Guessing it's financial fraud was a bit unbelievable for Zhang Yurong. Li Yan might be more likely to become a gigolo than have the means for financial fraud. But she didn't want to delve or question too much; after all, those were already past events. Now, he cares deeply for her, and that's enough.

Her last sentence omitted a bit, for... the future. In truth, what she wanted to say was for their future!

She wasn't lying; her heartbeat was indeed steady. But she shouldn't have pressed Li Yan to her chest to let him listen to her heartbeat. Because with that, Li Yan's heartbeat sped up!

Such an opportunity was very rare. Afraid that Yurong might push him away once she realized it, he dared not move. Listening to Yurong's words, his emotions quickly calmed down. The Heart Demon didn't erupt, and Yurong's attitude made him understand that she wasn't just showing sympathy and comfort—she was sincere!

But thinking of how earnestly she acted, letting him listen to her heartbeat to prove she wasn't lying, he felt a bit guilty for taking advantage. His conscience straightened, and so did his behavior. Li Yan reached out, lightly tugging at her arm to pull his head away to avoid the shocking temptation.

Yurong didn't know what he was thinking. She also seemed to sense Li Yan's heartbeat speeding up, thinking his emotions were still unstable! Perhaps it was her maternal instincts kicking in, making her hold Li Yan even tighter to her chest. She said softly, "You were taken away at a young age; you must have suffered a lot. Now you've finally returned... I think you haven't gone home all these years because you're afraid to face your parents, right? It's all in the past now. How about... you try crying, and after that, the negative pressure in your heart will be gone."

Li Yan felt like crying without tears. Cry... me, a real man, cry? Although his eyes were moist during dinner earlier, he would never admit it. Asking him to cry in front of the woman he liked—he absolutely couldn't do that!

"Crying isn't necessary. But... don't tell anyone else, especially my parents. Even if it's in the past, they will worry." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Hearing Li Yan in her arms still worrying about this, a smile curved on Yurong's lips in the darkness. Is it like students afraid to tell their parents? "Got it. Feeling better now? Can you sleep peacefully?"

"Not yet?"

"Hmm?"

"Holding me like this, although I really like and look forward to it, the temptation is too great, making me want to touch you. I'm afraid I can't keep my face from doing something even if I control my hands and feet. If you don't mind and don't think I'm intentionally taking advantage, then I can sleep without worry."

"!"

Zhang Yurong finally realized what they were doing! Holding his head against her chest?

Reflexively, she pushed Li Yan away, then didn't know where to put her hands; her face was burning, blushing from cheeks to earlobes. She was secretly relieved that it was dark and couldn't be seen, yet curious why she felt so natural doing it, without noticing, without feeling awkward. Luckily, he had just behaved like a gentleman, otherwise... oh, she practically served herself up!

While Yurong was feeling extremely embarrassed, Li Yan, having been pushed away, edged closer again and whispered, "Honey, why is your face so red?"

Yurong was startled. Could he see in the dark too? She quickly turned around, facing the wall with her back to him, mumbling in rebuttal: "Nonsense, why would my face be red? Yours is red!"

Earlier, Li Yan had hugged Zhang Yurong, and Zhang Yurong had hugged him too, but actually, because they were lying face-to-face, the hugging was just a formality; there was definitely quite a bit of space between them.

People tend to naturally bend their bodies when lying on their side. Lying prone or supine with a hug isn't instinctive; lying on the side, unless deliberately straightening the body, is like two spoons nested together—connected at the top and bottom, with space in the middle. Forced effort, of course, doesn't feel natural. But if two people lie on their side facing the same direction, they can hug closely like spooning without much distance in between.

Yurong turned her body towards the wall, still curled up, thinking that Li Yan could see her expression even in the darkness, so she was embarrassed. Her back facing him gave him an unexpected opportunity. Li Yan didn't miss it, edging closer until he was lying fully against her back; one arm over her was all it took for a tight, intimate embrace.

This position made Yurong's body tense. She realized she hadn't avoided him; instead, she'd given him an even better chance. Feeling Li Yan's warmth behind her made her anxious. His hand resting on her waist could easily move further up or even... and her hips were right against a certain part of Li Yan...

Heartfelt connection. Li Yan and Yurong's tacit understanding might not match the perfect rapport he had with Yue Yao, but at this moment, he could sense her moods through her body's reactions. Even a guess would suffice, just like when he guessed she was blushing.

"Don't worry... I won't do anything to you." Li Yan murmured against her neck, inhaling her soft fragrance. The hand on her stomach moved to rest protectively over her wrist, gently reassuring her. "Let's just sleep like this!"