It was like the sound of someone climbing over and landing.
Cui Jintang's heart tightened suddenly. Her right hand hidden in the brocade quilt unconsciously reached for the dagger under the pillow.
The cold touch reassured her a bit.
The figure at the window paused for a moment and carefully identified the direction in the darkness.
Then, tiptoeing, it came straight towards her.
"Who!" She almost blurted out the words, but swallowed them back at the last moment.
Cui Jintang's five senses became extremely sharp at this moment.
She could even hear the faint sound of the person's boots rubbing against the blue bricks.
And there was a faint... scent of medicine?
Cui Jintang frowned slightly.
She lay quietly on the carved canopy bed, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
By now, she could feel that the person was standing beside her bed.
A small shadow was cast on her face.
When the visitor lifted a corner of the bed curtain, Cui Jintang only felt a cool breeze brush across her face, causing a series of tiny shivers all over her body.
She closed her eyes tightly but could feel a powerful gaze fixed on her face, scrutinizing her carefully.
Cui Jintang tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand.
Dozens of names flashed through her mind.
Was it the clan elder? Huang Zuoshi? Or...
"Still sleeping so restlessly?"
A low and familiar voice suddenly rang in her ear.
Cui Jintang's heart skipped a beat. She tried hard to keep her breathing even.
— How could it be Pei Zhaolin?
Did he suspect her and Jiang Wu's identities? Or...
She was so deep in thought that when Pei Zhaolin carefully pushed aside the stray hairs on her neck, Cui Jintang unconsciously turned her face away.
The touch that remained on her cheek lingered.
Cui Jintang clenched her fist and tried hard not to show any reaction.
But the next moment, she felt a warm drop of liquid fall on her neck.
Before Cui Jintang could think, she felt a cool ointment being gently spread on her neck.
Pei Zhaolin's movements were incredibly gentle.
But it made Cui Jintang feel an inexplicable uneasiness.
These hands. During the day when she was still Jiang Wu, Pei Zhaolin's face was calm, almost perfect, with a chilling determination as he clamped her neck tightly like a pair of iron pincers.
But now they were gently caressing her skin. This contrast made Cui Jintang's heart almost stop.
"Don't hurt yourself anymore."
There seemed to be a hint of suppressed pain in Pei Zhaolin's voice.
But his movements of applying the medicine were still gentle.
His warm fingertips gently brushed over her wound. Cui Jintang could even feel the tremor of his fingertips.
Pei Zhaolin was afraid.
But...
Why?
She frowned slightly, pretending to be in a nightmare and looking very uncomfortable.
Her breathing also became uneven, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow.
Cui Jintang unconsciously murmured and accidentally turned over, hiding most of her face in the soft pillow.
"Don't... don't go..."
She murmured indistinctly, deliberately adding a barely perceptible tremor to her voice.
Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyes opened a tiny slit.
The man in front of her was instantly flustered and at a loss because of her murmur.
The medicine jar in his hand almost dropped.
Pei Zhaolin let out a long breath and slowly leaned down.
His gaze fell on Cui Jintang's face, which was a bit distorted as it was pressed against the pillow.
Even though it was almost autumn, the night was still hot.
The hair on Cui Jintang's forehead was damp with sweat and stuck to her pale skin.
Her lips were slightly pale and nervously pursed.
"I won't go. I'll stay right here." He replied in a low voice, his voice full of comfort.
The next moment, Cui Jintang felt his fingertips gently brush across her frowning eyebrows and was smoothed out by his thumb.
"Go to sleep, Tangtang."
His voice suddenly became low, with a reassuring gentleness.
Pei Zhaolin's call of "Tangg tang" made Cui Jintang seem to be back in the past all of a sudden.
Her heart tightened suddenly, and she felt that all the blood in her body was boiling.
Cui Jintang suddenly opened her eyes.
At this moment, she seemed to really wake up from a nightmare, her chest heaving violently.
Pei Zhaolin's hand, which was about to withdraw, froze in mid - air.
Their eyes met. She stared blankly at him, her pupils slightly dilated, with a hint of probing in her eyes.
"Pei Zhaolin?"
She watched as Pei Zhaolin froze all over and then quickly regained his composure.
He calmly called her: "Miss Cui."
Cui Jintang immediately calmed down.
Pei Zhaolin didn't remember their memories.
Then why did he call her by her boudoir name?
Was he being a hooligan?
What on earth did Pei Zhaolin mean!
Cui Jintang frowned. She had to find out.
Pei Zhaolin's Adam's apple rolled. Under her gaze, his cold expression could hardly be maintained.
He got up and was about to leave: "I accidentally broke in tonight. I can explain clearly..."
"It's really you..."
Cui Jintang's sorrow - filled words made his heart tighten.
He hesitated and looked at her.
Meeting the grief in her eyes, Pei Zhaolin's heart suddenly contracted.
Those eyes that always held a sly smile were now filled with tears, making his heart tighten inexplicably.
Cui Jintang's voice choked. She reached out her hand to him. As she moved, her sleeve was pulled, revealing the terrifying red mark on her wrist.
The surprise in her eyes was mixed with deeper sadness: "You're finally willing to see me in my dream."
Pei Zhaolin's Adam's apple rolled. A strange emotion exploded in his chest.
The sadness in her eyes was so intense that it seemed as if he was really her long - awaited lover.
The sadness was mixed with longing and a heart - breaking grievance.
"Tangg tang..." He called out subconsciously.
His voice was lower than usual. His fingertips uncontrollably reached out half an inch and then stopped abruptly just as they were about to touch her cheek.
Cui Jintang lowered her eyes and directly pressed her cheek against his hand.
"Stay with me a little longer, okay?"
Seeing that he was still struggling in his heart and dared not step forward, Cui Jintang suddenly raised her face and smiled at him.
As she smiled, a tear slid down the corner of her eye.
"After this dream, I'll slowly let go of my liking for you."
"I won't cause you any trouble."
"Can't you even stay with me for a little while in this dream..."
She sobbed softly, her voice full of brokenness: "I won't cause you any trouble. I won't like you anymore..."
Cui Jintang's eyelashes fluttered. A teardrop hung on the corner of her eye, about to fall but not yet.
Pei Zhaolin reached out and gently held her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.
His movements were gentle as if he was treating a fragile treasure, but also carried a kind of dominance that didn't allow her to escape.
"Look at me." He said in a low voice, his voice full of temptation, "Look at me, Tangtang."
His palm fit the curve of her cheek, and his thumb gently stroked her soft lips.
The movement was gentle, almost pious, but also carried a kind of terrifying paranoia.
Cui Jintang's pupils dilated slightly. This Pei Zhaolin made her feel extremely familiar.
Pei Zhaolin's breathing became slightly rapid. He leaned forward, his nose almost touching hers.
"Keep liking me."
His voice suddenly became low and paranoid.
"Please."