Shen Mo’s room was at the far end of the second floor, with a semi-circular balcony and an en suite bathroom.

After entering, he went to bathe first. Bai Youwei, meanwhile, set out her belongings one by one around the room, and by the time he emerged from the shower, the space had already taken on a decidedly feminine quality.

A pair of pink fuzzy slippers sat beneath the bed. The desk was covered in skincare products and face masks. On the balcony lounge chair sat a plush stuffed rabbit.

The rabbit…

A vague sense of familiarity stirred in him — as though, long, long ago, he had seen this rabbit before.

“You’re done?” Bai Youwei cheerfully gathered her toiletries and squeezed into the small bathroom: towel, comb, toothbrush, hair ties, hair clips, shampoo, conditioner… all laid out in their places.

Watching his private domain gradually be encroached upon, Shen Mo felt something he couldn’t quite name — not displeased, just a little… strange.

Bai Youwei glanced back at him with a smile, asking shyly: “Is the stream off? I need to change…”

Shen Mo paused and replied: “In the Combat Zone, streams only go live when you enter a dungeon. They stay off otherwise.”

“Oh, that’s a relief~” Bai Youwei began undoing her collar as she drew the curtains. “No wonder there are no comments floating in the sky here.”

Shen Mo hesitated: “You…”

“We’re husband and wife — what’s there to worry about~” She gathered her long hair entirely over one shoulder, baring the zipper at the back of her dress. “Help me with this.”

Unmistakable enticement.

Naked, unashamed temptation.

The tiny zipper pull rested between his fingers, as though the slightest pressure might snap it. Shen Mo pulled it gently, peeling her free from the fitted dress…

Like a piece of cool, lustrous white jade — soft to the touch, carrying a gentle warmth.

She turned to face him, climbed his shoulders, rose on her toes, and lightly pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Did you miss me?”

Without waiting for Shen Mo’s answer, she sighed softly on her own. Her face pressed against his chest, she murmured: “Shen Mo… I missed you so much…”

The man’s eyes darkened. He lifted her up and carried her toward the bed.

……

At dinner, everyone gathered downstairs to eat.

Several nosy companions attempted to find some “suspicious traces” on Bai Youwei, but she had changed into an autumn loungewear set — long sleeves, long pants, thoroughly covered — leaving nothing to see. All she wore on her face was a sweet smile, and the dewy, warm glow in her eyes could have drowned a person.

So they turned their curiosity pointedly toward Shen Mo instead.

The short-ponytail man teased: “You didn’t have to rush down for dinner, you know. Such a short time isn’t nearly enough for a proper marital reunion~”

The red-haired woman was also laughing, leaning over to the built man: “Mo ge’s stamina is something else — the rest of us just wanted to shower and crash after that dungeon.”

The built man smiled but said nothing. The short-ponytail man jumped in eagerly: “Mo ge slept too, just a different kind of sleeping than us~”

The jokes were escalating fast. Shen Mo was about to say something to stop it when Bai Youwei spoke up with an easy smile: “Oh, that’s not true — we just had a little nap. If he’d really been at it, I wouldn’t have the energy to come downstairs and eat.”

Shen Mo: “……”

Everyone else: “……”

A few seconds of silence passed. The short-ponytail man burst out laughing: “She’s not wrong~”

The table erupted in laughter, breaking the brief moment of awkwardness.

The red-haired woman grinned: “Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I’m Natasha — same team as Yuri. We met Mo ge last week when he was looking for a squad to join. Asian faces get a bit of a raw deal around here, but Mo ge far exceeded our expectations.”

The flat-topped built man beside her raised a hand in a simple self-introduction: “I’m Yuri. I handle support and cover for the team.”

The short-ponytail man followed: “Call me Ada. My full name’s a mouthful — Octavius Ada Crowlier. Used to be the main attacker. Now, with Mo ge around, the rest of us are naturally the supporting cast.”

—