Chapter 81: Because She's Love-Struck, Her Boyfriend's Madness Doesn't Matter (13)

Bai Yao’s delicate sobs rang out. “If I have to sleep alone at night when it’s all dark, I’ll be too scared to fall asleep!”

Hearing her cry, Lu Sheng panicked, and before his mind could catch up, the words spilled from his lips: “I’ll sleep with you tonight!”

Bai Yao immediately looked up. “Alright!”

Her eyes curved into a smile, clear and bright, showing no sign of tears.

Lu Sheng fell silent.

She tugged at his hand. “Then let’s go to your place. You made cake for me, didn’t you? Wait a moment, let me grab my clothes for after my shower.”

She dashed back to her apartment and quickly reappeared with a bag, taking the still-dazed Lu Sheng by the hand and leading him toward his home.

When they reached his door, Lu Sheng fumbled for the keys several times before finally managing to unlock it. Just as he pushed the door open, something suddenly occurred to him.

Bai Yao had just stepped forward when he pulled her back. She looked up at him, displeased.

Standing at the threshold, Lu Sheng forced a smile. “My place is a mess, Yao Yao, wait here a moment.”

He darted inside and closed the door.

A breeze stirred her hair as she crossed her arms, staring at the shut door, suspicion flickering in her eyes.

But soon enough, Lu Sheng opened the door and ushered her into the bright apartment.

The living room was tidy and orderly, warmly lit, no different from any ordinary home—in fact, it was exactly like her own.

Standing in his house, Bai Yao had the illusion she was standing in her own. She exclaimed, “Wow, Lu Sheng, your place is arranged just like mine!”

He smiled sincerely. “All the apartments in this community have the same layout, I suppose.”

“But your furniture is exactly the same as mine too.”

He hesitated. “Well, that’s because…”

She laughed, delighted. “We must be soulmates, right?”

Lu Sheng nodded. “Right!”

Since the layout was identical, Bai Yao naturally knew where the bathroom was. As she headed that way, she called out, “I’m exhausted after a whole day of classes. I’ll shower before having some cake.”

Just as her hand touched the bathroom doorknob, Lu Sheng suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly pressed down on her hand. “Yao Yao!”

His sudden cry made her ears sting. She frowned, annoyed and puzzled. “What now?”

He forced a smile, scooped her up, and carried her to the dining table, setting her gently on a chair. “This is my first time making dessert. I can’t wait for you to try it and tell me what you think. Have some cake before your shower.”

She sat down, and a beautifully presented strawberry cake appeared on the table, decorated with fresh berries. Her appetite awakened, she picked up a spoon and tasted the creamy cake. The sweet flavor spread in her mouth, making her narrow her eyes in bliss.

Lu Sheng hovered nearby like a timid bride, asking nervously, “Is it good?”

She nodded earnestly. “Delicious!”

Relieved, he smiled again. “Then enjoy. I’ll go tidy up a bit.”

“Alright!” she replied with a smile.

Lu Sheng hurried into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, though Bai Yao had no idea what he was tidying. Still, she could imagine—boys who live alone might have things they don’t want others to see: perhaps some risqué magazines, or piles of unwashed socks and clothes.

But somehow, Lu Sheng didn’t seem the type.

When Bai Yao had finished her cake, he emerged from the bathroom, now ready. He personally escorted her to the shower. As she closed the bathroom door, he glanced anxiously upstairs, remembering something in his bedroom, and rushed upstairs as quickly as possible.

After her shower, Bai Yao changed into fresh clothes and let down her hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed tiny holes in the bathroom wall. She walked over to examine them—like nails had been hammered there.

Had something been hung on the wall?

She touched her chin, but couldn’t figure it out and let the matter drop.

Opening the door, she stepped out, just as Lu Sheng swooped in like a gust of wind.

He wore a bright smile. “I poured you a glass of milk, Yao Yao. Would you like some?”

She grinned. “Yes!”

She skipped to the sofa, sat down, and took a sip of the milk waiting on the coffee table.

Behind her, Lu Sheng leaned against the wall, catching his breath as if he’d just finished a herculean task. But when Bai Yao glanced over, he immediately straightened up, his face breaking into a sunny smile.

She beamed back. “Lu Sheng, you’re so kind!”

Her words seemed to sweep away all his exhaustion; he felt energized, though, truthfully, he was a little uneasy.

Bai Yao curled up on the sofa, watching TV. Another missing person case flashed on the news, but she was uninterested and switched channels out of boredom. Just then, she heard the sound of Lu Sheng, fresh from his own shower, opening the door. She tossed aside the remote and slumped back, feigning drowsiness.

As expected, he approached gently and scooped her up. She caught the scent of milk and shower gel, and felt utterly at peace.

Feigning drowsiness, she opened her eyes, rubbing them and murmured his name. “Lu Sheng…”

He carried her upstairs. “It’s late, Yao Yao. Let me take you to bed.”

Nestled in his arms, she was reminded of when he’d heroically saved her earlier that day—the scent of him was intoxicating. She wasn’t sure if she’d fallen victim to the bridge effect, but she just knew she found him irresistibly attractive—she wanted him.

Alone together, Lu Sheng was no fool. Her charm was undeniable; if something happened between them, it would be only natural.

But instead, he set her gently on the bed, tucked her in, and prepared to leave.

Bai Yao immediately grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll sleep in the room next door,” he replied.

Her expression changed. “You’re not sleeping with me?”

Lu Sheng’s cheeks flushed crimson, and he stammered, “Yao Yao, th-this isn’t proper, is it?”

She sat up, fixing him with a stern gaze, as if interrogating a suspect. “What’s improper about it?”

“I-I asked for advice…” Not just his face, but his entire body seemed to burn, though he tried to explain. “Boyfriends and girlfriends have to date for thirty years before they can… before they can sleep together…”

Bai Yao nearly lost her breath. “Where did you get that advice?”

He ducked his head, embarrassed. “The owner of the noodle shop.”

That owner was the community’s longest-standing resident, and Lu Sheng had naturally gone to him for guidance.

The owner had said that if a boy rushed intimacy with his girlfriend, she’d think him frivolous. At the very least, he should wait thirty years to prove his sincerity. So Lu Sheng had always tried hard to restrain himself.

“Does the owner have a partner?” Bai Yao asked.

Lu Sheng shook his head.

“He doesn’t even have a girlfriend, and you believe him?”

Lu Sheng froze. Right—he was the only one in the community with a partner. Why did he ask for romantic advice from a bunch of lonely old men?

Suddenly, Bai Yao yanked him onto the bed. Like a bandit snatching a bride, she straddled his waist and began to undress him.

As her hand moved downward, Lu Sheng clutched his waistband tightly, too nervous to form a sentence. “Y-Yao Yao… I-I haven’t learned this yet!”

He’d only ever been self-taught for his own amusement, never learning more. He’d glimpsed some Japanese movies at the noodle shop, the kind others watched with relish, but had found them distasteful and missed his chance to learn.

Bai Yao lifted his chin with one hand, her eyes glinting with mischief, allure, and undisguised hunger. “You don’t need to learn, man—just feel it with your body.”

Lu Sheng’s heart pounded wildly. Caught off guard, his defenses fell in an instant.

In the heated room, their breaths mingled, only the boy’s helpless voice could be faintly heard.

“Yao Yao!”

“Not there… not there!”

“Don’t, don’t touch…”

Before long, their positions shifted, and his voice changed as well.

Caught in a fever, he trembled and whispered, “Yao Yao, one more time, please… can I go faster?”

Someone raised the blanket, and the two of them tumbled together in their small, private world.

Outside, the Rainflower Community was suddenly plunged into darkness, house lights and streetlamps flaring and then failing under the strain of some overwhelming power.

The group chat instantly erupted.

[What the heck! My lights just exploded!]
[I was stewing meat! My rice cooker just blew up!]
[What the heck! My chainsaw was charging and just got fried!]
[Which lunatic couldn’t control their power and had a meltdown?!]

Amidst the complaints, a different message appeared.

Xiaoxiong: [I saw big sister go into the blond brother’s house.]

The chat fell silent.

After a while, someone wrote: [He’s not still a virgin, is he?]

A moment later, that message was withdrawn and replaced with: [Don’t you dare tell him I said he’s a virgin in the group.]

In the pitch-dark house, a pallid little boy squatted on the stairs, hugging a black kitten as he stared at his phone’s screen. A sharp intelligence flickered in his eyes.

Are all the monsters in this community idiots?