Chapter 279: Candid

As the documentary approached its end, the screen faded to a deep, blue-black.

"Sleepy?" Chen Mo asked in a low voice, a drowsy rasp in his tone.

Su Yuqing rubbed her eyes and nodded. "Mhm, a little."

"Then get some rest." Chen Mo stood up, naturally extending a hand to her.

Su Yuqing placed her hand in his palm and let him help her up.

This time, there wasn’t the slightest bit of shyness, only the comforting feeling of being taken care of.

"There’s still something missing before bed." Su Yuqing took a small step closer, tilted her face up, and looked at Chen Mo with a smile.

Chen Mo understood immediately. He lowered his head slightly, and a gentle goodnight kiss, as light as a feather’s touch, landed on her forehead.

It was pure and warm, carrying a sense of tenderness and promise.

"Sweet dreams," he said softly.

"Mhm, you too." Su Yuqing’s cheeks were slightly red, but her eyes were clear and bright. She kissed Chen Mo’s cheek in return.

They walked to their respective bedroom doors.

"Good night." Chen Mo stood at his door, his voice gentle.

"Good night." Su Yuqing stood at hers, looking back at him, her eyes brimming with a smile, full of complete trust and relaxation.

She opened her door, gave him a wave, and then went inside, gently closing the door behind her.

Chen Mo remained at his door, the smile on his lips lingering for a long time.

He touched his cheek, as if he could still feel the warmth and sweet scent of her lips.

The living room lights were off, with only the faint glow of the city filtering in from outside the window.

Chen Mo went back to his room and lay on his bed, thinking back on the evening—from the intense encounters, to their heart-to-heart talk, and finally to the natural sense of peace and understanding they had now reached.

Those once-blurry boundaries that had caused such unease were now clearly drawn, thanks to their honesty and understanding.

Instead of pushing them apart, this had given their budding romance a firmer, more comfortable ground to grow in.

He closed his eyes, the light and shadows of the deep sea seeming to drift through his mind.

Tonight, there were no regrets, only the tranquility that comes after finding relief, and a deeper anticipation for the future.

This intimacy, born from understanding, made him feel more secure and happy than any out-of-control passion ever could.

「The next day...」

The morning sun, with a clear and almost transparent quality, gently filled the living room through the sheer curtains.

Su Yuqing woke to the faint sound of birds chirping outside her window.

She opened her eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling. Everything that had happened yesterday flooded her mind: leaning on each other on the bus, the shyness in the taxi, the heart-pounding moments in the kitchen and on the sofa, and most importantly, the understanding and clarity that came after their heart-to-heart.

It was no longer the sweet yet unsettling ambiguity from before their talk last night. Instead, a sense of security, with clear and warm boundaries, enveloped her.

She didn’t linger in bed. She got up quietly, washed up, and changed into a set of fresh loungewear.

She pushed open her door. The living room was quiet.

Chen Mo’s door was still closed.

Su Yuqing headed to the kitchen, the corners of her mouth turning up in an unconscious smile.

She skillfully started preparing breakfast: she fried golden-brown eggs and Spam, toasted some bread, blanched a few lettuce leaves, and warmed two glasses of milk—

Chen Mo usually liked to make complex desserts for her, but she preferred simple, classic combinations for breakfast.

The kitchen soon filled with the simple aroma of food—the kind of comforting, homey scent that speaks of "home."

When Chen Mo pulled his door open, this was the scene that greeted him.

In the soft light, Su Yuqing’s slender figure stood focused in front of the stove. Dressed in soft loungewear, she lacked the polished look of someone who had deliberately dressed up, but she possessed more of the realistic, everyday beauty that he loved most.

A wave of warmth instantly filled Chen Mo’s chest.

He didn’t disturb her right away, just leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching quietly.

It wasn’t until Su Yuqing was carefully arranging the food on the plates that she felt a gaze on her back.

She turned around and saw that Chen Mo was already up, leaning against the doorway and watching her with a focused, gentle gaze.

That look no longer held the searing desire from the previous night; instead, it was filled with a comforting warmth and admiration.

"’Morning," Chen Mo spoke, his voice low and raspy from sleep, yet clear and gentle.

"’Morning." Su Yuqing broke into a smile as natural as a flower blooming in the dawn. Her face was faintly pink, her gaze clear and open. "Washed up? Breakfast is almost ready."

This open composure, the feeling of "no need to hide," was the sweetest fruit of last night’s conversation.

Chen Mo walked into the kitchen and naturally took the chopsticks from her hand. "Let me."

"Okay." Su Yuqing didn’t refuse. She handed him the plates and turned to get two glasses for the warm milk.

They moved around the small kitchen with a tacit understanding.

There were no deliberate attempts to get closer, no unnecessary testing of boundaries. Every accidental touch—the back of Chen Mo’s hand briefly brushing against hers as he took the plates, or the light contact of their fingertips when she handed him a glass—was like a tiny ripple spreading across a calm lake. These touches carried tenderness but no longer caused heart-stopping waves, leaving only a natural, flowing sense of intimacy between them.

The boundaries they had clearly defined last night now served as guardrails, allowing them to approach each other with a sense of security.

Sitting down at the small dining table, they began to enjoy the simple but delicious breakfast.

"Your sandwiches are getting better and better," Chen Mo said with a smile, looking at Su Yuqing with pure appreciation and contentment.

Su Yuqing’s eyes curved into crescents. "I’m glad you like it. The milk’s a bit hot, be careful."

She reminded him out of habit, her voice soft.

"Mhm." Chen Mo nodded, picked up his glass, and blew on it before taking a sip.

Their conversation flowed easily and naturally from breakfast to the weather outside, and then to some of the interesting parts in the *Comprehensive Guide for College Freshmen* that Su Yuqing hadn’t finished reading the night before.

"I was flipping through it before bed last night. Reading about all the fun things at university, I’m starting to look forward to college life."

The light reflected on Su Yuqing’s slightly flushed cheeks, making her look beautiful and pure.

"Before we make those plans, we first need to know what schools we can get into. It’ll be easier to plan once we know that," Chen Mo said with a laugh.

"That’s true," Su Yuqing said, her gaze falling on Chen Mo.

’She was so excited about attending the same university as Chen Mo, especially since he’d said he wanted to as well. But what if he did exceptionally well on his exams while she did terribly?’

’They would inevitably be separated. After all, she couldn’t let Chen Mo compromise and waste a good score just for her sake.’

’The hardship of more than a decade of diligent study couldn’t be betrayed like that.’

Just thinking about it made Su Yuqing’s heart sink a little.

’If a huge gap in their scores really forced them to separate, the blow would be devastating for her.’

’She had gradually gotten used to having Chen Mo in her life; she couldn’t even imagine how it would feel for him to be gone for a while.’

[P.S.: Regarding the protagonist’s transmigration setting, because it was written quite subtly in the previous Chapters, some readers are still a bit unclear on it. I’m considering finding an opportunity tomorrow to fully explain this part of the setting.]