kingnovel Chapter 786 GO! GO! GO!
Chapter 786 GO! GO! GO!
After eating their fill and relaxing, the conversation naturally turned back to the "plan" for tomorrow night. The women huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, their faces sometimes flushing red, sometimes unable to suppress a laugh.
Xu Hongdou, with her introverted and composed personality, was chosen to be in charge of "showing off her shoulders"—simply slipping a small section off the edge of the blanket to reveal her smooth shoulders and delicate collarbones, a subtle touch that was enough to spark the imagination.
Chen Nanxing volunteered to take on the task of "showing off her legs." She was quite confident in her leg shape and planned to pretend to turn over when "Miss Liu" came to "check" her out, so that a small section of her smooth and shapely calf would stick out from under the covers, outlining its beautiful lines in the dim light.
As for the "scene setup," the group discussed it for a long time with flushed faces, deciding to sacrifice a few pairs of underwear that they didn't wear often, or those with more...daring styles. They crumpled them up and casually tossed them on the bedside or the back of a chair, creating a messy feeling of "it happened in a hurry and there wasn't time to tidy up." The question of whose underwear to throw and which style to throw involved a little back-and-forth and shy laughter, until they finally reached a consensus: each person would contribute one piece, sharing the spoils equally.
Lin Bufan sat to the side, listening to them discuss these details with great seriousness. He couldn't help but smile, but he had to try to keep it up and nod in agreement, pretending to be serious. Occasionally, he would offer some "professional" suggestions for improvement, such as "the underwear should be a brighter color so that it stands out in dim light" and "the placement of the items should not be too neat; it should be a messy yet orderly arrangement to look real." This earned him a series of embarrassed and annoyed eye rolls from the four women.
……
Unbeknownst to her, the deep inky blackness outside the window gradually faded, revealing a pale, crab-shell-like blue. Chen Nanxing let out a huge yawn, her eyes overflowing with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and muttered, "I can't take it anymore, it's already dawn... I really can't stay awake any longer, I need to go back and catch up on some sleep..."
After a night of commotion, fright, and discussion, and with the comforting warmth of hot rice noodles, the fear of the unknown in the darkness had indeed faded considerably by dawn. The feeling that the sun was about to shine gave one a great sense of security.
Nana rubbed her temples wearily and sighed, "I really want to catch up on my sleep... but I still have to open the restaurant." She looked at Chen Nanxing, Xu Hongdou, and Da Mai with envy and helplessness in her eyes.
Xu Hongdou patted Nana's hand and said gently, "You've worked hard, Nana. We support you in spirit."
Chen Nanxing waved her hand weakly: "I can't help you, sister, but I'll give you a little encouragement..."
The group cleared away the dishes and quietly returned to their rooms. Lin Bufan also yawned and headed towards his room, number five. Just as he opened the door, a figure squeezed in after him.
Lin Bufan turned around and looked at Chen Nanxing, who looked tired but stubbornly followed behind him. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Nanxing, did you come to the wrong room? This is room number 5. Room number 6 is next door."
Chen Nanxing walked straight to the bedside, kicked off his shoes, lifted the covers and crawled in, leaving only his head sticking out. His voice was muffled, carrying an undeniable domineering tone: "Stop talking nonsense. You're not allowed to leave the room before I wake up, understand?"
Chen Nanxing had her eyes closed, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. Her cheeks still bore the faint trace of fatigue from staying up all night, but her tone was fierce, like an order, yet also carrying a hint of barely perceptible dependence.
Lin Bufan looked at the small bulge on the bed and chuckled. He shook his head, walked to the bedside, gently tucked the blanket around her, and whispered, "Okay, I'll stay here. Go to sleep."
Chen Nanxing let out a soft "hmm" through his nose, his body relaxed, and his breathing quickly became even and long.
Chen Nanxing's breathing gradually deepened, and she soon fell asleep. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Lin Bufan breathed a sigh of relief. Under normal circumstances, he would naturally be happy to stay here and watch over her, but this was clearly not a normal time—in the next room, number six, there was a beautiful woman who was still shaken and probably not asleep, waiting for him to sing her a "lullaby."
After waiting a few more minutes and confirming that Chen Nanxing was fast asleep, Lin Bufan tiptoed up, quietly opened the door, slipped out, and then very slowly closed the door behind him.
He walked to the door of room number six and listened carefully. It was quiet inside, but his intuition told him that the person inside was not asleep.
Pushing the door open a crack, the room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the gaps. Xu Hongdou was indeed awake; she lay flat on the bed, her eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling, her face bearing the traces of fatigue from staying up all night and a hint of barely perceptible unease.
Hearing the door open, she turned around abruptly. Seeing Lin Bufan push the door open and come in, a fleeting look of joy and relief, which she herself was unaware of, flashed across her eyes. But then, that light was deliberately suppressed, replaced by a look of disdain and sarcasm.
"Oh, what a rare guest." Xu Hongdou turned her head back, continuing to look at the ceiling, her voice indifferent, revealing no emotion: "Why did you come over? Aren't you keeping your precious Nanxing company? Wasn't she so scared that she needed you to watch over her to sleep?"
Lin Bufan closed the door behind him, his usual playful smile plastered on his face, and sidled up to the bedside: "What are you saying? Nanxing was just worried that you'd be scared and couldn't sleep alone, so she specially sent me over to check on you."
"Heh." Xu Hongdou snorted coldly, her sarcasm even more pronounced: "She's worried about me? If she were really worried about me, would she have left me here all alone? What a womanizer." These words seemed to be directed at Chen Nanxing, but her eyes glanced sideways at Lin Bufan, hinting at something else.
Lin Bufan wasn't annoyed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch her face. "Alright, alright, look at you. You haven't slept all night. Your dark circles are practically down to your chin. Hurry up and close your eyes for a while. It's almost dawn."
Xu Hongdou turned her head away from Lin Bufan's hand and glared at him: "What are you doing? Who told you to sit on my bed? Get out, get out, I want to sleep." As she spoke, she deliberately moved to the side to draw a line.
"I'm just here to sleep with you." Lin Bufan's skin was as thick as a city wall. As he spoke, he quickly kicked off his shoes, lifted the covers, and crawled inside.
"Hey! Lin Bufan! Who let you up here! Get down!" Xu Hongdou was both surprised and embarrassed. She lowered her voice and scolded him, pushing him with her hands and feet.
Lin Bufan ignored her, stretching out his long arm to pull her, blanket and all, into his embrace, holding her tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice softening, almost coaxing: "Stop fooling around, Hongdou, go to sleep, okay? Look, your hands are cold, you must have been scared. I'm here, it's alright, go to sleep..."
Xu Hongdou struggled a few times at first, but Lin Bufan held her tightly. His warm, firm embrace and deep voice seemed to have a calming magic. Perhaps she was really tired after a night of tossing and turning, or perhaps the lingering fear in her heart really needed support. Her struggles gradually weakened, and her body slowly relaxed, her stiff back softening little by little in his arms.
She didn't speak again, but buried her face in his chest, her breath filled with his fresh, clean scent, mixed with a faint night's coolness. After a while, a barely audible sigh came from his arms, and then her breathing finally became long and even, her furrowed brows relaxed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Bufan looked down at Xu Hongdou, who had quieted down in his arms, a slight smile playing on his lips. He adjusted to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. The sky outside the window was gradually brightening.
As for why we didn't try to appease the barley?
Are you kidding me? !
DaMai writes novels!
Don't you know that novel authors are immune to all poisons?
Why would someone need to comfort them?
……
The afternoon sun at five o'clock had lost its scorching heat and become warm and gentle, casting dappled light and shadow on the cement floor through the wooden lattice window of the kitchen. Lin Bufan, wearing a dark blue apron, was busy at the stove. The hot oil in the pan sizzled, and with a flick of his wrist, a handful of bright green vegetables slid into the pan, sending up plumes of white smoke carrying the aroma of the wok, which immediately filled the air.
Footsteps came from behind, very light, with a hint of drowsiness from just waking up. Lin Bufan didn't turn around, continuing to stir-fry the vegetables in the pan. A warm, soft body pressed against him from behind, arms encircling his waist, and cheek against his back.
"What delicious food are you making?" Chen Nanxing's voice was still hoarse from just waking up, muffled and husky.
"Awake?" Lin Bufan turned his head and rubbed his chin against the top of her head. "Stir-fry some vegetables, make a soup, and stir-fry some meat. Are you hungry?"
"Mmm..." Chen Nanxing snuggled against Lin Bufan's back like a satisfied cat: "Slept so soundly, it was almost dark when I woke up. Where's Hongdou? Still sleeping?"
"They should be awake soon." Lin Bufan turned off the stove, plated the stir-fried vegetables, and said, "Go wash your face and refresh yourself. Dinner will be served right away."
Chen Nanxing said "Oh," let go of his hand, and shuffled towards the sink in his slippers. Just as he turned on the tap, the door to room number six creaked open.
Xu Hongdou came out. She had changed into a light beige loungewear set, her hair loosely tied back, revealing her smooth forehead. She still looked sleepy, with faint dark circles under her eyes, but compared to her morning anxiety, her expression was much calmer now. She paused briefly when she saw Lin Bufan and Chen Nanxing in the kitchen, then walked over as if nothing had happened.
"Did you sleep well?" Lin Bufan turned around and smiled at Xu Hongdou.
Xu Hongdou hummed in agreement, walked to the dining table, poured herself a glass of water, sipped it, her gaze sweeping over Lin Bufan's busy back, then over Chen Nanxing who was washing his face, without saying anything more.
Not long after, Da Mai also came out of the room, rubbing her eyes. She looked the worst; her eyes were a little swollen, and her face was pale. She clearly hadn't slept well, probably because she was still disturbed by the "Miss Liu" incident.
"DaMai, didn't you sleep well?" Nana's voice came from the courtyard gate. She was carrying a small bag, and her face showed signs of fatigue from a busy day; she had obviously just returned from the restaurant.
Da Mai nodded with a pained expression: "I keep thinking about tonight... I'm a little scared."
Nana came over, patted her on the shoulder, and comforted her, "Don't scare yourself. We've already made plans, haven't we? It'll be alright."
Lin Bufan brought out the last dish—a steaming hot and fragrant mushroom and chicken soup—to the table. He took off his apron and called out, "Come and eat, everyone. You'll have the energy to sleep soundly together when you're full."
"Pah! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth." Chen Nanxing spat, and the women all rolled their eyes at Lin Bufan.
The five people sat around a table to eat. Compared to usual, this meal was unusually quiet.
Da Mai seemed preoccupied, only taking a few bites before stopping; Nana glanced frequently at the darkening sky outside the window; Xu Hongdou ate slowly, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused; Chen Nanxing had a good appetite, but dared not laugh and talk loudly as usual. Lin Bufan, on the other hand, appeared completely at ease, even eating an extra half bowl of rice.
After clearing away the dishes, Lin Bufan clapped his hands and said, "Alright, we've eaten, and it's getting dark. Everyone, get ready and head back to your rooms."
These words caused the previously peaceful atmosphere to freeze for a moment.
Nana picked up a rag and slowly wiped the already clean tabletop: "What's the rush? It's only a little past seven, there's still plenty of time."
“Exactly,” Chen Nanxing chimed in, glancing towards the doorway. “I think the moonlight is quite nice tonight. How about… we sit in the courtyard for a while, have some tea, and chat?”
Even Da Mai chimed in softly, "Yeah, it's not comfortable to lie down right after eating."
Xu Hongdou didn't say anything, but just rolled her eyes at Lin Bufan!
Lin Bufan watched them make excuses to delay, and he knew exactly what was going on. He sighed deliberately, his expression turning serious, and lowered his voice: "Ladies, I know you're embarrassed, but..."
Lin Bufan paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces: "Don't forget, Miss Liu has been waiting for over three hundred years. Her obsession runs deep. Who knows if she might get impatient and come early? You know, some people can't even wait three minutes, let alone over three hundred years?"
The four women thought about it carefully and felt that what Lin Bufan said made a lot of sense. Three hundred years is a long time. Who wouldn't be anxious?
Seeing that the atmosphere was quite right, Lin Bufan immediately instructed, "So, we need to make arrangements in advance to wait for the enemy to attack. This isn't about being impatient; it's about being prepared for any eventuality and strategically taking the enemy seriously. Hurry up, everyone go back to your rooms, grab the props we discussed yesterday, and meet in room five. Remember, be quick and stylish! GO! GO! GO!"
After being coaxed and threatened by Lin Bufan, the four girls could no longer find a reason to delay. They looked at each other, and finally, under Lin Bufan's "urging" gaze, their faces flushed, they sneaked back to their rooms one by one like thieves.
A moment later, the door to room number five was gently pushed open a crack.
Chen Nanxing was the first to slip in, clutching a small cloth bag in her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Next up was Nana, carrying an opaque eco-friendly bag, her eyes looking a little unfocused.
Xu Hongdou followed behind her, her hands were empty, but her ears were flushed with a suspicious blush.
Da Mai was the last to dawdle in, clutching a cartoon-patterned toiletry bag tightly in her arms, her head bowed low.