Chapter 164: Whispers in the Dawn

One night. The night hadn’t passed yet.

It was past 1 a.m.

Lily’s eyes narrowed to slits; in Lin Zheng Ran’s arms, she couldn’t sleep at all.

Because her mind was racing with thoughts.

Her smooth, tender legs shifted slightly.

Lin Zheng Ran, eyes closed, said, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Lily tensed up and stammered, “Zheng Ran, why aren’t you asleep?!”

Lin Zheng Ran, still with his eyes shut, shot back, “What do you think? Your feet keep moving—first one way, then another. How am I supposed to sleep?”

She stopped moving her legs. “That’s because you teased me! And now you’re not saying anything.”

“Let’s not dwell on that now. It’s late. How can you fall asleep?”

Lily pressed her face against his neck. “At home, I always sleep with a pillow between my legs, so I can’t sleep without something to hold.”

“So, you’re using my leg as your pillow?”

She blushed and said, “Hey, that’s not what I meant! You’re the one who said it. And I don’t have any other intentions—it’s just a habit! You get that, right?!”

“No need to explain. Here you go.”

Under the covers, Lin Zheng Ran extended a leg toward her.

Lily hadn’t expected him to agree so readily. Her face flushed, she closed her eyes and got into position, then suddenly burst out laughing:

“Okay, that’s it. Goodnight, Zheng Ran.”

“Goodnight.”

Around 2 a.m., Lily jolted awake. “Oh, Zheng Ran! My clothes—I don’t have any to wear tomorrow! How am I supposed to go out?”

Lin Zheng Ran couldn’t hold back this time and lightly smacked her head.

Lily yelped in pain.

Lin Zheng Ran said, “I’ll have someone go to the girls’ dormitory and get some for you. Now go to sleep. You’ve got an MV shoot tomorrow, and I need to head home in the afternoon anyway.”

“You’re going home in the afternoon? Why?”

“Nothing much. My mom wants me to meet someone. I’ll be back at school in the evening, so don’t worry about it.”

“Oh.”

And just like that, the night finally passed.

The next morning, the sun hadn’t even risen yet.

Lin Zheng Ran woke up around 6 a.m. His energy was different from most people’s—he could feel refreshed with just a little sleep.

He could even go three or five nights without sleep and still be fine.

But Lily had stayed up late, so she showed no signs of waking.

Once asleep, this girl was far more peaceful than that little fox.

She stayed just as she was when she fell asleep.

When Lin Zheng Ran tried to pull his leg free,

he found she was holding it tightly.

After finally easing it out, the silly girl mumbled in her sleep:

“You big idiot, I’m not tsundere. I’m not a loser… I’m the winner… Right?”

Lin Zheng Ran tried to get out of bed, but Lily clung to him even tighter.

“Zheng Ran, tell me… Am I not a loser? Say Lily isn’t a loser… Or I’ll cry.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied, “Yes, you’re not a loser. You’re the winner.”

Lily smiled in her sleep and kept on dozing.

“Zheng Ran… I like you.”

Lin Zheng Ran gently lifted the hand she had around his back and looked at Lily lying in the covers.

He stroked her head. “I’ll go get your clothes. You keep sleeping.”

After getting up, Lin Zheng Ran headed to the bathroom to freshen up. He had planned to go to the girls’ dormitory himself, but then he glanced in the mirror at his bare chest and realized a big issue.

He had no shirt.

Lily was wearing it.

He couldn’t exactly wander over to the school girls’ dormitory building shirtless, could he?

If he did, he’d probably be the talk of the school again by tomorrow.

So, Lin Zheng Ran pulled out his phone and had to ask someone to bring the stuff over.

He scrolled to Heqing and Han Wenwen’s contacts and, without much thought, called Han Wenwen.

The phone rang for a bit.

The little fox, who was asleep in the dormitory, groggily answered, “Hello? Who is it?”

Lin Zheng Ran, brushing his teeth with the door closed, said, “Wenwen, it’s me.”

His voice instantly snapped most of the sleepiness out of Han Wenwen, especially since winter mornings came late.

Glancing outside, it was still a bit dark.

“Brother Zheng Ran?”

Han Wenwen covered the phone and glanced at Heqing sleeping on the opposite bed.

The little fox buried her head under the covers, checked the time, and whispered, “Brother Zheng Ran? Why are you calling so early? Missing Wenwen already?” Her tone turned flirty in an instant.

Lin Zheng Ran replied, “Actually, I think about you all the time.”

Han Wenwen blinked her fox-like eyes. “Really? I didn’t know that. So… should I get dressed and sneak downstairs to meet you, Brother Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran reminded her, “Sure, but first, do me a favor. Go to Lily’s dormitory and grab a set of her clothes for me.”

Han Wenwen didn’t catch on at first.

Until Lin Zheng Ran added, “I spent the night with her. Her clothes got soaked when she showered, so…”

The call ended abruptly.

Lin Zheng Ran stared at his phone beeping, thinking that this little fox was bold enough to hang up on him. Among the girls, she was the only one who dared.

But even her boldness didn’t match his.

Three seconds later,

an irate Han Wenwen called back: “Brother Zheng Ran, you’re shameless! You went to a hotel with Lily last night?!” Her voice was a mix of pouting and anger.

Lin Zheng Ran explained, “It’s not exactly… well, maybe it is. It’s hard to explain over the phone. Just bring the clothes first, and I’ll tell you everything when we meet.”

The little fox, seething with jealousy, paused before asking, “Where?”

“I’ll send you the location. How long will it take?”

Han Wenwen checked the address—it was at a hotel near the school:

“Less than half an hour. I’ll freshen up quick, but when I get there, you have to tell me every single detail, Brother Zheng Ran! How could you do this?”

“Got it.”

“Bye, Brother Zheng Ran.”

“Bye.”

The call ended again, and Lin Zheng Ran went back to brushing his teeth.

On the other end, Han Wenwen stared at the hotel address on her phone, thinking about the room.

Sneaking out was one thing, but this was a whole new level.

The little fox quietly got out of bed, grabbed her basin and toiletries without waking Heqing, and freshened up fast before changing.

Then she headed to Lily’s dormitory and knocked. Knowing someone was there on the weekend,

she woke the roommate, rummaged under Lily’s bed for a set of clothes, packed them in a bag, and hurried downstairs.

Off to find Lin Zheng Ran.

It really took about half an hour.

Lin Zheng Ran’s phone rang again—the little fox asked which room, her tone practically growling.

Lin Zheng Ran answered, “Room 307.”

Han Wenwen made her way to the third floor to find him.

Lin Zheng Ran had the door open already.

The sight of Lin Zheng Ran shirtless short-circuited Han Wenwen’s brain for a second.

And there was Lily, still asleep in bed.

Han Wenwen’s fox eyes widened even more.

Lin Zheng Ran quickly pulled her into the bathroom.

He shut the door, and in the cramped space, Han Wenwen glared at him, the scent of Lily heavy on him.

Before he could speak, Han Wenwen crouched down, hugging the bag of clothes, cheeks puffed in frustration: “Go ahead, make me so mad you kill your little fox. I’ll get so upset my period gets messed up.”

Lin Zheng Ran crouched beside her, noticing her lips looked glossy and soft.

“Did you put on lip balm?”

Han Wenwen huffed, “Of course, when I’m seeing Brother Zheng Ran, I have to look good.” She stared at the floor:

“Hug me now, or I’ll ignore you for a whole minute. Come on, hurry up.”