Chapter 62: Aside from Sleeping, You Must Not Entertain Any Other Thoughts

Xu Yunzhu belatedly realized the situation she was in. Glancing down, she caught sight of her own ample chest, her arms slender and well-proportioned. When she looked up at the man before her, his expression was so inscrutable it was impossible to discern what he was feeling.

A small cut marred his thin lips, likely caused in that accidental moment when they had fallen and their mouths had briefly met.

He rose to his feet, tall and imposing; the way he looked down at Xu Yunzhu made her feel an intense pressure. He stepped past her, pausing beside her for a moment. “You’re not getting up? Waiting for me to help you?”

Xu Yunzhu hesitated, then slowly got to her feet. Pei Qiaonian sat down in a leather chair, exuding the aura of someone used to being in charge. He watched as she stood pressed against the wall, too intimidated to approach. He felt a twinge of frustration—was he really so terrifying?

Hadn’t this woman been bold before? She’d clung to him for so long.

His face darkened slightly. “Come here and dry my hair.”

Xu Yunzhu noticed his hair was still dripping water.

In the presence of a capitalist overlord, she had no choice but to swallow her pride. “Alright.”

She grabbed a dry towel and began to rub his hair with the same briskness one might use on a large dog.

Pei Qiaonian was about to speak when Xu Yunzhu leaned in earnestly. “Is this pressure alright? If not, I can be more gentle.”

That single sentence made him swallow back whatever he’d intended to say. He muttered, “It’s… fine, I suppose.”

“Did you call me over for something today?” Xu Yunzhu’s mind went blank. For something… what could it be?

Nothing, really.

She’d originally wanted to talk about Pei Jin, but since everything had returned to normal, there was no need.

She laughed it off. “It’s nothing important. I just… missed you.”

The furrow in Pei Qiaonian’s brow slowly smoothed.

Oh, Xu Yunzhu was so clingy. What would she do if they divorced?

Pei Qiaonian felt troubled.

Suddenly, he wondered if simply giving her a cold ten million yuan was too heartless.

While he was lost in thought, Xu Yunzhu had somehow found a hair dryer. Her pale, delicate fingers moved through his hair. For the first time, he let a woman fuss with his hair. The strands lay smooth beneath her touch, and even his scalp seemed to sense her warmth. She was only tending to his hair, yet his heart was inexplicably fluttering.

A cool hand pressed to his face. “Huh? Are you catching a cold? Your face is all red, and you feel hot.”

Pei Qiaonian instantly felt a flush of embarrassment, as if his thoughts had been laid bare. He turned his head away, evading her touch. “It’s obviously the hot air from the dryer. My hair’s dry—turn it off, it’s roasting in here.”

Irritation clouded his features, and his actions made it clear how unwelcome he found the hair dryer’s presence.

Xu Yunzhu was speechless.

How could the air be that hot? She’d set it to the lowest, gentlest setting—like a summer breeze, really, no different. But if Pei Qiaonian said it was hot, perhaps the skin of a tycoon was more sensitive than others.

She herself had used the dryer the same way in this body, and felt nothing.

She put the dryer away, setting it aside. The mood in the room grew awkward, but rain still pounded outside, thunder rumbling in the distance.

Xu Yunzhu had always been afraid of being alone during storms.

Pei Qiaonian looked up, tilting his head slightly. “Why are you still here?”

Xu Yunzhu licked her dry lips, her gaze drifting to the empty sofa, and meekly voiced her request. “It’s pouring out there. Tonight… can I stay?”

Pei Qiaonian’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest as if weighing the request.

Before the switch, his temper had been poor. Now that things were back to normal, he’d probably toss her out with a single kick.

But thunder rolled and rain lashed the windows. It was late, too late to return to the filming site, and she was afraid to find somewhere else to sleep, to be alone.

The sofa would suffice.

Afraid he’d refuse, she quickly added, “I promise to be quiet and not disturb you. Just for one night.”

Pei Qiaonian looked up, meeting her pitiful gaze.

For some reason, he found her endearing.

Why had he never felt this way during the half month he’d been in her body? It was a revelation.

Did this mean she couldn’t bear to leave him? That she liked him so much she wanted to stay together?

He decided, with some reluctance, to grant her request—just for one night. Still, he needed to warn her not to get any ideas.

His voice was calm. “Fine, you can stay tonight. But don’t overthink it.”

Xu Yunzhu gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you, you’re a good person. I won’t overthink anything. I’m just grateful for a place to sleep.”

She assumed he was worried about her getting the wrong idea about sleeping on the sofa. How could she be so shameless? She was easily satisfied.

Pei Qiaonian nodded, then sat at the edge of the bed. “I’ll sleep here, you sleep over there. Don’t come near me.”

Xu Yunzhu was speechless.

She hadn’t said anything about wanting the bed.

He frowned. “Go take a shower, you’re filthy.”

Xu Yunzhu, bewildered, went into the bathroom.

When she came out, she realized she had no change of clothes and had to wrap herself in a towel.

Then she saw Pei Qiaonian rummaging through drawers, searching for something.

On the table lay a box of ultra-thin condoms.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Wasn’t this all moving a bit too fast?

She clutched her towel tighter, standing awkwardly in place.

Pei Qiaonian turned, and his gaze—perhaps by accident—first landed on her long, slender legs, then drifted upwards, taking in the curves that her towel could hardly conceal, and finally her face, flushed pink from the steam.

It was a new sensation. Even though he’d seen her body while in her body, he’d never felt this way.

He quickly looked away, voice cold. “Get in bed.”

If one listened closely, there was a barely noticeable edge of nervousness and stiffness.

But Xu Yunzhu felt like a duck being shooed along. She hesitated. “Actually, I could just…”

Pei Qiaonian frowned. “Don’t get any ideas—sleeping is all you’re here for.”

Xu Yunzhu was incredulous.

He expected her to sleep in the bed with him and still warned her not to get any ideas? How domineering could one man be?

She sat at the far edge of the bed, looking utterly deflated.

Pei Qiaonian stood. “Where are my cigarettes? There’s not a single one left.”

“Huh?” Xu Yunzhu remembered the expensive cigarettes and gave an awkward laugh. “I threw them out… smoking is bad for your health.”

Pei Qiaonian took a deep breath. He hadn’t touched a cigarette in over half a month.

The craving was intense.

But with the rain coming down so hard outside, he dismissed the notion of going out to buy more. He’d lasted half a month; one more night wouldn’t kill him.

He lifted the blanket and lay at the far end of the bed, the distance between them as vast as the divide between kingdoms.

Xu Yunzhu lay there, tense and uneasy, but when he made no further move, she realized she’d been overthinking things after all.