Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 120 Can You Hear It?

Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Can You Hear It?

With his counter-question, Xu Chuning found herself at a loss for words for a moment. She stammered, opening and closing her mouth, and finally squeezed out, "Forget it, I’m not talking to you."

Shen Yubai: "..."

He slightly lifted his gaze, "Xu Chuning."

Xu Chuning’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, "What?"

Shen Yubai lowered his eyes, his stare intense as he watched her, "You’re being unreasonable."

"..." Xu Chuning met his gaze, and her heartbeat unexpectedly skipped a beat. Her lips pursed slightly, her eyes flashed as she retorted, "How am I being unreasonable?"

Shen Yubai: "You know what you did."

Xu Chuning choked, opened her mouth to counter him, saying she didn’t know, but then she held back.

Forget it, no need to argue with him.

Shen Yubai observed her shifting expressions, nonchalantly raised an eyebrow, "Are you cursing me in your mind?"

Xu Chuning: "I am not."

She would never admit it.

Shen Yubai snorted proudly, quite haughtily, "Even if you are, I won’t hold it against you."

He made himself seem generous and forgiving.

Xu Chuning was slightly at a loss for words, not wanting to entangle further with him on this topic.

"I’m heading back." She bluntly changed the subject, "Have to wake up early tomorrow."

Shen Yubai paused, then his gaze grew more focused, he inquired, "Going back now, can you really sleep?"

Xu Chuning fell silent, looked at him and said, "I’ll give it a try."

The two returned to the hotel, greeted Brother Wang, and then each went to their respective rooms.

Though it was night, after walking a bit, she had worked up a light sweat, so Xu Chuning took a shower first. Feeling refreshed, she called You Shuzhen and chatted for a while with her and grandma before reluctantly hanging up.

After the call, Xu Chuning didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy.

She thought it over and decided to read the books she brought to Linqiu.

Just as she was reading, a subtle noise suddenly came from the other side of the wall. Xu Chuning’s hand, holding the book, paused, she pressed her ear against the wall to listen, and sure enough, she heard knocking noises coming from the other side. She froze, not having time to respond to Shen Yubai when the screen of the phone lying beside her lit up. Xu Chuning looked down, it was a message from Shen Yubai: [Can you hear it?]

Xu Chuning: [...Are you that bored?]

Shen Yubai: [Seems like you can hear it.]

Xu Chuning: [.]

Shen Yubai: [Can’t sleep?]

He didn’t say why he was knocking on the wall.

Xu Chuning wasn’t quite sure what the young master intended. She remained silent for a few seconds before replying: [About to sleep, aren’t you planning to?]

Shen Yubai: [It’s still early.]

Xu Chuning: [...Oh, well I’m going to sleep.]

Furthermore, she didn’t know what to talk about with Shen Yubai. Xu Chuning wasn’t someone who was good at chatting; she was rather reserved, and her personality might seem uninteresting.

Of course, that’s what she thought of herself.

Shen Yubai, on the other side of the wall, saw Xu Chuning’s message and gave an ambiguous chuckle before typing with his long fingers: [Go to sleep. If something urgent comes up and you can’t grab your phone, just knock on the wall. I just tried, you can hear it.]

Xu Chuning: [...Got it.]

After putting down the phone, Xu Chuning finished the last few pages, then truly turned off the lights to go to bed.

But after closing her eyes, she tossed and turned for quite some time and still couldn’t fall asleep. It could be the change of place, or perhaps her excitement over what she was going to do the next day was too intense, her anticipation too high, which left her with not the slightest bit of drowsiness.

Struggling in vain, Xu Chuning decided to let herself off the hook.

She turned on her phone again and decided to look for some online novels recommended by Deng Xitong to help induce sleep. Others might get energized by reading novels, but as for Xu Chuning, reading them would put her to sleep.

Deng Xitong promptly told her the names of a few novels she had recently enjoyed, suggesting Xu Chuning to give them a try.

Xu Chuning smiled in agreement.

After briefly chatting, Xu Chuning went to find the novels.

As for Shen Yubai, after Xu Chuning said she was going to sleep, he finally went to take a shower.

Just out of the shower, he saw that Ban Shu and Shen Sinian had each sent him messages. He replied to Shen Sinian first, and then coldly replied to Ban Shu with two words: [No time.]

Ban Shu: [???]

Ban Shu: [How come you don’t have time during summer vacation? Are you not at home?]

He had invited Shen Yubai to play video games, and was refused.

Shen Yubai: [Yeah.]

Ban Shu: [What do you mean? Are you really not home?]

Shen Yubai: [Not at home.]

Ban Shu, surprised: [Where did you go? Why didn’t you even tell your brother?]

Shen Yubai: [Linqiu.]

Ban Shu: [Where is Linqiu?]

He had never heard of this place before; could it be some newly popular special destination?

Shen Yubai: [A small place, it’s normal you don’t know it.]

Ban Shu, frowning: [Who are you with? You don’t have other brothers out there, do you?]

Seeing this, Shen Yubai tugged at his lips, really not wanting to deal with him: [Can you be a bit more normal?]

Ban Shu: [...You’ve started to dislike how abnormal I am.]

Shen Yubai: [Handling some matters.]

Ban Shu: [Alright then, when will you return to Jiang City?]

Shen Yubai: [Don’t know yet.]

Ban Shu: [.........]

Shen Yubai: [Not going to talk anymore, I’m going to sleep.]

Ban Shu checked the time; it was half-past ten.

After being speechless for a long while, he replied to Shen Yubai: [You’ve really changed.]

Shen Yubai ignored his message, exited the chat with Ban Shu, raised his hand to rub his temples, and called Shen Xingyan to report his safety.

The father and son had a short conversation, and then Shen Yubai forced himself to sleep.

He had to wake up early the next day; he couldn’t not sleep.

*

The next morning, at just past six, Xu Chuning and her two companions got up.

After a simple meal, the trio set off for the orphanage. The orphanage was some distance from Linqiu Town; it took over an hour’s drive to get there. The road to the orphanage wasn’t very smooth or easy to travel, so Brother Wang drove a bit slower.

Once in the car, Shen Yubai looked several times towards the person beside him.

At first, Xu Chuning was prepared to outright ignore him, but Shen Yubai turned to her so often that she couldn’t truly ignore him.

After a while, she couldn’t help but speak up, "Do you have something to say to me?"

Shen Yubai lowered his lashes, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, and narrowed them slightly as he asked, "Didn’t sleep well last night?"

"..." Xu Chuning was taken aback, subconsciously touched her cheek, and uncomfortably hummed a response.

Shen Yubai looked up: "Didn’t you go to bed early?"

Xu Chuning glanced at him, speaking softly: "I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds."

Shen Yubai: "..."

He hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

Silent for a few seconds, Shen Yubai looked out the window, "We still have an hour to go, you could take a nap."

Xu Chuning shook her head: "I can’t sleep."

Shen Yubai was startled, probably guessing the reason for her restlessness. He grew quiet, then said soothingly: "Nervous?"

"It’s not exactly nerves." Xu Chuning found it difficult to describe her current feelings; after thinking about it, she earnestly said, "I don’t know how to explain."

Shen Yubai: "..."

He chuckled, unable to say a word, lifted his hand to pinch his nose bridge, and looked at her with a gentle gaze, "If you don’t know how to explain, then there’s no need to. We’ll be there soon."

Xu Chuning blinked, and replied softly, "Okay."