That dangerous edge in his gaze dulled, drawn inward, as though her warmth had reached him across the crowded room and anchored him again.
He didn't smile back. He rarely smiled in public.
But she knew, that small, imperceptible lift at the corner of his mouth? That was his version of surrender.
Even when he wanted to cage her, she had always known how to bring him to his knees.
Tang Fei lingered for a moment longer in the ward, letting her smile soothe the sharp tension in his gaze. But she knew it wasn't enough. Not for him.
Never for him.
She murmured something soft to one of the elderly patients and excused herself gently.
Then, without hesitation, she walked toward the door, her steps quiet but steady, like gravity had shifted and was now pulling her toward the corridor where he stood.
The moment she passed through the doorway, she didn't speak.
She only glanced up and down the hallway, checking with calm precision.
