As the afternoon passed, the sun gradually dipped lower in the sky, painting the living room in warm shades of gold and amber.
The peaceful atmosphere lasted until the sound of the front door unlocking echoed through the penthouse.
Yufan walked inside carrying several bags in one hand.
"Lixi." He called out instinctively before finally noticing the two women sitting together in the living room. His footsteps halted. "...Mom?".
"I should get going now. I'll leave you two alone." Wen Yiting stood up from the couch. She walked over, gave her son a brief hug, then turned toward the entrance. "Rest well, both of you."
"We will, Mother," Lixi replied.
Yufan nodded. "Drive safely."
Wen Yiting waved dismissively before leaving and the door closed behind her.
Silence immediately settled over the penthouse. Lixi sat on the couch and Yufan stood a few steps away, neither of them spoke, they simply looked at each other.
After a moment, Yufan cleared his throat and decided to break the silence. "...I heard you like velvet cake." He handed her one of the bags he had brought home.
Lixi blinked before accepting it. "Thank you."
Yufan nodded, then reached for another bag. "...You're still recovering. You need fruits too." He handed her a second bag.
"...Thank you." A small smile appeared on her face.
Yufan looked away briefly before picking up another bag. "...Ruoxi said you like snacking on these."
Lixi paused, her arms were already full. At this rate, he would probably hand her the entire grocery store. At the thought, a laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "Thank you, Yufan."
Yufan for a moment just stared, it's been a while since she looked happy.
"I'll take a shower first and come back later," Yufan said before turning toward the stairs.
"Okay." Lixi smiled.
After Yufan disappeared upstairs, she carried the bags to the kitchen and since he had bought so many fruits, she decided to wash and cut some into bite sized pieces.
A few minutes later, she arranged them neatly on a plate and carried it toward the dining table, just as she was about to sit down, her hand accidentally brushed against a water jug, which tipped over, sending cold water spilling across her clothes.
"Tsk." Lixi looked down at her soaked shirt and sighed. "Now I need to change."
Leaving the fruit plate on the table, she headed upstairs.
Entering the walk in closet connected to the master bedroom, she opened one of the wardrobes and picked out a comfortable pair of pants and a loose top.
Thinking Yufan was still in the shower, she quickly changed, the pants came on first.
As she lifted the shirt over her head, her eyes happened to meet the mirror, then she froze, the reflection showed someone standing behind her.
Her eyes widened. "Y-Yufan?"
Yufan stood at the entrance of the closet, equally startled, his hair was still damp from the shower, and he clearly hadn't expected anyone to be there.
Neither of them moved for a second, then realization hit Yufan making him immediately turned his head away.
"...Sorry." His voice was unusually stiff. "I thought you were downstairs."
Lixi's face burned crimson. "O..Oh...". She hurriedly pulled her shirt down properly, her movements clumsy as she fumbled with the hem.
"I... I thought you were still showering."
"...I finished."
"...Ah." Completely flustered, she didn't dare look him in the eye. Grabbing her phone, she hurried toward the exit.
"Lixi...". Before Yufan could finish, she bumped straight into him.
"Ah!". Losing their balance, they both tumbled onto the floor.
"Oww...". Lixi frowned, rubbing her elbow instinctively. Too focused on checking herself for injuries, she completely forgot that she had landed on top of Yufan.
Yufan lay beneath her, his freshly showered hair still damp, one hand instinctively supporting her waist to keep her from hitting the floor harder.
He looked away with a restrained sigh. "...We can't stay like this forever."
His quiet voice instantly snapped Lixi back to reality and her eyes widened as she finally realized she was practically lying against his bare chest.
"Sorry!". She sprang to her feet so quickly that she nearly lost her balance again.
Yufan stood up as well, dusting off his joggers. His lips pressed into a thin line. "Stop running around," he said, his tone calm but slightly stern. "You haven't fully recovered yet, and you're already trying to collect more injuries."
Lixi lowered her head, embarrassment still written all over her face, she gave a small nod before hurriedly escaping the room.
Watching her disappear down the hallway, Yufan let out a quiet sigh. "...She's hopeless."
He walked over to his side of the walk in closet, took out a fresh set of pajamas, changed quickly, and headed downstairs for dinner, the faint warmth lingering in his usually composed expression.
When Yufan reached the dining table, he took his seat and began eating.
A few bites later, he looked up. "...You're only eating fruit?"
Lixi looked at the plate in front of her before smiling. "Oh, yes. Mother brought lunch when she came over, so I'm still full." She popped another slice of apple into her mouth.
"Mm." Silence settled between them again but It didn't last long. "You've been alone in this house for the past few days." He paused before adding, "I'm glad Mother came to keep you company."
"Me too." Lixi smiled softly. "No matter what you or Xiang say, I'm going back to work next week. Staying home by myself isn't fun."
Yufan nodded. "...Alright." He continued eating for a moment before speaking again. "I'll be home for the rest of this week."
Lixi looked up in surprise. "I've finished handling everything urgent at work." He set his chopsticks down briefly. "I may not be a very good company..." His voice grew quieter. "...but perhaps you could go out with your friends."
"Guo Min and Ruoxi?"
"Yes."
Lixi thought about it before shaking her head.
"I don't think so. They've both been calling and texting to check on me..." She smiled faintly. "But since neither of them has come over, I'm guessing they're busy."
"I see." Another brief silence followed, then Yufan spoke again. "...In that case, make plans for tomorrow."
She blinked.
"I'll accompany you... wherever you'd like to go."
Lixi's eyes widened. "...A date?".
Yufan nearly choked on the tea he had just sipped. "...Not..." He cleared his throat. "...Not exactly."
Though he mumbled the last two words, Lixi still heard them. The excitement in her eyes dimmed for a brief moment. "...Oh."
Yufan noticed the change in her expression but remained silent.
A few seconds later, Lixi smiled again, smaller than before, but genuine. "Well..." she said softly, looking at him. "At least we're getting somewhere."
Yufan met her gaze. "...Mm."
At least he wasn't denying it. And somehow, that single thought was enough to make her smile linger a little longer.
...
It was already night, and most people had probably gone to sleep... except Lixi.
A few minutes earlier...
Lixi had just finished her skincare routine and dimmed the lights, ready to sleep as usual.
Knock. Knock.
The bedroom door opened and Yufan walked in carrying a pillow. "From now on, we'll be sleeping together." Without waiting for her response, he walked to the other side of the bed, lay down, and carefully placed a row of pillows between them, making sure she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
"Good night." And with that, he closed his eyes. He didn't even give her time to react.
Lixi simply stared at him, completely speechless.
She and Yufan had shared a bed before... but only because it had been under the influence of alcohol.
This time he had come on his own.
Her heartbeat sped up. The moment she was sure he had fallen asleep, she buried her face in the blanket and kicked her feet excitedly beneath the covers but unfortunately, the sudden rush of excitement made sleep impossible.