When she pulled back, her forehead rested lightly against his chin, "Thank you… for being here," she whispered.
His arm around her tightened slightly. "I told you, I made a promise," he murmured, his lips brushing the top of her hair, "I wasn't going anywhere for a lifetime."
She closed her eyes, listening to his steady heartbeat under her cheek.
Slowly, her breathing deepened, her body relaxing fully against him, as if the tension and fear finally drained away in his warmth.
Zhi Hao remained still, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, one hand stroking her back lightly under the blanket.
Outside, a bird chirped in the distance as sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting faint patterns across the quiet room.
For that brief moment, nothing else mattered except the fragile peace between them.
— — — — — —
Lu Zi Zhen's Room, Late Morning
The clock on his bedside table read 11:03 AM when Lu Zi Zhen finally opened his eyes.
