Gu Yue's "Spring Roll"

As night deepened, the neon lights of Bright Capital shone through the hotel room's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting mottled shadows across the floor.

This five-star hotel in the city center had been booked by Tang Wulin with a "huge sum." Supposedly, it was the most luxurious place he had ever stayed in his life.

"Whew—finally lying down!" Tang Wulin flopped spread-eagled onto the soft bed, the sheets wrapping around him like clouds. He turned over and looked at the vague silhouette behind the bathroom's frosted glass, listening to the gentle patter of water within. His heart began to itch.

Now, there were only the two of them.

"Gu Yue should be done washing up soon..." Tang Wulin's eyes shifted as a "brilliant" idea took shape in his mind. He quietly climbed out of bed and slipped toward the wardrobe on tiptoe, like a kitten preparing to pounce on its prey.

He dug out a spare set of pajamas from his suitcase, printed with exaggerated cartoon patterns. He had specifically prepared them before leaving home, but had always thought they were too childish to wear. Then he grabbed an unopened bottle of body lotion from outside the bathroom, twisted off the cap, and caught a faint lavender scent.

"Hehe, Gu Yue loves being clean. She'll definitely like this scent." Grinning wickedly, he squeezed some lotion into his palm and tiptoed over to the bathroom door, where Gu Yue's freshly changed clothes were hanging.

Just as he was about to begin the first step of his "prank plan"—adding a little something to Gu Yue's pajamas—the sound of running water abruptly stopped.

"Tang Wulin, where's my hair dryer?" Gu Yue's voice came through the door, carrying the languid softness of fresh steam.

Tang Wulin jolted in fright, nearly dropping the body lotion. He hurriedly stuffed the cartoon pajamas against his chest, pretended to straighten the bed, and called back loudly, "Huh? The hair dryer? It should be in the drawer under the sink! I'll get it for you!"

He turned and rushed into the bathroom. Sure enough, the hair dryer's plug was still glowing red, indicating that it was charging. He unplugged it, rushed back out with the dryer, and plastered on his brightest smile. "Here! Still warm!"

Gu Yue had already emerged, drying her wet hair. She wore a simple white bathrobe, its belt loosely tied, revealing a stretch of fair, slender neck and delicate collarbones. Her wet hair clung to both sides of her face, making her seem less aloof than usual and lending her a rare softness.

"Thanks." She took the hair dryer, walked to the bedside, and sat down. As she switched it on, warm air scattered the dampness from her hair.

Standing beside her and watching her focused profile, Tang Wulin found his urge to prank her fading somewhat. He scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Um... Gu Yue, you must be tired today, right? You should get some rest early."

"I'm fine." Gu Yue answered while drying her hair. "My legs are just a little sore. We walked too much today."

"Oh! Right, right, right! I'll give you a massage!" Tang Wulin immediately leaned in, reaching clumsily for Gu Yue's leg.

Gu Yue nimbly dodged and held the hair dryer in front of herself. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him. "Tang Wulin, what are you trying to do now?"

"N-Nothing! I just saw that you were tired and wanted to be nice to you!" Tang Wulin gave a dry laugh and retreated to a safe distance.

The hair dryer buzzed for more than ten minutes. The room filled with the fragrance of shampoo and lavender body lotion. At last, Gu Yue turned off the dryer. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, gleaming like silk beneath the lights. She stood and headed toward the wardrobe to take out her pajamas.

Tang Wulin's heartbeat sped up again. The chance had come!

Taking a deep breath, he waited until Gu Yue had her back to him, then swiftly pulled the cartoon pajamas from his arms and, with lightning speed, stuffed them into the bottommost corner of the wardrobe. Then he hung his own ordinary gray pajamas in a conspicuous spot. Next, he grabbed the body lotion and quickly squeezed a little onto the collar of the pajamas Gu Yue was about to wear. Of course, it was only a tiny amount—not enough to stain them, but enough to leave a ridiculous transparent mark.

"Done!" He made a victory gesture, then quickly lay back down on the bed and pretended to rest with his eyes closed, though his ears were perked high to listen for Gu Yue's movements.

Gu Yue opened the wardrobe and took out the gray pajamas. She seemed to notice something. Lowering her head, she sniffed the collar, her brows knitting slightly.

Tang Wulin's heart leaped into his throat.

"Tang Wulin," Gu Yue's voice drifted over, "did you touch my things again?"

"Huh? No!" Tang Wulin stubbornly denied it. "My pajamas are gray too, aren't they? Maybe you saw wrong!"

Gu Yue said nothing more and carried the pajamas into the bathroom. Soon, the faint rustling of clothes being put on came from inside.

Tang Wulin tossed and turned on the bed, imagining Gu Yue's expression when she put on the pajamas he had "tampered with" and noticed the ridiculous mark on the collar. He could practically foresee her being both annoyed and amused, yet unable to do anything about him. At the thought, he could not help snickering.

Finally, the bathroom door opened again.

Gu Yue came out.

Tang Wulin held his breath and secretly cracked one eye open to peek.

Gu Yue was indeed wearing those gray pajamas, but... she had not noticed the mark on the collar. Or rather, she had noticed it and chosen to ignore it. Her expression remained perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened. She walked straight to the vanity, picked up a comb, and slowly combed her long hair.

Tang Wulin felt a little disappointed, but also somewhat relieved. Disappointed that the prank had not worked as expected, relieved that Gu Yue was not angry.

"Gu Yue, you're done? Come over and sleep!" He lifted the blanket and patted the spot beside him, calling out enthusiastically.

Gu Yue set down the comb, walked over, kicked off her slippers, and slipped beneath the covers. The mattress sank slightly, and her warmth traveled through the blanket to him.

The room quieted, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner blowing. Tang Wulin turned onto his side and looked at Gu Yue's gentle profile. Under the bedside lamp, her eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes, making her look especially peaceful and lovely.

"Gu Yue," he said softly, "thanks for being with me today."

"What are you thanking me for?" Gu Yue asked with her eyes closed, her voice very quiet.

"Thank you for having a big meal with me, for going shopping with me, for being with me..."

Gu Yue did not open her eyes. Her lips merely curved slightly, as if she were smiling. "It was what I should do."

Gu Yue finally opened her eyes and turned to look at him. In the dim light, her violet eyes were like two deep lakes, quietly reflecting his image.

They looked at each other for several seconds. Something seemed to flow silently through the air. Tang Wulin's face grew a little hot, and he quickly looked away, pretending to study the chandelier on the ceiling.

"Um... Gu Yue, your sleeping posture is terrible. You're always kicking off the blanket." He found a clumsy excuse, while his body involuntarily shifted a little closer to her.

Gu Yue said nothing. She simply watched his face draw nearer without avoiding him.

Just as there was only a fist's distance between them, Tang Wulin suddenly moved! He shot out both arms, grabbed Gu Yue in a hug, then rolled from the head of the bed to the foot like a nimble fish. At the same time, he seized both corners of the blanket and gave them a hard shake!

"Take this! Tang-style secret technique—Spring Roll Seal!"

Gu Yue's vision blurred. Before she could react, she was swept up in the blanket and spun through the air with Tang Wulin's movement before landing heavily at the foot of the bed, rolled into a tightly wrapped "spring roll"!

"Mm!" Gu Yue gave a muffled grunt and tried to struggle, only to find that Tang Wulin had wrapped the blanket around her in several layers at an extremely tricky angle, cocooning her so tightly that she could not move. Even worse, Tang Wulin somehow produced a spare data cable—one he used to bind soul devices, with excellent flexibility—and actually tied off both ends of the "spring roll" like a rice dumpling. He even solemnly tied a dead knot around her rolled-up hands and feet!

"Hahahaha! Gu Yue, Gu Yue! Look! You're now the Supreme Gu Yue-brand Spring Roll!" Tang Wulin sprawled on the bed, laughing so hard that tears nearly came out. He poked the round "spring roll." "How is it? Comfortable? Doesn't it make you feel safe?"

At first, Gu Yue, wrapped inside, was indeed a little surprised. But she soon calmed down. She neither screamed in panic nor tried to force her way free—that would only make the blanket tighter. She simply lay quietly at the center of the "spring roll," feeling the lively heartbeat and laughter that belonged to Tang Wulin from outside.

This feeling... was strange. It was as though he had wrapped her up completely, shutting out everything else in the world until only his scent and warmth remained.

"Tang Wulin," her voice came muffled from inside the blanket, carrying a trace of helplessness, indulgence, and an almost imperceptible smile, "aren't you childish?"

"Not childish! This is called romance! What do you know?" Tang Wulin was still laughing, but after a while, he realized the "spring roll" was no longer struggling or speaking, and began to worry. "Hey, Gu Yue, are you okay? Don't let me squeeze you too hard! I'll untie you right away!"

He hurriedly crawled over and clumsily tried to undo the knot in the data cable. It was a dead knot, and the more anxious he became, the less he could undo it. Soon, sweat covered his forehead.

"Don't move. I'll do it myself." Gu Yue's voice remained calm.

Tang Wulin immediately stopped moving and sat obediently in place.

The round "spring roll" began to roll slowly and rhythmically. One layer, two layers, three layers... the blanket gradually peeled away on its own, revealing Gu Yue's faintly smiling face within. Her movements were elegant, as though she were not breaking free from restraints but performing a silent comedy. Before long, she had rolled out completely unharmed and sat cross-legged on the bed, the untied data cable still in her hand.

"Tang Wulin," she said, shaking the cable at him, "this is your 'romance'?"

Tang Wulin's face instantly flushed red to the tips of his ears. He had been so focused on the prank that he had not considered the consequences at all. Now, seeing Gu Yue sitting there completely unharmed, not only unangered but even teasing him in that tone, he did not know what to do.

"I... I just wanted to tease you..." he stammered. "Who knew you'd cooperate so much and even roll yourself out..."

Seeing his embarrassed expression, the amusement in Gu Yue's eyes deepened. She tossed the cable aside, then suddenly leaned forward and gently pinched Tang Wulin's nose between two fingers.

"Since you have so much energy," she lowered her voice, lacing it with dangerous temptation, "how about we do something more interesting?"

"Huh?" Tang Wulin's mind buzzed, completely crashing. His mouth fell open, but no sound came out. He could only stare blankly at Gu Yue, who was so close. Her face was mere inches from his, her warm breath brushing his cheek. In those violet eyes was no longer her usual coolness or gentleness, but something he had never seen before—fiery passion and... possessiveness.

"Gu Yue, wh-what are you going to do?" He finally found his voice, but it trembled terribly.

Gu Yue did not answer. She merely looked at him as her fingers slowly moved from his nose, over his cheek, and finally stopped beside his lips. Her fingertips were slightly cool and damp from her bath. The instant they touched him, Tang Wulin felt all the blood in his body rush to his head.

At that moment, a shrill car horn suddenly sounded outside the window, breaking the intimate atmosphere in the room. Immediately afterward, a burst of noisy voices rose from the street below, perhaps as the city's nightlife revelry reached its peak.

He awkwardly shrank backward, avoiding Gu Yue's fingers, his face burning red. "Th-then... it's too late. We have to get up early tomorrow to... to eat breakfast! Right, breakfast! Let's sleep first!"

After saying that, he burrowed under the blankets as fast as a startled rabbit, pulling them over his head and leaving only the back of his fluffy-haired head facing Gu Yue.

Seeing him act so obviously guilty, Gu Yue could not help laughing. Her laughter was clear and pleasant, like a string of silver bells echoing through the quiet room.

She did not tease him any further. She simply switched off the bedside lamp, lay down, and pulled the blanket over herself.

In the darkness, Tang Wulin's heartbeat gradually settled. He could feel Gu Yue beside him, breathing evenly, her body relaxed. That brief, heart-pounding exchange of looks just now seemed like an illusion, yet it was vividly imprinted in his mind.

"Good night, Gu Yue," he said.

"Good night, Tang Wulin." Gu Yue's voice was soft, like a breeze brushing across his heart.