Although Van had his eyes closed at this moment, he could clearly feel the gentle smile on the girl's face.
The girl reached out, seemingly wanting to straighten Van's messy hair, but after extending her hand, she paused mid-air.
In the end, she merely looked at the plush toy and, like coaxing a child, softly said, "You have to accompany him well in my place, okay~"
After confirming the plush toy was placed properly, Kiana nodded in satisfaction and quietly retreated.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to look back one more time to ensure she hadn't woken Van.
Once her footsteps completely disappeared, Van finally opened his eyes.
Under the moonlight, the grinning Homu plush toy faced him, its expression extremely cheerful.
He reached out and patted the plush toy's furry head, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifting.
'This girl...'
He sighed lightly in his heart, but his gaze unknowingly softened.
The plushie still carried the scent of Kiana's body, reminding him of how happy she looked earlier hugging this toy at the arcade.
However, just as Van was about to close his eyes again, he heard another set of light footsteps.
This time, it was Raiden Mei.
She was holding a light purple blanket in her hands, moving with great care.
After stopping in front of the sofa, Raiden Mei bent down, carefully unfolded the blanket, and gently covered Van with it.
After tucking it in, she even meticulously smoothed out the edges, ensuring that he wouldn't be exposed to a draft if he moved.
Just as she was about to leave, Raiden Mei's gaze landed on the Homu plushie beside the sofa.
She paused for a second, then recognized it as the prize Kiana had caught today at the arcade.
Thinking of this, Raiden Mei glanced at the "sleeping" Van, then at the plushie, a knowing expression flashing across her face.
After a moment, Raiden Mei sighed lightly in her heart and returned to her room.
Only after confirming that Raiden Mei had walked away did Van open his eyes.
He looked down at the neatly tucked-in blanket on his body, warmth rising in his heart, and the corners of his mouth lifted instinctively.
But soon, Van could no longer smile, because yet another person walked out of their room.
In response, he could only helplessly shut his eyes again and continue pretending to be asleep.
In the next moment, Fu Hua's figure appeared at the corner of the living room.
However, upon seeing Van on the sofa "fully equipped," Fu Hua instinctively pushed up her glasses.
'So someone had already been here? And judging by the style of the items, it was probably Kiana and Mei?'
After a while, she took out a soft pillow from behind her back and quietly approached the sofa.
Beside the sofa, Fu Hua knelt on one knee. One hand gently lifted the back of Van's head, while the other swiftly and precisely slid the pillow underneath.
After finishing, Fu Hua cautiously glanced around, sweeping her gaze over every tightly shut bedroom door.
After confirming no one was watching, her tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and she let out a quiet breath.
Unbeknownst to her, everything was clearly seen by Van, who was squinting while faking sleep.
He chuckled inwardly, 'Never expected someone as proper as Hua to have such a strong sneaky side.'
After the footsteps completely faded, Van fully opened his eyes.
He touched the soft pillow behind his head, then looked at the neatly arranged blanket on his body and the grinning Homu plushie beside him, unable to hold back a shake of the head and a quiet laugh.
'These girls...'
The moonlight outside gently enveloped the living room, and the sound of waves softly hitting the beach echoed through the night.
Van adjusted the pillow's position, instinctively pulled the blanket tighter, and finally whispered a good night to the plushie before drifting into slumber.
What Van didn't know was that after he had fallen asleep, yet another figure quietly left their room.
Seeing Van "fully equipped" on the sofa, Sirin pouted and stomped her foot in frustration.
'So annoying!'
She had originally planned to secretly carry Van into her room.
Just then, a sudden door creak startled her, and she instantly used her Herrscher powers to flash back into her room.
Ivana, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, wandered out of her room.
"Haaah… I'm so thirsty…"
She muttered to herself softly, dragging her feet toward the kitchen.
Passing through the living room, the moonlit scene made her suddenly stop in her tracks, her drowsiness vanishing in an instant.
She tiptoed toward the sofa and pulled out her phone to capture the rare scene before her.
Click!
The sound of the shutter.
This precious moment was now forever saved in Ivana's phone.
Afterward, she happily tucked her phone into her pajama pocket and skipped back toward her room, forgetting all about her thirst.
But halfway there, she turned back, made a funny face at Van, and said, "Now we've got something entertaining~" Ivana laughed joyfully.
———
The morning sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains into the kitchen, the air filled with the scent of breakfast.
Raiden Mei opened her door, her nose twitching as a surprised expression surfaced on her face.
She quietly walked toward the kitchen and saw Van, busy with his back turned to the door.
He gently swirled a frying pan with his left hand, while using chopsticks with his right to flip dumplings in the pan with practiced ease.
"Mei, you're up this early?" Van spoke without turning his head, his tone light with a smile.
Hearing that he could recognize her so easily, the corners of Raiden Mei's mouth curved unconsciously.
"I was planning to make breakfast for everyone… didn't expect you to beat me to it."
As she said that, Raiden Mei walked to the dining chair and took down an apron, tying a beautiful bow behind her waist with her slender fingers.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"Of course~" Van smiled. "After all, with Mei here, it's like having the strength of a hundred people~"
Raiden Mei's cheeks immediately flushed with a light pink. She gently punched Van on the shoulder and said, "If you tease me like that again, I'll ignore you~"
Though she said that, she couldn't hide the laughter in her eyes.
The two worked together seamlessly, Raiden Mei handled the fruit salad, while Van continued cooking eggs and dumplings.
Occasionally, their arms would brush, and Raiden Mei would blush slightly, but her hands never faltered.
Once breakfast was almost ready, the two decided to split up to wake the others.
Raiden Mei went to wake Ivana and Fu Hua, while Van handled the toughest ones, Kiana and Sirin.
Opening Kiana's bedroom door, Van was left laughing and speechless at the sight before him.
The girl lay spread-eagle on the bed, her pajama collar skewed to one side, exposing her delicate collarbone.
The hem of her skirt had ridden up to the base of her thighs, revealing a large area of smooth, snow-white skin.
No exaggeration, any higher and it would be that so-called "absolute territory."
"Kiana, time to get up." Van gently patted her shoulder.
"Mmm… five more minutes…"
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