Volume One, Chapter 33: Excessive

Song Qingyu hadn’t shared a bed with anyone for many years. It was also her first time encountering someone who sleepwalked; she had no idea what to do.

Pei Jingmo was already sound asleep, his breathing steady and even, while her heart raced as if struck by electricity. Shocked and utterly still, she dared not move. She tried to slip away unnoticed, but as soon as she made a move, Pei Jingmo held her even tighter.

Song Qingyu thought to herself: This is it—I’m definitely not sleeping tonight.

After two minutes, sensing that the person in his arms was motionless, the man who had seemed fast asleep opened his eyes. His dark gaze lingered on the woman sleeping sweetly in his embrace; Pei Jingmo curled his lips in a smile, couldn’t resist kissing her again, and then drifted off to sleep.

Today, she was to start work at Tianqi Group, so Song Qingyu had set her alarm for seven thirty. When it went off, she groggily opened her eyes to find Pei Jingmo already gone. She’d slept so deeply that she didn’t even know when he’d left. Had he left while awake, or still sleepwalking?

She got up and walked out of the room, just in time to run into Pei Jingmo, who was about to leave.

“Morning.”

“Oh, morning.”

“I’m heading to work. Breakfast is on the table—don’t forget to eat.”

“Alright.”

Seeing Pei Jingmo act as usual, as if nothing had happened the night before, Song Qingyu breathed a slight sigh of relief. Otherwise, it would have been far too awkward.

The entire twelfth floor of Tianqi Group housed the gaming department. On her first day, Xie Changhe personally showed Song Qingyu and Lu Yuan around. Song Qingyu caught sight of several posters for popular games on the market, her heart surging with excitement. She longed for the day when the poster for “Interpreter” would hang there as well.

The higher-ups had issued a directive: “Interpreter” would be the key project for the quarter. To that end, Xie Changhe gathered the entire department for a meeting. Song Qingyu witnessed the company’s formidable planning and execution, and felt invigorated as if she’d been injected with adrenaline.

All her energy went into her work, and by the time she left the Tianqi building at the end of the day, she felt utterly drained. Yet, no matter how exhausted she was, seeing someone waiting for her at home brought her a measure of comfort.

That evening, Song Qingyu didn’t turn in early. She was tired, sitting on the sofa, half-dazed, wondering whether Pei Jingmo could possibly sleepwalk every night. Then, the bedroom door swung open, and Pei Jingmo walked in once more.

She sprang to her feet instantly.

Just like the previous night, he headed straight for the bed. Song Qingyu thought, if he took her bed, she’d just sleep in his room instead. But he didn’t get on the bed right away; sensing no one was there, he turned and walked toward Song Qingyu.

Realizing he was looking for her, Song Qingyu dodged behind the sofa just as his hand was about to touch her.

Pei Jingmo paused for a few seconds, then started to chase her.

Song Qingyu was dumbfounded—who knew sleepwalking could involve chasing someone?

“Bang—” Pei Jingmo’s knee suddenly hit the table. As he nearly stumbled, Song Qingyu rushed over in alarm and caught him.

Afraid he might wake up, she didn’t even dare to breathe.

The next moment, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her, and placed her on the bed. He climbed onto the bed as well, pulling her into his embrace just as he had the previous night.

As Song Qingyu expected another kiss on her forehead, Pei Jingmo suddenly leaned in, brushing his prominent nose against hers—a gesture so intimate it startled her.

If Pei Jingmo were awake, he would never have done such a thing.

Their breaths mingled, and while Pei Jingmo seemed unaffected, Song Qingyu felt a strange, ambiguous tension.

Finally, after kissing the tip of her nose, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Song Qingyu was speechless.

Oddly enough, given Pei Jingmo’s sleepwalking, Song Qingyu should have been sleeping poorly. Yet, these past two nights, her sleep quality was better than ever.

The next morning, when Song Qingyu went out, Pei Jingmo was limping.

“What happened to you?”

“I don’t know—got a bruise on my leg somehow.”

Song Qingyu felt a pang of guilt and didn’t dare mention that she’d made him chase her last night. “Oh, maybe you bumped into something by accident?”

“Mm,” Pei Jingmo replied, and when Song Qingyu wasn’t looking, he broke into a grin.

On the third night, Song Qingyu wondered if anyone could sleepwalk three nights in a row. After the lesson of the previous night, she didn’t bother hiding and got into bed directly.

At midnight, as if someone had flipped a switch, Pei Jingmo appeared in her room right on schedule.

He climbed onto the bed, held Song Qingyu tightly, and before she could react, he kissed her lips.

Song Qingyu was stunned.

This was too much.

She’d tolerated the kisses on her forehead and nose, but now he’d kissed her on the lips! Granted, they’d kissed before, but this was different.

Song Qingyu was furious, but since Pei Jingmo was sleepwalking, she didn’t dare wake him at night.

The next morning, watching Pei Jingmo busy in the kitchen, Song Qingyu couldn’t help asking, “Pei Jingmo, what triggers your sleepwalking?”

Pei Jingmo paused for a few seconds. “Did I sleepwalk last night?”

Last night? It had been three nights!

“Yes!”

Pei Jingmo’s expression turned odd, tinged with awkwardness. “Did I do anything strange?”

What a question.

“Do you often do strange things when you sleepwalk?”

“I’ve only heard about it from others. I don’t really know.”

“What kinds of strange things have you done?”

“Once, at the construction site, I spent an entire night punching a wall. My coworkers didn’t dare wake me, and the next morning my hands were bloody.”

Song Qingyu was speechless—that wasn’t strange, it was downright scary.

“So, last night… what did I do?”

“Not much, really…”

She couldn’t possibly tell him the truth: you sleepwalked for three nights, kissed my forehead the first night, my nose the second, and my lips the third.

“But your expression doesn’t look like nothing happened.”

Song Qingyu’s ears turned red. Suddenly, she grinned mischievously. “You spent the whole night dancing ballet in my room, Mr. Pei. I never knew you could dance—your pirouettes were beautiful.”

Pei Jingmo was speechless.

Song Qingyu rarely revealed such sly smiles, and seeing her so lively made Pei Jingmo’s heart melt.

He tried to tease her but ended up being teased instead. Yet it made him happy.

In the days that followed, Pei Jingmo stopped sleepwalking, and Song Qingyu found herself unable to sleep well. Without good sleep, her spirits suffered.

She muddled through the morning, barely awake. When lunch break finally arrived, she was just about to rest in the lounge when her phone rang.

She answered, and heard Chu Xingzhi’s anxious, pleading voice.

“Qingyu, Grandma found out about us. She’s not doing well at all—could you come see her?”