Chapter 38 Sleep in One Room
She said through gritted teeth, "No need to go through all that trouble. I'll just make do on the sofa here for one night."
The housekeeper looked troubled. "How can that work? The sofa is so hard, you won't rest well. How will you work tomorrow?"
Aria turned and went straight into the room, bringing out the blanket.
Part of the blanket was wet too, but fortunately most of it was dry. She spread it on the sofa and lay down.
Her head rested on the armrest, with both legs hanging off the sofa.
"You can go rest. Don't worry about me."
The housekeeper wanted to say more, but seeing that Aria had already found a comfortable position to lie down, she stopped trying to persuade her and left.
The living room became quiet.
Aria curled up on the sofa, having to turn over and change positions every few minutes.
No help for it—the sofa was just like the housekeeper said: hard, short, and uncomfortable.
She'd just have to put up with it.
Of course she wasn't stupid. She could naturally see this was all Arthur's doing.
When he wasn't here, everything was fine. But as soon as he arrived, the stove broke and the ceiling leaked. What were the odds—were they both just waiting for Arthur to show up and make her look bad?
She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it anymore.
After a tiring day, drowsiness gradually came over her, but the sofa was really uncomfortable, making her sleep restless.
She didn't know how much time had passed when, half-asleep, someone pushed her arm. Opening her eyes, it was Arthur.
"Why are you sleeping here?"
Aria got annoyed just seeing him. She rolled her eyes at him, turned over, and continued sleeping.
Arthur wouldn't leave. He went into her room to look around, then came out and said, "So there's a leak. Why didn't you ask the housekeeper to arrange another bedroom for you?"
"She did arrange one. I didn't want to go," Aria said with her eyes closed. "The sofa's fine."
Arthur looked at her without speaking.
Under the dim yellow wall lamp, her hair was a bit messy, her face full of exhaustion. Her body curled up on the small sofa—she looked pitiful no matter how you looked at her.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly scooped Aria up in his arms!
Her sleeping position made this move really easy—Arthur barely had to try.
"Come sleep in my room."
Aria got a fright and started thrashing around.
"Arthur! What's wrong with you? Put me down!"
Arthur took a breath and put her down, then quickly said: "The bed is yours. I'll sleep on the sofa outside the master bedroom. I won't bother you."
Aria didn't move.
Arthur's tone softened a bit, "Listen to me. If you really sleep here all night, you'll be completely sore all over when you wake up tomorrow."
That was true.
After lying there for just that short while, she already felt aches all over, and her back was sore too.
"Fine, then thanks!"
The "thanks" was full of sarcasm.
The two of them walked one after the other back to the master bedroom.
The master bedroom was a suite design, over 650 square feet. Inside were the big bed and bathroom, outside was a small living room.
As soon as Aria entered the room, she locked the door, locking Arthur outside.
Arthur let out a low laugh, moved the sofa to the door, and lay down too.
Inside the room, Aria lay comfortably on the bed in her pajamas.
The bed was soft and big.
The blanket had that just-washed smell, mixed with a faint scent of cedar cologne.
It was Arthur's scent.
Aria stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly spoke, "After I moved out, did you come back here to stay?"
"No, when would I have time to come here?" Arthur said casually, then immediately realized he'd said the wrong thing.
If he'd never had time to come before, why did he follow right after Aria came?
If it was just speculation before, now his little scheme was laid out plain as day in front of Aria.
Both fell silent for a moment.
After a while, Aria asked through gritted teeth, "So the leak in my room—that was your doing?!"
"You're wronging me there," Arthur sighed. "That really wasn't me. I swear."
Aria stopped talking.
Arthur smiled, suddenly feeling that chatting through the door like this was kind of interesting.
"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked.
Of course Aria remembered.
"The college welcome party," she said, "You came back as an outstanding alumnus to give a speech."
"Yeah." Arthur's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. "I remember you. You were sitting in the front row, wearing a white dress, looking down at your phone the whole time, not listening to what I was saying at all."
Aria was a bit surprised. "You remember that?"
"Of course."
Arthur was handsome and from a good family—wherever he went, he was always the center of attention.
That was the first time someone had ignored him while he was speaking, so naturally he had to take a few extra looks.
To be honest, it was his vanity at work.
Aria recalled that time and smiled too. "You know what I was doing then?"
"Oh?"
"I was messaging Summer, telling her that school had this guy who looked like a movie star giving a speech, and she'd missed out big time by not coming."
"After that I put down my phone and kept staring at you, but your eyes never landed on me again."
These words brought a smile to Arthur's lips.
"Later I found out you were Arthur Grant," Aria continued. "You were really something back then. The whole school was full of stories about you."
Arthur couldn't help but be curious. "What stories?"
"That you were a hockey champion, that you were a business genius, that you came from a prominent family, that you..." Aria paused, "that you had a really beautiful girlfriend and were very much in love."
Outside the door went quiet for a moment.
"That was true at the time," Arthur's voice grew fainter. "But later..."
He didn't finish.
Aria didn't press him either.
Both fell silent again.
"Aria," Arthur suddenly called her.
"Yeah?"
"Did you only agree to marry me back then because of your father's dying wish?" he asked.
Aria's hand gripping the blanket tightened.
What other reason could there be? Of course it was because she liked him.
She'd liked him from that day, watching him on stage being humorous and charming as he spoke.
But what was the point of saying that now?
"It's all in the past," was all she finally said.
Arthur didn't press further.
After a while, Aria heard a soft sound from outside the door, like he'd changed position.
Aria knew sleeping on the sofa must be uncomfortable, especially for Arthur with his height and long legs—curling up on it must be even harder for him than for her.
"Go find a guest room to sleep in. Don't stay at the door."
"It's fine."
"You still have to work tomorrow."
"I know."
Aria had no way to deal with him.
Drowsiness gradually washed over her, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.
Arthur seemed to say something else, but she didn't catch it. She mumbled a response and her consciousness faded.
Outside the door, Arthur called Aria's name a few more times. Hearing no more sound from inside, he figured she'd fallen asleep.
He simply got up, got the room key, and quietly opened the door.
Only a small night light was on in the room, its warm yellow glow enveloping the big bed.
Aria was lying on her side, facing his direction, already fast asleep.
Arthur walked in and stood by the bed, staring at her sleeping face for a long time.
Then he bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Good night."