Chapter 73: An Empty Dream
When Teng Yi entered the room, Ruan Yu suddenly didn’t even know where to stand. It was as if every floor tile had a label, and not a single one belonged to her.
After all, he was the true owner of this space.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the edge of the bed.
Ruan Yu nodded and sat down, while Teng Yi took a seat beside her.
The soft mattress sank slightly under the weight of two people.
The way they sat side by side vaguely resembled the scene in dramas where the bride and groom sit together before their wedding night…
God, what am I thinking?
So inappropriate.
“Your hand,” Teng Yi said.
Ruan Yu extended her arm. Perhaps because she had just showered, the scraped skin looked even redder.
Teng Yi held her wrist, applying ointment to the broken skin with gentle strokes of his fingertips… Every now and then, he glanced up at her.
Her hair was still slightly damp from the shower, her cheeks flushed with a natural, delicate sweetness. Though the wound must have stung, she gritted her teeth without making a sound.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not too bad.”
“So stubborn.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.” He slowed his movements, applying the medicine with the gentlest touch he could muster.
After a while, Teng Yi released her hand.
“Done.”
“Thank you.”
She withdrew her arm, lowering her head to blow softly on the wound. His touch seemed almost magical—the pain had lessened considerably.
Teng Yi stood, and the mattress bounced back slightly.
“Get some rest.”
“Mm.”
She kept her head down, as if deliberately avoiding his gaze.
Teng Yi exhaled quietly and walked toward the door, the sound of his slippers echoing in the room. Just as he pulled the door open, he turned back.
“Ruan Yu.”
She froze—this might have been the first time he had ever called her by name.
“Yes?”
Teng Yi had so much he wanted to say—about the Red Eagle Street Dance Competition, about the way they had been acting like strangers before. But when the words reached his lips, he realized now wasn’t the right time. It was too late.
“Goodnight,” he said before stepping out and closing the door behind him.
Ruan Yu listened as the door clicked shut, her heart sinking slowly. She had thought he might say something more, but if asked what she had been hoping for, she wouldn’t have been able to answer.
Both of them seemed aware of the thin barrier between them, yet tearing it down was too difficult—it required courage, pride, and the risk of dashed hopes.
No one knew what truly lay beyond that barrier.
The worst fear was that once it was broken, even the pretense of being strangers would become awkward.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
The hallway had fallen silent, and the room was quiet too.
Ruan Yu remained seated on the edge of the bed, staring at the pot of jasmine on the windowsill. Only after the ointment on her arm had dried did she finally lie down.
Teng Yi’s bedsheets and blankets were a soft gray, with two matching pillows and a pair of silver-gray bolster cushions at the head of the bed—all carrying his scent, clean and fresh with a hint of mint.
Surrounded by that fragrance, Ruan Yu felt both happiness and guilt.
Tonight, she was definitely going to lose sleep.
Jian Xiangxiang and the others had been tagging her in the group chat, asking where she was staying out so late. Ruan Yu only said she was at a friend’s place, not daring to mention Teng Yi’s name.
Luckily, they didn’t press her about which friend, only reminding her to be careful.Ruan Yu was deeply moved. Although Jian Xiangxiang and the others could be gossipy at times, they always cared for her when it mattered. Having such roommates was truly a blessing.
--?--
Teng Yi walked into Teng Hao's room to find him sitting on the bed, fiddling with two pillows.
"Bro. Which side do you want to sleep on?" he asked earnestly, as if it were some monumental question.
"Doesn't matter."
"I remember when we used to sleep together, you always insisted on the side closer to the door."
"And I remember it was you who didn't like sleeping near the door."
As a child, Teng Hao had been timid yet oddly obsessed with ghost stories. Daylight was fine, but once night fell, it was as if he'd been possessed—seeing shadows everywhere. Too scared to sleep alone, he'd squeeze into Teng Yi's bed every night. And it wasn't just about sharing the bed; he had specific preferences about which side to sleep on. The side near the door was a no-go—he feared ghosts would target him first upon entering... Thinking back, that version of Teng Hao had been quite silly and endearing.
After all these years, Teng Hao had finally grown up.
When had that sudden maturity come? Perhaps during those days when he realized people could be far more terrifying than ghosts—those days surrounded by rumors and scorn.
The brothers lay side by side as Teng Yi turned off the light.
The room had blackout curtains, drawn tightly, plunging the space into darkness. Only a sliver of light from the hallway outlined the furniture.
Because Ruan Yu was here, Teng Yi had deliberately left the hallway light on, thinking she might need it if she got up during the night.
"Bro," Teng Hao suddenly called out.
"Yeah."
"Don't tell Mom about the fight today. And ask Uncle Sun not to mention it either. I don't want her to worry."
"Okay."
"Are you sleepy?"
"No."
"Then why are your answers so short? Like you're sending a telegram."
"You want me to scold you on Mom's behalf?"
Teng Hao quickly laughed it off. "No, no, that's not what I meant."
"If you know Mom would worry, then remember this for the future—don't give her any reason to, in any aspect." Teng Yi paused. "And no more fighting. If you get hurt, how will you dance?"
Dancers should cherish their bodies more than anyone else.
"Got it."
"Sleep."
"Okay."
Teng Hao fell silent.
About a minute later, he suddenly reached over and hugged Teng Yi.
"Bro."
Teng Yi clicked his tongue, trying to push him away but failing.
"What?" he grumbled.
"Bro, do you think I've improved in dancing lately?"Teng Hao clung to him, his tone laced with a hint of acting spoiled for praise."
"Nope."
"I'm serious."
"And I'm not?"
"Hmph!" Teng Hao let go. "Why are you like this? Can't you learn from Top Student? She gives me encouragement now and then—it motivates me."
"How does she encourage you?" Teng Yi's lips curled in the dark. "All I've heard is her roasting you."
"She roasts when roasting's due, but she doesn't hold back on praise when it's deserved."
"And I don't?"
"You've never praised me."
"That's because you haven't done anything praise-worthy yet."
"Tch." Teng Hao rolled over, turning his back. "I'm going to sleep."
"Mad?"
"No."
"This quick to sulk? What kind of man are you?"
"I'm not sulking, I'm not! Hmph!""......"
Clearly angry.
Teng Yi reached out and ruffled Teng Hao's hair. The boy, sulking, buried his head under the blanket, refusing to let him touch it. Teng Yi chuckled.
The night was long.
Boys of sixteen or seventeen have few worries or troubles. Teng Hao turned over and soon began snoring lightly, but Teng Yi couldn't close his eyes.
He wasn't sleepy at all. His mind was clear, replaying everything that had happened that day and thinking about the girl now lying in his bed.
After a while, he gently lifted a corner of the blanket and got up.
--?--
Ruan Yu couldn't sleep either, tossing and turning, her mouth dry.
She remembered the cup with the little fish mark downstairs, so she got up, turned on the light, and stepped out of bed. The slippers by the bed were small and dainty, just her size, but the pants were too long, constantly tripping her up.
Holding up the pant legs, Ruan Yu went to open the door.
The hallway lights were on. As she stepped out, she looked up and saw Teng Yi emerging from Teng Hao's room at the same time. Across the quiet, chilly night and the warm, soft glow of the lights, their eyes met, and both froze.
Teng Yi gently closed the door and walked toward her.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm thirsty," Ruan Yu said, looking at him. "You?"
"Me too."
She smiled.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Just thought it was a funny coincidence."
Teng Yi smiled too. "Should I bring it up for you?"
"No need, I'll go down myself."
He nodded.
They went downstairs one after the other, Teng Yi leading the way, turning on lights as he went. With each flick of his fingers, beams of light welcomed them, soon illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The water in the thermos was still warm.
Teng Yi poured her a cup first. Ruan Yu held it but didn't drink, her fingers lightly tracing the pattern at the bottom.
How strange.
Such a late hour, the two of them standing face to face, holding identical cups.
"Why aren't you drinking?" Teng Yi asked, watching her. "Weren't you thirsty?"
"Oh." She took a sip, then lifted the cup, tilting her head to examine the little fish at the bottom. "Did you specially have this cup made?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"A long time ago." But she hadn't come back to the Teng house since then, and he hadn't known how to give it to her, so it had just stayed on the counter.
Every time he drank from it, he thought of her.
Ruan Yu stayed silent, just spinning the cup in her hands.
"Do you like it?" Teng Yi asked again, the question Teng Hao had interrupted earlier.
Ruan Yu only drank, not answering.
"Seems like you do," Teng Yi said.
"Why?"
Teng Yi also drank, not answering.
"Why?" Ruan Yu pressed.
Teng Yi turned slightly, looking at their reflections in the window behind the counter. One leaned casually against the counter, relaxed, while the other held the cup with both hands, smiling brightly.
"Look at yourself. Guess the idiom."
"What?"
"Can't bear to part with it."
Ruan Yu pursed her moist lips. "This is a reward earned by my intelligence. What's wrong with not wanting to let go?"
"So that's why you can't bear to part with it," he said meaningfully.
"What other reason could there be?"
"Like... I specially had it made for you."He looked at her, his gaze under the gentle lamplight exuding a touch of tender affection.
Ruan Yu pondered his words silently, sensing there might be more beneath them. Was she overthinking? Or was he also... She didn’t dare entertain the thought.
"Thank you, I’ll head upstairs to sleep now."
Setting down her glass, she turned to flee.
But as she took a step, she accidentally tripped over her own pant leg.
"Ah!"
With that soft cry, Ruan Yu stumbled straight toward the bar counter...
--?--
Teng Yi was startled, but fortunately, he reacted swiftly, reaching out to pull her back.
Still shaken, Ruan Yu collided headfirst into Teng Yi’s chest, leaving her momentarily dizzy. Instinctively, she clutched his T-shirt to steady herself.
"Are you okay?" Teng Yi set down his glass, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other gently massaged her temple.
They stood close, their lower bodies still pressed together, frozen in the urgency of the moment.
Ruan Yu was stunned.
"Scared stiff?" He lowered his head, waving a finger in front of her eyes. "Blink if you’re still with me."
She blinked twice, staring at him.
Teng Yi chuckled, but his smile gradually faded. He must have sensed it too—the almost palpable tension between them.
Locked in each other’s gaze, their breaths mingling, all it would take was the slightest movement for their lips to meet.
Ruan Yu’s legs trembled with nervousness. She released her grip on his shirt, trying to step back, but he held her tighter.
"Ruan Yu..."
He murmured her name, inching closer.
The night was most deceptive, most capable of crumbling defenses, most likely to lead to mistakes. But the recklessness of the dark often brought regret with the dawn.
At the last second before his lips touched hers, Ruan Yu turned her head slightly away.
The motion was subtle, barely noticeable. Had Teng Yi been more domineering, more insistent, less rational, a mere tilt of her chin would have brought her lips back to his. But he didn’t.
They remained entwined, teetering on the edge of danger, yet neither moved.
After a few seconds, Teng Yi let her go.
He knelt down, rolling up one of her pant legs for her.
Ruan Yu watched his dreadlocks, feeling his fingers brush her ankle unintentionally—the tingling sensation snapped her back to reality.
She jerked back two steps, evading his touch.
"Teng Yi."
He looked up at her.
"Don’t... be nice to me."
With those words, she turned and bolted.
Her oversized T-shirt flapped as she ran, one pant leg still dragging, but she paid no mind, stumbling unevenly up the stairs.
Back in her room, Ruan Yu buried herself under the covers, forcing herself to ignore the sounds from downstairs. Yet she still heard it all—Teng Yi turning off the lights, his footsteps ascending the stairs, the soft click of his door closing.
Her eyes inexplicably welled up. She couldn’t tell if it was joy or sorrow, only a faint relief that she had restrained herself, preserving the dignity to face him another day, keeping things from spiraling into complexity.
That night, neither of them slept.
Teng Yi lay awake, listening to Teng Hao’s snores, his eyes open until morning.Ruan Yu got up at the break of dawn. After washing up, she changed her clothes, washed Teng Yi's T-shirt and sweatpants clean, hung them out to dry, then left the Teng residence and took the earliest bus back to school.
Her roommates were still asleep. She quietly opened the door, climbed into bed, and took a nap. The moment she closed her eyes and truly fell asleep, her empty dream finally came to an end.
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