NIP Chapter 102 My wife is anxious and has insomnia, so Lin Zhou lulls her to sleep with the song "
Chapter 102 My wife is anxious and has insomnia, so Lin Zhou lulls her to sleep with the song "
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it was impossible to see through.
In the master bedroom of Cloud Top Manor, a dim bedside lamp was always lit, like the eyes of a weary night watchman.
The clock hands had already passed 2 a.m.
"call……"
Su Qingge rolled over, pulled the blanket up to cover half her face, and after a few seconds, she irritably threw it off and sat up.
Her usually well-maintained long hair was now disheveled and draped over her shoulders. Her face, still stunning even without makeup, was etched with lingering anxiety, and the dark circles under her eyes were particularly glaring under the light.
Insomnia.
Severe insomnia.
During the day, at the dinner table, she could still muster the courage to say to Lin Zhou, "Then let's fight." But when the night was deep and quiet, and the noise subsided, the immense pressure of the "bet" weighed heavily on her heart like an invisible mountain, making it difficult for her to even breathe.
"What's wrong? Still thinking about that madman Zhou Lixing?"
A rustling sound came from beside me.
Lin Zhou didn't sleep either.
He propped himself up against the headboard, reached out and pulled Su Qingge into his arms, gently stroking her cold back with his hand, his movements as tender as if he were coaxing Nuonuo to sleep.
"Lin Zhou, I'm a little scared."
Su Qingge buried her head in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled, with a barely perceptible tremor—a vulnerability born from letting down all her guard.
"I'm not afraid of losing. At worst, I'll just retire from the industry. I've already made enough money. But... I'm afraid of letting everyone down."
"Hundreds of people in the company are waiting for 'Qilin's' new song to save the day. What if... what if Qilin never appears again? What if this is just a flash in the pan?"
This is the root of her anxiety.
She placed all her bets on a mysterious person she had never even met.
This feeling of being out of control was pure torture for Su Qingge, who was used to being in control of everything.
As Lin Zhou listened to her rambling, a subtle pang of sorrow welled up in his heart.
That silly woman.
Even though her husband was right beside her, and that so-called "Qilin" was holding her, she was still tormenting herself with this unfounded worry.
"Don't be afraid."
Lin Zhou rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, his voice deep and mellow:
"The Qilin will not disappear. It will always be there for you whenever you need it."
"How did you know?" Su Qingge raised her head, her eyes red, like a wronged rabbit.
"because……"
Lin Zhou curled the corners of his lips, but instead of answering directly, he rolled out of bed.
He walked to the decorative shelf by the French windows and took down the folk acoustic guitar that Su Qingge usually used to practice fingerings but rarely actually played.
"Because I also know a little about music."
He walked back with his guitar, but instead of sitting back on the bed, he moved a chair to the edge of the bed, casually putting one leg up in the most comfortable position.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the window screen, dappling his body.
At this moment, Lin Zhou was wearing loose pajamas, his hair was slightly messy, but he exuded an indescribable sense of decadence and deep affection.
"If you can't sleep, I'll sing you a song."
Lin Zhou's slender fingers gently brushed across the strings, testing a few notes.
Su Qingge was stunned for a moment, and was about to say "Stop fooling around", but when she saw Lin Zhou's focused eyes, she inexplicably shut her mouth.
"Tongzi, redeem the song 'Anhe Bridge'."
**[Ding! Redemption successful! 1000 Happiness Points deducted.]**
As the data loaded into his mind, Lin Zhou's fingers moved.
"Thump, thump, thump."
He didn't rush to play the melody, but first tapped the wooden soundboard of the guitar lightly with his knuckles a few times.
The sound was deep and heavy, like the beat of an old drum or the frequency of a heartbeat.
This is followed by an extremely simple yet incredibly catchy intro.
There are no flashy techniques, no complicated chords.
It's the purest guitar strumming, carrying a unique sense of desolation and generosity characteristic of autumn in the North.
Su Qingge's tense nerves miraculously relaxed the moment those few notes sounded. She lay back down on the pillow, turned to her side, and fixed her gaze on the man playing the piano in the moonlight.
Lin Zhou spoke.
His voice was low and slightly grainy, which was the texture of the story.
"Let me look at you one more time, from south to north."
"It's like having your eyes blindfolded by the Fifth Ring Road."
"Please tell me again, about that day."
"A girl holding a box, and a man wiping away sweat..."
The lyrics are not fancy; they are even somewhat like plain language.
But when paired with that melodious and soothing tune, it possesses a power that strikes straight to the soul. It is neither intense nor restless; it is like a rough yet warm hand gently stroking the wrinkles and scars in your heart.
Su Qingge's breathing gradually became steady.
She looked at Lin Zhou.
Looking at his lowered eyes, at his fingers plucking the strings, at his eyelashes trembling slightly with his focus.
At this moment, Zhou Lixing, the bet to leave the entertainment industry, and Qilin were all shut out by this song.
The world is reduced to this room and this singing man.
"I know that those summers, like youth, will never come back."
"What can replace dreams is only doing what is difficult."
"I know that the boasts I made will eventually fade away with the passing of youth."
"Let me remain trapped in the city, in memory of you..."
At this point in the song, Lin Zhou paused slightly with his hands, then added a softer humming that wasn't originally in the arrangement.
That was the tune he often used to lull Nuonuo to sleep.
Gentle, tender, and full of a sense of security.
Su Qingge felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and that long-lost drowsiness gently enveloped her like a tide.
I thought I was destined to have a sleepless night, but unexpectedly, the cure for insomnia was right beside me.
Lin Zhou watched as Su Qingge slowly closed her eyes, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He softened his movements, and his voice changed from chanting to an almost murmured whisper:
"So, hello and goodbye."
"Back to yesterday, which can never be returned to..."
As the last note faded, the vibration of the strings gradually ceased.
The room fell silent again.
Only Su Qingge's even and long breaths rose and fell gently in the air.
She fell asleep.
She was sleeping soundly, her brows completely relaxed, and a faint smile even lingered on her lips, as if she were having a beautiful dream about summer.
Lin Zhou carefully put down his guitar, afraid of making even the slightest noise that might disturb the rare tranquility.
He stood up, walked to the bedside, bent down, and tucked the blanket around her.
Looking at that sleeping face so close to his, Lin Zhou felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
This is the person he wants to protect.
Even if it's a raging storm outside, as long as she's back in this room, as long as he's there, she can sleep peacefully.
Goodnight, my wife.
Lin Zhou lowered his head and placed a soft, feather-like kiss on her smooth, full forehead.
After doing all that, he was just about to go to the other side to rest in bed.
Sudden.
Su Qingge turned over in her sleep, her hand unconsciously grabbing Lin Zhou's clothes, like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she were talking in her sleep.
Lin Zhou paused for a moment, then subconsciously leaned closer, trying to hear what she was saying.
Was she praising my looks in her dream? Or was she calling me "husband"?
He held his breath, his ear almost touching her lips.
In silence.
Although Su Qingge's voice was muffled, the pronunciation of those two words entered Lin Zhou's ears with exceptional clarity.
With a touch of dependence, a touch of nostalgia, and even... a touch of deep longing.
What she shouted was:
"...Seventh Brother."