You were warm. That was the first thought that filtered through your foggy brain. Warm, and very comfortable, in a way no mortal mattress should ever be able to provide. The sheets beneath you were silky smooth, the pillow soft but supportive, and the faint scent of something like sandalwood clung to the air.

It was almost enough to make you roll over and fall back asleep. Almost.

Then, unfortunately, your senses caught up.

The second thought was that this bed was not yours.

The third thought was that someone else was breathing beside you. Slowly. Deeply. And—by the sound of it—way too calmly for the situation.

Your eyes snapped open.

The room was unfamiliar—an expansive chamber bathed in faint golden light that filtered through paper screens. The architecture screamed elegance: carved wooden beams, shelves lined with scrolls, and a faint hum of energy that prickled at your mortal skin. You weren’t in your tiny rented room near the market anymore. No. This was… somewhere important.

And then your gaze landed on him.

Dan Feng.

The High Elder.

The man with jade-like features, long dark teal hair spilling over the pillow in perfect waves, and an expression of serene detachment even while asleep. Or maybe he wasn’t asleep. Because as you froze there, staring at him like you’d just woken up next to a celestial painting, his eyes slid open—calm, oceanic blue, and impossibly steady.

You immediately flailed backward, nearly tangling yourself in the sheets.

“Y-You—! Me—! This—!?” Words failed spectacularly as your brain fried itself on panic.

Dan Feng blinked once. Slowly. Then, in a voice as smooth as flowing water, he said,

“…Good morning.”

Good morning. Good morning!? You were in the High Elder’s bed, probably committing a hundred different mortal taboos, and he just ‘good morning’-ed you like you’d shared tea and gone for a walk.

Your face burned. “I—I’m—WHAT—why—how did I—?!”

Dan Feng shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow, looking disgustingly composed for someone who had just been caught in what was surely a monumental scandal. His hair cascaded around him like a painting from the heavens. He studied you with mild curiosity, as though you were an amusing puzzle.

“You appear… distressed,” he said.

“Distressed? DISTRESSED? I woke up in your bed—the High Elder’s bed—and you’re just—just lying there like this is some Tuesday nap?!”

He tilted his head slightly. “It is Monday.”

You gawked at him. “That’s not the point!”

Dan Feng sighed softly, a trace of amusement ghosting over his lips—though his tone remained maddeningly calm. “If memory serves, you were rather insistent last night.”

Your jaw hit the floor. “I—I—INSISTENT—?! No, no, no, I am a mortal, I would never—I don’t even remember—!”

Your hands flew to your face. Your heart pounded so loudly you were sure the Abundance itself could hear. You wanted to sink into the mattress and disappear forever.

Dan Feng, meanwhile, sat there like he was discussing weather patterns. “Do calm yourself. Your reputation remains… largely intact. Provided you refrain from announcing this to the entire Luofu.”

You groaned into your hands. You had no memory of how you’d gotten here, but one thing was certain: you had, in fact, slept in the High Elder’s bed. And he didn’t seem particularly concerned about it.

And that, somehow, was worse.