The air was still thick with the tension of their last confrontation. After Dai Mubai left the café, silence draped over the place once more, broken only by the sound of Yu Tian's quiet footsteps as he sat back down in the chair across from Zhuqing.
She looked at him, her eyes now holding only a faint warmth, a small smile breaking through her lips—as if her heart had found something long lost.
"You shouldn't have let it escalate like that…" she murmured, her voice low, as though trying to soften the emotions still lingering in the air.
Yu Tian didn't look directly at her as he answered, sipping from his teacup: "He needed to learn his limits."
She fell silent for a moment, then whispered, "Still… thank you. You did what no one else could before."
Finally, he raised his gaze to hers. His golden eyes glowed with a rare softness, as if his mask of indifference had cracked for an instant.
"I'm not interested in playing the knight," he said, his tone less sharp now. "But when I see you looking at the ground like that, it angers me."
His words surprised her. She stared at him for a long moment before laughing lightly—a warm, gentle laugh, like the first raindrops after a long summer.
"It seems… you haven't lost your warmth after all, Brother Tian."
"Don't push your luck," he replied, smiling, though his voice lacked its usual edge.
After a pause, Zhuqing stood and said quietly, "Let's leave this place. The air has grown heavier than I can bear."
He nodded, pushed back his chair, and followed her with steady steps. The sun had begun to set, staining the sky in mesmerizing shades of orange and purple. The two stepped out of the café, walking side by side without a word, yet their body language spoke volumes.
They reached a quiet side street lined with trees, where the city's noise faded into nature's whispers.
"Brother Tian," she suddenly murmured, gazing at the sky, "do you think two people burdened by their pasts can find peace in each other?"
He answered without hesitation: "Yes. Because they know exactly how to hurt—and so they know how to heal."
She turned to him, her eyes glinting in the twilight. "I… don't want to run from my feelings anymore. I don't want to live by what was forced upon me."
He took a slow step toward her, closing the distance until only a breath separated them. "Then stop running," he whispered.
For a moment, she stilled. Then she reached out, her fingers lightly brushing his chest—right over his heart. "Can I trust you?"
Gently, he took her hand, raised it to his lips, and pressed a feather-light kiss to her knuckles. The kiss was quiet, but it carried an unspoken promise.
"I don't have pretty words," he said. "But I'll never leave you alone."
She stepped forward, resting her head against his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his coat—that strange blend of jasmine, smoke, and amber. Her long black hair cascaded over his arm, mingling with the evening's fragrance.
"Do you think we'll regret this?" she asked, still sheltered in his warmth.
"Only those who fear love regret it," he answered softly.
Silent moments passed, but their hearts spoke louder than any words. Then he cupped her face, tilting it up to meet his gaze, as if searching for something buried deep.
She said nothing. He didn't need to ask. Their lips met slowly—tenderly, earnestly. This wasn't a kiss of impulse or lust, but another silent vow.
Then, wordlessly, she took his hand and led him away from the street, to a quiet place they both knew well: the small room in the inn Yu Tian rented, with its wooden walls and windows open to the trees.
Zhuqing closed the door softly behind her, as if sealing away a chapter of the past. When she turned to him, her violet eyes locked with his golden ones, and an invisible spark crackled between them. She needed no words to explain what she felt; her slender body, trembling under the faint moonlight, spoke what her lips could not.
She took a deliberate step forward, her pale fingers seeking the silk sash at her neck. A slow, intentional movement—as if she wanted Yu Tian to witness every detail of her surrender. The sash slid to the floor like a black serpent, leaving her ivory neck exposed to him.
"Zhuqing…" He whispered her name, his voice rough like raw silk. His calloused hand brushed her cheek with care, as if afraid she might turn to dust beneath his touch. "We don't have to do this now. If you're not sure—"
But her finger silenced him. She pressed it to his lips, feeling their heat against her skin. "I'm sure," she whispered, her voice dripping with honey and sorrow. "I want to be yours. Not because I belong to anyone… but because I chose you."
Yu Tian bent as if in prayer, his lips tracing the open collar of her robe. Every kiss burned her skin, leaving pink marks like temporary tattoos. His hands—which had known cruelty far more than tenderness—slid beneath the silk, exploring her curves like sacred land.
"Tell me to stop," he groaned between her thighs, his hot breath melting her hesitation.
But she gripped his hair, forcing him to look at her. "Don't stop."
There was no inch of her he didn't claim. Every part of her became his; every part of him became hers. When he finally entered her, Zhuqing clung to him desperately, as if fearing he'd vanish. Their ragged breaths mingled, their fingers intertwining above the pillow like ancient roots.
"Look at me," she demanded. When he opened his eyes, she saw herself reflected in the crimson depths of his gaze. "I want to remember myself like this."
His movements were measured at first, like a warrior's steps, but soon became a storm. Every thrust stole her breath; every whisper from his lips ignited new fire. As she neared her peak, she bit his shoulder to stifle her cry—but he harshly turned her face to his.
"Don't silence yourself. I want to hear you."
And she shattered.
Later, as their breaths steadied, they remained tangled—two bodies rediscovering their boundaries after melting into one. Yu Tian wrapped his arm around her waist, his lips against her hair.
"Do you regret it?" he asked, his voice carrying a note she'd never heard before.
Zhuqing lifted her face to his, her eyes shining like stars. "I fear waking to find this was a dream."
He laughed, then kissed her forehead. "If it's a dream, we'll never wake up."
...
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