Chapter 236 - 216: Nocturne 2

Chapter 236: Chapter 216: Nocturne 2

"Well... you’re a good judge of character."

Lin Fan gave her a thumbs-up, then quickly started scrubbing the shower gel on his body before the rain washed it all away.

"Hmph."

Ye Qingniao let out a small huff, then began to scrub herself down just like Lin Fan. They stood side-by-side on the rooftop, shrouded by the dark curtain of rain, as if sharing an open-air bathhouse.

And in this kind of environment, it seemed, people could talk about anything.

"Hey, Lin Fan... why won’t you accept me?"

Ye Qingniao asked as she rinsed herself off.

"Don’t you like me? But I..."

"I haven’t rejected you... We get along great, don’t we?"

Lin Fan grabbed two towels, handed one to Ye Qingniao, and used the other to scrub the suds off his body with the rainwater.

"Oh, you mean *that*..."

He looked at Ye Qingniao’s slender silhouette, seeming to pick up on her mood. When it dawned on him what she meant, he said casually,

"The timing isn’t right. My mind is a mess. Maybe another day..."

"Can I sleep with you then?"

Ye Qingniao asked, testing the waters.

"Sure, you’re welcome. It’s warmer with more people."

Lin Fan shrugged and stepped back through the fire door. He picked up a dry bath towel from the floor and started wiping himself down.

A moment later, Ye Qingniao finished her own shower. Carrying her clothes, she walked over, casually reached out, and snatched the towel from Lin Fan. She wrapped it around herself, bundling herself up into a white cocoon.

She gave Lin Fan a wave, then took the lead and started walking ahead.

"Let’s go..."

"You’re really going, huh..."

Lin Fan picked up both of their clothes from the ground. Watching her retreating back as she walked with her toes pointed out, flashlight in hand, he scratched his head and followed.

...

Lin Fan placed the flashlight inside the bedside lamp. The lampshade diffused its beam, casting a soft, yellow glow that enveloped the entire room.

"Just behave and go to sleep. Or you can wait for Cheng Qi to go tattling to your sister."

He said, pointing at Ye Qingniao.

"Also, if you get any more crumbs on this bed, I’m going to sleep in your room."

Meanwhile, Ye Qingniao, wearing an oversized hotel bathrobe, was sprawled ungracefully in the middle of the large bed. She was messily rubbing her damp, short hair while simultaneously shoving high-calorie snacks into her mouth and washing them down with a drink.

Watching her, Lin Fan opened a can of soda that had been left in the room and, GLUG GLUG GLUG, poured it into his mouth to soothe his dry throat.

"Oh, please. My sister can’t boss me around. And you can just shake the crumbs off; they won’t take it out of your deposit when we check out."

Ye Qingniao casually tossed the hair-drying towel at Lin Fan as she stuffed another large piece of chocolate into her mouth.

"I don’t know why, but I’m starving today..."

"You seem pretty comfortable in a hotel. Like you’re a regular,"

Lin Fan teased, then explained to her from a place of experience.

"You absorbed too many crystals and leveled up too fast. Your body needs to replenish its energy, which is why you feel this way."

"My parents died young. I used to travel a lot with my grandpa and my sister for their work, so I’ve probably spent more time in hotels than at home..."

In the blink of an eye, Ye Qingniao had polished off the snacks. She pulled over a box of tissues to wipe her mouth as she spoke.

Hearing that made Lin Fan feel a little awkward. He was about to offer a few words of comfort when he saw her give the cookie crumbs on the comforter a grand sweep, sending them flying onto the carpet. Then, like a nimble eel, she flipped over and dove under the soft covers.

A moment later, there was a rustling sound from under the blankets.

WHOOSH—

The white bathrobe was flung out, landing on the carpet in a heap like a fluffy cloud.

"Aren’t you going to sleep?"

Ye Qingniao peeked her head out, pulling the blanket up to the tip of her nose. Only one eye, sparkling in the dim yellow light, was visible as she looked curiously at Lin Fan, who was still standing by the sofa.

Her expression was natural, showing no hint of sadness.

"..."

"What’s wrong?"

She saw Lin Fan’s awkward expression, and the corners of her eyes curved up like a little fox. A mischievous grin spread across her face as her gaze drifted down to his bathrobe.

"Getting a little excited?" she asked.

"...I was just wondering if it’s damp under the covers."

Lin Fan blurted out an excuse, then turned to lock the window and door, double-checking both.

After all, the hotel window hadn’t been opened in a week or more, and it had been overcast for days on end. The air in the room was thick and damp.

"Oh, it’s fine. It’s pretty warm, actually. Come and try..."

She lifted a corner of the blanket and patted the sheet.

Lin Fan reached out, switched off the flashlight in the lamp, and set it on the nightstand.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness, leaving only the incessant sound of rain against the window and the soft sound of breathing.

He lifted a corner of the covers and slipped into bed.

She had been right. Though it was a little damp, it was definitely warm—probably warmer than any of the cars or sleeping bags she had slept in on their journey.

"Mmm... definitely not damp," Lin Fan sighed contentedly, his body sinking into the soft mattress.

"See?"

Ye Qingniao’s body pressed closer. Her stomach was full, like a hamster’s cheeks, and after all the sugary food she’d eaten, her entire body was radiating heat like a small furnace.

"Hey, Lin Fan, can I ask you a question?"

As she spoke, she threw an arm across Lin Fan’s chest and unapologetically draped a leg over his. She clung to him tightly, as if she had found the most comfortable body pillow in the world.

"Go ahead..."

Her warmth, surprisingly, put Lin Fan at ease. Listening to the muffled patter of raindrops against the window, he found his mind drifting back to some long-forgotten night.

"Your ability..."

"It’s not creating things out of thin air. Your sister asked me the same thing. It’s close, but not quite..."

"Then how can you conjure so many things? Swords, spears, axes, that... that thingamajig of yours with the rocket engine... Don’t think I didn’t notice. You have food and drinks, too..."