Though Qin Yu was still savoring the way Lin Ziyao had performed her song, it was already late. After a full day of filming the show, exhaustion swept over Lin Ziyao. Her eyelids kept drooping, and she swayed on her feet.

With a thump, she collapsed onto the soft bed, interrupting Qin Yu, who was still immersed in the performance, and startling her.

But when Qin Yu leaned closer, she heard Lin Ziyao breathing softly and evenly through her nose, her lips moving as she murmured something in her sleep. Seeing her like this, Qin Yu went from tense to nearly laughing out loud. She tucked the covers around her, then even folded them in to keep her from kicking them off like a child.

Once she’d finished, Qin Yu returned to her own bed, turned off the light, and settled down to sleep. Looking at Lin Ziyao’s sleeping face, she whispered, “Good night!”

Then she closed her eyes and let herself drift off.

【Friendly reminder: There are thirty minutes left before the mission fails. Host, please get into the guest’s bed as soon as possible to start the mission timer!】

Lin Ziyao had barely closed her eyes and fallen asleep when the system’s notification appeared in her mind, jolting her wide awake.

“Are you seriously not going to let me sleep, System?” Lin Ziyao rubbed her eyes and grumbled as she woke up. She made sure to keep her voice low so she wouldn’t wake Qin Yu.

【The system is only reminding the host that the mission is about to fail.】

“Fine. You won’t even let me sleep. Even a 996 work schedule isn’t this brutal!” She grumbled, but her body was already moving. Quietly, she lifted the covers Qin Yu had tucked around her and made her way to Qin Yu’s bed.

Asleep, Qin Yu’s delicate, lovely face was flawless, as if every feature had been made that way. She seemed less cool and distant in her sleep, and softer—someone you couldn’t help wanting to get closer to.

Qin Yu was wearing pajamas, and they were fairly casual. From Lin Ziyao’s angle, she could see that the two buttons nearest Qin Yu’s neck had come undone. If she leaned forward just a little more, she’d get a glimpse of forbidden knowledge.

Lin Ziyao couldn’t help swallowing. The milky scent around Qin Yu lingered at the tip of her nose. Remembering the system’s mission, she gritted her teeth and reached for the covers draped over Qin Yu, hoping to slip underneath.

But just then, she met a pair of deep-set eyes. They were fixed on her hand, amusement glinting in them, and she froze mid-movement.

“What are you doing?” Qin Yu’s voice was soft with sleepiness, but it left Lin Ziyao’s outstretched hand caught between advancing and retreating.

Lin Ziyao racked her brain for an excuse. “I got up to check whether you were tucked in properly.”

Then she pretended to be serious and gave the covers a couple of gentle pats.

Qin Yu was usually a light sleeper. The slightest movement or sound nearby could wake her. She’d already woken up when Lin Ziyao got out of bed, but Qin Yu wanted to see what she was up to.

“Can you see now that I’m tucked in?” Qin Yu’s smile held a hint of amusement, as if she could see right through Lin Ziyao’s little scheme.

Lin Ziyao felt a chill run down her back under Qin Yu’s gaze. She could only rack her brain for a way to complete the system’s mission. Otherwise, she’d be woken up in the middle of the night and still fail the mission—a lose-lose.

In the end, her face burning, she closed her eyes and confessed, feeling more than a little embarrassed. “Qin Yu, I’m afraid of the dark!”

Pfft!

“Hahaha!” Qin Yu had been staring at her, but after hearing what she said, she couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing in bed.

Unable to take it anymore, Lin Ziyao spoke up, her cheeks flushed with either embarrassment or annoyance. “All right, stop laughing!”

“Hahaha, sorry… I didn’t… mean to!” Qin Yu had sat upright by then. It was hard to laugh while lying on her side. “I didn’t think someone your age would still be afraid of the dark!”

Wiping away the tears of laughter at the corners of her eyes, Qin Yu asked, “Do you want me to turn on the light while we sleep?”

Just thinking up that excuse had been embarrassing enough. If she really let Qin Yu turn on the light, how could she make her next move?

So Lin Ziyao revealed what she really wanted. “Qin Yu, can I sleep with you?”

She braced herself for Qin Yu to turn her down. If that happened, she’d just have to think of something else.

But Qin Yu only thought about it for a moment before agreeing. “Sure!”

As soon as she said it, Qin Yu shifted to one side, making room for her. Lin Ziyao slipped under Qin Yu’s covers. They still held Qin Yu’s warmth, and the milky scent enveloped her.

Luckily, they were both fairly slender, so there was still enough room to shift around in the bed.

【The system is starting the timer.】

Once the system started the timer, Lin Ziyao finally relaxed. In the faint light from the window, she could still see Qin Yu’s flawless profile, half-lit as she looked back at her.

Their faces were close together. Lin Ziyao could almost feel Qin Yu’s breath, and their bodies were nearly touching. An unfamiliar unease stirred in her, and she tried to shift farther away.

“Ah!”

Without realizing it, she’d shifted all the way to the edge of the bed. The space suddenly fell away behind her, but luckily Qin Yu caught her in time.

After that, they lay facing the same way. Afraid Lin Ziyao might make another dangerous move, Qin Yu rested her chin on Lin Ziyao’s shoulder and looped an arm around her waist, holding her in place so she wouldn’t move around.

“Stop moving around,” Qin Yu mumbled, making Lin Ziyao’s ear tingle.

The feeling of Qin Yu behind her made Lin Ziyao instinctively blush. She tried to wriggle free from Qin Yu’s arms and whispered, “Y-you’re too close!”

But Qin Yu didn’t answer. Lin Ziyao’s scent made her feel safer than she ever had before, and she soon drifted off. Lin Ziyao’s movements in her arms didn’t disturb her sleep at all; it was like she was hugging a toy.

With no luck trying to get free, Lin Ziyao could only resign herself to sleeping in Qin Yu’s arms.

【Mission complete. Reward obtained: one musical accompaniment.】

The system’s notification woke Lin Ziyao again. She sat up, frozen for a second, then quickly recalled how she’d fallen asleep: in Qin Yu’s arms.

She turned to look at Qin Yu, who was still fast asleep, and stayed completely still so she wouldn’t wake her.

With nothing else to do, Lin Ziyao focused her attention on the system. Since there was no option to choose her own reward, the system had assigned one automatically this time.

She’d been curious to hear what kind of accompaniment it was. But as soon as she tapped it and listened, the thrilling, familiar melody snapped her barely-awake mind fully alert. Her body even wanted to sway along with it.