Mingshen twisted and turned in bed but it was as if sleep vowed to stray far away from him tonight. The last resort was exercising like a maniac in hopes that his physically tired body will eventually drift off to the sleepy world, but luck was not on his side tonight.

Even meditation didn’t help as the only face that kept appearing as soon as he would close his eyelids was Jia. Concentration seemed like an impossible goal, much less sleep. So he grabbed his phone and disturbed the man only he could have the courage to disturb in the middle of the night.

’Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.’

The pings of continuous messages finally woke up the Mafia King, who replied with a cute, sleepy sticker.

’What?’

Mingshen gave a look of disdain at his choice of reply.

’Little chili is affecting you a little too much. What kind of a reputation will you hold if the Mafia King talks like this?’

’I don’t care. Why did you ping me so late in the night?’

’I am not getting any sleep.’

’...’

’...So you messaged me?’

Mingshen sneered. ’Don’t you dare forget about how you have ruined my precious sleep during those days of chasing after little chili. I have every right to pull you out of your heaven at any time.’

’Oh. This is about Jia.’

His brow twitched.

’What? No, it’s not.’

’It is, isn’t it? You are talking about the days I chased after Lihua and now you are mentioning it which means you are not getting sleep because of her.’

"..."

What the hell is with that leap in logic?

’Are you using it by any chance?’

’I never used anything,’ that message was accompanied by a frowning sticker, clearly not thrilled with Mingshen’s accusation.

’Then why are you hallucinating theories that don’t exist?’

’Then why are you not getting any sleep?’

Mingshen’s eyes narrowed. ’I am having chest pains?’

’Chest pains? Are you sick?’

’It seems so. Gonna do some chest X-rays tomorrow.’

’Are you having heart problems?’

Though Wei’s concern trickled through the wall of words, Mingshen couldn’t help but grimace.

’My heart is completely fine.’

Two knocks on the door stirred his attention towards the left. His brows furrowed and he asked, "Who is it?"

"Mingshen, it’s me."

His eyes widened and he jumped out of his bed faster than half of a second needed to pass. His feet flew towards the door and he opened it to find Jia standing before him, a hint of awkwardness in her demeanor.

"Hey. I am sorry for disturbing you so late at night..."

Mingshen grinned. "I wasn’t sleeping anyway."

"Really?" Her brow raised, surprised. "Me too. For some reason, I am not getting any sleep tonight."

"Me too!"

Jia awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear. "Were you also thinking about someone?"

"Also? Were you thinking about someone too?" Mingshen’s curiosity perked up.

Her eyes widened in response and she coughed and looked away. "Nobody really. It’s just one of those random nights you don’t get sleep."

Mingshen’s eyes narrowed. "Hm. I sense a lie there..."

He reached out, surely but surely, grasping her wrist and pulling her inside his room. Closing the door behind them, he pushed her gently, her back bumping against it.

"Mi-Mingshen?"

"Tell me the truth, Spicy? What’s your real reason behind your sleepless night?"

He leaned forward, pressing his torso against her, wanting to pin and nestle her within his arms to no escape.

"I mean it’s just one of those random-"

"Random is not an excuse, Spicy because it’s not random for me. I couldn’t sleep because of you."

Jia blinked. "Me? Why...?"

"That’s a question..." their chests pressed until space refused to exist between them, "you should ask yourself."

"Th-This...is too..." she coughed, "close..."

"Did you ask yourself the question? Why are you..." his index finger traced the outline of her cheek, which was rapidly blushing with crimson, "invading my dreams tonight?"

Her breath slightly hitched and she shifted a bit only to be halted by his tall frame. "You say as if it’s my fault..."

"If it’s not your fault then whose fault is it that I am losing my beauty sleep?" His husky voice whispered in her ear, crackling a jolt within her body.

Mingshen held his breath, waiting for her answer, as if the next few seconds might decide something irreversible

Jia stared at him, lips slightly parted and eyes reflecting a confusion that mirrored his own. The blush on her cheeks deepened, and for a heartbeat she didn’t deflect that only stirred him further.

"Maybe, it’s because you won’t leave my head alone either."

The words hit him harder than he expected. His grip loosened, not to let go, but because his chest felt too full. He lowered his forehead to hers, the warmth between them almost unbearable, throbbing his neck with a heat.

"Then don’t push me away," he murmured.

Jia’s lashes fluttered. Her hands, hesitant till now, lifted and rested against his chest.

"Mingshen..." she whispered, the syllables of his name soft and delicate on her tongue.

He leaned in, slow enough to give her time adjusting her delicate frame in his. Her breath mingled with his, familiar and intoxicating, and the world narrowed to that inch between them. Maybe even lesser. Just as her fingers curled into his shirt -

"Mingshen, Am I going to get a grandchild tonight?"

"..."

"..."

Mingshen stood frozen as if passing through a portal of endless time, wondering if the eager voice really belonged to his mother or not. That one voice had shattered everything as Mingshen jolted violently, gasping as he sat upright. Darkness greeted him. His sheets tangled around his legs, damp with sweat. He stared at the wall, heart pounding as if he had run for miles and miles.

"...What the hell," he muttered hoarsely

His chest still felt warm where her hand had been. His fingers twitched, half-expecting to feel her wrist again. But there was nothing. No open door. No Jia standing before him. No soft voice calling his name. No cheeks blushing at his husky voice.

Yet another sensation somewhere between his thighs had jolted him wide awake now. A deep silence ensued, only to be disturbed by a buzzing of his phone.

When he unlocked it, Wei’s message flashed on the top, with several older messages lined behind it.

’Are you alive? What happened to you?’

’Where did you suddenly disappear?’

"..."