Chapter 97 - The Cycle of Karma, What Comes Around Goes Around (11)

translator: baumkuchen (unedited)

That night was very peaceful. It was just that Chi Xiaochi had another dream, causing him to wake up at about three in the morning.

Chi Xiaochi stared at the ceiling for a while, before saying, Hey, Ah Tong.

Xi Lou: Sorry, Ive gone deaf.

Chi Xiaochi persevered, Ah Tong, lets have three yuans worth of conversation.

Xi Lou: Sorry, I dont even want to have three

mao

s worth.

Even up to now, it still wasnt very easy for him to accept another person appearing in Song Chunyangs body.

Even though this person had a smooth tongue and a playful personality like Song Chunyang, Song Chunyang was happy because he was simple. Meanwhile, even if Chi Xiaochi was smiling, no one would be able to tell if it was sincere or fake.

Unable to dredge up someone whom he could talk with, Chi Xiaochi let out a helpless sigh. After placing a hand behind his head, he turned and considered the sound asleep Gan Yu lying next to him.

Because the bed wasnt very big, Gan Yu was sleeping on his side so as to only take up a smaller half of the bed.

Upon seeing this, the tip of Chi Xiaochis heart wavered.

This sleeping habit made him think of a certain someone.

In those times, Chi Xiaochi would often stay over at Lou Yings home. Lou Ying had a good constitution, with a body that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Chi Xiaochi just so happened to be the opposite, cold in the winter and warm in the summer, so he liked to be near the other when sleeping; it was as comfortable as curling up next to the air conditioner.

When he was younger, Chi Xiaochi slept like the dead. His sleeping posture wasnt very good either. After falling asleep, he would often kick off his own quilt, then pull Lou Yings over.

Even when he was woken up by his movements in the middle of the night, Lou Ying was never very angry. He would give up his own quilt to him, then get off the bed and pick up the quilt hed kicked off and use that to cover himself.

However, one time he truly made too much of a fuss. Lou Ying had swapped quilts with him twice, but not even half an hour later, groaning and moaning, he once more kicked his quilt off the bed, then started trying to snatch Lou Yings.

Once turned to twice, twice turned to thrice, no matter how good of a temper Lou Ying had, he was still a little angry.

The next day, Chi Xiaochi woke up to the sight of Lou Ying laying out youtiao and spicy soup on the little table in the apartment. The

spicy soup

was made with beef, and the

youtiao

was bought from the best breakfast stand in the vicinity. They had a first-class crispiness, and were most delicious when still hot.

Chi Xiaochi blearily tried to get up, but who knew that even after twisting and turning for a long time, he still wasnt able to right himself.

The quilt had been rolled into a tube, with Chi Xiaochi, arms and legs and all, wrapped inside like

zongzi

filling. A

thin rope for tying up a knapsack

was wrapped around and around this blanket roll from top to bottom, finished off with a knot tied at the waist, wrapping Chi Xiaochi up so tightly that he couldnt even move.

Chi Xiaochi was a little confused, Lou, Lou-ge

Lou Ying turned around and found that zongzi filling on his bed had woken up, his hair mussed, lying on the bed and staring balefully at him. He smiled slightly, Hungry?

Chi XIaochi looked down, then nodded obediently. En.

Lou Ying, Free yourself, then you can eat breakfast.

Chi Xiaochi rolled around a few times, but wasnt about to get out.

He then tried to bend down and bite at that knot, but wasnt able to bend over.

Chi Xiaochis eyes spun. Guessing the reason behind himself turning into a spring roll, he instantly softened his voice, playing cute, Lou Ying Lou Ying.

He knew that Lou Yings heart was the softest.

Sure enough, Lou Yings gaze gentled. He sat back down on the side of the bed, and pinched the tip of his nose both gently and helplessly. You cant kick off your quilt from now on.

Chi Xiaochi agreed faster than anything, on his face a smile that was both sweet and obedient, trying to curry favour. Okay.

With one look, Lou Ying could tell that he wasnt taking this to heart. If youre like this, who would be willing to sleep in the same bed as you? How are you going to marry a wife in the future?

The Chi Xiaochi of that time had found the matter of starting a romance and sleeping with a wife too distant, still not as real a concept as the breakfast on the table.

He said, Then I wont marry a wife, and stay with Lou-ge for my whole life.

Lou Ying laughed, Silly.

Then he untied the quilt, releasing this sweet-mouthed zongzi filling. He ruffled his hair. Quickly go and wash up. The youtiao wont taste good when theyre cold.

Even though he said that, Chi Xiaochi had never thought that there was any problem with his sleeping posture.

His familys apartment was very small, and filled with junk. His parents slept on a double bed that could hold both of them, and he slept on the floor.

The space on the floor was a lot bigger than that on the bed. Even if he kicked off his blanket, once he felt cold, he could drag his quilt back just by reaching out his hand. Other than if he moved his position, most of Chi Xiaochis body would be within the range of protection of the quilt.

Only until many years later, his first time filming, when he had his own room and a big bed where he could rest on his own.

He very naturally fell asleep, but was woken up in the middle of the night from the cold of the air conditioning.

He reached out to pull over his quilt, but found that his quilt had already completely fallen to the floor.

That night, Chi Xiaochi kicked his quilt off the bed a total of two times.

The next day, he asked the crew for two 3kg sandbags.

Since then, he rarely kicked off his quilt.

Thinking of this, Chi Xiaochi reached out and tested the temperature of Gan Yus wrist.

In the task world, it was currently autumn. Under the might of the autumn tiger (hot spell during autumn), the room was still inevitably a little stuffy, but Gan Yus body was cool. It could be imagined how comfortable it would definitely feel if he hugged him.

As Chi Xiaochi looked at the sound-asleep Gan Yu, he actually felt his throat tighten slightly.

If he really was an embodiment of 061, if 061 really was Lou Ying

Chi XIaochi had already vowed to not give himself any more chances to be disappointed long ago, but when things had come to a head, he still couldnt quite control himself.

that wouldnt actually be good.

Chi Xiaochi put away all those unnecessary thoughts, planning on playing his card game for a while as he waited for dawn.

Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of a woman singing coming from the hallway, pinching her throat and crooning long, shaking notes. He couldnt make out any lyrics, but the tune actually sounded very far-away and pleasant.

Chi Xiaochi shuddered, subconsciously shuffling closer to Gan Yu.

The song started drifting closer, making anyone who heard it break out in goosebumps.

Chi Xiaochi, determined to not court disaster, acted as if he couldnt hear it, but he still couldnt help but start inching closer to Gan Yus side again.

The voice got closer again. He didnt know if it was heading here.

Chi Xiaochi just felt his heart beating like a drum, the sound of it thumping enough to draw the person singing in the corridor over.

He pressed down hard on his heart, wholeheartedly hoping for someone to hug him right now. That way, maybe it would counteract his fear a little.

Unexpectedly, in the next second, Gan Yu reached out and wrapped his arm around Chi Xiaochis waist.

Chi Xiaochi stiffened. Gan Yu straightened out his arm, while the other intimately and naturally wound around his neck to press down on the back of his head, letting him properly nest in his arms, like he was comforting a frightened cat.

Through the thin layer of his pajamas, his fingers gently scratched at Chi Xiaochis spine.

This was a reassuring touch, like he was stroking a cat.

Chi Xiaochi went a little limp from his petting, his entire body going numb like it had been electrocuted. His mind was still focused on that midnight singing. He was so nervous that he was sweating, but he actually didnt feel sick.

The brother and sister had woken up at some unknown time, just that neither of them made a sound.

Gan Tang silently got off the bed. She stared quietly at the door, in her hands a dagger that she had grabbed at some point. From how she held the dagger, it was clear that she was an old hand.

The singing woman moved closer to the door with dragging footsteps.

The closer she got, the more Chi Xiaochi couldnt help but look at the door.

In the dark, Gan Yu, who had opened his eyes long ago, frowned slightly. He wrote on Chi Xiaochis back.

He said, Look at me. Dont be afraid.

The singing floated past Chi Xiaochis door, never stopping.

Chi Xiaochi let out a sigh of relief, his tensed body relaxing slightly. He started trying to move out of Gan Yus embrace.

Who knew that after the series of tossing and turning just now, he and Gan Yu had already moved to the edge of the bed. He shifted back slightly, and carelessly knocked into the empty glass cup that had been placed on the bedside table.

The glass cup fell towards the ground.

Chi Xiaochi instantly burst into a cold sweat, but before he could respond, Gan Yu flipped over, pressing down on his body, and grabbed the glass cup that had been about to break.

The singing paused for a moment, its master seeming to have heard something and was now listening closely for the source of the sound.

All the people in the room held their breath, at full attention, not even daring to breathe an unnecessary breath. Gan Yu lay across Chi Xiaochis body, steady as Mount Tai, utterly unmoving.

After a short while, the singing started up again.

It seemed that the woman hadnt noticed the little commotion.

The sound of singing got further and further away, until it disappeared entirely.

Gan Yu, lying on top of Chi Xiaochi, gently placed the glass cup back on the bedside table, then got off of his body. He helped pull his quile back over him, saying in a soft voice, Go to sleep.

Gan Tang nodded, obediently lying back down.

Chi Xiaochi didnt say anything about how once he woke up, it was really hard for him to fall back asleep. He lay down and closed his eyes, pretending to have fallen asleep, but his heart was still thumping erratically, pounding loudly in his chest.

After an unknown amount of time, guessing that the siblings had probably both fallen asleep again, Chi Xiaochi opened his eyes again.

Because of how scared they were of the photograph of the balloons, they had adjusted the position of the beds so they at least wouldnt still be directly facing the photograph and wouldnt have to see a big, smiling face the moment they woke up at night.

From Chi Xiaochis current angle, when he looked up, he could see the layered shadows cast by trees on the window. The shadows were intermittent and muddled together. It was as if he could hear the sound of the branches and leaves making contact with each other.

But in less than a few moments, Chi Xiaochis breath caught in his throat.

A womans face appeared out of the darkness, slowly pressing up against the window glass, staring