Lin Zhexia secretly observed Chi Yao’s condition from inside the car.
His legs were long, making him look somewhat cramped even sitting in the car.
The black hoodie he wore was very loose, making his skin look even whiter. There were faint shadows under his eyes. Usually, his eyelids drooped slightly, revealing a hint of fatigue that others could barely notice. At the moment, he was looking down at his phone, replying to messages.
The return journey always seemed faster, and in about twenty minutes they arrived at their destination.
The hotel that had only appeared in her chat history with Chi Yao yesterday was now right in front of her.
While waiting in the hotel lobby for Chi Yao to check her in, she finally felt a sense of unreality.
“There’s a vacant room,” Chi Yao said, “Here’s the key card. I’ll take you up.”
Lin Zhexia took the key card and asked: “Which room are you in?”
Chi Yao pressed the elevator button: “802, diagonal from yours.”
Lin Zhexia silently repeated the digits “802” in her mind.
The two took the elevator up, and Chi Yao asked again: “Did you bring clothes?”
After asking, he glanced at her again: “Never mind, forget I asked.”
Lin Zhexia had bought the ticket on impulse, carrying only a small shoulder bag that held her phone and ID card.
This small bag clearly wouldn’t be able to contain clothes.
She asked: “Is there a mall nearby? I can go buy some myself.”
Chi Yao: “The malls are closed at this hour.”
“…”
“Then…”
Lin Zhexia hesitated with “then” for a long time, until the elevator reached the designated floor, she still hadn’t completed her sentence.
After exiting the elevator, Chi Yao stood at the elevator entrance, looking down at her with lowered eyes: “Then you’ll have to wear mine.”
…
Wear… whose???
Lin Zhexia’s tongue immediately began to tie itself in knots: “I think, um, that, seems, not too…”
Not too appropriate.
Undergarments were different from outerwear.
Although she had stolen his pants to wear when they were little. But now they were both in their second year of high school.
And if it had been before, she might not have thought it was a big deal.
But it was precisely now, when she had started to develop all sorts of strange feelings for Chi Yao.
“New ones,” Chi Yao said, “bought but never worn, just washed once. You wear them first, and tomorrow when your clothes are dry, you can change back.”
Finally, he added, “Lin Zhexia, what are you thinking about?”
Lin Zhexia felt a bit embarrassed. She lowered her head, swiping her key card to enter the room: “I wasn’t thinking anything, I just… find you a bit disgusting.”
She added, “It’s good that they’re new, otherwise, I would find it disgusting.”
The hotel room was a single room, fully equipped, and even had a computer desk.
After showering, blow-drying her hair, she changed into the T-shirt Chi Yao had given her.
Ignoring that slight discomfort, she kept telling herself: It’s new, it’s new, it’s new.
He hadn’t worn it.
So there was nothing special about this shirt.
After all this commotion, it was already almost 12 o’clock.
Lin Zhexia lay on the bed, sending messages to Lin He, reporting that she had safely arrived at the hotel. Then her fingers paused, and she returned to her chat window with Chi Yao.
Their chat history was paused at the voice call from the train station.
Scrolling up further, there was that “just woke up” message.
Ten minutes later, she pressed the doorbell of room 802.
When Chi Yao opened the door, it had barely cracked open when a familiar voice came from outside. The girl’s voice was crisp with a touch of softness: “Surprise inspection.”
“Lin Shao is here to patrol, checking which disobedient person isn’t sleeping.”
The girl outside had loose hair, perhaps due to her fine and soft hair texture, naturally lighter in color. Her eyes were clear and bright, with slightly upturned corners. Her features, having matured past childishness, showed a radiant youthfulness.
But she still wasn’t very tall. His shirt was too big for her, almost reaching her knees when she wore it, easily passing for a dress.
Chi Yao averted his eyes, no longer looking at her: “With your patrolling like this, even those who were asleep would be woken up.”
Lin Zhexia entered the room and glanced at his bed: “Your blanket is so neat, clearly not slept in at all. I don’t think I woke you up.”
Chi Yao: “I was about to sleep.”
“Then go ahead and sleep,” Lin Zhexia sat cross-legged on the chair beside him, her eyes fixed on him, “I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”