Chapter 30: Ambition Outpaces Ability

As the movie played, Han Jiayi gradually edged closer to Bai Renzong, inching nearer and nearer until he could catch the faint scent of osmanthus on her. But Bai Renzong had no mind to take advantage—he himself was thoroughly frightened.

On the screen, a balloon drifted slowly into view. In the next instant, it exploded, and a grotesque clown lunged toward the camera.

"Ah!" Han Jiayi screamed, clutching her pillow and crashing her head into Bai Renzong's shoulder, eyes squeezed shut. "Is it over? Is that clown gone?"

"It's gone," Bai Renzong replied, a little short-tempered. "If you only watch after the scary parts are over, what's the point of a horror film?"

Only then did Han Jiayi come to her senses. She sat upright, smoothed her hair, and said, "I just wasn’t prepared, that’s all. Besides, weren’t you scared too? Didn’t you shudder just now? Let’s keep watching!"

With that, Han Jiayi returned to normal. The next part of the film was a lull, nothing especially frightening.

Bai Renzong sneaked glances at Han Jiayi with the corner of his eye. She was curled up beside him with her pillow, so tense even her little feet were taut. Her appearance was so endearing it softened the horror that filled the room.

When he’d first met Han Jiayi, he’d thought she would be aloof, especially since she’d spent time in show business. It was perfectly natural, he’d thought, that she would behave as if she lived in a different world.

But that was not the case. In every way, she was down-to-earth—a cute, slightly mischievous girl next door.

Admittedly, a little competitive.

Their first meeting had ended in discord, but that was only because he’d gotten under her skin and riled her up. Judging by her actions since, she hadn’t really meant what she’d said.

Even though he was still a little-known content creator, Han Jiayi treated him just as she always had. She was a good girl. Bai Renzong nodded to himself. Just wait, he thought. I’ll make you famous.

The film was as terrifying as expected, but also genuinely entertaining. By the time it ended, it was already past midnight.

"Time to sleep, then?" Bai Renzong asked with a yawn.

"Of course!" Han Jiayi replied, bristling with bravado. "If you’re too scared to sleep, just ask me nicely—I might be merciful enough to keep you company in the living room. After all, you kept me company the last couple of days, didn’t you?"

She looked at him, testing the waters. "Well, do you want me to stay with you?"

"No need..." Bai Renzong rubbed his eyes. "I don’t think it was that frightening."

"Is that so?" Han Jiayi pressed her lips together, still maintaining her composure. "Then I’m heading to bed. If you’re scared, you can come find me downstairs anytime."

"Alright," Bai Renzong replied, heading to his room.

He was so tired that he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, fear forgotten.

Han Jiayi, on the other hand, climbed into bed, cranked the air conditioning up, turned off the lights, and wrapped herself tightly in her blanket.

"Hmm... This feels safe," she murmured, nodding with satisfaction as she closed her eyes.

But in the darkness, a ghastly clown face surfaced in her mind. Han Jiayi jolted awake, curled into a tight ball, and the terrifying scenes kept replaying in her head.

In the middle of the night, Bai Renzong felt something strange on his face. He scratched at it and opened his eyes—only to see, in the darkness, a deathly pale face inches away, long soft hair spilling over his bed, and a pair of bright eyes fixed unblinking on him.

"Oh my god!" Bai Renzong recoiled in a flash, scrambling to the corner of the bed. Only then did he realize it was Han Jiayi.

"Are you insane?!" Bai Renzong snapped. "You’ll get yourself punched, looking like that!"

"I knocked, but you were sleeping so soundly you didn’t hear..." Han Jiayi whispered, fidgeting at the edge of his bed. "Um, actually, I just wanted to ask you..."

"Out with it," Bai Renzong said impatiently.

"It’s nothing, just..." Suddenly Han Jiayi flashed a sweet smile. "Are you hungry? I thought I’d make you a midnight snack."

Bai Renzong scowled at her. "This again?"

"Yes!" Han Jiayi chirped. "Want some?"

Truth be told, Bai Renzong had been sleeping soundly, but Han Jiayi’s little stunt had scared him wide awake, and now at almost two in the morning, he was actually a bit hungry.

Yet he didn’t scold her harshly, because this girl gave him a peculiar sense of companionship—as if, in this empty house, he was no longer alone.

"Fine, let’s eat," Bai Renzong sighed.

"Coming right up! Wait for me downstairs," Han Jiayi beamed.

Bai Renzong went downstairs. In less than ten minutes, Han Jiayi returned with a bowl of noodles, made with the leftover spicy beef from dinner as broth, with bean sprouts, tofu skin, beef, and even a thoughtfully added egg.

Only when Bai Renzong started eating did Han Jiayi, cheeks in her hands and eyes wide with innocent delight, ask, "Could you sleep in the living room with me again tonight?"

"I knew it," Bai Renzong frowned. "You—"

"Hey! You already ate my midnight snack. No complaining!" Han Jiayi shook her head, feigning stubbornness. "Don’t you know, you can’t bite the hand that feeds you?"

Bai Renzong glared at her; Han Jiayi glared right back, her eyes even bigger than his.

"Fine, but this is the last time," Bai Renzong said sternly. "If we do this every night, who can take it?"

"Deal!" Han Jiayi grinned and started eating her noodles.

After their midnight snack, the two of them lay down on separate sofas.

"You know, you do this on purpose," Bai Renzong sighed from across the room. "All bark and no bite..."

"Horror movies are a great stress relief," Han Jiayi muttered, hugging her teddy bear. "I’ve built up so much pressure this past year. I have to let it out somehow."

Bai Renzong, having worked in the corporate world for years, understood the kind of stress Han Jiayi meant. Still...

"You could let off steam without dragging me into it," Bai Renzong complained. "I haven’t done anything productive in two days."

"I know, I know. Stop blaming me—I made you midnight noodles, didn’t I..." Han Jiayi said, aggrieved, turning away from him and hugging her teddy bear with her long, slender legs.

Bai Renzong envied the teddy bear in silence, then pulled his blanket up and closed his eyes.

By now it was almost three in the morning. The fear Han Jiayi had stirred up was finally fading, and as soon as his eyes closed, he started to drift off.

Five minutes later, Han Jiayi turned and whispered, "White the Roaster, are you asleep?"

"Zzz..." came the soft sound of his breathing.

"So fast..." Han Jiayi grumbled, but hearing his snores, she suddenly felt inexplicably safe. Hugging her teddy bear, she fell asleep, utterly content.