Ding Yao rolled over in his sleep, feeling the emptiness beside him, the familiar warmth absent, causing him to wake up. He tossed aside the blanket and got out of bed. As he walked through the corridor, nearing Qiao Chengyu’s door, he heard two voices.
Xiao Yan probably forgot that these cabin doors were fixed in the "open" position, or maybe she just didn’t understand that some things should be private. More likely, they both thought Ding Yao was asleep.
Ding Yao paused.
The spaceship was too quiet, and Xiao Yan’s voice echoed down the corridor, filled with a tremor of joy!
Suddenly, Ding Yao realized that since he was born here and since he met Xiao Yan, though he had brought her companionship and solace during her lonely moments, she had never been this happy before. Every day, she struggled for survival, never really experiencing what joy truly was.
Ding Yao stood quietly for a while, and as he heard Xiao Yan’s joyous exclamation again, he turned around and went back to sleep.
Suddenly, he was awakened once more by Xiao Yan snuggling back into bed and hugging him tightly. Ding Yao remained silent for a moment before kicking her: “Go take a shower! You stink!”
She reeked of a wild man’s odor.