Chapter 530: Jiang Yixia: "Don’t Go," Sleeping in the Same Bed with Lu Fan

He didn’t use a blanket. He just lay on top of the covers, turned on his side, facing Jiang Yixia. Lu Fan kept his distance, ensuring he didn’t touch her, but they were still close enough to hear each other breathing.

Jiang Yixia’s breaths carried the scent of red wine—sweet yet tart. Lu Fan looked at her face for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

The next morning, sunlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains and pooled on the bed.

Jiang Yixia groggily opened her eyes. Her head ached slightly, and her mouth felt dry. She rolled over, and her hand brushed against something warm. Stunned for a moment, she slowly turned her head.

Lu Fan was lying beside her on his side, facing her. His eyes were closed, his breathing even. He was an arm’s length away, with the blanket only covering half of her body while the other half draped over the edge of the bed.

With a loud BUZZ in her head, Jiang Yixia’s mind went completely blank. She shot up into a sitting position, letting the blanket slip down, and quickly looked down at herself. Her sweater was still on, and so were her pants. Everything was perfectly intact. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to look at Lu Fan.

“Lu Fan!” she cried out.

He furrowed his brows and slowly opened his eyes. He saw Jiang Yixia sitting beside him, her face flushed and her eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

“Why are you in my bed?” she demanded, her voice trembling.

Lu Fan sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked at her, then down at himself, and chuckled. “You grabbed the hem of my shirt last night and wouldn’t let me leave. Did you forget?”

Jiang Yixia froze. She racked her brain to recall last night’s events. She only remembered drinking at the banquet hall and getting into the car. After that… her memory was completely blank.

“Nonsense,” she said, her face burning. “How could I possibly…”

“If you don’t believe me, look at the hem of your own shirt,” Lu Fan said with an amused smile.

She looked down. The hem of her shirt was distinctly wrinkled from being tightly gripped. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Lu Fan looked at her and laughed. “You weren’t like this last night.”

“How was I last night?” she asked anxiously.

“You were tugging on my shirt, saying, ‘Don’t go.'” Lu Fan mimicked her soft, whiny tone. “You also said…”

“Said what?” Jiang Yixia’s voice pitched up.

He deliberately paused for dramatic effect before smiling. “You said the cake I made was delicious.”

Jiang Yixia breathed a sigh of relief, though something still felt off. She stared at him, trying to read his expression, but he looked completely innocent, smiling as if nothing had happened.

“You’re lying to me,” she said, frowning.

“Why would I lie to you?” Lu Fan spread his hands. “If you don’t believe me, just drink less in the future. Next time you get drunk, record yourself and see what you say.”

Choked up by his retort, she was left speechless. She yanked the blanket over herself, wrapping it tightly until only her eyes peeked out to glare at him.

“Turn around. I need to change,” she mumbled.

Smiling, Lu Fan turned his back to her. Soft RUSTLE RUSTLE sounds of clothing shifting came from behind him. After a moment, Jiang Yixia said she was done, and only then did he turn back around.

Jiang Yixia had finished changing. She stood by the bed, her uncombed hair still a messy bird’s nest. She looked at him with a flushed face, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed the words back down.

“Did you… did you sleep right there the whole night?” she asked, her voice unnatural.

“Where else?” Lu Fan chuckled. “On the floor? I have a bad back, you know that.”

She glared at him, her face reddening further. “What does your bad back have to do with me?”

“That’s not what you said last time when you massaged it for me,” he teased.

“Lu Fan!” Jiang Yixia’s face turned completely crimson. “If you spout any more nonsense, I’m going to hit you.”

Laughing, he stood up and raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Does your head still hurt? I’ll go pour you a glass of water.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” she replied, shaking her head.

He went ahead and poured a glass of warm water anyway, bringing it over and handing it to her. Jiang Yixia took it, took two sips, and set the glass down.

“What time is it?” she asked.

He checked his phone and smiled. “Almost ten.”

Startled, Jiang Yixia immediately panicked. “It’s that late? The flower shop isn’t even open yet!”

“It’s the weekend. Just leave it closed and take a day off,” Lu Fan said cheerfully.

Jiang Yixia sat on the edge of the bed, her head bowed as her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her shirt, at a loss for words.

Standing in front of her, Lu Fan looked down and smiled. “Was the cake last night really that delicious?”

She looked up at him, gave a small nod, and finally murmured, “It was.”

He smiled, clearly delighted by her answer. “Then I’ll make it for you again next time.”

She shot him a glare but remained silent. Her lips twitched as if she was trying to hold back a smile. Turning her face away to avoid his gaze, she mumbled, “Aren’t you leaving?”

“I am, I am,” he replied with a laugh, turning to head out.

After taking two steps, he paused and looked back at her. “Yixia.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you really not remember anything about last night?”

Her face instantly burned red. She kept her head turned away. “I don’t.”

Lu Fan just smiled. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Jiang Yixia heard the living room door open and close, his footsteps fading down the hallway. She sat on the edge of the bed, head lowered as she stared at her hands. A vague, lingering sensation remained on her fingertips, though she couldn’t quite put into words what it was. She clenched her hands into fists, then slowly released them.

She recalled being in a drowsy haze last night. It felt as if someone had gently wiped her face with a comfortably warm towel. Someone had carefully draped a blanket over her, their movements incredibly light, as if afraid to wake her. And someone had lain beside her, keeping a respectful distance, their breathing quiet and steady.

Her face flushed red all over again.

Standing up, she walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight flooded in, bathing the entire room in a bright, cheerful glow. Out in the yard, the frangipani tree had bloomed a few new flowers, its white petals shimmering in the sun.

Jiang Yixia stood by the window, gazing at the tree for a long time. The memory of herself tugging on Lu Fan’s shirt and pleading, “Don’t go,” suddenly resurfaced, making her cheeks burn once more. She reached up to touch her face. It was hot. Dropping her hand, she turned and headed to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, she stood in front of the sink and stared at her reflection. Her face was flushed, her eyes slightly red, and her hair a tangled mess.

She turned on the faucet, cupped cold water in her hands, and splashed it onto her face again and again. The icy water cooled her burning cheeks, but it did nothing to soothe the turbulent mess in her heart.

Jiang Yixia lifted her head, staring blankly at her reflection for a long while. Finally, she picked up a towel, dried her face, and let out a soft sigh at the mirror.