#18

…Damn it, my life. What even is living? A random philosophical question popped up, but I quickly resumed sniffing after Wei Chen’s sharp warning.

The nose training didn’t stop there.

Late at night, I was rubbing my worn-out nose, reaching to switch off the mood light by my bed when—bam—the door burst open without a knock, and in came Wei Chen.

Clad in loungewear and carrying his pillow, he strode over. Alarmed, I scooted up against the headboard.

“Why… are you bringing a pillow?”

“Guess.”

Without another word, he shamelessly climbed onto my bed. He’s insane. I shoved his shoulder, horrified.

“You’re saying we should sleep together?!”

“Most effective way to get you used to my scent, even in your subconscious.”

“There’s such a thing as boundaries!”

“That applies when it’s human to human. Think of it as a crow and a human.”

He really didn’t care that we were sharing a bed. He sprawled out like it was his own. Okay, technically, it was his bed.

I stared at him in stunned silence, and then he yanked me into his arms. I toppled over, trapped against him.

His body, warmer than mine, wrapped around me securely. His scent, which I’d been smelling way too often lately, enveloped my whole face.

Embarrassment surged so strong, my drowsiness vanished. We’d had some physical contact during training, but being held like this in the same bed was something else entirely. No way I could sleep like this.

“Relax.”

His lazy voice rumbled over my head. I pushed against his chest and looked up, locking eyes with him.

“I can’t sleep like this.”

I admitted honestly.

“You gotta pee?”

“That’s not it!”

I’d never even kissed a guy—not even a cheek peck—besides Wei Chen’s dumb forehead kiss. I wasn’t immune to physical contact; my heart raced so much, I literally couldn’t sleep. Had nothing to do with liking him or not.

“Want me to turn off the lights?”

Even though he obviously knew what was bothering me, he kept pushing my buttons.

“This is my first time lying down like this with a guy. I’m uncomfortable—I can’t sleep like this!”

“Then you’ll get used to it.”

His hot hand slowly slid up my back.

“Ugh! Don’t touch me like that—it’s creepy!”

I shuddered, and Wei Chen chuckled low.

“You really hate it.”

“Why don’t you just leave your cologne in my room like a diffuser or something?”

“I’m not the only one with that scent. What if you sniffed out the wrong guy and begged him for blood?”

I wanted to deck him—but he wasn’t wrong. I bit my lower lip before sighing.

“…At least get me another bed.”

“There’s a reason we need to sleep close.”

He whispered in my ear. His voice was lower than usual, with a strange resonance that tickled inside my eardrum. I shivered and rubbed my ear. He chuckled again.

“Anyway, I can’t sleep facing you like this.”

I pulled my pillow over and turned my back to him. His arm slithered over my waist like a snake.

“Still not healed, huh.”

His fingers subtly brushed the back of my neck, grazing the recent bite. A sharp tingle shot through.

“Ah!”

“Nice sound.”

“…It hurts.”

“What about this?”

He pressed harder on the same spot.

“Ugh! Of course that hurts!”

I shielded my neck and turned my head. Even in the dark, his sharp features stood out.

“People must tell you you’re the worst.”

“Do I look like someone who only gets nice comments?”

“Seriously, don’t touch me anymore.”

“Got it. Let’s reapply the medicine in the morning.”

“Fine.”

I turned back toward the wall. His strong body still pressed against me, but at least I wasn’t facing him—it was a bit more bearable.

Sigh… guess I’m not sleeping tonight. I stared at the wall, soaking in the darkness. But at some point, my eyes grew heavy. In the still silence, our breathing synced. I’d never fallen asleep in someone’s arms before, not even as a kid.

In truth, this discomfort wasn’t about Wei Chen’s gender. It was about the unfamiliarity of the experience. Sharing warmth and steady breaths through the night was, surprisingly, more comforting than I’d ever imagined.

* * *

“Kugh, kuh, keh, kgh!”

I snapped awake as a foreign sensation scraped my throat. The moment whatever was in my mouth slid out, a fit of coughing followed. Half-asleep, I roughly wiped at my mouth.

“Good morning.”

Wei Chen greeted me as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief. It was only then I realized his finger had been the thing in my mouth just seconds ago. The man who’d fallen asleep beside me last night in loungewear was now nowhere to be found, replaced by his usual crisp, put-together self.

Meanwhile, I was the only one left disheveled, rudely awakened by something jammed down my throat.

“Why would you stick your hand in someone’s mouth while they’re sleeping?”

My voice cracked, dry and raspy with irritation. Wei Chen calmly picked up the cup from the side table and handed it to me.

“There was a fly in there. Figured you wouldn’t even notice if it flew in and out.”

“…Seriously?”

“Not really. Get up, breakfast.”

He teased me effortlessly, brushing it off like water off a duck’s back. I felt a sudden surge of frustration.

What the hell kind of brain does this guy have, waking people up by shoving his hand in their mouth just for kicks?

Suddenly, I thought of Xian—the time I’d seen him yelling and snapping at Wei Chen without hesitation. Now I finally understood. There’s nothing more pathetic than feeling relief at someone else’s misfortune, but right now, I was truly grateful I wasn’t one of Wei Chen’s colleagues.

* * *

The car came to a stop.

It was one stop away from our school. Every time Wei Chen’s luxury sedan—different every day—pulled up near the front gate, the school community buzzed with gossip. It wasn’t long before my student ID and name, which had quietly gone unnoticed at school, started popping up in other people’s conversations.

That kind of attention was unbearable.

In the end, I’d practically begged Wei Chen in tears to stop. “Please, just don’t drop me off near school. Let me off somewhere a bit farther.” That’s how we agreed on this spot for pickups and drop-offs. But even here, the street was frequently used by students, so avoiding attention was nearly impossible.

Just yesterday, someone from my year—barely more than an acquaintance—came up to me and asked,

“You get off a stop early so no one finds out you’ve got a boyfriend, right?”

In that moment, I didn’t know whether to laugh or deny it. I had no idea how such a rumor had started, but it seemed no matter what I did, people were going to jump to conclusions.

“Call me as soon as you’re done.”

“Okay.”

I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for my bag in the back seat when Wei Chen suddenly grabbed my arm. My body was pulled toward him, and his now-familiar scent hit my nose. He pulled me into a tight hug, then released me and handed me my bag himself from the back seat.

“See you later.”

…Geez.

It wasn’t even the first time he’d hugged me, but I was so startled I couldn’t react. I just nodded hurriedly, opened the door, and stepped out.

A cool breeze brushed past my cheek. It wasn’t even that cold, but my face felt especially flushed, making the wind feel sharper than it was.

“…He could at least give a warning first.”

I adjusted my perfectly fine bag for no reason and started walking. After a while, I glanced back—Wei Chen’s car was still parked there. Ever since I started dealing with him, I’d never once seen his car leave before I did.