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Meanwhile, Shen Xi had just arrived outside Observation Room 201 with a pillow. When she pushed the door open and entered, she realised Guan Lei was already inside.

Guan Lei heard the sound of the door opening and put aside the book he was reading.

Although he still held some resentment towards Shen Xi, it lessened greatly upon seeing her.

!!

Shen Xi put her things on the free bed and asked, “It’s already so late. Are you still studying?”

“Of course I am. How else would I get good grades or the chance to date you?” Guan Lei replied somewhat unhappily.

Shen Xi never imagined Guan Lei would consider pulling up his grades so that he could date her. Perhaps it was a good thing. At least he was channelling his energy toward a noble goal.

“Then you’ll have to work hard. Only first place is worth my time. An average grade isn’t enough.” Shen Xi flopped onto her bed, relaxing comfortably on the plush mattress.

Glancing at Shen Xi through the corner of his eyes, Guan Lei ground out, “Just you wait and see.”

Shen Xi bobbed her head noncommittally while she hugged her pillow.

...

Guan Lei had spent too much on their accommodations. He had two king-size beds moved into the observation room for their short stint. It was too extravagant, in her opinion.

Guan Lei got up and snapped his fingers, closing the observation room’s door behind him.

As soon as the door shut, a few burly men stepped out of the shadows and stood guard outside. Anyone who saw them would feel that they cut quite the imposing image.

“I’ll sleep in my bed tonight. Is that alright with you?” Shen Xi asked.

“I guess so,” Guan Lei answered uncertainly.

He was unsure if being in the same room with Shen Xi chased away his nightmares or whether it was something else entirely. Back then, it had happened when he fell asleep in the library with Shen Xi.

“Okay. I’m going to bed.” Shen Xi dove under the covers of her blanket. “Turn off the lights when you’re done.”

“Aren’t you afraid I would take advantage of you? I am a man, after all; a man sleeping in the same room as a woman.” Guan Lei shook his head in disbelief. Wasn’t Shen Xi a little too relaxed in this situation?

Shen Xi eyed Guan Lei suspiciously. “Anything else? If not, I’m going to sleep. Besides, would you do something to me?”

“Of course not! Who do you take me for?” Guan Lei retorted. Yet, as he did so, he could not help but recall the kiss he had stolen from Shen Xi that night in the library. The memory caused him to flush.

In his panic, Guan Lei switched off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

...

In the pitch-dark room, Shen Xi’s voice seemed to echo faintly. “Is that right?” She paused before continuing, “I trust you. You’re not that sort of person.”

It was the truth. Although she had not known Guan Lei long, Shen Xi felt he was someone worth trusting.

Hearing her say that she trusted him, Guan Lei fidgeted uncomfortably, not knowing whether to be happy or sad. He was happy that Shen Xi had such faith in his character but bitter that she did not seem to treat him as if he were a man. It was a mix of conflicting emotions.

Guan Lei lay quietly on his bed and hid beneath his blanket, stewing over his thoughts. Not long after, he heard the slow, rhythmic sounds of sleep coming from the bed next to his.

Guan Lei massaged his forehead and lamented how Shen Xi had not been lying. She truly felt at ease sleeping in the same room as him. A while later, he joined her, lulled by the even constant that was her breath.

Sometime later that night, in the observation room filled with the scent of lavender, the sound of heavy breathing grew louder and louder, slowly growing more chaotic and hurried as time passed.

Covered in sweat, Guan Lei tossed and turned, looking like he was in pain. At times he frowned and would grit his teeth, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. All at once, his eyes shot open, and he screamed, waking Shen Xi, who slept in the bed next to his.

Shen Xi quickly fumbled for the lights, switching them on as she asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Was it a nightmare?”

She grabbed some tissue paper from the side table and wiped off the sweat beading Guan Lei’s forehead.

She had never seen Guan Lei look so vulnerable before. Even his eyes were unfocused, open but unseeing, almost as if still trapped in the nightmare that plagued his sleep.

Shen Xi felt rather uncomfortable seeing Guan Lei reduced to this state. She did not know what was wrong with him. Why did he suffer nightmares every time he tried to sleep? As she held him, pity swelled in her heart.

...