Especially Fond of You

Chapter 20(B, Wang Miao’s Perspective)Episode

Wang Miao thought things couldn't get worse, and that everything would be better after a good night's sleep.

But to her dismay, the previously quiet dogs suddenly started barking furiously in the middle of the night.

Wang Miao pulled the blanket over her head to block out the noise, thinking they would eventually tire and stop barking. However, the blanket only made her hotter, and the noise outside continued unabated.

Frustrated, Wang Miao shouted, “Ah!” The dogs paused for a moment, then resumed with a mix of pitiful whimpers and assertive barks, adding the sound of scratching at the door.

The rhythmic scratching made it impossible for Wang Miao to sleep.

Accepting defeat, she turned on the light and got out of bed. Opening the door, she found Gu Er sitting at the entrance while San San sat nearby, looking sleepy but barking whenever Gu Er did.

Wang Miao, still groggy, asked Gu Er, “What's going on? Why are you barking?”

As soon as she asked, she heard the sound of a couple arguing in the hallway outside. Gu Er immediately ran to the entrance and barked at the door, with San San following a step behind.

Yawning, Wang Miao listened for a while and realized it was the neighbors. The man had come home drunk, and the woman was yelling at him, refusing to let him in and accusing him of infidelity.

Quite the dramatic midnight gossip.

Wang Miao felt it wasn't Gu Er's place to intervene, so she patted his head, “It's okay, they're not yelling at you. Go back to sleep.”

This time, Gu Er didn't avoid her touch and even nudged her hand.

Wang Miao smiled, realizing the dog was probably scared.

She went to wash her hands and then returned to bed. Gu Er followed her into the room, nudging San San as if encouraging him to show off some cuteness.

Wang Miao found Gu Er quite clever, but she wasn’t comfortable sleeping with dogs in the room, worried they might suddenly go crazy and bite her. She gently coaxed Gu Er to sleep in the living room, saying he could call her if needed.

Gu Er...closed his ears.

He could do that?

Wang Miao pointed to the bedroom door, and Gu Er obediently left, but sat outside, barking at the arguing couple.

Feeling desperate, Wang Miao took her phone and went to the living room to watch TV. With her presence, Gu Er quieted down.

She prayed the arguing couple would get tired and stop disturbing the neighborhood and her nosy dog.

The living room air conditioner worked, and after a while, she started to drift off while watching TV. She didn't know how many episodes she watched, but eventually, she heard San San snoring by her feet, with only Gu Er still alert.

The neighbors finally stopped arguing. Wang Miao didn't hear the conclusion, whether they reconciled or split up, but as long as they stopped, that was fine.

Standing up, she signaled to Gu Er, “I, sleep in the room; you, sleep outside.”

Feeling silly for reporting to a dog, she rolled her eyes and went back to the bedroom.

She didn't know how long she slept before Gu Er's excited barking woke her up again, combined with the sound of him banging against the door.

She considered sending Gu Er to a dog meat shop. In her groggy state, she also heard the doorbell ringing.

The doorbell...

Gu Lin was back!

This thought jolted her awake.

She jumped out of bed, grabbed her underwear from the balcony, and avoided San San’s new mess to get dressed.

How could she have slept until now? Why didn't the alarm go off? She had planned to pretend to be half-asleep in Gu Lin's clothes, but now she was a mess with unwashed hair and no makeup.

As she hurriedly dressed, Gu Er barked as if urging her to open the door for his owner. Unable to wash her face, she got dressed and opened the door, covering her face to hide her unkempt look.

After telling Gu Lin about the broken air conditioner and the puppy’s mess, she rushed into the bathroom to freshen up, feeling frustrated for not waking up earlier and bringing no makeup for touch-ups.

Dark circles, puffy eyelids, fine lines, and a pimple on her chin.

Ah! She didn’t want Gu Lin to see her like this!

Just as she was thinking of hiding in the bathroom forever, Gu Lin knocked, saying he needed to shower.

Reluctantly, she let him in and then hid under the covers, pretending it was all a dream.

The air conditioner was fixed, making the room much more comfortable. Wang Miao thought Gu Lin was indeed reliable, fixing the air conditioner so quickly.

A reliable man not only fixes air conditioners quickly but also showers quickly. Before she recovered from her embarrassment, Gu Lin came to ask where the hairdryer was.

Wang Miao pointed to the bedside, and Gu Lin reached over her, droplets from his wet hair falling on the blanket.

So sexy.

For a moment, Wang Miao forgot her disheveled state and wanted to pull Gu Lin down for a hug and kiss, but he only grabbed the hairdryer and left.

So, no makeup equals no attraction?

Frustrated, Wang Miao followed Gu Lin for breakfast, then eagerly asked if he was going to rest. To her surprise, he hesitated, which she interpreted as him wanting to rest alone or feeling it was inappropriate to sleep together.

Determined, Wang Miao sat on the couch, waiting for Gu Lin to finish eating, washing the dishes, and hanging clothes. Watching him hang clothes on the balcony, she recalled once imagining how Gu Lin would look doing it, and now she saw it.

Very domestic, very handsome, very tall, making her want to cuddle up to him.

Thinking this, she hugged him from behind, playfully urging him to go to bed.

Seeing Gu Lin’s happy smile, she led him to the bedroom. Once inside, he found a large pair of shorts for her, saying he didn’t want her knees to get cold.

She had nothing to say to that.

Accepting her serious and old-fashioned boyfriend, Wang Miao put on the shorts and took her place by the wall.

If he didn’t move, she wouldn’t either. If they both lay still, it would be like digging a hole in the bed.

Feeling a bit petty, Wang Miao stayed put, but the discomfort grew. Her body, covered in clothes, began to sweat. She bent her knee, her foot catching on the shorts, causing them to slide down her waist.

She turned to Gu Lin, “It’s hot. Can I take off the shorts?”

Why ask him? Just take them off. But Wang Miao wanted to tease him since he made her wear the shorts. She wanted him to feel the same discomfort.

Sure enough, she heard Gu Lin’s breath quicken, trying to cover it by turning away.

Satisfied, Wang Miao thought, "I knew I wasn't unattractive."

Gu Lin was just too proper.

Not wanting Gu Lin to sleep with his back to her, she shook his waist until he turned around and held her close.

In the excitement of their relationship, this was the first time they’d been so intimate in bed.

Feeling shy, Wang Miao's heart swelled with joy at the sound of Gu Lin's heartbeat. She looked up and asked, “Why is your heart beating so fast?”

Gu Lin replied, “My adrenaline is high. Not just my heart, my blood pressure too. I might even get a nosebleed.”

“Pfft—” Wang Miao laughed, touching his lips and nose, “Really?”

Gu Lin kissed her finger gently, “Can you be good and sleep? Aren't you tired?”

Wang Miao admitted, “Not tired anymore, now that I'm holding you.”

“What do you want to do then?” Gu Lin asked.

Wang Miao giggled, thinking of things she couldn’t say out loud. But knowing Gu Lin must be exhausted, she decided not to bother him.

She cuddled closer, “I just want to watch you sleep.”

Gu Lin kissed her forehead, adjusted to a comfortable position, and closed his eyes.

Soon, Wang Miao heard his steady breathing, confirming he was really tired. The drowsiness was contagious, and she soon fell asleep as well.

They were awakened by a phone call. Gu Lin let go of Wang Miao, checked the phone, and cleared his throat before answering.

Speaking softly not to disturb Wang Miao, he said, “Hello, yes, I’ll be there at two. Okay, see you then.”

Wang Miao overheard and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To the hospital. There’s a surgery this afternoon. It’s a friend’s relative, and they want me to perform it. It won’t take long.” Gu Lin stretched and then wrapped his arm around her again.

Wang Miao felt a pang of disappointment. He hadn’t slept much and had to leave again. She checked the time—it was almost noon. “Sleep a bit more. I’ll make you something to eat.”

Gu Lin held her back, “Don’t bother. We’ll order takeout. Just stay with me.”

Relieved, Wang Miao stayed in bed. She rarely cooked at home; her parents did it when she was young, and later, Wang Xiwen, who was a great cook, took over.

Content, she dozed off, vaguely hearing Gu Lin order food. He fetched it and set the table before waking her.

Being pampered made Wang Miao feel wonderful. Walking to the table, she felt like Donald Duck, swaying happily. But Gu Lin stopped her, pulling her back.

Confused, she watched him fetch clean clothes,

“Change in the bathroom.”

“Huh?”

“Did you bring sanitary pads?”

Only then did Wang Miao realize she felt uncomfortable. She shook her head, “Am I on my period?”

Gu Lin pressed her head gently, “Silly girl, stay in the bathroom. I’ll go buy some.”

Gu Lin left quickly, returning in less than ten minutes with a pack. Handing it to her through the door, Wang Miao, feeling lost, asked, “Do you have any unworn underwear?”

Gu Lin seemed to search, then asked at the door, “I don’t have new ones, but I have barely worn ones. Is that okay?”

She had no better option.

Feeling defeated, Wang Miao hid her face, close to tears.

Finally, she put on Gu Lin’s underwear with a sanitary pad, still wearing his T-shirt.

She hand-washed the shirt and tossed it in the washer, then noticed the bedsheet had been changed too, probably stained by her.

Gu Lin called her to eat, “Let’s eat. I have to go soon.”

Lackluster, Wang Miao nibbled a few bites, “I’ll leave too.”

Feeling too embarrassed to stay, she felt she had failed terribly.

Gu Lin ate heartily, then suggested, “It’s getting late. Rest a bit longer. The surgery won’t take long. I’ll be back to take you out for dinner and then take you home, okay?”

Before Wang Miao could respond, he pointed to her shorts, “You can’t walk around in men’s underwear.”

He had a point. It would be troublesome.

Nodding, she cleaned up after he left, washed the sheet, and used a hairdryer on her damp underwear.

Meanwhile, San San made another mess by the entrance. Finding it, she used a newspaper to clean it up and led him to the litter box, copying Gu Lin.

From the moment she entered the house, she had been stressed, her head pounding.

She couldn’t sleep, yet felt tired, her stomach heavy, and afraid of staining her clothes.

Wanting a distraction, she decided to mop the floor. But the dogs, small San San and big Gu Er, played with the mop, leaving paw prints everywhere.

Close to tears, Wang Miao wanted to go home.

Gu Lin returned to find her playing a game on her phone, calling her gently. She responded weakly.

Gu Lin placed a bag on the coffee table, “I bought some snacks and drinks. You didn’t eat much earlier. Have some.”

Peeking inside, she found ginger tea, cheese tarts, and red velvet cake. Not hungry, the tasty-looking snacks tempted her, and she started eating.

As she ate, Gu Lin washed up and changed, then complimented her, “You cleaned the floor, washed the dishes, and did the laundry. Was there a magic fairy here? Did you see her?”

Wang Miao’s spirits lifted, and she shared her cake with him.

After their snack, Gu Lin folded her clothes from the balcony and handed them to her, “Change, let’s go out for dinner.”

Though not hungry, still sipping her drink, Wang Miao questioned, “Is our plan just to eat?”

Gu Lin laughed, “Let’s go out. If you see a place you like, we can stop by.”

Touched by his thoughtfulness, Wang Miao, feeling unwell and not keen on shopping, agreed to dinner before asking to be taken home.

On the way, she noticed Gu Lin had posted a photo on Weibo—a side-back view of her in front of the closet with Gu Er and San San watching. He shared the picture without a caption.

Feeling fulfilled, Wang Miao quietly liked the post.