The first rays of sunlight slipped through the hotel curtains, painting the room in soft gold.
Gu Yi stirred, eyelids heavy, the events of the previous night a blurry haze. He sat up slowly, head throbbing, and realized he wasn't alone.
Shui Mingyun was still there—curled up on the bed beside him, hair splayed across the pillow, her face peaceful yet faintly tense even in sleep.
Oh no… His mind raced. How did we…?
Careful not to wake her, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. The room smelled faintly of perfume and hotel sheets, a reminder that last night had been more than a simple walk home.
Shui Mingyun stirred, blinking slowly. "Morning…" she said, voice rough and small.
"Morning," he replied, awkwardly avoiding her gaze.
A heavy silence hung between them, each unsure of what to say—or how to move.
"…We should go," she finally muttered, pulling the sheet closer around her shoulders.
"Yeah… yeah, of course," he said.
Getting Out
Dressing was a messy affair. Shoes mismatched, jackets nearly inside out, hair sticking up at odd angles. They laughed nervously at each other's disheveled appearances, but the laughter was hollow, a thin mask over the tension simmering below.
The receptionist barely looked up as they checked out, neither speaking to explain why two students had shared a room.
Once outside, the crisp morning air hit them like a slap.
Gu Yi tried to speak. "…So… about last night…"
Shui Mingyun cut him off. "…Don't. Let's just… pretend it didn't happen."
He froze. "…Right."
Neither of them mentioned the unusual closeness, the awkward touches, or the way they had fallen asleep in the same bed. That night belonged to the shadows and the dim light, and neither was ready to claim it in the daylight.
Back to Reality
Back on campus, the dorms were bustling. Gu Yi's roommates were loud, oblivious, and annoyingly chipper about the "freshman welcome night."
Chen Hao slapped him on the back. "Man! You survived, huh? How was it? Any senior girls try to get you drunk?"
Gu Yi's reply was a simple, tight-lipped smile. "…It was fine."
Inside, though, his mind replayed last night—Shui Mingyun's tilted smile, the way her hand had brushed his, the strange warmth of her presence.
Across the campus, Shui Mingyun walked back to her apartment, quiet and thoughtful. Her steps were measured, her expression carefully neutral, but inside… a subtle, uneasy awareness lingered.
Something had changed. Something small, fragile… dangerous.
Neither of them spoke of it, yet both knew that last night was more than just drunken folly.