Unwanted Realizations

The suite was quiet…too quiet!

The soft hum of the rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows filled the space, but it did nothing to ease the tension inside.

Ruolan stood awkwardly near the entrance, clutching her overnight bag as she eyed the extravagant suite. The room was far too luxurious, with its velvet couches, golden lighting, and a single, massive king-sized bed that sat in the center—mocking her.

This was not happening.

She turned to Yichen, who had already shrugged off his coat, unbuttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt with practiced ease. He didn't spare her a glance as he walked toward the couch.

"I'll sleep here," he said, as if that was the end of it.

Ruolan exhaled. "Right. Fine. Okay."

Without another word, she grabbed her pajamas and headed straight for the bathroom.

~~

The Pajamas That Shouldn't Exist

Ruolan knew she had packed light. She just didn't realize how light.

The moment she pulled out her nightwear, she felt her stomach drop.

A silk camisole. Thin straps. Low neckline. Delicate lace details.

And the matching shorts? Ridiculously short.

She shut her eyes. No.

This was a mistake.

She had meant to pack something normal, something safe. But in her rush, she must have grabbed the first thing she saw.

Now, she had two options:

1. Walk out in this incredibly inappropriate excuse for pajamas.

2. Stay in the bathroom forever.

Unfortunately, option two wasn't realistic.

Ruolan groaned, gripping the fabric in frustration. "It's fine," she muttered to herself. "It's just sleepwear. It's not like he's going to notice."

Right?

~~~

He noticed immediately.

Yichen had been sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone when she stepped out.

The moment he lifted his gaze, the air shifted.

His fingers stilled. His expression remained blank, but something in his dark eyes flickered—something sharp, something unfamiliar.

Ruolan, completely oblivious, simply walked past him toward the bed, grumbling under her breath. "I swear I packed something else."

Yichen's gaze followed her.

The silk clung to her in all the wrong ways—no, the right ways.

The delicate fabric draped over her body like a second skin, highlighting her curves, the dip of her waist, the smooth expanse of her legs. The loose neckline threatened to slip off her shoulder with every step, and the lace at the hem of her shorts barely covered anything.

His jaw tensed.

This was a problem.

A very, very big problem.

Because for the first time, he was looking at her.

Not as an assistant. Not as an annoyance.

But as a woman.

He didn't like it.

Or rather—he didn't want to like it.

Yichen forced himself to look away, shifting on the couch. "Go to sleep." His voice was rougher than usual, and he hated that.

Ruolan shot him a look. "You don't have to sound so grumpy about it."

He didn't respond.

She rolled her eyes and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. "Goodnight, boss."

Yichen said nothing.

Because 'goodnight' didn't feel appropriate.

Not when his mind refused to let go of the image of her in those damn pajamas.

~~

For Ruolan, the situation wasn't much better.

She tossed. She turned. She huffed into her pillow.

But no matter what, she couldn't sleep.

It wasn't because of the bed—no, the bed was amazing. It wasn't because of the storm outside, either.

It was him.

She could feel his presence across the room, even without looking.

His cold, unreadable aura. His sharp, silent intensity.

It was stupid. It was ridiculous. But it was also true.

With a frustrated sigh, she finally rolled over, peeking toward the couch.

And that's when she saw it.

Yichen wasn't asleep.

Instead, he was sitting there, one arm resting over the back of the couch, his dark eyes unreadable as they locked onto hers.

Ruolan's breath caught. "What?"

A beat of silence.

Then, he finally spoke, his voice quiet, deep.

"Go to sleep, Ruolan."

Ruolan swallowed, her heart inexplicably racing.

She didn't know why.

But she did know one thing—

She was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.

~~