It was still dark when Alex scooped Gu Ning out of bed.
His movements were gentle, but she woke up anyway.
She was exhausted from the previous night and still hadn't gotten enough sleep. In a daze, she could feel Alex dressing her.
"What time is it?" Gu Ning asked in a hoarse voice, her eyes barely open.
Alex kissed her cheek, then held her and gave her a sip of water. "We have to go. You can sleep in the car later, okay?"
He hadn't wanted to wake Gu Ning so early either, but there had been a change at the checkpoint. They were originally supposed to leave at eight in the morning, but now they had to depart more than three hours earlier.
Gu Ning let out a huge yawn. She was so tired she didn't want to move at all, but she couldn't delay their departure, so she forced herself to get up.
She slid off Alex's lap and stood shakily on the floor, letting him help her into her coat.
As he dressed her, she ended up leaning against him.
