When Nan Chen arrived at Raining Pavilion, Ning Ran was already asleep on the couch, curled up on her side in a fetal position with her head down.
Her arms wrapped around her knees, which were pulled up all the way to her chest.
According to Qin Lan, adults slept in such a position because they felt insecure.
The reasoning was babies often felt the safest when they were in their mother's womb, so adults often went into a fetal sleeping position because they were subconsciously seeking comfort and protection.
Watching Ning Ran, Nan Chen took out his phone and took a photo of her as a sweet smile curved on his lips briefly before anyone could notice it in the dark.
He bent down toward her, wanting to carry her back to the room, but he held back because he feared he would wake her from her deep sleep.
So, he pulled a lightweight blanket over her before sitting quietly on the couch opposite her and watching her.
Nan Chen cherished the moments he could sit and watch her, although this might sound like a waste of time to others.
Her lashes were long; her skin was delicate and glowing; her lips pouted as if one could see the grit in her—she was beautiful.
Nan Chen took out his phone again and snapped another photo before turning on his laptop to check his emails.
Yet, he could not bring himself to focus on the task. He needed his coffee, or more precisely, he was bothered by some thoughts.
Since it was late at night, Nan Chen dismissed the idea of making coffee and just showered before bed. He figured those things that troubled him could wait for tomorrow.
By the time he came out of the shower, Ning Ran had woken up and was looking at his phone.
She looked up when she heard his footsteps and waved his phone at him with a proud smile.
It turned out that she had set the photo he took of her as his background photo.
“Did I wake you?” Nan Chen asked.
“No. My legs felt numb after sleeping in that position for too long.”
“How did you know the passcode to my phone?”
“How do you think I know?” Ning Ran asked in return, smiling.
“Did you peek?”
“Of course not. I'm not telling you anything,” Ning Ran teased.
There was no way she would tell him that Dabao was the one who figured out his passcode so that she could check if Nan Chen was talking to any other women.
Since Ning Ran did not want to answer his question, Nan Chen just let it slide. After all, it was not like he cared, but still, he did not fancy putting a photo of her sleeping as his wallpaper.
“It's a nice photo you took. I didn't know I looked this pretty when I was sleeping,” Ning Ran complimented herself as she looked at the photo.
Nan Chen nodded in agreement. “You're right, but don't you think putting that photo as the wallpaper is weird?”
“Hmm, that's true. You're the CEO of the company. It wouldn't be nice if people caught you with a wallpaper like that.”
Speaking, she walked over to him and laid her head on his chest, catching him off guard since she was usually not that proactive.
He caught a breath of her orange blossom scent and felt his heart stir, but when he saw Ning Ran holding his phone up, it finally dawned upon him that she was trying to take a selfie, but their height difference made it impossible.
If Ning Ran were to fit his face in, the camera would only capture her forehead, and if she wanted her face to be in the photo, only Nan Chen's chin could fit.
“Seriously? Why do you have to be so tall? You're like a wire pole.”
What? It's not my fault for being tall.
With that thought, Nan Chen took the phone from Ning Ran and held it higher before asking her to look upward. Just like that, he had his first-ever selfie.
“Mm, this is not bad. I suppose this is not too childish for a wallpaper,” Ning Ran commented as she changed the phone setting.
A selfie is worse, but whatever. It's not like people actually look at my phone. You can do as you like.
Ning Ran seemed extremely pleased with herself after setting the new wallpaper. “This is actually not bad. If anyone at the company sees this and asks who it is, tell them it's your princess.”
“T—That's not what I meant! I'm not a pervert!”
Ning Ran was upset because she felt like she was only digging her grave the more she tried to explain herself.
“Are you sure you've never been to a club?” Nan Chen asked again.
“Yes! Stop asking me stupid questions, or I'll get mad!”
“You're in no place to get mad. I should be the one getting mad.”
“I was just joking. Do you really think I'm the kind of girl who will fall for any handsome guy? I'm not interested in you—let alone other men!” Ning Ran fumed.
“You're not interested in me?” Nan Chen felt offended.
“I mean...”
“Uh-huh?”
Ning Ran felt like she was shooting herself in the foot whenever she tried to explain herself, for it seemed like she kept using the wrong words, which exacerbated the misunderstanding.
“That's enough. Let's call it a night. How are Grandpa and Grandma, by the way?” Ning Ran snapped and changed the topic.
“They're fine now,” Nan Chen answered her question and did not pursue the matter further, knowing that the endless argument would keep them from sleep that night.
“Let's go get some sleep, but before that, could you tell me what was the fuss all about? Grandma would have left the house if Erbao and Dabao didn't stop her,” Ning Ran said.
She found it unbelievable that someone that old would want to run away from home, but her question was not met with an answer when Nan Chen brought up the male escort issue again.
“You're not allowed to go to clubs anymore. I'm serious,” he remarked.
Why the h*ll is he still dwelling on that?
“You have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to any clubs unless you open one,” Ning Ran promised with a smile.
At her reply, Nan Chen's gaze turned dark, and he said, “Well, I can open one tonight.”
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