Chapter 11: Morning Awakening

A rustling sound came from the bedding, and the arms wrapped around her loosened slightly. Without turning back, Lin Ziyao asked, ‘Awake?’

‘Mmm,’ came the reply, laced with the drowsy satisfaction of a deep sleep. Every muscle in her body had relaxed, and Qin Yu, who hadn’t experienced such profound rest in ages, felt her spirits renewed. She fixed her suspicious gaze on the space within her embrace.

Could it be the comfort of holding something that led to this?

Other than in her childhood, Qin Yu had never remembered sleeping with anything in her arms. This new experience made her consider buying a plush toy to cuddle with next time she had the chance.

‘How much longer are you going to hold me?’ The voice from her embrace belonged to Lin Ziyao, whose personality was as fickle as a kitten. She would curl up contentedly during sleep but become restless and unruly the moment she woke, wanting nothing more than to escape from your grasp.

This behavior prompted Qin Yu to tighten her hold. ‘Didn’t you climb into bed with me last night?’

‘Well…’ Lin Ziyao hesitated, her struggle weakening. She couldn’t very well explain that it was all due to a system task. If she did, her fate would be even worse, and Qin Yu would likely think she was a delusional teenager.

‘Oh? And what was that?’ Qin Yu’s curiosity piqued, wanting to know the reason.

‘It’s because… it was nighttime!’ Lin Ziyao gritted her teeth, forcing out each word. ‘Now it’s morning, and we need to hurry or else we’ll be late!’

However, Qin Yu seemed to ignore her words, continuing as she pleased. ‘What do you think they’ll think if they walk in and see us like this?’

What could they think? Two girls sharing a bed could only mean one thing—intimacy.

‘Remember when the show first started? What did you do?’ Seeing Lin Ziyao’s silence, Qin Yu prodded, ‘You were the one who suggested we create a fake couple, yet now you act like you didn’t know.’

Lin Ziyao’s eyes widened in confusion. Then, it dawned on her: when the show began, she had suggested they pretend to be a couple, and if their current state was discovered, wouldn’t it fit her original plan?

Wait! I just wanted her to use my thigh as a pillow!

Realizing the misunderstanding, Lin Ziyao saw that from Qin Yu’s perspective, their current appearance would be perfect for a scandalous story. This thought made her desperate to escape Qin Yu’s embrace, fearing they would be discovered at any moment.

Yet despite Qin Yu’s slender, cool arms, Lin Ziyao couldn’t break free. In her frantic struggle, she nearly undid the buttons of her nightgown.

‘What do you want from me!’ Lin Ziyao was on the verge of tears, worried that if they were seen, there would be no explaining it.

Qin Yu, with an air of nonchalance, replied, ‘Beg me.’

‘…’ Lin Ziyao fell silent, and Qin Yu wondered if she had gone too far.

‘Please…’ Lin Ziyao murmured.

‘What?’

‘Please, Qin Yu!’ Her soft, pleading voice, tinged with urgency, sounded like a coquettish plea, causing Qin Yu’s heart to flutter. Her arms unconsciously loosened.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Ziyao slipped out of her embrace, not looking back once.

‘Qin Yu, just wait!’ She flung a parting shot over her shoulder as she left, the warmth of the bedding fading away, leaving Qin Yu alone.

When the two descended the stairs, everyone was already in the dining room, enjoying the breakfast prepared by the production team. Fresh bread, milk, soy milk, and fried dough sticks were all bought fresh by the team, as these items didn’t keep well for a week.

‘Ziyao, you’re awake?’ Feng Qiqi greeted her. Since agreeing to help her with the sheet music, Feng Qiqi found Lin Ziyao increasingly charming.

‘Qiqi Sister!’ Lin Ziyao returned the greeting and took her seat.

‘Soy milk or milk?’ Dai Wen asked, holding a cup.

‘Soy milk, please. I’m past the age of drinking milk in the morning,’ Lin Ziyao said, recalling a time when she was shorter, and her family insisted on making her drink a glass of milk every morning.

Feng Qiqi, overhearing this, glanced at her own milk and then at Lin Ziyao’s figure, her mind filling with a newfound disdain.

Dai Wen poured a cup of soy milk for Lin Ziyao. Meanwhile, Qin Yu made a belated appearance. Lin Ziyao had noticed her being called away by a staff member, so she asked curiously, ‘Was there something important?’

First, Qin Yu thanked Dai Wen for the milk, then explained to Lin Ziyao, ‘The staff wanted to collect the camera from the room. They asked if I could go with them, and since there was nothing urgent, I accompanied them.’

At the mention of the camera, Lin Ziyao recalled Qin Yu’s actions from the night before: ‘Didn’t you turn off the power and unplug the data cable?’

‘The staff mentioned they set the camera to automatically turn on in the morning, capturing the guests’ waking moments,’ Qin Yu casually replied, sipping her milk.

‘What?!’

Lin Ziyao’s exclamation caught everyone’s attention, their heads turning to see what had happened.

‘Don’t worry, I checked the footage. Nothing was recorded. I made the staff delete the morning’s recording right in front of me, and since they didn’t have the data cable connected, there’s no backup,’ Qin Yu said calmly, recounting the events.

‘Is that true?’ Lin Ziyao still seemed skeptical, stealing a glance at Qin Yu with a mix of caution and hope.

‘Of course,’ Qin Yu replied confidently, her demeanor putting Lin Ziyao at ease, allowing her to enjoy the meal.

‘We need to film some segments of the guests waking up. If we delete everything, we’ll have nothing to show for it!’ Xiao Li faced the demanding Qin Yu, his expression troubled.

‘You never mentioned that the camera was set to automatically turn on in the morning,’ Qin Yu countered, playing with the camera in front of her. As soon as she heard about the automatic setting, she realized the gravity of the situation.

‘If only I had unplugged the data cable, the footage wouldn’t have transferred to the computer…’ Qin Yu, who appeared gentle to Lin Ziyao, was actually tough when dealing with Xiao Li, who felt powerless and guilty. He vowed to find the person responsible for forgetting to inform Qin Yu and deduct their entire bonus.

‘However, I’m not unreasonable. Bring me my phone and computer,’ Qin Yu said, skillfully removing the camera’s memory card.

After editing the footage on her own devices, she returned the memory card to Xiao Li, inquiring, ‘Are you sure there are no backups?’

‘None,’ Xiao Li confirmed.

Qin Yu nodded. ‘Then I suggest you don’t keep any, or you might face legal consequences.’

With that, Qin Yu and Xiao Li exited the room.

‘Oh, and Xiao Li,’ Qin Yu added, ‘I won’t make things difficult for you. There are still some morning clips that should suffice.’

Xiao Li opened the camera to verify, seeing only Qin Yu alone in the footage. He sighed in relief, finally having something to present. In his haste, he didn’t notice the unusual bulge in the blankets.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu played a voice clip on her phone, repeatedly listening to the words, ‘Please, Qin Yu!’