"You were," he corrected gently. "Even surrounded by people. I want to be by your side...always."
Xia Lihua's heartbeat had become strangely loud in her ears. It felt almost embarrassing, as if the rhythm might be visible to everyone around them. She had faced reporters, hostile rivals, ruthless business figures—yet a simple sentence from him left her unable to respond.
And in that instant, the realization rose inside her with uncomfortable clarity.
She loved him.
Not the kind of fondness she once thought it was. Not the complicated attachment she had tried to dismiss. Something deeper had taken root without her noticing.
Her lips parted slightly as if she might say something.
But before any words came—
"Ahem." Ling Feiyi's deliberate cough cut into the moment.
Xia Lihua blinked and turned her head.
Ling Feiyi stood a few steps away, one eyebrow slightly raised, clearly trying not to smile. "Umm… some guests want to talk to you."
