118: Stealing half a day of leisure

It was still early after returning from Zhou Mengqi and her group, not even ten o'clock.

When Yu Heng pushed the door open and entered, Bai Xinran was sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

She looked up at him, "You're back."

"Mm." Yu Heng changed his shoes, then went to the kitchen to brew a cup of black tea.

He carried the cup to the sofa and sat down, glancing at the notebook in her hand. "What are you drawing?"

"Just practicing..." Bai Xinran tilted the notebook towards him. On the paper was an anime character Yu Heng hadn't seen before; it was likely her original creation.

Yu Heng blew on his tea, then took a sip.

Ever since his rebirth, life had been fast-paced and busy every day.

It was rare to have nothing to do this weekend, allowing him to steal half a day of leisure.

The living room was quiet, with sunlight slanting in from the balcony, dust motes slowly drifting in the light beams.

He leaned back into the sofa, letting out a long sigh.

Bai Xinran stopped writing and turned to look at him.

He had his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed.

She shifted her position, moving a little closer to him.

"Are you tired?" she asked, her voice softer.

"Not really." Yu Heng opened his eyes, looking at her face as she leaned in. "It's rare to just laze around like this for a bit."

Bai Xinran pursed her lips and smiled, placing her notebook and pen on the coffee table. She slid down, resting her head on his lap.

She had been doing this pose often lately; at first, she was a bit embarrassed, but now it felt much more natural.

Yu Heng didn't move, his fingers casually threading through her hair, stroking it gently.

Her hair had grown quite a bit, the ends brushing his palm, tickling slightly.

"What did you talk about when you went to their place this morning?" Bai Xinran asked.

"We talked about making videos." Yu Heng briefly explained the concept of the Soul Pawnshop.

Bai Xinran listened quietly, blinking. "That sounds interesting. What about me? What can I act in?"

"You?" Yu Heng looked down at her. "You should focus on live streaming first. Let them test the waters."

"Mm..." Bai Xinran replied, not asking anything further.

She didn't really care if she acted or not; she was just looking for something to talk about.

What she cared more about was the movement of his fingers, neither light nor heavy, making her scalp itch slightly, and other places too.

Bai Xinran rubbed against his lap, finding a more comfortable position.

"What do you want for lunch?" he asked.

"Anything," Bai Xinran said. "How about some noodles? Simple."

"Mm." Yu Heng responded, his heart completely focused on the top of her head, gently rubbing it.

Bai Xinran purred softly, like a cat, comfortable under his touch.

Yu Heng heard it and his lips twitched.

He looked down at her; her eyes were closed, her eyelashes long.

Her skin was delicate, her features exquisite, truly a pure-looking face. No one would have thought that this face could also open its mouth and roll its eyes.

Bai Xinran rested on his lap, lulled by his caresses, feeling a bit drowsy.

After an unknown amount of time, he called out, "A Ling..."

"Hm?" Bai Xinran opened her eyes, looking at him in confusion.

"Nothing, it's almost noon."

Bai Xinran pouted, then turned her head back.

Those two rubs made him a bit restless. He patted her back, "Get up, didn't you want to cook noodles?"

She responded, propping herself up. As she left his lap, seemingly by accident, her elbow pressed down.

Yu Heng hissed, grabbing her arm. "On purpose?"

Bai Xinran looked innocent. "What's on purpose? I didn't sit steady."

Yu Heng stared at her for two seconds, then released her hand and slapped her butt. "Go cook the noodles. If they're too salty or too bland, I'll deal with you."

Bai Xinran clutched her butt and hopped two steps away, her eyes curving into a smile. "Got it!"

She turned and walked towards the kitchen, her steps light.

Yu Heng picked up the now-cooled tea and took a large gulp.

Watching her retreating figure, his lips couldn't help but curve. Keeping such a little 'toy' was quite entertaining.

——

Lunch was simple noodles: clear broth with a poached egg, and two drops of sesame oil.

Bai Xinran cooked them, and the seasoning was just right.

But he always needed an excuse to 'deal with' her for the evening's game, so Yu Heng pouted and said, "A bit bland. Just ten counts then."

"Ah?" Bai Xinran frowned. "You're cheating, it's clearly not bland."

Yu Heng suppressed a smile. "I don't care. If I say it's bland, it's bland."

"You're bullying people!" Bai Xinran said, looking wronged.

"No," Yu Heng hummed, shaking his head. "Bullying what?"

Bai Xinran pouted. "You! Are! Bullying! A dog!"

"Haha, alright," Yu Heng pushed his bowl away and leaned back in his chair. "I'm done eating. It's almost time for training."

"Okay," Bai Xinran sipped her noodle soup. "How long will you be gone?"

"Two or three hours, I should be back before five." Yu Heng glanced at the time; it was almost one. "Aren't you live streaming this afternoon?"

"Mm, starting at two today. Stream earlier, finish earlier," Bai Xinran put down her bowl, saying somewhat shyly, "To free up time tonight."

Then she got up to clear the dishes. Yu Heng watched her stack the bowls, carry them into the kitchen, and heard the sound of running water.

He opened his phone; the coach had posted a notification in the training group: gather at the gym at 2 PM for tactical training. He still had about an hour.

Yu Heng walked to the kitchen doorway. Bai Xinran was facing away from him, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her hands in the sink.

Her back was thin, her shoulder blades subtly rising and falling with her movements. Yu Heng walked over, embraced her from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist.

Bai Xinran paused her movements, but didn't turn around, continuing to wash the bowl in her hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice even.

"Nothing." Yu Heng rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

Bai Xinran let him hold her, rinsed the bowl clean, and placed it in the draining rack.

Then she turned off the faucet, dried her hands with a towel, and turned around.

Yu Heng didn't let go, so she leaned against his chest, looking up at him.

"Why don't you take a nap?" she said. "There's still some time before two."

"Not sleepy." Yu Heng lowered his head, touching her lips briefly, a quick, fleeting touch.

Bai Xinran's eyelashes trembled. This was the first time Yu Heng had ever kissed her!

"Then please be careful during your training this afternoon," her heart was racing a bit. "Don't get hurt again."

Yu Heng released her, went upstairs to change into sportswear, and left.

——

Training ended around four in the afternoon. Yu Heng walked out of the gym, narrowing his eyes as he watched Hao Junran and Wang Shuo walking side-by-side ahead.

During training, Yu Heng noticed that whenever Wang Shuo had the ball, he would always pass it to Hao Junran.

Whenever there was a break, Wang Shuo would hand Hao Junran water.

Hao Junran, being slow to react, happily took it and drank, 'Brother, do you know your behind won't be safe?'

Ah, no, Wang Shuo is the 'zero', so his front won't be safe.

He remembered the careful, somewhat hidden look in Wang Shuo's eyes when he looked at Hao Junran, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

It was a complex gaze, wanting but not daring to want, afraid of being discovered if he got close, yet reluctant to stay far away.