"Alright." As he spoke, Hao Jian brought out a steaming bowl of noodles from the kitchen and placed it on the table.

Smelling the aroma, Zhang Danlin walked over and sat down at the table. Hao Jian picked up a pair of chopsticks and placed them in front of her, then said, "Try it and see how it tastes."

Zhang Danlin was already hungry, and the aroma only made her hungrier. She glanced at Hao Jian, took the chopsticks from his hand, and then carefully took a bite. As soon as the noodles entered her mouth, her stomach felt comforted, and she was filled with joy.

"It's really delicious," Zhang Danlin said with a particularly delightful smile.

Hao Jian was also overjoyed. "If you like it, then finish it all."

"Mm!" Zhang Danlin nodded and immediately continued to feast.

Though she was trying to maintain her ladylike demeanor, her hunger couldn't be suppressed. Plus, Hao Jian's cooking was genuinely excellent, with perfect color, aroma, and taste, and she quickly finished most of it. A few minutes later, she put down her chopsticks and looked at Hao Jian with satisfied eyes.

After eating and drinking enough, one can sleep, but how could you sleep if you're hungry? At this moment, just after finishing her meal, she began to feel a slight drowsiness.

Hao Jian got up again to clear the dishes and washed them before sitting back down. Glancing at the time, it was almost midnight; he said to Zhang Danlin, "You have classes tomorrow, so get some sleep early. I'll head back now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Danlin's face immediately showed a hint of disappointment, and she asked, "Can you stay a bit longer? I'm still scared, and I'd be even more afraid if you left."

Hao Jian was already ready to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he eventually stopped. Seeing Zhang Danlin looking so frightened made it hard for him to just leave her alone here. He somewhat understood her pain, and since Liang Xiaohan was already asleep, it would be fine to return a bit later, so he decided not to go.

Seeing that Hao Jian was staying, Zhang Danlin immediately smiled and said, "I'm feeling a bit sleepy now. Could you keep me company until I fall asleep? Otherwise, I'd be too scared to sleep if no one is here to keep me company."

Hao Jian nodded. Immediately, Zhang Danlin went to freshen up before lying in bed. Hao Jian looked at her, then pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down.

Every girl's boudoir is particularly private. For example, Liang Xiaohan never allowed him into her room, and if he entered without permission, she might go to extremes. Hence, he usually didn't enter Liang Xiaohan's room unless she permitted him.

Yet, Zhang Danlin directly brought him into her boudoir this time, which surprised him a bit. With Zhang Danlin already lying down, he pulled a chair over to sit beside her. At this moment, Zhang Danlin looked at him with a bit of embarrassment and said, "Can you move a bit closer to me?"

Hao Jian glanced and then pulled the chair a little closer to the bed.

Yet Zhang Danlin still showed a trace of expectation, looking at the empty part of the bed, with a slight blush, she said, "Um... would you mind lying on the bed? Sitting on that chair feels so distant. It would be nice if you could lie beside me and talk."

Hao Jian heard this and was slightly surprised. This... was the first time he encountered such a situation, making it difficult to decide. At this moment, Zhang Danlin appeared somewhat beautifully fragile, and he wasn't sure if this was her frightened state or simply her nature.

Her request sounded like it had no room for refusal. The tone and her eyes made one unable to reject.

What surprised him was that she would say such a thing, actually inviting a guy to lie beside her. Perhaps she was truly scared, but after all, he was still a man, and she was so beautiful. She's already quite charming, and as she grows older, she might charm many men.

Even so, she made such a request of him, seemingly unafraid he'd lose control and do something unexpected.

It seemed she wasn't someone entirely naive and must have some idea about matters between men and women, aside from lacking real experience.

He asked, "Aren't you afraid I might do something to you? It's like inviting a wolf into the house, especially lying beside such a beauty. I can't promise I'd control myself. Are you that sure of me?"

Listening to Hao Jian's questions, Zhang Danlin seemed unsurprised, and with a calm face, looked at him with steady eyes and said, "Not afraid! Why should I be afraid of you?"

At once, Hao Jian was lost for words and didn't know what to say. Her question of why should she fear him left him with nothing to refute. Yes, if she feared him, she wouldn't have called him to come or let him in through the door, nor let him into her room.

Apparently, it made sense, and he couldn't find words to counter it.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He looked around and saw there was still a big empty space on the bed. It seemed like it wouldn't matter if he lay down, and if he didn't, she might never fall asleep. If she didn't fall asleep, it would be hard for him to leave. Only when she was asleep would he be able to leave.

So, after weighing the pros and cons, he finally stood up from the chair and lay down on the bed. As soon as he lay down, a smug smile appeared on Zhang Danlin's face.

"Why don't you tell me a story?" Zhang Danlin said.

Hao Jian hesitated and said, "Alright, I'll tell you a story while you slowly drift to sleep, and once you're asleep, I'll leave."

Zhang Danlin nodded and said, "Hmm."

Immediately, Hao Jian started searching through his mind, looking for a suitable bedtime story, and began telling it to Zhang Danlin, one word at a time. Perhaps it was Hao Jian's voice that seemed magical, or the story was particularly suitable for sleep, or maybe Zhang Danlin was genuinely tired and wanted to sleep. Before the story finished, Zhang Danlin closed her eyes, showing signs of falling asleep.

Once the story was over, Hao Jian noticed her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be asleep. He thought about it and prepared to get up and leave. However, just as he was about to sit up, Zhang Danlin suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Please don't go."

Helplessly, he lay back down and said, "Alright, I won't go."

Zhang Danlin then released his hand. He sighed with relief and started thinking about how to escape; it was impossible to stay here all night. If he did, when Liang Xiaohan woke up the next morning and found he wasn't home, he feared she might freak out, and Liang Yuwei would probably come over this week. If Liang Xiaohan complained to Liang Yuwei, he would be in big trouble.

If he did something inappropriate, that would be another story, but he hadn't done anything. If he were to suffer that kind of blame for nothing, wouldn't that be too unjust? So, he definitely couldn't spend the night here, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as he was contemplating this, without knowing when, Zhang Danlin grabbed his hand again and said, "Can you hold me?"

To hold her? Hao Jian's face immediately showed a surprised expression. Lying on the same bed was something he could handle, but now she wanted him to hold her. He was, after all, a normal man, and if a normal man couldn't control himself, the consequences could be unimaginable.

Moreover, she was quite charming herself, and at this moment, if it were any other guy, they probably wouldn't be able to hold it together. Even though he had been through a lot in life, he managed to maintain his composure. If they got any closer, even just a little, he feared he wouldn't be able to control himself.

"Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Danlin asked in confusion, "Why? Are you unwilling? Or do you dislike me? Can't you even give me a hug?"

Although Zhang Danlin hadn't been drinking, her speech had a drunken feel to it.

Hao Jian's eyes widened, unsure of how to respond.

Zhang Danlin suddenly grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist.

In that instant, Hao Jian felt as though his hand had been electrocuted, instinctively trying to withdraw it. But Zhang Danlin held his hand tightly and placed it on her waist.

From the moment his hand touched her, Hao Jian felt as if he was embracing a soft, watery sensation, extremely comfortable, and his entire attention was instantly drawn, leaving no room to think about anything else.

"Hug me!" Zhang Danlin said.

He didn't know why, but he naturally resisted, thinking that if he hugged her, he would surely lose control and end up doing something.

Yet, after she uttered those words, he couldn't control himself at all. He instinctively held her from behind.

Just like that, he embraced Zhang Danlin from behind.

A happy smile appeared on Zhang Danlin's face.

At this moment, it was as if she possessed a magical power. With just a word, whatever she asked Hao Jian to do, he would do.