Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Time flew by and it was evening.

After dinner, Lin Bufan, Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, and Da Mai, as usual, quickly cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, then said goodnight one after another and returned to room number five.

Having witnessed yesterday's "first encounter," Bai Manjun wasn't as surprised today. However, looking at the door closing again, a subtle feeling still welled up in her heart. She gently shook her head, casting aside these thoughts, and prepared to return to her room to rest.

“Sister,” Hu Youyu called out to her, a hint of worry on his face, “I have to go to the bar tonight to sing, it’s my old job, I can’t skip it.” He scratched his head, his gaze sweeping around the yard before finally settling on Sang Biao, who was idly licking his paws in the corner. “Um… if you feel uneasy being alone… well, just… bring Brother Biao into your room! I’ve already discussed it with him!” As he spoke, he winked at Sang Biao.

Sang Biao raised his eyelids, glanced lazily at Hu Youyu, let out a "humph" in his throat, and turned his head away, clearly dissatisfied with the "discussed" result.

Bai Manjun was amused by Hu Youyu's serious yet somewhat silly arrangement. She gently shook her head: "It's alright, Youyu, go ahead and do your thing. Don't worry about me. I'm not afraid."

"Oh... okay then." Seeing that Bai Manjun's expression was normal and she didn't seem scared, Hu Youyu felt relieved and turned to push his electric scooter.

"Wait," Bai Manjun suddenly called out to him.

Hu Youyu turned around: "Hmm?"

Bai Manjun took two steps forward, a gentle smile on her face and a hint of curiosity in her eyes: "Can I... go with you? Let's go see the place where you sing and hear you sing." She paused, then added, "I haven't really experienced the night here yet since I came here."

Hu Youyu's eyes lit up and her face immediately broke into a smile: "Of course! I couldn't be happier! If you're willing to come and support me, I'll definitely give it my all tonight! Come on, come on, I'll give you a ride!"

The two rode the slightly worn electric bike slowly out of the courtyard and into the deepening night of Yunmiao Village.

……

In room number five, the lights were off, and only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window outlined the crowded silhouettes on the bed.

In order to complete the deal with Chen Nanxing as soon as possible, Lin Bufan was unusually "well-behaved" tonight. He even changed his usual two-handed ball-holding routine to one-handed, just so that Nana next to him could fall asleep earlier!

Xu Hongdou, who was standing next to Chen Nanxing, seemed to be really tired, and her breathing quickly became even and long.

Da Mai, who was next to Nana, hugged her pillow and gradually drifted off to sleep.

But Nana, who was sleeping next to Lin Bufan, seemed a little off.

In the darkness, she lay awake staring at the ceiling, feeling a strange emptiness in her heart. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Normally at this time... Lin Bufan's hands would have been restless long ago, either quietly wrapping around her or intentionally or unintentionally circling her waist or arm with his fingers, making her both embarrassed and annoyed. In the end, she would usually engage in a silent and intense battle for possession with him, half-heartedly, and only when she was exhausted could she drift off to sleep.

But why is it so quiet tonight?

Could it be... that he's tired?

But... that shouldn't be the case!

With his abnormal physical abilities, and considering he was only fighting for possession of the ball and didn't even make any shots, how could he possibly get tired?

Or... did he just get bored?

Nana's mind was racing, and her body unconsciously shifted slightly, moving a little closer to Lin Bufan, her arm seemingly brushing against his unintentionally. She waited a while, but the person beside her didn't react; his breathing remained steady.

A strange sense of loss and a vague anxiety quietly grew within her. She turned over, her back to Lin Bufan, trying to dispel the strange feeling in her heart. But after a while, she couldn't help but turn back, her eyes secretly opening a crack in the darkness to steal a glance at the profile of Lin Bufan's face.

He's sleeping so soundly... he must be really tired.

Nana's small expectation slowly turned into a resigned sigh. She closed her eyes again, trying to clear her mind. But the more she tried to sleep, the clearer her mind became. Having been used to being "harassed" by Lin Bufan, this sudden "peace" made her feel uneasy. It was as if a kitten was gently scratching at her heart, and she tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position.

In this state of constant tossing and turning, filled with unease, time slipped away unnoticed. Nana's consciousness oscillated between lucidity and confusion, and finally, exhaustion triumphed over the inexplicable restlessness. She drifted into a light, restless sleep.

In the stillness of the night, only a few even, shallow breaths could be heard in the room. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, narrow patches of light on the floor.

Lin Bufan had his eyes closed, yet he could clearly sense the state of the three women beside him—Xu Hongdou's breathing was long and steady, Da Mai was curled up motionless behind Nana, and Nana seemed to have fallen asleep as well. The time was almost right.

He quietly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Chen Nanxing beside him. She was facing him, her eyes closed, her eyelashes casting faint shadows below her eyelids, and she looked like she was sleeping soundly. But Lin Bufan keenly noticed that her breathing was slightly more rapid than when she was truly asleep, and the rhythm of her chest rising and falling was somewhat unnaturally tense.

Lin Bufan silently curled the corners of his mouth, leaned close to Chen Nanxing's ear, and whispered, "Nanxing...they're all asleep."

Chen Nanxing showed no reaction, remaining in a "sound asleep" position. But under Lin Bufan's abnormal night vision, the blush that quietly appeared on her cheeks and quickly spread, as well as the subtle temperature changes at the base of her ears, were clearly visible. She even unconsciously pursed her lips.

As everyone knows, words cannot wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, so Lin Bufan resorted to other methods!

Chen Nanxing, who was pretending to be asleep, suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and almost cried out in surprise! When she came to her senses, she met Lin Bufan's smiling eyes.

Knowing that her act of pretending to be asleep had been seen through, Chen Nanxing glared at Lin Bufan in annoyance, then blushed and crawled into the blankets!

In the darkness, the rustling sounds were deliberately suppressed to a minimum, almost inaudible amidst the steady breathing of others.

However, Nana, who was sleeping on Lin Bufan's other side, was already in a half-awake, restless state. In her drowsy state, she seemed to hear some extremely subtle sounds, different from ordinary turning over or breathing... like the sound of fabric being deliberately rubbed softly, and... an indescribable, suppressed groan?

She frowned, listened carefully, and could vaguely hear Chen Nanxing and Lin Bufan talking!

"Can't you fix your hair? It's so prickly!"

"I'm not an action movie actor, why should I care about that? Your problem is entirely due to technique. You need to practice more. Practice makes perfect, you know?"

Nana: ? ? ?

Mr. Lin's hair is quite soft, how could it be prickly?

Even if it pricks, what does that have to do with practice makes perfect?

……

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the kitchen.

Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Lin Bufan, and Da Mai sat around the dining table eating breakfast. Nana was the last to enter. She had noticeable light blue shadows under her eyes and looked somewhat listless. She even covered her mouth and yawned slightly when she picked up her spoon.

"Nana, did you not sleep well last night?" Xu Hongdou looked at Nana with concern, her sharp eyes sweeping over the dark circles under Nana's eyes, assuming it was because of Lin Bufan: "Was it... that bastard not letting you sleep well?" As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Lin Bufan, who was drinking porridge with his head down next to her, her tone carrying a hint of protectiveness: "Tell me, and Nanxing and I will help you deal with him."

As she spoke, she nudged Chen Nanxing beside her with her shoulder: "Isn't that right, Nanxing?"

"Huh? Oh...yes, yes, yes, yes!" Chen Nanxing was sipping her milk when she was suddenly called on. Her hand trembled, and she almost spilled the milk. She quickly put down her cup, her eyes darting around, her tone hurried, even a little stammering: "It's...it's just too much! How can they not let people sleep properly! Hongdou, we have to...we have to talk to him!" She waved her hand haphazardly as she spoke, trying to make it more convincing, but the suspicious blush on her face and the way she avoided Xu Hongdou's gaze suggested a lack of confidence.

Xu Hongdou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. She glanced at Nana, who was clearly tired from lack of sleep, and then at Chen Nanxing beside her, who was overreacting and looking flustered. A sense of doubt arose in her heart.

She refocused her gaze on Chen Nanxing, her tone softening but still probing: "Nanxing, what's wrong with you? I feel like you're acting very strange today." She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice: "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Chen Nanxing's heart skipped a beat, her face flushed even more, and she quickly waved her hands, her voice rising slightly: "No! How could that be! I... what could I possibly be hiding from you?" She tried to appear natural, but her eyes kept darting around uncontrollably. She picked up a piece of bread and took a big bite, mumbling, "I just... I just woke up and haven't fully come to my senses yet, I'm a little dazed."

Xu Hongdou didn't speak, but just looked at her quietly, her gentle eyes seeming to have a penetrating power at this moment.

Chen Nanxing felt uneasy under her gaze and quickly swallowed the bread in her mouth. In a moment of inspiration, she steered the conversation back to Nana: "Hey, Hongdou, don't worry about me. Look at Nana, her dark circles are so heavy, she must not have rested well! Nana, what's wrong? Is something on your mind?" As she spoke, she frantically winked at Nana, signaling her to respond.

Upon receiving Chen Nanxing's distress signal, Nana immediately followed up with a soft sigh, rubbing her temples, her voice filled with genuine exhaustion: "Yes, yes, I just had some things on my mind, thinking about this and that, so I didn't sleep well."

Xu Hongdou's gaze darted back and forth between Chen Nanxing and Nana. Her doubts hadn't been completely dispelled, but seeing that Nana's expression was calm yet weary, and that Chen Nanxing seemed eager to change the subject, she didn't press further. Instead, she said gently, "Don't keep things to yourself. You can talk to us anytime. Let's eat first."

"Okay, let's eat!" Chen Nanxing felt like he had been granted a pardon and quickly lowered his head to drink his milk, afraid that Xu Hongdou would ask something else.

Lin Bufan didn't say a word from beginning to end, just slowly peeling the egg with a faint smile on his lips, as if this little "confrontation" had nothing to do with him.

The atmosphere at the dining table fell subtly quiet for a moment, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks remaining.

……

The morning light was just right, and life in the courtyard seemed to have returned to a tranquil rhythm. After breakfast, Nana quickly tidied up and headed to Youfeng Bistro to begin her busy day. Da Mai, carrying her laptop, quietly greeted everyone before retreating to her room to continue battling the supernatural world of her new book.

Xu Hongdou, as usual, spread out a mat in the pavilion, closed her eyes, and sat in meditation. The morning breeze brushed through her hair, and her expression was serene. Bai Manjun changed into a more figure-flattering mauve yoga outfit and stretched her body not far from Xu Hongdou. Her movements were fluid and beautiful, and the sunlight shone on her, casting a soft halo around her.

Today, Lin Bufan and Hu Youyu are lying side by side in the rocking chairs under the eaves, while Chen Nanxing has actually gone to learn yoga with Bai Manjun.

Hu Youyu's eyes kept glancing at Bai Manjun, who was diligently practicing the "Downward-Facing Dog" pose. His expression was somewhat complicated, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Lin Bufan lazily rocked in his rocking chair, squinting in the sun, seemingly oblivious to Hu Youyu's inner turmoil.

Finally, Hu Youyu couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Lin Bufan: "Teacher Lin..."

"Hmm?" Lin Bufan snorted through his nose without even opening his eyes.

“Um…” Hu Youyu rubbed his hands, his voice lower and more uncertain: “The fortune teller you gave me before… said I was destined for romance, that the Red Phoenix Star was in motion, and that I would meet a kindred spirit at the music festival…” He paused, then his gaze drifted to Bai Manjun: “This sister… is she really the one you predicted?”

Lin Bufan slowly lifted his eyelids, glanced sideways at Hu Youyu who was rubbing his hands like a greenbottle fly, and curled his lips into a half-smile: "Does it... matter?"

Hu Youyu was taken aback, clearly not following Lin Bufan's train of thought: "Huh? This...isn't this important? If not, then I must have misunderstood? If so...then..."

"Tsk," Lin Bufan interrupted him, his tone carrying a hint of "hopeless," "Who cares if he's your destined love interest? If you like him, go for it. If you don't, just close your eyes and go for it. Why all the 'ifs,' 'buts,' and 'what ifs' nonsense?"

Hu Youyu was stunned, her mouth agape: "This...this is okay? Isn't this...isn't this a bit too..."

"Too what? Too direct? Too shameless?" Lin Bufan chuckled, closed his eyes again, and rocked the rocking chair with an air of nonchalance: "Sometimes, when it comes to matters of the heart, you have to be simple and straightforward. If you think too much, it'll be too late."

With that, Lin Bufan ignored Hu Youyu and got up to walk towards Chen Nanxing, calling out as he went, "Nanxing, you're doing it wrong!"