The sound of water stopped.

Zhou Li heard the sound of someone drying off, followed by rustling noises, indicating they were getting dressed.

With a click, the door opened.

Zhou Li looked down at his phone. His fingers mindlessly tapped an icon, opened an app, swiped twice, then closed it. He nonchalantly lifted his gaze toward Brother Nan as she came out of the bathroom.

Brother Nan wore only a pair of soft fabric shorts and a light gray T-shirt, with foam flip-flops on her feet.

Her hair was dripping wet, and her body was still damp. She was wrapped in a bath towel, her face looking exceptionally fair and refreshed. She held a wadded-up bundle of clothes in one hand while using a corner of the bath towel to rub her hair with the other.

"What are you doing?" Brother Nan asked, looking at him curiously.

"Playing on my phone."

"Are you sure?"

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?"

"No..."

Brother Nan waved her hand, put the clothes in her backpack, and nonchalantly sat down on the edge of the bed, continuing to dry her hair.

"There's a hairdryer," Zhou Li reminded her.

"I can't be bothered to blow-dry it," Brother Nan explained. "It's bad for my hair, and I get too hot afterward, which defeats the purpose of the shower."

"It's bad for your hair?"

"You didn't know?"

"Oh, I see..." Zhou Li glanced at the slightly damp 'antenna' of hair on Brother Nan's head. "Then I'll use it less in the future."

"Can't be bothered with you!"

A brief silence fell in the room.

Zhou Li continued to repeat the process of opening an app, swiping twice, and closing it. After all, I'm a guy, he pondered. Even if I lack experience, I should be more proactive than a girl.

"Brother Nan," he finally called out.

"What?" Brother Nan didn't look up.

"Let's kiss," Zhou Li said hesitantly.

"?"

Brother Nan's hand, which had been rubbing her hair, stilled. She tilted her head and studied Zhou Li intently, her expression thoughtful as she scrutinized him.

The tick-tock of the second hand on the room's clock was distinct.

Zhou Li began to feel awkward. Just as he was about to say, "If it's not okay, then never mind," Brother Nan suddenly beckoned to him.

"Come here."

"Alright."

Zhou Li moved over and sat beside Brother Nan.

Since Brother Nan had driven, she'd brought all her own toiletries, even her slippers. As they sat close together, Zhou Li could clearly smell the refreshing scent of her shower gel.

There was also the faint scent of soap from her clothes, tinged with a milky fragrance.

In summer, everyone wore thin clothes. Through one or two thin layers of fabric, it felt as if he could sense the warmth of her body, the elasticity and softness of her skin.

Zhou Li was a bit nervous.

Just then, Brother Nan asked him, "A kiss on the cheek or on the lips?"

"Well..."

Zhou Li hesitated again. The choice itself wasn't difficult, but saying the answer aloud was, so much so that his mouth felt dry. Do other people also have to choose like this for their first kiss?

"Hurry up! I won't wait forever!"

"On the lips."

"Alright. Turn towards me."

"Oh."

"Ummm..."

Now it was Brother Nan's turn to hesitate.

She frowned at Zhou Li, looking him up and down, left and right. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, and she would quickly look away, feigning composure. I'm actually a bit hesitant to kiss him, she realized. This isn't like me at all.

But Brother Nan, true to her word, was someone who followed through.

"Close your eyes!" she ordered.

"Alright."

Zhou Li's lashes trembled as he closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Lord Dumpling, sprawled on the adjacent bed, opened her eyes wide, a large, invisible question mark seemingly popping up above her tiny head.

"MWAH."

The scent of shampoo and shower gel drew nearer, followed by a soft, warm, and surprisingly pleasant sensation on his lips.

Unfortunately, it was over all too soon.

Zhou Li opened his eyes.

Brother Nan looked at him calmly. "Kiss complete."

Zhou Li nodded and, after a moment's thought, asked, "Is it my turn now?"

"???"

A minute passed. Zhou Li subtly savored the lingering sensation on his lips.

Beside him, Brother Nan looked exasperated. Waving her hands dismissively as if shooing away a fly, she said, "The kiss is over. Go take your shower! Go to sleep early after your shower. We need to set off early tomorrow; we're aiming to reach Chunming by the afternoon."

"Alright."

Zhou Li got up and entered the bathroom.

The steam in the bathroom hadn't yet dissipated, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air. Brother Nan's personal items were arranged on the vanity. She had taken down the hotel-provided towel, setting it aside, and hung up her own, yet she only used half the space, leaving the other half for him.

There weren't any more, well, private items, though.

Zhou Li closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hands. It feels like a dream, he thought.

His phone suddenly buzzed—

Huai Xu: How did it go?

Zhou Li: ...

Huai Xu: You have to be bolder.

Huai Xu: You can't always be Zhou Lili; sometimes you need to be Master Zhou.

Zhou Li: ...

He turned off the phone.

Twenty minutes later, he pushed open the bathroom door and came out. The air conditioning had cooled the room to a comfortable temperature.

Brother Nan was propped up against the headboard, half-reclining. She held her phone but wasn't playing with it; instead, she was watching him with keen interest.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Li was taken aback.

"Watching you shower. What's wrong?" Brother Nan smacked her lips, her expression nonchalant.

Zhou Li fell silent.

After a moment, he asked, "Could you actually see anything?"

"I could see your shadow. And from the shadow, I can guess what you were doing in there." A mysterious smile played on Brother Nan's lips. "Seeing if you were up to anything... strange..."

After saying this, she couldn't hold back her laughter. Not wanting to be too loud, she let out a series of sputtering noises that sounded like a cross between a tractor and a honking goose.

Zhou Li was exasperated.

After Brother Nan finished laughing, she waved a hand dismissively. "Go to sleep. Wake me up tomorrow morning."

"How about a hug?"

"Hmm?"

"A goodnight hug," Zhou Li repeated, mustering his courage.

"I'm not wearing a bra."

"Really?" Zhou Li couldn't help but let his gaze drift slightly downward, though he couldn't make anything out.

"Have you ever seen a girl sleep in her bra?"

"So, is that a no?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh."

Zhou Li's face fell with disappointment.

Seeing his expression, Brother Nan found it hilarious. Laughing, she feigned a sigh, a look of 'What am I going to do with you?' on her face. She opened her arms to Zhou Li. "Alright, alright, come here. Consider it a special treat from your big bro. It's 2020520, after all. This way, you'll have something to remember this day by."

"..."

Why do I feel like I should be thanking her? Zhou Li wondered. Aren't hugs a perfectly normal thing for other couples?

In the end, they embraced.

Zhou Li's mind was in a whirl.

After they separated, Brother Nan pinched his cheek, her expression one of feigned seriousness. "You need to show some respect for your elder brother, got it? I can be your girlfriend occasionally and let you kiss and hug me, but most of the time, I'm still your elder brother. Understand?"

"Got it."

"Go to sleep!"

"Goodnight, Elder Brother."

"Good boy!"

Reluctantly, Zhou Li returned to his own bed. He lifted the covers, careful not to disturb Tuanzi, and slipped in.

Tuanzi, however, climbed up beside his neck, her bright eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Zhou Li, what were you two doing? Lord Dumpling has seen other people do that too! And then they go 'Mmph! Mmph!' and then they make it so Lord Dumpling can't talk, 'Mmph! Let go! Mmmph!'"

It took some effort to quiet Tuanzi down.

Zhou Li had no intention of deceiving her with a lie. Instead, he simply put a positive spin on his description. "That's how two adults who like each other and have decided to spend their lives together express their love."

"Can Lord Dumpling do it, too?"

"Lord Dumpling is just a child."

"Oh, that's right! Lord Dumpling is just a little kiddo!"

"Zhou Li, you're really good with kids," Brother Nan's voice came from the side, laced with amusement.

"..."

Tuanzi was pacified, but Zhou Li still couldn't sleep. He lay with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were a tangled mess.

Just as he was finally about to drift off to sleep—

Lord Dumpling started to get active! Everybody, let's party!

In his drowsy state, Zhou Li felt Tuanzi trampling all over him. She leaped from his bed to Brother Nan's. Finally, during one of these "mountain climbing" expeditions, she was apparently swatted off the bed by an unconscious slap from Brother Nan.

After that, it was quiet for the rest of the night.

「The next morning.」

When Zhou Li opened his eyes, he was met by the sight of a pitiful-looking Lord Dumpling, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears.

"Zhou Li, last night Brother Lan hit Lord Dumpling... Only Your Highness has ever hit Lord Dumpling before..." The grievance was too much for Lord Dumpling to bear.

"She did?"

"MM-HMM!!"

Tuanzi nodded emphatically, looking utterly wronged.

Zhou Li's expression gradually grew serious. He assured her, "Don't worry, I absolutely won't stand by and do nothing!"

He whipped his head around to look at Brother Nan. "What gives you the right to hit Lord Dumpling! Lord Dumpling is of noble status! Is she someone you can just hit? Let me tell you, if you dare hit Lord Dumpling again, I'll spank your butt until it's swollen!"

Brother Nan, knowing she was in the wrong, didn't say a word.

Satisfied, Zhou Li nodded and bent down to stroke Tuanzi's forehead. "Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore, don't be angry. I've already scolded her. Lord Dumpling is magnanimous. She's just a ruffian, a street hoodlum; we won't stoop to her level, okay?"

"But... she still seems to be asleep..."

"It doesn't matter. She'll hear my rebuke even in her dreams. I reckon she's probably awake by now," Zhou Li whispered to Tuanzi. "She's just too ashamed and afraid, so she's pretending to be asleep."

"Is that really so, meow?"

"Pretty much."

"What if she hits Lord Dumpling again?"

"You come find me!"

"Will you hit her?"

"I'll take the hit for Lord Dumpling! I promise I won't even frown!" Zhou Li declared firmly. "Am I loyal enough?"

"MEOW??"

"Let's go! We'll go wash up, and we're not waking her!" Zhou Li promptly picked up Tuanzi, sharing her indignation. "That's for hitting Lord Dumpling last night! We won't wake her up later, either!"

"MM-HMM!!"

Brother Nan didn't wake up naturally until a little past nine.

She stretched a fair arm out from under the covers, arching her back in a lazy stretch, accompanied by a long, drawn-out "Mmmmph..." The languid charm of it nearly made Zhou Li hold his breath.

"Mmm~~ What time is it?"

"Nine-eighteen."

"Hmm? It's so late already? Why didn't you wake me?" Brother Nan sat up in bed, the blanket still covering her lower body, and scratched her head as she spoke.

Zhou Li and Tuanzi exchanged glances.

Zhou Li: "I didn't want to wake you."

Tuanzi: "MEOW MEOW MEOW!"

Brother Nan cracked a smile; she found a hint of sweetness in Zhou Li's reply. As she got out of bed and slipped on her flip-flops, she asked, "You two woke up and just sat here waiting for me? Aren't you hungry?"

"Hungry."

"MEOW."

"You were hungry and still didn't wake me?"

"Nope."

"MEOW!"

Lord Dumpling turned her head away with a haughty air.

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