Chapter 194 – A Complicated Night

The restaurant lights had dissolved into blurry halos in Xia Xun’s eyes. Her thoughts felt wrapped in cotton, and every single one took enormous effort to grasp.

After her third glass of wine, Lin Xi’s smiling face split into two, then slowly merged back together.

“Xia Xun, you’ve had too much.” Lin Xi’s voice seemed to come from very far away, carrying a trace of concern.

Xia Xun shook her head, which sent the whole world spinning. “No, I haven’t… I can still drink…”

She reached for her glass, missed, and nearly slid out of her chair.

A pair of warm hands caught her by the shoulders just in time.

“We should go home.” Lin Xi’s tone brooked no argument. She was already signaling the server for the check.

Xia Xun wanted to protest, but the alcohol had tied her tongue in knots.

She felt Lin Xi wrap an arm around her waist and gently help her out of her seat.

The moment the cool air touched her, Xia Xun instinctively leaned against Lin Xi. She was warm and safe.

“Watch the step,” Lin Xi whispered beside her ear. Her breath brushed Xia Xun’s earlobe, sending a faint shiver through her.

The night breeze swept across her cheeks. Through the haze, Xia Xun thought Lin Xi smelled wonderful, like grass after the rain mingled with a trace of perfume.

She rested her head on Lin Xi’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of her body and the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.

…

Done.

While they waited for their ride, Lin Xi had obtained the address she wanted.

She messaged Qin Ling and told everyone to get ready. As soon as she took Xia Xun home, she would meet up with them and go rescue Thor.

Their car arrived.

Lin Xi helped the unsteady Xia Xun inside.

The instant the door closed, Xia Xun toppled against her, pressing her forehead into the hollow of Lin Xi’s neck.

Lin Xi stiffened, then carefully shifted so Xia Xun could lean against her more comfortably.

“I’m sorry, Xia Xun…” Her voice held an emotion Xia Xun was too drunk to understand.

A hand gently settled on the back of Xia Xun’s head. Fingers slipped through her hair, and she sighed at the pleasant sensation.

Outside the window, the city’s neon lights blurred into streaming colors. Xia Xun’s eyes drifted half-shut as the whole world rocked her gently back and forth.

Every breath was filled with Lin Xi’s scent, filling her with an inexplicable sense of peace.

“Xia Xun, wake up. We’re here.”

Some time later, Lin Xi gently shook her shoulder.

Xia Xun forced her eyes open and saw her familiar apartment building.

She tried to stand on her own, only to discover that her legs had gone as soft as cotton. She took one step and pitched forward.

“Careful!”

Lin Xi caught her in time. Xia Xun fell straight into her arms, her cheek pressed against Lin Xi’s chest, close enough to hear her racing heartbeat.

“I’ll carry you on my back.” Lin Xi had already crouched down and was pulling Xia Xun’s arms over her shoulders.

Sprawled across Lin Xi’s back, Xia Xun felt how slender yet remarkably dependable it was.

Lin Xi’s hair tickled her cheeks, carrying the clean fragrance of shampoo.

Their bodies rubbed gently with every step up the stairs. Xia Xun could feel every muscle in Lin Xi’s body tense with effort.

“Where are your keys?” Lin Xi asked when they reached the door, slightly out of breath.

Xia Xun vaguely pointed at her handbag.

Lin Xi supported her with one hand and rummaged through the bag with the other, pressing them even closer together.

At last, the door opened. Lin Xi carried Xia Xun into the dark apartment and felt around for the light switch.

When Lin Xi gently set her down on the couch, Xia Xun let out an unhappy whine and instinctively grabbed the hem of her shirt to keep her from leaving.

“I’m just getting you some water,” Lin Xi said softly. Xia Xun stubbornly shook her head, the alcohol making her far more willful than usual.

Lin Xi sighed and gave in, taking a seat beside her.

Xia Xun immediately snuggled over like a kitten that had found a source of warmth, resting her head in Lin Xi’s lap.

She felt Lin Xi’s hand freeze in midair before gently descending to her hair and carefully combing through it.

“I feel awful…” Xia Xun mumbled.

“Hang on.” Lin Xi patted her back with astonishing tenderness.

“Take this.” Lin Xi helped Xia Xun sit up and brought a hangover pill and some water to her lips.

Xia Xun obediently swallowed, then leaned against Lin Xi’s shoulder, breathing heavily.

Lin Xi’s warmth seeped through their clothes. Xia Xun nuzzled closer without thinking and heard a sigh above her head.

“Your shoes…”

Lin Xi crouched and gently removed Xia Xun’s heels. Her fingers accidentally brushed an ankle, sending another strange shiver through Xia Xun.

“Where’s your nightgown? I can’t let you sleep in that dress.”

Xia Xun pointed toward the bedroom and watched Lin Xi go inside.

A moment later, Lin Xi returned with a pale purple silk nightgown, a faint blush coloring her face.

“Can you change by yourself?” Lin Xi asked, looking away. Her voice sounded a little tight.

Xia Xun shook her head. The alcohol had stripped away every trace of shyness and restraint.

Lin Xi took a deep breath and carefully helped her out of the dress. She did her best to keep her fingers from touching bare skin, but the occasional accidental brush still made both of them hold their breath.

By the time Xia Xun was finally dressed for bed, tiny beads of sweat had formed across Lin Xi’s forehead.

“Lie down,” she said, her voice lower than usual. “I’ll get you a blanket.”

Xia Xun caught her wrist. “Don’t go…”

There was a plea in her voice that even she did not realize was there.

Lin Xi froze. Her gaze fell upon Xia Xun’s wine-flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips.

Her throat bobbed, conflict flickering through her eyes.

“I’m staying right here,” she promised at last, sitting in the chair beside the bed. “Go to sleep.”

Xia Xun’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier as the alcoholic haze pulled her down into sleep.

Through the fog, she thought she heard Lin Xi’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Xia Xun…”

The words fell like a pebble into a still lake, sending a single ring through Xia Xun’s muddled consciousness before vanishing.

She could not tell whether it had been real or a dream. She only remembered warm fingers gently brushing her cheek in the final moment before sleep claimed her…

…

Sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains the following morning and spilled across the bed.

Xia Xun woke with a splitting headache. She was wearing her nightgown beneath a blanket tucked securely around her.

On the nightstand sat a glass of water, two aspirin, and a sticky note.

She picked up the note and read Lin Xi’s handwriting.

Drink the water and take the medicine. There’s hangover soup in the fridge. Don’t drink so much next time.

Xia Xun looked around. The apartment was as tidy as ever. She struggled to recall fragments of the night before-dinner with Lin Xi, getting drunk… Lin Xi carrying her upstairs, giving her medicine, helping her change…

Had it all been a dream???

She got out of bed and walked to the refrigerator. Alongside the hangover soup, she found another note stuck to the door.

Take care of yourself.

The simple words made Xia Xun’s heart skip a beat.

Her phone vibrated. Su Tang had sent her a message.

Which one of you leaked the Safe House’s location-you or Misaka Shirai?

The Safe House was raided last night, but they found it empty.

Because I transferred the prisoner after the two of you left.

(The book’s been locked. I’ll stop updating after I finish this month’s serialization. I’ll revise it over the May Day holiday, but if they still won’t release it, I’ll just abandon it… Did the platform deliberately lock the book at the end of the month so I couldn’t get the full-attendance bonus…? I’m done. I’m exhausted…)