleeping so soon, is it because there's no mobile phone to play with?"
"N-no..."
Their phones dropped somewhere unknown, and Yan Huan had looked around the village perimeter this morning, but couldn't find them.
"Shall I turn off the lights?"
"Eh? Okay..."
"Click~"
Perhaps because An Le was staring directly at him, Yan Huan felt a bit unnatural, hence proposed turning off the lights to escape her gaze.
He's genuinely worried now, hoping not to get caught up.
What if he lifts the bedding and she's lying there stark naked, then suddenly a pleasure infusion...
Yan Huan would only be able to clap his hands and start reciting the Bible,
"You're right, this is An Le, with tentacles, modified forms, pleasure manipulation, and a superconductor loser..."
Is it self-entrapment or the pursuit of riches amidst danger?
Yan Huan doesn't know, but can only courageously make his way to the bedding.
In the dark, he gently held the edge of the bedding.
He lifted a corner, revealing her witch costume's white underlayer.
He had forgotten; at least he could still borrow the villagers' old clothes to wear.
And An Le had nothing in her size, so now she could only sleep in the white underlayer of the witch costume with the red skirt removed.
Yan Huan breathed a sigh of relief, slowly lying down in the chilly bedding.
An Le's body temperature seemed low, or maybe she hadn't been lying inside for long; there was no warmth at all in the bedding, even as Yan Huan joined her he felt the night's cold.
"Whew..."
Yan Huan exhaled deeply, completely settling into the icy bedding, although his mind didn't ease up.
"Rustle...rustle..."
The next second, in the darkness, Yan Huan heard the bedding rustle from An Le's direction.
She had turned to face him.
Even in the dark, Yan Huan felt her fervent gaze piercing directly at him.
Crisis...
Yan Huan didn't take off his composure mask, as his heart raced, deciding to proactively open a conversation topic.
This has two benefits: one is gathering information, two is diverting An Le's attention to prevent her from suddenly springing the matter ahead.
"An..."
Unexpectedly, as he just started speaking, An Le asked,
"Xiao Huan...can I ask you something?"
Here we go!
Yan Huan's nerves tensed up, yet he turned his head slightly to look in her direction, his expression unchanged.
Having been in the darkness for a while, borrowing the moonlight leaking in from outside, Yan Huan vaguely saw the outline of her face.
She lay on her side, slightly edging towards Yan Huan, pressing her ample waves against the little remaining space between them...
"Mm-hmm, of course..."
Yan Huan kept a close eye on her movements, wary of any possible abrupt changes,
"Xiao Huan, you..."
An Le pursed her lips, asking bashfully,
"Could you tell me a little story...like the ones you used to when you lulled me to sleep as a child..."
"..."
Originally bracing himself, Yan Huan was taken aback upon hearing An Le's words.