You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

Night fell, and the stars disappeared.

Rain began to fall outside.

Raindrops tapped against the window softly.

The damp treetops swayed softly, and the continuous drizzle traced the veins of the green leaves. It slid down to the roadside, where it splashed into modest puddles.

The clock on the wall ticked steadily, neither hurried nor slow.

With each leap of the second hand, the long hour hand gradually moved toward the number ten.

Ji Mu lounged lazily on the living room sofa.

The television, which was directly ahead, was playing the latest episode of Baby Bus on the children's channel.

His gaze occasionally swept across the screen, but he quickly lost interest and looked away.

Physically and mentally exhausted, he had no desire to move.

He just wanted to lie there motionless like a wooden puppet, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly.

The main reason for his dog-tired state was his fever.

He first noticed something was off with his body right after finishing the exam that afternoon.

It was probably due to the seasonal flu and catching a chill from kicking off the blanket at night.

Too lazy to go to the hospital for a shot, he rushed home, took a few fever-reducing pills, and fell into a deep sleep.

Thanks to his 60-point stamina stat, he was durable, if nothing else.

After sleeping for a few hours, he felt much better.

Still, the lingering heat and dizziness left behind by the virus hadn't completely faded, a subtle reminder that his body hadn't fully recovered.

Should I tell that silly goose?

He'd left in such a hurry earlier that he probably hadn't said anything to the mission target…

Remembering that his phone was still charging in the bedroom, Ji Mu forced his weak body upright, slipped on his slippers, and took a few steps—

Ding-dong!

When the doorbell rang.

He frowned, puzzled as to who would show up at this hour. He hadn't ordered takeout.

Swaying slightly, he changed direction halfway and headed for the door.

At the entryway, he turned the handle and opened the door.

A girl stood there, completely drenched from head to toe.

"Silly goose?"

Her clothes were soaked and clung tightly to her skin. Lingering rainwater trickled down her neck and glided past her collarbone.

The fabric of her top had turned nearly transparent, revealing her soft, pale chest.

Seeing her in such a disheveled state, clearly having just escaped a downpour, Ji Mu was momentarily stunned.

"You... Why are you—"

"The homeroom teacher told me you went home early because of a fever," the girl said, her voice slightly breathless. "I sent you so many messages, but you didn't reply. I called, too, but your phone was off."

Her hair was a tangled mess, like a delicate flower battered by the rain.

She lifted her face and explained softly. Rainwater beaded on her damp, curled lashes.

"Mu Mu, I was really worried about you."

Her pure and heartfelt concern, paired with the fact that she had braved the heavy rain just to check on him, made it impossible for Ji Mu to remain indifferent.

A heavy sense of guilt settled in his chest.

"Sorry, my phone died on the way back and shut off."

The fever patch on his forehead was half-peeled off, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the doorknob.

"Um... I'll call a car to take you home."

He was not up to it tonight. His condition was just too poor.

Otherwise, he might have offered to help her with her schoolwork as a way to repay her concern.

As his fever-fogged mind searched for a way to make it up to her, the girl gently declined in a soft, considerate voice.

"No need. Now that I've seen you're okay, that's enough."

KRRRRR-BOOOM—!

A blinding flash of lightning tore through the pitch-black night sky.

A deafening clap of thunder followed, easily drowning out all the surrounding noise and whispers.

The girl's face turned pale instantly.

Her slender, fragile shoulders tensed instinctively. The thunder had clearly scared her.

She pressed her lips together. Though her body was nearly frozen with fear, she tried to appear strong.

"I'll head back now, Mu Mu."

The motion-sensor light in the stairwell flicked on, illuminating the unease she could no longer hide.

Ji Mu didn't miss the glimmer of tears that flashed in her eyes as she turned away.

The sight of that fragile, helpless figure walking away etched itself into his guilt.

Without thinking, he blurted out in a panic, "Wait!"

His fever-clouded mind dulled his reasoning further, causing him to overlook all the little details that would have otherwise seemed off.

"If you go back like this, you'll definitely catch a cold."

Meeting the girl's gaze as she turned back, Ji Mu shifted slightly to the side, making room toward the living room.

"Silly goose, come in, take a hot shower, and change into dry clothes. Wait until the rain stops, and then you can head back."

Even though he knew the most rational thing to do was to call a car and send her home, or perhaps call Aunt Ruan to explain the situation and ask her to send someone over, his muddled mind couldn't handle that much thought.

Bound by a sense of morality, he simply couldn't bring himself to stand there and watch the girl walk away.

The hunter's carefully laid trap was cloaked in perfect disguise, step by step.

How could the innocent prey possibly know…

That this was a snare set precisely for the moment when his guard was down?

Of course, someone would pay the price for their moment of weakness in the hours to come.

...

Sinking back into the sofa, he saw that the children's channel was still playing on the TV.

The gentle sound of running water came from the nearby bathroom. Wisps of white steam drifted out through the crack beneath the door and blurred the frosted glass. A graceful silhouette flickered faintly behind it.

Ji Mu peeled open a fresh cooling patch and pressed it to his forehead, rubbing his temples on both sides.

Being alone with a girl late at night, and letting her shower at his place, no less, was a first for him.

He felt a strange sense of awkwardness and discomfort that he couldn't quite put into words.

His gaze fell on the black plastic bag at his feet. She had brought it in with her, but he had no idea what was inside.

Though he was curious, he didn't open it without permission.

With nothing better to do, Ji Mu decided to head to the bedroom and play some games.

His phone had been charging for quite a while by now. It should be fully charged.

Half an hour later...

After blow-drying her hair and changing clothes, Ruan Qingqing knocked on the door.

"Mu Mu?"

"No need to knock. Just come in," Ji Mu replied without looking up. He was fully focused on maneuvering his in-game character.

Creak—

Light footsteps approached one step at a time.

Only when the mattress dipped slightly with a soft sound did he casually glance over… only to have his hands freeze mid-action at that very moment.

The girl was wearing an oversized gray T-shirt whose hem barely reached the tops of her thighs. Her long, slender legs were fully exposed, glowing with a milky-white sheen.

"What is it?"

Ruan Qingqing noticed his gaze and curved her lips into a slight smile. She looked pure and lovely.

Ji Mu's expression remained composed. "Does the outfit fit?"

He distinctly remembered it came with a pair of shorts. Why wasn't she wearing them?

The thought puzzled him.

"It fits just right."

The girl looked at him without blinking, her voice soft and gentle.

"It's really comfortable."

Although her tone was obedient, the upward lilt at the end of her sentence carried an inexplicable hint of subtle allure.

"Uh...do as you please."

As he caught a whiff of her strong jasmine fragrance, Ji Mu wasn't sure why such improper thoughts had popped into his mind.

He forced himself not to think about those things and was about to continue playing the game when the girl beside him seemed to be getting sleepy and raised her arm to stretch her waist.

As she stretched, the hem of her clothes slowly rode up, revealing the top of her thigh.

The area around Yi Xian Tian was normally densely planted with trees, but there were some barren exceptions.

Ji Mu's grip weakened as his gaze involuntarily shifted to the side.

His eyelashes dropped again, and his face remained calm, but his inner world was already turbulent with shockwaves.

Something's off!

Not wearing pants was one thing, but why didn't the silly goose wear anything at all?!

[Challenge 5 (Ding~)

Description: Reach 120 votes on NovelUpdate

Reward: 1 extra chapter

Progress: 117/120]

Description: Reach 7 reviews on NovelUpdate

Reward: An additional chapter.

Progress: 5/7]

...

Read up to 12 advance chapters by joining us on Patreon! Support us and read ahead

Thanks for your support and happy reading!