Chapter 17 Does He Also Feel Afraid?

That night, at the He family's house.

Xia Li tossed and turned in bed until two in the morning, unable to fall asleep. Unconsciously, Ji Ling's face appeared in her mind again.

Their relationship is strange; sometimes tender, sometimes misunderstandings arise over trivial matters.

Xia Li shook her head, forcibly pulling Ji Ling out of her mind, silently chanting "Don't think about him, don't think about him, don't think about him," like counting sheep, over and over again, drifting in and out of sleep.

Around six o'clock in the morning, the housekeeper woke her up. Several other people came into the house at the same time, their hands busy on her, all making preparations for the wedding.

Finally, the makeup artist applied a vibrant lipstick to her lips, completing the last task. The sky outside the window changed from a pale dawn to a clear light blue.

As the makeup artist packed up her toolbox, she said to her, "Miss He's lip color is very light. After applying lipstick, her complexion looks much better."

“…”

Her surname is not He.

But exhaustion left her with little energy to explain, so she just gave a perfunctory reply and didn't take it to heart.

Seeing that Xia Li responded, the makeup artist added, "Miss He, you look beautiful when you smile."

Xia Li forced a smile, then followed her aunt down to the living room.

Xia Qingqing had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that Xia Li had finished packing, she picked up the check on the table, pinched a corner and handed it over, saying simply, "Fifteen million in reward."

Xia Li stared intently, biting her lip in silence, before trembling as she accepted the gift.

At that moment, she felt like an object to be manipulated, yet ironically, she was also one of the participants in the transaction. She accepted the check and personally completed the deal.

The wedding venue is still Genting Garden.

There are a total of eight houses in Yunding Garden. Ji Ling’s mother is a friend of the developer and had long been interested in the feng shui of this land. So, as soon as the land was finalized, she reserved the house in advance through personal connections. She originally planned to buy all eight houses as a birth gift for Ji Ling, but her friend told her that there were two houses at the foot of the mountain that other friends wanted to buy. So, she advised her to buy six houses instead, which is also an auspicious number.

The other two families were old friends and lived here a few years ago. In recent years, their younger generation immigrated together and now lives abroad most of the time, only visiting occasionally. The middle-aged and elderly members who hold official positions cannot be considered "naked officials" (officials whose spouses and children are abroad), so they remain in China but do not live in Yundingyuan.

So Ji Ling was the only one in Yundingyuan. His house was on the mountaintop, while the wedding venue was on the mountainside.

Apart from staff and relatives and friends of the Ji and He families, there were almost no outsiders. Just as the contract stated, no one was informed, and to this day, no one knows who stole Ji Ling's heart.

The wedding car drove in from the backyard and stopped at the entrance of the courtyard. Until she got out of the car, Xia Li did not have the courage to look out the window.

What should have been an unremarkable private wedding was instead decorated in a grand manner. It was a way of announcing it to the world while simultaneously creating a private and romantic experience.

She suddenly remembered a day seven years ago.

Heavy rain.

Xia Qingqing, who still looked relatively young, stood at the entrance of the He family's courtyard with a fierce look in her eyes, watching helplessly as she got into a black car.

She was nineteen years old then, and it was also the day she was to meet her fiancé, who was about to get married. She was soaked to the bone by the rain, and the chill seeped into her clothes.

As the car door closed, the driver said, "Girl, hold on tight. I'll only help you with this once."

Once caught, there will be no more chances.

Xia Li gave a soft "hmm," lowered her eyes and nodded. Rain dripped down her chin and into her chest. When she looked up at the window again, she immediately saw He Er, who was furious, standing next to Xia Qingqing.

He Er yelled at her, unwilling to get even a drop of rain on her, even though they were hundreds of meters apart. Then she clearly saw Xia Qingqing's lips move twice:

"I'll go after her."

It was as if I could hear Xia Qingqing's cold, hard voice again.

Xia Qingqing really did chase after her, following closely all the way. After wandering around for an unknown amount of time, she lost track of her again. The car behind her grew smaller and smaller and stopped chasing.

She escaped.

This was the first time she had truly escaped.

She did it.

Xia Li clenched her hands tightly in the car. Whether it was seven years ago or now, her heart was pounding as if it were about to jump out of her chest.

Xia Li was also unclear about her own feelings.

If she wanted to call off the engagement, it was still possible, but her heartbeat told her that this feeling of excitement was different from before.

The show was about to continue. After the wedding car came to a stop, Xia Li got out of the back seat. As soon as she took one step out, Ji Ling walked out from in front of the arched flower gate. He politely bent his elbow slightly, indicating that she could put her hand in his arm and walk together toward the stage set up in the distance.

The bands on both sides of the long road played their music, the lingering notes echoing in the air. Xia Li's heart trembled with the melody, not calmly, but convulsively.

It hurts a lot.

What should have been an auspicious day for celebration turned into a day of agonizing anxiety, with every minute and second feeling like the end of the world.

Ji Ling changed the way they held hands to holding her hand and walking forward. With each step forward, the gears in Xia Li's chest would turn back a full circle, enduring the agony of twisting time and space.

Ji Ling noticed her unusual behavior, slowed his pace, nodded slightly, took her hand, and said softly with a gentle expression, "You're very nervous."

Xia Li's gaze shifted from their clasped hands to his dark, almost ethereal green eyes, which held a spring-like quality. She closed her eyes and gently shook her head.

Actually, she didn't need to speak so softly or so gently. Even if Ji Ling used her usual tone, no one would hear her, because there was no one there. Moreover, she was afraid that she would fall into a beautiful, illusory dream and be unable to break free from it for a long time.

"I'm not nervous," Xia Li replied, then pulled her clasped, damp fingers apart and asked Ji Ling, "Are you nervous?"

Ji Ling immediately denied it: "Do I look like I would be nervous?"

Xia Li stared at his chaotic movements, unable to bear exposing him, and stared at him for several seconds before whispering, "But you're doing it all the same way."

Seeing through Xia Li's disguise, Ji Ling turned his head away shyly, continuing to look ahead. He quickened his pace, his thick eyelashes trembling, obscuring the deep green and affection beneath his eyes.

The plain-colored gauze curtains, like flowing clouds, covered half of the back mountain, allowing sunlight to filter through. They seemed like a couple who could not see the light of day, hiding behind a thin layer of gauze, exchanging rings and entrusting each other with the rest of their lives.

The two on stage were putting on an act, while the audience below was completely empty. It was like a fleeting dream, a dream that shattered upon waking. The empty wedding was a testament to hidden emotions, its solemnity unknown to others.

After the wedding, Xia Li leaned against the railing by the mountain, dejected and listless, unable to muster any interest for a long time.

They are all insecure people, and there is no trust between them, so they are almost no different from strangers.

Xia Li felt a little regretful. She shouldn't have agreed to Xia Qingqing's request in the first place. But after thinking about it, she realized there was nothing to regret. She hadn't lost anything and had even received a reward of 15 million yuan for no reason.

A reward of fifteen million...

After a long while, she realized she shouldn't have acted that way. She calmly ran to the room Aunt Wang had pointed out to her, pushed open the door, and stood in front of the mirror.

She looked at her meticulously made-up self in the mirror and felt completely unfamiliar with herself.

Her wedding dress hem got muddy as she ran, making her look rather disheveled. She took off the heavy dress, and with it, she also took off the heavy burden she had been carrying for so long.

Xia Li then went to the bank to cash the check, since the validity period was short and she wouldn't have time to go there when the studio got busy.

The moment she finished filling out the information, she made a clean break herself. She gradually accepted it and told herself that this was what she deserved.

"Xia Li?"

On her way back, she suddenly heard a call from behind. She thought she had misheard, since she had heard that only Ji Ling lived in Cloud Top Garden.

Xia Li turned around and saw a face so familiar that she would never forget it in her lifetime appear before her.

Meng Qianqiu.

Meng Qianqiu still had chestnut-colored hair with slightly curled ends, meticulously styled. Her face was no different from eight years ago, except that she no longer chewed gum after growing up.

Xia Li looked at her former close friend and felt a moment of disorientation.

Tears streamed down her once innocent face as she begged him not to expose the lie behind the photography award. Her heart softened amidst her sobs, and with various plausible reasons, she agreed to bear the public criticism that she shouldn't have had to endure.

They also lost the first and most important step in establishing connections with others: trust.

Meng Qianqiu was equally surprised; she never expected to run into Xia Li at Yunding Garden.

There are only three households in Yundingyuan, and her current boyfriend lives in one of them.

Meng Qianqiu knew that Ji Ling had a house here, and also knew that no one ever lived here. When she saw Xia Li's back just now, she thought she was seeing things.

She was about to leave, but unfortunately, Xia Li overheard her muttering something. Pretending not to know her was impossible, so she could only tell her boyfriend to go home first and then bite the bullet and go up to greet him.

The past is still fresh in her memory, but now, eight years later, time has diluted the little guilt she felt and she has become more at ease.

She had just returned from abroad with her boyfriend and had heard the news of Ji Ling's engagement some time ago, and also heard rumors that it was a child from the He family.

The neighboring city has a large population with the surname He, and she ruled out all eligible girls with the surname He, but still couldn't figure it out. She never expected that this He was not that He, and she actually forgot about Xia Li, her illegitimate daughter.

Xia Li noticed that Meng Qianqiu had a headache. Coupled with the fact that she hadn't slept well the night before and that cashing the checks had exhausted all her energy, she just wanted to pretend to be confused and leave. However, Meng Qianqiu called her back.

"You and Ji Ling have a really good relationship."

Hearing Meng Qianqiu's inexplicable remark, whether it was sarcasm or sincerity, made Xia Li feel nauseous, and she almost vomited on the spot.

Seeing that Xia Li remained silent, Meng Qianqiu continued, "I didn't expect Ji Ling to still be with you."

“…”

Since both sentences revolved around Ji Ling, Xia Li's expression was not good. She took a deep breath, and her expression changed in an instant. She pretended to be nonchalant and didn't seem to care at all, and gently hummed in agreement.

Meng Qianqiu had intended to exchange a few pleasantries and inquire about the situation, as she and Xia Li didn't really have much to talk about. However, seeing that Xia Li was still the same as before, with no change in his restrained demeanor, she felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Before he could even speak, he suddenly stopped, looking trembling with fear. He looked up at Xia Li's back, so nervous that he couldn't even close his mouth.

Xia Li smelled a faint scent of bitter grapefruit lingering around her, the same fragrance that Ji Ling often wore, which always made her feel at ease.

She didn't turn around or look back.

What are you doing here?

She heard Ji Ling's cold voice again, and she couldn't tell whether he was addressing her or Meng Qianqiu.

Meng Qianqiu quickly replied, "My friend lives at the foot of the mountain, and I happened to run into an old classmate on the way."

Then, as if gesturing, he nodded towards Xia Li's chin: "Right? Xia Li?"

Xia Li didn't respond to her, then heard Ji Ling click her tongue, sounding slightly impatient: "Who are you? Did I ask you?"

Meng Qianqiu explained, "We used to go to the same school..."

"I didn't ask you."

Ji Ling glanced at Meng Qianqiu, his deep green eyes as unfathomable as the sea. He then took two steps forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xia Li. His deep eyes softened into springtime as he stared at Xia Li's drooping eyelashes and asked her, "What are you doing here? I've been looking for you for so long."

Xia Li remained silent. She didn't want to answer his baseless question. She had intended to take his hand and turn to leave together, but just as her arm was about to extend, it paused subtly, hovering in mid-air, before retracting itself shortly afterward.

"Don't flatter yourself," she told herself.

Unexpectedly, Ji Ling's hand suddenly covered hers, the warm touch pressed tightly against her skin. She looked up in surprise, and Ji Ling's affectionate eyes met her gaze, while his brows furrowed in displeasure.

He asked, "What's wrong?"

Xia Li pursed her lips, looking embarrassed.

Seeing this, Meng Qianqiu raised an eyebrow and asked with feigned concern, "Xia Li, how are you? Are you alright?"

As he spoke, he even planned to go forward and inquire further.

Ji Ling separated Meng Qianqiu from him, turning his back without giving her a single glance, and replied, "My wife's affairs are none of Miss Meng's concern."

Xia Li, who had been silent for a while, was surprised to hear Ji Ling's words. She broke free from her restraints, turned around, and asked incredulously, "What did you say?"

Ji Ling opened his lips, but seeing her serious expression, he swallowed the harsh words that were about to come out of his throat, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

He had overheard Xia Li and Meng Qianqiu's conversation from a distance. Seeing Meng Qianqiu bullying her like this, he came out to help, only to have his good intentions misunderstood. He was both angry and heartbroken.

He frowned and asked Xia Li, "What did I say?"

Xia Li didn't want to argue with him, so she sighed helplessly, grabbed his sleeve, and almost pleaded, "Let's go."

To everyone's surprise, Ji Ling wasn't on the same wavelength at all. He turned to Meng Qianqiu, who was still standing there, and said, "Aren't you leaving? I didn't expect Miss Meng to have this kind of hobby, enjoying ruining her friends' reputations?"

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart; it was a double entendre.

Meng Qianqiu opened his mouth, and after hearing this, he slowly moved his feet, looking as if he were fleeing in panic.

Xia Li seemed to be...

The nail-shaped object remained firmly in place, stirring up a storm of emotions within me.

She has always hated mentioning photography awards, no matter who it is.

The matter, which had been suppressed and forgotten, is now being brought up again and again. Meng Qianqiu's words still echo in her ears. She staggers as if waking from a dream, only to realize that she doesn't hate it when others bring it up, but that she is running away from it. She is afraid to face her past self.

She lived clumsily and timidly, otherwise she wouldn't have ended up in such an awkward situation with Ji Ling. At twenty-five, she woke up to find that she owed her eighteen-year-old self countless apologies.

Finally, they returned to the house on the mountaintop with Ji Ling. The older generation of the Ji and He families left after going through the formalities. Aunt Wang had prepared dinner early, but she had little appetite. Her throat felt sour and rotten, and her eyelids were drooping. She was sleepy and tired.

Seeing her dejected appearance, Ji Ling wanted to go forward and ask, but he hesitated and struggled internally, finally managing to stammer, "Are you alright?"

Xia Li felt as if all her strength had been drained away, her neck swaying weakly. Just as she was about to ask Aunt Wang to show her a guest room to rest, a soft "bang" suddenly sounded outside the window, and fireworks exploded.

The pitch-black sky exploded with a burst of colorful light, followed by countless dazzling lights that shone hundreds of meters above the ground, spreading out in layers like a torrential downpour and pouring down on Cloud Top Garden.

Exhausted, she let her guard down and inadvertently blurted out her innermost thoughts, saying somewhat speechlessly, "I don't know who's coming up with this kind of romance in the middle of the night."

Ji Ling's gaze swept lightly over her, his eyes revealing a faint sense of detachment.

Xia Li added, "At least play it on silent, it's disturbing the neighbors."

Ji Ling: "..."

Not long after, Ji Ling responded softly, it was unclear whether she agreed with her statement or was responding to her suggestion.

The fireworks display was incredibly untimely, lasting a long time, and the echoes even lingered after it ended. Xia Li returned to the guest room, quickly washed up, and went to bed to rest.

But she didn't sleep well, and was always awakened by nightmares throughout the night.

"Xia Li!"

Just as she moved into Ji Ling's house, Meng Qianqiu's voice called out to her again in her dream, and then the scene suddenly changed. In the dream, she stared blankly at the message that popped up on her phone.

Student A: Xia Li, is this you?

Student A: Image

Student A: I never expected that they would do something so shady behind our backs.

Xia Li stared at the screen. The message page only showed the last sentence. She clicked into the chat box with some doubt, and after reading it, she was even more puzzled, feeling that the other party was acting strangely.

Just as I was about to click on the picture with a red background and dense text, I received another message from a classmate.

Student B: Congratulations, Xia Li.

At this time, a message came from classmate C: When did you sign up for the photography award? I've never heard you mention it before.

Why are there so many messages all of a sudden? Xia Li randomly opened a chat box amidst a barrage of red dots and found the picture she had just wanted to view.

This is?

Her fingertips suddenly turned white, her pupils were stained with the crimson of the background image, accompanied by dense black text, and her breathing was like the piled-up words, her chest swelled, and she could hardly breathe.

She saw her name at the very top.

Above her name were the four large characters "Photography Competition," which seemed to twist and roll, baring their bloody claws and teeth, slowly devouring her.

She was anxious, confused, and bewildered. She clearly hadn't participated in this photography competition; wasn't it supposed to be Meng Qianqiu's? Why was her name on it, and so absurdly, she had won the best award?

Xia Li's hands were soaked with cold sweat as she swiped the screen, searching for Meng Qianqiu's name. Because her fingertips were covered in sweat, the phone wouldn't cooperate; it scrolled awkwardly and almost slipped out of her hand.

After looking at the picture three times, she still couldn't find a glimpse of Meng Qianqiu's name.

Perhaps the list wasn't complete, which is why Meng Qianqiu's name wasn't on it. Xia Li tried to find excuses and searched for keywords related to photography awards on social media, but to no avail.

She, Xia Li, stole her friend's photographic work, submitted it to a highly anticipated photography competition, and even won an award!

At this moment, Meng Qianqiu also sent a message, whether by coincidence or intentional, it is unknown.

Meng Qianqiu: Xia Li, I'm in the equipment building.

Just that one sentence threw Xia Li's thoughts into complete disarray. She forced herself to regain her senses, and with trembling, heavy steps, she turned around and headed towards the equipment building.

As the wind rustles through the treetops and the clouds drift and gather, the sky is tinged with varying shades of gray.

The award-winning portfolio consisted of photos she took in southern Malaysia during the summer. At the time, Ji Ling couldn't go because of her internship, so it was just her and Meng Qianqiu. She was the one who won the award and was the one who received congratulations from her classmates. Looking back now, perhaps the text messages from her classmates weren't congratulations, but rather blatant sarcasm.

An award that would never have attracted attention in their social circles was exposed. They were indifferent to it because they had access to better resources. But once they got involved with people around them, and the award was given to someone close to them, they became jealous. They pretended not to care, but when more explosive news came out, they had the idea of ​​playing with it. They all wore masks and watched the show.

All the signs told her that this was a fact, and even if she hadn't done it, the fact was there, and she couldn't change it.

Go to the equipment room and find Meng Qianqiu.

She was like someone chained up; this was all she could do.

Turning her head, she saw thousands of blades slicing through her throat, aimed at the scalding blood on her neck.

The path forward was fraught with thorns, tearing through her solid flesh and blood.

When she arrived at the building, went upstairs, and then to the door of the photography club's equipment room, her hands trembled as she gently pushed open the half-closed door and walked inside.

Every classroom in the school that stores equipment is exceptionally old, and the photography club is no exception. The club replaces a lot of equipment every year, and the unusable and worn-out equipment is all left idle and piled up here.

Therefore, there will absolutely be no surveillance here, because no one will be interested in the equipment building. It's like having eaten all the delicacies in the world, no one will care about the leftovers in the corner.

Xia Li was well aware of this, so she carefully turned on the recording before entering the room. She was just picking up her phone to check when she heard a noise outside the door.

Meng Qianqiu peeked in.

Normally, no matter where Meng Qianqiu is, she would always wear delicate light makeup, but at this moment, she looked listless, and even her carefully styled slightly wavy hair was a little frizzy from the wind when she arrived.

Meng Qianqiu immediately hugged her, tears streaming down his face, one after another, soaking her hair and neck.

Xia Li was somewhat puzzled and annoyed. This behavior of holding her in his arms without saying anything made her very uncomfortable. So she tried to push Meng Qianqiu away, but Meng Qianqiu cried even harder, sobbing, which really made Xia Li feel helpless and didn't know what to do.

“You…” Xia Li paused, unsure of what to say. After thinking for a while, she said, “I… never mind, can you explain how things turned out this way? I’m still completely confused.”

Meng Qianqiu ignored her words and instead hugged her even tighter, her sobs growing louder. "Ask me, Xia Li."

Xia Li sighed, her eyes vacant. Meng Qianqiu had locked the door when she arrived, and now only the two of them were in the room, which was extremely dimly lit.

Xia Li asked, "Did you organize the photography competition?"

Meng Qianqiu did not answer, but instead uttered a single word mixed with a sob.

"Why did you do this?" Xia Li's eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears. She bit her lip, trying to appear strong.

She wasn't wrong; she shouldn't have been cowardly.

Meng Qianqiu replied irrelevantly, "Xia Li, this is the only thing I can do."

Is this the only way? Xia Li couldn't tolerate Meng Qianqiu continuing to cling to her, so she forcibly pulled her away, facing her directly, and said in a hoarse voice, "You could have used your own identity, why did you use mine? You could have used the photos I took, I wouldn't have cared, but why did you do this, keeping me in the dark?"

Meng Qianqiu remained silent and continued, "Xia Li, I have no other choice."

Unable to get an answer, Xia Li grew impatient and said angrily, "Do you think I have a solution? Have you thought about how things have turned out? What am I supposed to do?"

“…Xia Li”.

"Don't call me." Even with Xia Li's good temper, she was annoyed at the moment. She remembered that her phone's recording was on, so she changed the subject and asked, "What are you going to do next?"

Meng Qianqiu did not answer.

Xia Li asked again, "Aren't you going to study at that school? Now everyone thinks I stole your work, so the spot for admission without examination should rightfully be yours."

Meng Qianqiu shook his head and remained silent.

Xia Li was at her wit's end. Meng Qianqiu's mouth seemed locked shut, and she refused to give a definite answer for a long time.

After a long while, she was almost ready to give up when she suddenly heard Meng Qianqiu confess from the side: "I did it all... I did it all..."

"Say it again?"

"I am

I participated in a photography competition, but I genuinely knew nothing about what happened online, and I don't know why it ended up being spread that you stole my work.

Meng Qianqiu looked very innocent, blinking her eyes and squeezing out a few more tears.

Xia Li handed her a tissue to wipe her tears, then continued to ask, "Why didn't you participate using your own identity?"

Meng Qianqiu replied, "The identity information was copied and pasted; I got them mixed up."

This was the first time Xia Li had ever heard of someone misremembering their own identity information. She exposed Meng Qianqiu's blatant lie: "How long are you going to keep lying to me?"

At this moment, Meng Qianqiu's phone suddenly rang. A crisp message notification tone acted like a fuse, igniting the tense atmosphere.

Meng Qianqiu also suddenly changed his attitude, from his pitiful appearance just now to his usual arrogant attitude: "Yeah, so what if I lied to you? So what if I used your information? If I hadn't given you the opportunity to go to Southern Malaysia, you would never have had the chance to take those photos."

Xia Li was startled by her sudden change in attitude and unconsciously took a step back, accidentally knocking over the equipment.

Meng Qianqiu glanced at it and continued, "No, your photos are just so-so, terribly bad. With your work, you'll probably be eliminated in the first round."

Xia Li's voice trembled, and she forced a faint smile: "So the green channel was opened for you, then why drag me into it? Since you already know the outcome, why bring me along?"

She was somewhat desperate and kept asking questions.

Meng Qianqiu's fake tears had long since dried. She stepped closer, brushed the sticky strands of hair from Xia Li's cheek, and whispered in response, "Because I have to think about myself. If it weren't for myself, why would I go through all the trouble and risk adding you in? Even someone as naive as you could guess that this photography award is a special channel for certain people. Wouldn't others have figured it out too?"

Meng Qianqiu continued, "However, I really didn't do what happened online. The photos were in my possession. I just confided in some netizens, and then they spread. It's really not my fault."

Xia Li glared at her angrily, unable to utter a single word. After a long while, she angrily uttered the word "shameless."

Now that things had come to this, she was at a loss.

From an outsider's perspective, she stole her friend's work, which was exposed by observant netizens.

However, in reality, she was deliberately shifted the blame, while the real culprit, Meimei, remained hidden and unscathed.

She was the most innocent; she had a trusting heart, but was betrayed by the person she trusted.

This wasn't the worst part. What was even worse was that when she left the equipment room, left the building, and turned on her phone, she discovered that the recording was only half complete, stopping right at the moment Meng Qianqiu's phone rang. No important information had been recorded.

Meng Qianqiu had someone install a jammer.

Ji Ling also learned of this matter at this time, and looked worried. He saw her figure from the next floor and immediately ran towards her.

He embraced her the moment they met, kissing her hair with trembling hands, his voice choked with sobs and hoarse: "What are you doing here? I've been looking for you for so long, you know? I was so scared, I thought you... Never mind, I'm just glad you're alright."

The firm embrace brought warmth, and the words that followed left Xia Li speechless.

Her mind was blank; she stood there stunned, devoid of any emotion, even ignoring the fact that Ji Ling's intimate kiss had gone far beyond friendship and shouldn't have happened between them.

She didn't hug him back, but gently patted his shoulder and slowly pulled away.

Ji Ling gripped her clothes, but eventually let go under her insistence.

Xia Li felt as if he had just cried. Every day when he looked at her, his eyes, which were usually filled with the warmth of spring, seemed to have been flooded with tears. Otherwise, why would his eyes be bloodshot and glistening with tears?

Is he afraid? Can he be afraid too?

The emotions that are about to be revealed are breaking through the soil.