I Married the Brother of my Supposed-to-be Husband!

His laugh was soft and genuine this time, and with a shake of his head, he turned and walked back toward the couch. "Relax, Chen Lin. You can take the bed. I was just teasing—you're so tense."

Chen Lin watched him leave, her heart still racing in her chest as his playful smirk lingered in her mind.

Calm down, Chen Lin. It's just one night…

Chen Lin lay in bed for several minutes, turning left and right, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Sleep remained stubbornly out of reach. Her throat felt parched, each swallow catching dry in her throat.

With a quiet sigh, she pushed back the covers and slipped out of bed. Her bare feet met the cool wooden floor, sending a faint shiver up her spine. 

The faint glow of the city lights outside illuminated the apartment just enough for her to make her way to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water, the faint clink of the glass against the countertop breaking the heavy silence of the night.

As she turned back toward the bedroom, her eyes landed on the couch—and on Wu Yuxuan.

He was sprawled awkwardly across the small space, his long legs hanging off the edge, one arm thrown over his eyes while the other hung loosely by his side. His broad shoulders barely fit the width of the couch, and his body was turned slightly to the side in what was undoubtedly an uncomfortable position.

Chen Lin bit her lip.

He's going to wake up with the worst back pain tomorrow…

For a moment, she hesitated, her fingers tightening around the glass in her hand. But then, with a determined breath, she set the glass down on the counter and walked over to him.

"Wu Yuxuan…" Her voice was soft, hesitant as she reached out and lightly nudged his shoulder. "Wu Yuxuan, wake up."

Wu Yuxuan stirred, letting out a low hum of protest before his golden eyes blinked open, unfocused and heavy with sleep. He squinted up at her, his voice rough. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Chen Lin's fingers fidgeted with the hem of her oversized shirt as she avoided his gaze. "Nothing happened… I just—" She hesitated before gathering her courage. "You should sleep in the bed."

Wu Yuxuan blinked once, then twice, before his brows lifted in faint surprise. "The bed?"

"Yes," Chen Lin said firmly, her voice steadier now. "It's big enough for both of us, and honestly…" She glanced briefly at his awkward position on the couch before looking back at him. "You'll wake up with an aching back if you stay here all night."

Wu Yuxuan let out a small chuckle, running a hand through his tousled hair. "You're worried about my back now?"

Chen Lin's cheeks flushed, but she pressed on. "Since we're… married, it's not like we can avoid this forever, right? Sharing a bed, I mean. So… why not now?"

The apartment went quiet again as Wu Yuxuan's sharp golden gaze locked onto her face. For a moment, Chen Lin regretted saying anything at all—her heart hammered in her chest, and she suddenly wanted to retreat back to the safety of the bedroom.

But then Wu Yuxuan let out a quiet sigh, his lips curling into a small, tired smile. "Alright. You make a fair point."

He sat up, his movements slow and deliberate as he stretched out his stiff limbs. Chen Lin stepped back to give him space, her pulse still racing in her ears. Wu Yuxuan stood, towering over her in the faint light, his hair slightly mussed from sleep and his shirt rumpled.

"Let's go," he said casually, brushing past her and walking toward the bedroom as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Chen Lin followed behind him, her steps small and hesitant as she re-entered the room. Wu Yuxuan walked around to the opposite side of the bed and slipped under the covers without any hesitation, his movements smooth and unbothered.

Chen Lin climbed onto the farthest edge of the mattress, sitting stiffly with her back straight and her hands pressed into her lap. The distance between them felt like an entire ocean.

Wu Yuxuan watched her, the corner of his lips twitching upward. "Chen Lin, are you planning to sit there all night like a statue?"

"I… I'm fine here," she said quickly, her voice slightly higher than usual.

Wu Yuxuan let out a soft sigh and leaned back against the headboard, one arm propped casually behind his head. "Suit yourself. But if you're going to stay that stiff, you'll wake up with a sore back."

For several minutes, neither of them spoke. The sound of the city outside their window filled the silence—the distant hum of traffic, the faint honk of a car horn, and the soft breeze brushing against the glass.

Chen Lin finally dared to glance at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed so at ease, his eyes half-lidded as if he was already halfway to falling asleep. The lines of his jaw and the faint shadows under his eyes made him seem softer, more human.

She let out a quiet breath, slowly shifting until she was lying down on her side, facing away from him. Her back felt exposed, and her mind raced with a million thoughts.

The mattress shifted slightly as Wu Yuxuan turned off the bedside lamp. The room plunged into darkness, with only faint streaks of city light seeping through the curtains.

For a moment, Chen Lin thought that would be the end of their interaction for the night. But then Wu Yuxuan's voice cut through the silence, low and steady.

"Chen Lin."

"…Yes?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Why did you agree to this?" His tone wasn't accusing, nor was it demanding. It was… curious.

Chen Lin's fingers clenched the edge of the blanket as she stared into the darkness. The words felt heavy on her tongue, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to say them aloud.

"Because… it felt like the only thing I could control," she admitted softly. "Everything else was falling apart, and this—this felt like a choice I could make for myself."

Wu Yuxuan didn't respond right away. The silence stretched on long enough for Chen Lin to think he had fallen asleep. But then, his voice came again, softer this time.

"You're braver than you realize."

The quiet compliment made her chest tighten unexpectedly, and she bit her lip to stop the flood of emotions threatening to surface.

Neither of them spoke again after that.

But for the first time in a long while, Chen Lin felt a strange sense of calm—a fragile, delicate thing, but real nonetheless. And as the city lights flickered outside their window, both of them drifted into an uneasy but shared silence, their breaths steadying in the quiet rhythm of the night.