Wen Ran took several deep breaths, slowly calming her emotions before softly admitting, "I dreamed of my parents."
Mo Xiuchen's brows furrowed ever so slightly as he regarded her tear-streaked face. Softening his tone, he spoke gently to comfort her:
"The cause of that car accident is still under police investigation. If it was indeed deliberate, the person responsible for your parents' death will surely be brought to justice."
Wen Ran sniffled through her sorrow and bitterly said, "My parents were murdered. This morning the car was fine, and by the afternoon the brakes suddenly failed…"
Nodding, Mo Xiuchen sat on the edge of the bed and gently patted her shoulder. In a warm tone, he said, "The police will uncover the truth. It's the middle of the night—don't overthink it. Just lie down and try to sleep."
Earlier, when he had been standing, Wen Ran hadn't noticed him. Now, sitting face-to-face with her, his voice carried a faint scent of alcohol that mingled with her breath. Surprise flashed in her eyes as she asked with concern, "Have you just gotten back?"
"Yeah, I just got back."
A hint of warmth flickered in Mo Xiuchen's eyes as he nodded.
Wen Ran's brows knitted slightly as she glanced at the small alarm clock on the bedside table—it read the same time as in her recurring nightmares…
Clearing her thoughts, she whispered, "Then, please get some rest."
"Alright, I'll go freshen up."
Mo Xiuchen rose and headed into the bathroom. Although he had showered earlier, he had spent quite some time with Gu Kai at the bar and later grabbed some late-night food. He quickly rinsed off, washing away the lingering scent of the bar before spitting and returning.
On the spacious bed, Wen Ran lay on her side, leaving most of the space for him.
As Mo Xiuchen observed her side profile, a shadow of dark light passed through his deep-set eyes. He moved to the bed, pulled back the blanket, and lay down beside her. The moment his hand brushed against Wen Ran, her body jolted suddenly, then went rigid.
"You don't need to be tense. Nothing will happen to you."
Squinting his eyes slightly, Mo Xiuchen removed his hand and added, "Come closer to the edge of the bed; I wouldn't want to see you fall off in the middle of the night."
Wen Ran replied tersely with a "No," but the next moment, a large hand suddenly wrapped around her waist. Her body stiffened as he forcefully turned her toward him. In a low, resonant voice that filled the space above, he warned, "If you keep sleeping too far to the edge, I'll hold you tight all night."
His threatening words made her heart skip a beat, and instinctively she promised, "I won't."
"Alright, then—sleep now."
Sensing the tension under his grasp, Mo Xiuchen released her, and his eyes slowly closed.
After his hand left her, Wen Ran's tense body did not immediately relax. She kept her body turned the way he had forced, simply watching him.
The soft, dim glow of the wall lamp illuminated his chiseled features, softening the harsh lines of his face. His eyelashes, long and dense like delicate fans, cast subtle shadows around his eyes. The gentle expression on his face reminded her of the idiom "warm and smooth as jade."
For a moment, Wen Ran was momentarily lost in thought—how could such a handsome man be deprived of what was most essential? If it weren't for his "inability to be intimate," countless women would have surely flocked to him.
As she watched and thought, it wasn't long before Wen Ran's tension faded. Perhaps she had realized that sleeping with him held no "dangers." Gradually, she relaxed and unknowingly drifted back into slumber.
Hearing her steady, even breathing beside him, Mo Xiuchen, with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, his deep gaze betraying not even a trace of sleepiness.