027 – Sleepless at Midnight

"It's already nine o'clock, and he still hasn't come home. I can't reach him at all..."
"What?!" Xia Yuwei hadn't even realized she was already on her feet. He left her place at noon and hasn't come back yet? What happened? Was it because she was particularly harsh with him today...? The thought sent a cold sweat running down her back.
She hung up, her mind growing even more restless. She dialed Lu Yichen's phone, but all she got was the cold, automated message: "The number you have dialed is currently powered off..."
Now, fruit was the last thing on her mind. She couldn't even sit still, pacing restlessly about the room.
She took a shower, changed into her nightdress, and lay in bed, tossing and turning, completely unable to sleep.
She closed her eyes, opened them again, closed them once more, only to open them yet again... Irritation gnawed at her.
All she wanted was for him to be safe, for the phone to ring, and for it to be his call—she needed to know he was all right...
Her mind was in utter chaos.
Midnight had come and gone. Still, Xia Yuwei lay in a tangle of anxiety and unrest, unable to sleep.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang—a crisp "ding-dong" that cut clearly through the stillness of the night.
She sprang from bed, ran a hand through her hair, and walked out. Who could possibly be knocking at this hour? Could it be her parents, back to surprise her?
Squinting, she switched on the living room light and asked in a sleepy voice, "Who is it?"
Silence answered her. The unexpected quiet unsettled Xia Yuwei, and a flicker of fear crept in—after all, she was alone. What if...
Summoning her courage, she tiptoed to the door and peeked through the spyhole.
Lu Yichen?!
Excitement surged through her, sweeping away caution. She flung open the main door and, with only the security gate between them, began to scold him, "Lu Yichen, where have you been? Why was your phone off? Why did you just disappear..."
As she spoke, she unlocked the security gate with a flourish and reached out to pull him inside, as if afraid he might vanish again.
"I..." Lu Yichen stepped through the door but didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he simply reached out and wrapped his arms around Xia Yuwei's waist, pressing her face gently to his chest.
The gesture was so natural, and Xia Yuwei had never minded it before, but after the day's quarrel, she stiffened a little. In a low voice, she said, "Yichen, don't..."
Sensing her tension, he obediently let her go. That's when they both realized: Xia Yuwei was wearing a short, low V-neck nightdress, her arms and long legs bare, and, to make matters worse, she wasn't wearing a bra beneath it. From above, it was possible to glimpse...
The realization brought a flush to both their faces. Lu Yichen averted his gaze, and Xia Yuwei instinctively tugged at her neckline.