Chapter 29 Entering the Wrong Room, Ending Up in Gu Shiyan’s Bed

"Yunzhi, it's been a long time," the elderly man in the wheelchair spoke, his voice frail and tired, betraying the severity of his illness.

The words pulled Luo Xing back from her thoughts. She looked at the old man before her and felt that his temperament was probably much like that of Gu Shiyan—both equally detached, maintaining only the barest courtesy necessary to preserve decorum.

"Brother, don’t take it to heart. The children are all busy with their careers; who has time to keep an old man company?" Gu Yunzhi said, pushing his wheelchair. "Xingxing, you stay here and have some fun. I’ll keep him company for a while."

Luo Xing nodded. "Alright, Grandma."

"Xiao Song, arrange for Miss Luo to settle in," the old gentleman instructed, then turned to Gu Yunzhi. "You’ll stay in your old room. It hasn’t been touched in decades."

Luo Xing saw her grandmother’s eyes redden as she nodded. She thought, perhaps her grandmother still felt something for this family.

Grandma looked to Assistant Song. "Let Xingxing stay closer to me. She might be afraid to sleep alone at night."

"Shall we put her in the room next to the young master’s? That would place her right beside the second miss," Assistant Song suggested, seeking the old gentleman’s opinion.

"Alright. Only, he tends to come home late—I'm afraid he might disturb Miss Luo," the old gentleman said, glancing at Luo Xing.

Luo Xing shook her head. "I’m a heavy sleeper. Even if I wake in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I’m back asleep the moment I hit the bed. A little noise from next door won’t bother me."

Assistant Song was considerate. "Don’t worry, Miss Luo. I’ll let the young master know to keep things quiet when he comes in."

"Thank you," Luo Xing replied with a nod.

She followed Assistant Song up to her room. As they passed a nearby door, she couldn’t help but glance at it. There were many rooms here, but the lock on that door was different from all the rest. The other locks were silver, but this one was a striking black.

"If you need anything, just press this," Assistant Song said, pointing to a white switch by the door. "Someone will come to help you."

Luo Xing nodded, "Thank you, I understand."

"I’ll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, just let us know," Assistant Song said politely, his smile warm. "I'll come fetch you for dinner."

That evening, the three of them shared a meal. Afterward, Grandma wheeled the old gentleman out to the back garden. Luo Xing tagged along for a while, but after a long day’s journey, she soon retreated to her room. The big yellow dog bounded up, and she played with it for some time.

Exhaustion soon overtook her. After bidding the two elders goodnight, she went upstairs. Not only were clothes and shoes meticulously prepared in her room—even skincare products were arranged neatly.

Luo Xing didn’t touch the clothes, instead donning the nightgown she’d brought with her. Glancing at the skincare products on the table and seeing the brand names, her heart skipped a beat. Yun Cai always said using products that cost over a thousand was extravagant, but compared to these, hers were nothing.

Quietly, Luo Xing took out her own products and began her routine. With time to spare, she picked a film starring Qi Zhi to watch. Lying on the soft, wide bed, the scent of fresh bath lingering on her skin, she felt utterly relaxed and soon drifted off to sleep.

The film ran to its end, paused automatically.

The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow from the screen. Heavy curtains blocked out even a sliver of moonlight. Deep into the night, a soft rain began to fall outside.

A breeze fluttered the curtains, nudging the half-open door closer to its frame. On the bed, Luo Xing turned over, arms hugging the soft pillow, fast asleep.

Downstairs, a tall young man in a black trench coat entered, a white paper bag in hand. Assistant Song followed closely behind. "We have a guest tonight, staying next door to you. The old gentleman asked that you keep quiet so as not to wake the young lady—but she’s a heavy sleeper, so it shouldn’t be a problem."

Raindrops clung to the young man’s dark hair, a soft glow in his eyes gentling his otherwise cold demeanor. He set the bag aside and took off his coat.

"A guest? A young lady?" His tone was languid, with a hint of mockery.

"Would you like a late-night snack?"

"Make me some noodles."

"Shall I bring it up to you?"

"Yes."

Gu Shiyan slung his coat over his arm and headed upstairs. At his door, he keyed in the password but didn’t enter right away. He glanced at the sliver of light leaking from the gap under the door next to his.

'A young lady, sleeps heavily. It won’t be a problem.'

…It seems she’s not just a heavy sleeper, but also fearless.

Once inside, Gu Shiyan automatically locked the door behind him. Remembering someone would be bringing his noodles soon, he unlocked it again. He tossed his black trench coat onto the cabinet, switched on the light, and grabbed a towel as he headed for the bathroom.

…

Luo Xing woke with an urgent need for the bathroom. She’d fallen asleep watching the movie and forgotten to go before bed. Still half-asleep, she groped her way toward the bathroom but only truly woke when she bumped into a wall.

This isn’t my home.

She collapsed onto the bed, too tired to care. Dozing off again, she woke a second time. The faint light from the movie screen kept the room from being pitch dark. She got up, a little anxious, and headed out.

The bathroom was just around the corner past another room. A strip of warm, yellow light glowed faintly on the floor tiles, and the corridor was lined with transparent glass railings. Luo Xing glanced downstairs—the lights were still on. Did they never turn them off at night?

She didn’t dwell on it, her mind clouded with sleep as she fumbled toward the bathroom, unaware that the wind had blown her door shut behind her, sealing off the room’s faint illumination.

Sitting on the toilet, she nearly nodded off. Shuffling along in her slippers, she noticed light spilling from a half-open room and, thinking it was hers, grasped the handle, turned off the light, and climbed into bed.

The movie screen still glowed, but Luo Xing, only half-aware, didn’t bother to switch it off.

In the bathroom, Gu Shiyan was just tying his towel around his waist when he suddenly paused, glancing out.

Power outage?

He dismissed the thought, cursing himself—it was still bright in the bathroom.

He stepped out.

At that moment, Assistant Song crept in, carrying a wooden tray. "I’ll just leave this here," he whispered, placing the noodles on the table.

Gu Shiyan parted his lips, wanting to ask why Song had turned off his lights. But Song left quickly, wondering why the young master hadn’t turned the lights back on.

Gu Shiyan stepped forward to switch on the light.

A faint sound came from the bed.

Did the old man get a cat?

He glanced at the bed, annoyed at the thought of a cat traipsing across his floor and curling up on his sheets.

…

His dark eyes fixed on the mound beneath the blanket. It was far too long to be a cat.

He raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed together in a thin line, and slowly walked over.

The whole room was so silent that the only sound was the ticking of Gu Shiyan’s watch.

He remembered what Assistant Song had said—a young lady had come.

He looked down at the bed.

Only the crown of a head was visible, haloed by the faint glow from the screen.