The room was dim, bathed in the soft glow of a single nightlight on the wall.
Xiao Jie collapsed onto the bed and didn't say another word. Within minutes, the sound of steady breathing filled the air. It was the kind of sleep that came after total exhaustion—quick and deep, like the way he used to crash after basketball practice, limbs loose and careless.
The bathroom door clicked open.
Xiao Di stepped out, towel draped around his neck, damp bangs clinging to his forehead. He rubbed his hair absentmindedly as he padded toward the bed—and then froze.
Xiao Jie was asleep.
Shirtless.
Completely shirtless.
Di had seen Xiao Jie with his shirt off before—during games, practice, even after a swim. But that was different. That was in the sunlight, surrounded by noise and people. That was safe.
This was... not the same.
Now, lying on the narrow hotel bed, Xiao Jie was on his side, blanket messily tangled around his waist, revealing most of his back and arms. His bare chest rose and fell with each breath, soft and rhythmic.
Even in sleep, his figure carried the unmistakable form of an athlete—around 185 centimeters tall, with strong shoulders, smooth lines of toned muscle sculpted by years of training. Not overly built, but graceful, like someone born to move.
Xiao Di's heart stuttered.
He told himself to look away—really, he should look away—but for a long, suspended second, he just stood there, the towel going still in his hands.
Then Xiao Jie mumbled, voice thick with sleep, "Xiao Di… come to bed already…"
It was slurred and lazy, with a childlike whine that made Di's ears go hot.
Like he was being summoned—not as a roommate, not even as a friend—but as someone meant to be there. Someone wanted.
The words hit Di with more force than he could explain.
In a panic, he turned toward the mini fridge, yanked it open, and grabbed a can of cold cola. He pressed it against his cheek, as if the chill might calm the storm inside his chest.
"It's nothing… It's just sleeping. Just a bed," he whispered to himself, though the words lacked any conviction.
By the time he finally forced himself to climb into bed, he found it was even smaller than he remembered. There was barely enough space for two people to lie without touching.
So Di lay on his side, back turned to Xiao Jie, curling himself into the far edge of the mattress as if space alone could create safety.
The room was silent except for the hum of the air conditioner and Xiao Jie's steady, peaceful breaths.
But for Xiao Di—
Sleep was nowhere to be found.