Zhong Ruanxing heard him lie down on the attendant bed. She glanced over briefly; even standing, it wasn’t as tall as him. Lying down, he looked even more cramped.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could gradually make out his silhouette. Careful not to make a sound, she rolled over to face him. She saw he was lying on his back, one hand pillowed behind his head, one knee bent - a very relaxed posture.
After watching Song JinXing for a while, she heard him ask, "Can't sleep?"
"Mm," she murmured. Then she said, "That attendant bed is too small for you. Why don't you just come sleep in the bed?"
In the darkness, she could still make out the smile on his face. "Want me to sleep in the same bed as you again?"
She was a repeat offender.
Zhong Ruanxing thought to herself that things had changed now they were back in their own bodies. There was no call for sharing a bed anymore!
Quickly, she clarified, "I can take the attendant bed."
Song JinXing's voice was soft. "Letting the patient take the attendant bed while I sleep in the hospital bed - what do you take me for?"
Zhong Ruanxing didn't respond. He laughed lightly and rolled over to face her. "If you can't sleep, want to chat for a bit?"
"About what?" Zhong Ruanxing asked.
"Why you rushed me out today," Song JinXing said, his voice calm.
Zhong Ruanxing denied it on instinct. "I didn't rush you out."
Okay, she totally did.
But how was she supposed to explain? I rushed you out not because I dislike you, but because I like you. Oh why do I like you? I don't even know, liking someone is just irrational like that. What does it mean to like someone? It means always wanting to be with them, marrying them, having kids, growing old together. What? You'll agree to be with me because you think I'm suitable, and we can always swap partners in the future - marriage adds an extra layer of security.
She didn't want to hear a single word of that!
Oblivious, in just that brief moment Song JinXing had already finished an entire inner monologue.
Her urgency to set boundaries that morning had been far too obvious. How could he not notice?
Song JinXing was well aware that all he possessed - status, reputation, honor, wealth - the things others scrambled after, meant less to her than the meals on her family's table.
She was bright and dazzling; her emotions were as colorful as her inner world. While he was dreary and dull, clueless even in how to express love.
His emotional world was barren - how could it hope to gain her vibrant affection?
She had grown up surrounded by love, wanting for nothing. All he seemed able to offer her were the laughable resources at his disposal. But if she desired them, countless others would eagerly offer them up.
There was nothing special about him.
It was just heaven showing him pity, giving him this fantastical experience, finally allowing him to glimpse a ray of light in his monotonous, meaningless life.
But this light only illuminated him - it did not belong to him.
He had selfishly wanted to make this light his own, yet also feared that in the end he would be stripped even of the right to bask in its glow.
At this moment, Song JinXing was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Grandfather when he first returned to the country. Grandfather had handed control of the company entirely over to him, but left him with only this piece of advice: no matter what, never strike rashly; proceed slowly and steadily.
Slowly and steadily.
The same principle should apply to affairs of the heart.
Thinking of this calmed Song JinXing's restless heart.
Proceed slowly and steadily.
After a brief silence, Zhong Ruanxing heard him say, "Let's just pretend it didn't happen."
He even added an "okay?" at the end!
Zhong Ruanxing had a guilty conscience and didn't want to argue with him. She rolled back over and lay flat. "Go to sleep!"
"Mm," he murmured. "Good night."
Just like every night before, when he had bid her good night over the phone, his tone was calm and reassuring.
Back then, they had been separated by their phones. Now he lay right beside her. She hadn't expected their first time sleeping together to come after the swap back.
Zhong Ruanxing closed her eyes for a bit, but couldn't resist asking, "Song JinXing, are you cold?" She tucked the blanket Ren Jing had left on her bed more snugly around herself, and held it out to him. "Here, use this if you're cold."
As Song JinXing reached for it, his hand accidentally brushed her fingers.
Her fingers were warm, almost hot. Though he was intimately familiar with every inch of her body, just this fleeting contact still made his heart race.
Zhong Ruanxing immediately withdrew her hand, grumbling, "Your hands are like ice, but you don't even know to say you're cold?"
In the darkness, his lips quirked into a smile. "Mm, lucky I have you here caring about me."
This clueless piece of wood - did he have any idea what he was saying? Zhong Ruanxing felt so wronged.
This time she truly didn't want to respond. "Go to sleep!"
Neither managed to sleep well that night. Though wide awake, they didn't dare move or flip positions, fearing the other would realize they were still awake. Two people pretending to sleep in perfect synchronization.
When they awoke the next morning, the exhaustion was plain on each other's face.
Zhong Ruanxing: "......?"
Song JinXing: "......?"
At the same time, they both asked, "You didn't sleep well?"
"Psh, I slept great!"
"Me too, not bad."
"......"
"......"
Song JinXing folded up the attendant bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up, finally feeling a bit more awake. When he came out, he asked, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll go buy it."
Zhong Ruanxing listed off a bunch of items.
He couldn't let her have any of them.
Song JinXing said helplessly, "You need to eat light. I'll get you soy milk and soup dumplings."
Zhong Ruanxing said angrily, "Why even ask then?!"
Ten minutes later, the angry little star happily ate the steaming soup dumplings.
Fu Ling had already delivered the laptop over. Song JinXing sat beside Zhong Ruanxing, handling work while watching her eat. When he was in her body, he didn't notice, only that she had a great appetite. Now back in his own body, he realized how cute she looked while eating. Taking big mouthfuls, without affectation or ravenousness. Just watching her lifted his mood.
Sensing his gaze, Zhong Ruanxing said, "I'll start charging if you keep staring!"
Song JinXing asked in surprise, "You'd charge for this too?"
Zhong Ruanxing justified, "You're basically freeloading my mukbang stream right now! Even free streams rely on viewer tips."
Just then, she saw Song JinXing take a yogurt drink out of his pocket and hand it to her.
"What's this for?" Zhong Ruanxing asked.
"A tip," Song JinXing said. Then he asked, "Can I keep watching now?"
Zhong Ruanxing shoved the last two buns into her mouth, puffing her cheeks out like a hoarding hamster. "No watching for you!"
Song JinXing couldn't hold back his laughter.
On the conference call, Song Enterprise employees held their breaths, hearts pounding, reverence warring with gossip-hunger.
Ahhh what were they hearing?!!!
Was this really for their ears?!
Chatting affectionately with his girlfriend one moment, then ruthlessly criticizing their work mistakes with piercing insight the next - Boss Song, how are you not split down the middle?!!!