His words jerked Ariana back to the present. She rubbed her nose with a sniffle and muttered under her breath, "It's cold."

Theodore softened his expression. He quietly turned the wheelchair around and pulled the suitcase beside her into the room.

“Come in," he repeated, a little gentler this time. When she still refused to move, he sighed, reached out to take her wrist, and pulled her inside.

The room was very warm and cozy, with a pleasant smell of incense floating in the air.

Ariana lingered awkwardly. She seemed a little flustered when her eyes trailed to the big bed in front of her.

"You're not fussy about the bed, are you?" Theodore teased as her face turned crimson.

"After all, we did sleep together once before. You slept like a log that night."

Theodore was referring to the night when Alina ran into his room.

Angry and embarrassed that he suddenly brought up the memory of that night, Ariana lowered her head and avoided his gaze. She refused to give him any response.

Theodore decided to stop teasing her, but the corners of his lips curved into a soft smile.

“I'm going to go wash. Do as you please." He picked his pajamas off the sofa and made his way to the bathroom. Suddenly, he stopped midway as if he remembered something and turned his head to her.

"Rest assured, I have no interest in you. I'm just doing you a favor out of the kindness of my heart. You can stay here until your room is fixed."

Ariana didn't reply, keeping her eyes planted on the floor.

After he got into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, she exhaled the breath she was holding and rubbed her hot cheeks in exasperation.

He was right. It wasn't the first time they shared a bed. What was there to be nervous about?

Anyway, it was just for one night. She could close her eyes and pretend he didn't exist. Time passed quickly when one was sleeping. It would be morning in no time.

Ariana tried to cheer herself up. She took a deep breath and climbed into the bed, covering herself with the quilt and pulling it over her head.

She found herself rubbing her cheek against the quilt. There was a familiar smell coming from it. It made her feel at ease for some reason.

She tried to relax and clear her mind. She was hoping to fall asleep before Theodore came back out and got into bed. She didn't want to talk to him.

But after a long time, no matter how hard she tried, she was still wide awake and staring at the ceiling.