Morning And Evening Chapter 22

Chang Ming’an had no idea why he agreed. Before he could even process it, the word “okay” had already jumped out of its hole like a rabbit eager to pounce. It was probably because sleeping on the sofa was really cold, but not that cold. He had always been a natural heater since he was a child, and his hands and feet were never cold even in the dead of winter.

He Mu’s heart was pounding like a rabbit that had just crawled out of another hole.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Chang Ming’an had a little bit of affection for him, but he only thought about it and then stopped, since he felt it was extremely cold to sleep in the living room.

He Mu fed the cat while Chang Ming’an was taking a shower. In winter, Mu Mu was always lazy and didn’t like to move. When petted, she would only lift her head to rub against him, then curl up and go to sleep, hiding her face, except for her ears, which would twitch at the slightest sound. At first, He Mu thought she was sick, but later realized it was normal.

He strained his ears and heard the water in the bathroom stop. So he slipped on his slippers, turned on the electric blanket on the bed, snuggled under the covers, and curled up, waiting for the bed to warm up little by little.

Chang Ming’an emerged from the bathroom, his body steaming with warmth. His dark gray cotton loungewear made him appear tall and reliable. He slipped into the other side of the bed, but after lying down, he propped himself up and reached over He Mu to touch the electric blanket switch on He Mu’s side. He Mu pulled the blanket under his eyes, his face shrouded in the shadow cast by Chang Ming’an’s body. He blinked, looking directly upwards at Chang Ming’an’s slightly bluish chin after shaving and his broad chest.

Chang Ming’an said, “I turned it off. It’s too dry to sleep with it on.”

He Mu didn’t want him to turn it off. Chang Ming’an had reminded him not to sleep with the electric blanket on at the beginning of winter, but he always secretly turned it on again in the middle of the night, sleeping with it on for the rest of the night so that his hands and feet wouldn’t feel cold when he woke up. But he didn’t say anything. He just looked at Chang Ming’an’s lips, moved his legs under the covers, rubbed the sheets, and mumbled an “Mmm.”

Chang Ming’an turned off the bedside lamp and quietly lay back down. The two of them curled up in their blankets on the bed like two silkworm cocoons.

He Mu turned over to face Chang Ming’an. Taking advantage of the darkness, he opened his eyes to see Chang Ming’an’s blurry outline. He saw his slightly protruding brow bone, then his straight nose, then his soft lips, and his much stronger jaw, like undulating mountains in the night.

Chang Ming’an stirred, and He Mu quickly closed his eyes. After a while, he slowly opened them and saw that Chang Ming’an had turned away. He was a little disappointed and shrank back into the blankets. He felt somewhat dissatisfied that the warmth in the blankets was gradually dissipating as the electric blanket was turned off, and it didn’t get warmer just because there was another person in the bed.

He Mu secretly coveted the warmth of the other side so close by, and gradually fell asleep.

When He Mu woke up in the middle of the night, he felt that his feet were a little cold. No matter how he tried to tuck them in, they were still uncomfortable. Half asleep, he rubbed his feet around to find warmth. He slowly moved his feet over the edge of the blankets and found a warm spot. He stretched his other foot over there as well and then went back to sleep, satisfied.

Chang Ming’an woke up when he stretched out his leg.

Chang Ming’an opened his eyes in the darkness and felt He Mu’s feet squeezed into the crook of his knees. He reached his hand into the blanket to check if it was warm enough, knowing that He Mu was cold. He then rustled up and turned on the electric blanket. He Mu didn’t pull her feet back, and later even stretched her hand out, putting it in the gap between Chang Ming’an’s arm and the bed, not withdrawing it even after the electric blanket warmed up.

When He Mu woke up the next day, she was in a warm bed. It was noticeably colder outside than the day before. She could hear the wind rustling through the trees through the window. But the electric blanket was on, making it so comfortable that she didn’t want to get out of bed. He Mu yawned, blinked slowly, and then opened her eyes wide.

Chang Ming’an lay face to face with him, but his hands and feet were all over the line. His feet were on Chang Ming’an’s calves, and his hands were on Chang Ming’an’s chest, able to touch the chest that rose and fell with each breath.

He Mu’s mind started racing with a jumble of thoughts again.

Why didn’t Chang Ming’an push his hands and feet back? Didn’t he notice? He couldn’t possibly be sleeping that soundly. If he did notice, why didn’t he push them back? Maybe Chang Ming’an really does like him a little bit.

He Mu suddenly remembered the script that He Jun had sent him.

The lonely little girl wanted to leave the wandering poet in her utopia.

He Mu also wanted to keep Chang Ming’an in this bed forever, regardless of whether he liked him or not, regardless of the past or the future. He just wanted to keep him here and lie here until the end of time.

He still had to get out of bed. He Mu and He Jun had arranged to go over today. When he left, Chang Ming’an didn’t ask him where he was going, but simply stood up and said, “It’s cold. I’ll give you a ride.”

It wasn’t a question or a suggestion, but a direct decision. He Mu couldn’t refuse at all. However, the road to the small theater was very short, so there was no need to drive. In the end, he could only stammer that it wasn’t necessary, and then he grabbed the keys he had left behind yesterday and rushed out the door.

He Mu greeted He Jun and the others who were rehearsing briefly, then took off his shoes and stepped barefoot on the floor of the small theater. The theater was warm, so he took off his coat, leaving only a loose long-sleeved T-shirt. He rolled up the sleeves, and his long hair was still tied in a ponytail, but it was a little messy and fluffy because of the action of taking off his clothes and scarf.

He stood in the center of the stage, his gaze unfocused, avoiding looking at the few other actors standing around. He thought of the warmth he felt when he woke up this morning, the whistling wind outside the window, the dust floating in the dim morning light, and Chang Ming’an’s steady breathing.

He Mu’s solo dance, lasting less than two minutes, ended with her kneeling on the ground, like an infant returning to its mother’s embrace.

Applause immediately erupted. He Jun was completely stunned and praised without reservation, “Very good.”

He Mu stood up apologetically, then silently put his coat back on, and said softly, “The movements aren’t difficult. You can learn them quickly.”

The actress who was temporarily substituted in was originally a script supervisor. Because she had some dance background, she was rushed into the role. She was practically in tears. “It’s too difficult! I couldn’t even do that backbend at the beginning!”

He Mu quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck, covering half of his face, and said somewhat awkwardly, “Actually, it’s not too difficult.”

The script supervisor stared at He Mu’s long, curly ponytail swinging behind her head and slapped his forehead. “Why don’t you just come and dance? If I learn it badly, I’ll ruin the show.”

He Mu hadn’t expected this turn of events and quickly tried to refuse. He Jun seemed to be thinking about it thoughtfully when the script supervisor quickly said, “It’s perfectly fine. There will be a single spotlight shining on the female lead on stage. The lighting will be dim, and with a little attention to costumes and makeup, it won’t look out of place at all.”