Chapter 115: Adaptation

An Tong stood up and let out a bewildered "ah."

At the doorway, his silhouette stood tall against the light, possessing an indescribable, hazy sensuality. It was only then that An Tong noticed he had traded his shirt and trousers for a comfortable black silk robe. The collar was left half-open, revealing a sliver of skin, and the belt was tied loosely at his side, giving him a languid air far removed from his usual polished appearance.

"You don't want to come over here to sleep?"

The man spoke again, his deep, resonant voice laced with knowing amusement.

An Tong instinctively replied, "No, that's not it."

Rong Shen’s thin lips curled almost imperceptibly. He turned slightly, released the doorknob, and said in a low voice, "Mhm. Come over once you've finished washing up."

An Tong: "..."

Something felt off.

She watched him leave, hearing his footsteps retreat to the bedroom next door, her mind still a blank. An Tong turned to look at her own large bed and muttered to herself, "I have a bed..."

Sharing a bed at the Shanshui Gallery resort had been due to special circumstances. Now that they were home, shouldn't they, under normal conditions, be retiring to their own separate rooms?

An Tong didn't object to sleeping with Rong Shen, but not objecting didn't mean she wanted to change her existing private space and sleep environment. She wasn't being coy or trying to guard some moral boundary; she simply felt that since they had only recently opened up to each other, they hadn't reached the stage of "full transparency."

An Tong raked her fingers through her hair, pacing back and forth several times.

The door remained open. In the bedroom just a wall away, Rong Shen stood by the window, faintly hearing the sound of restless footsteps. He lowered his gaze, masking the smile in his eyes.

About ten minutes later, An Tong appeared at the man’s bedroom door, clutching her pillow. The central air conditioning was set to a moderate temperature—not hot, yet definitely not cold. Despite this, An Tong was wearing a thick, two-piece coral fleece pajama set. Her hair was damp at the temples, and the frequency of her darting eyes was erratically fast.

Rong Shen turned at the sound, and upon seeing her bundled up so "tightly," he raised his lips in an unreadable arc. "Why aren't you coming in?"

An Tong moved forward in silence, her pace sluggish and dragging.

It was her first time entering his bedroom, and she had no heart to inspect the decor or environment. Dropping a quick "I'm going to sleep now," she darted to the bedside, arranged her pillow, and dove under the covers. She pulled the duvet up to cover half her face, lying stiff and uncomfortable.

This situation was entirely different from that night at the gallery. Back then, Rong Shen had specifically left the room, so An Tong had drifted off to sleep without pressure, not even remembering when he returned. Now, they were both wide awake; the room was silent, and the bedside lamp cast an intimate orange glow. It was difficult enough to stay calm, let alone fall asleep.

An Tong listened for movement behind her. Soon, the side of the mattress dipped, and after a brief rustle, the lamp went out. Just as An Tong let out a breath of relief, a warmth pressed against her side.

"Aren't you afraid of having trouble breathing, covered up like that?"

The man’s teasing tone drifted into her ear, his deep, mellow voice rendering the moment exceptionally intimate. An Tong gripped the quilt and slowly turned her head.

Immediately, Rong Shen’s arm slid under her neck, gently pulling her shoulder into his embrace. It wasn't overly close—the distance was perfectly comfortable. An Tong rested against his shoulder, her heart pounding wildly.

Before she could answer, Rong Shen pushed back the quilt covering her face. "Are you asleep?"

"No..." An Tong swallowed hard. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find a suitable topic. In the dead of night, no conversation could stop the stray thoughts from creeping in.

The bedroom was silent for two seconds before the man suddenly propped himself up on one arm, looking down at the bewildered An Tong in the dim light. She looked nervous, even though they had shared a bed once before.

Rong Shen lowered his handsome face, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "What are you thinking about?"

The deeper his tone, the less An Tong could guess his intentions. She lay stiffly under the thin quilt and blurted out, "I'm not nervous..."

An Tong: "..."

By the time she realized what she’d said, the man’s low, resonant laughter was already ringing in her ears—a sound clearly filled with amusement. An Tong turned her head, trying to hide her leaking emotions, but her cheek was cupped by Rong Shen’s warm palm. He then kissed her lips lightly, like a dragonfly skimming water. "Dressed so warmly, and so nervous—what are you worried about, hmm?"

Perhaps these words suddenly jolted An Tong awake. She relaxed instantly, looking up at the man above her. "I'm not worried. I'm just... not quite used to it yet."

Going from sleeping alone to sharing a bed with someone in just a single day—anyone would need time to buffer and transition.

Moreover, An Tong was a sensitive psychological patient; with such rapid progress, it was hard for her not to let her imagination run wild.

Rong Shen’s thin lips moved from her face to her temple, his warm breath fanning her ear. "Forgot what I told you?"

An Tong turned away, asking him which part he meant. In this situation, no matter how good her memory was, she couldn't spare the focus to recall.

"Learn to adapt..." The man rubbed his thumb against her jaw, guiding her with tireless patience. "Adapt to life with me."

Her heart was struck unexpectedly, the feeling invisibly diluting her anxiety and tension. An Tong buried her face in the crook of his arm and gave a muffled response.

Rong Shen looked down at her ostrich-like behavior, a gentleness surfacing in his relaxed brow. "As for the thing you're nervous about... it won't happen for now. Lie back and get some sleep."

An Tong’s eyes widened, trying to discern the truth behind his vague silhouette in the darkness. Seconds later, she completely relaxed. The moment her nerves unraveled, she realized she was drenched in sweat. Mostly because... the two-piece pajamas were simply too thick.

An Tong let out a small sigh of relief and shifted slightly toward the edge of the bed, resting on his arm. "Then... goodnight."

He told her to adapt to a life with him, and the word "adapt" likely encompassed so much. It wasn't just about spending their days together, but also about these nights of sleeping in each other's arms.

An Tong marveled at the man's maturity and restraint in her heart. Overly tense emotions easily lead to exhaustion, and before long, she drifted into a hazy sleep.

It was their first night of peace, and An Tong's sleep quality was quite good. However, Rong Shen was experiencing the bitter fruits of his own restraint. He was no saint; with the girl he loved in his arms, it was impossible not to feel something. But to ensure An Tong accepted him further, he had to guide her step by step—he could not rush things.

At two in the morning, Rong Shen went to the bathroom, turning on the shower to use the cold water to suppress his inner urges. When he emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist, he looked at An Tong’s curled-up figure and let out a helpless, frustrated laugh.