Chapter 8
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a narrow band of light on the floor. Fine dust particles floated in the air.
Persian woke up with a severe headache and a dry throat. He opened his heavy eyelids, and the unfamiliar ceiling instantly woke him up, causing him to sit up abruptly!
Looking around, he saw a neat and cozy little living room. He was lying on a soft sofa, covered with a lightly scented blanket. Memories flooded his mind like fragmented film reels—the late-night coffee shop, the dim lighting, Lin Xiaotang's face, and his own incoherent ramblings… He abruptly closed his eyes, his face drained of color.
Slight noises and the warm aroma of food came from the direction of the kitchen.
He turned his head stiffly and saw Lin Xiaotang with her back to him, busy at the kitchen counter, with steam rising from a small pot on the stove. She had changed into a long cotton dress for home, her hair loosely tied up, revealing her slender neck.
Seemingly hearing the noise behind her, Lin Xiaotang turned around and saw Bai Sinian sitting up. Her expression was calm: "Awake? Does your head hurt?"
Persian opened his mouth, but his throat was too dry to make a sound, so he could only nod awkwardly. He subconsciously raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples and found that his suit jacket had been taken off and neatly folded on the single sofa next to him, and his tie had also been loosened.
Lin Xiaotang brought over a glass of warm water and a bowl of steaming white porridge, placing them on the coffee table in front of him: "Drink some water first, then eat something. Your stomach will feel uncomfortable after a hangover, so white porridge is the best."
Her tone was as natural as if she were talking to a familiar friend, without any dislike or excessive warmth, but this ordinary care made Bai Sinian feel even more ashamed.
He took the water glass, his fingertips trembling slightly, and whispered, "...Thank you." The warm water soothed his parched throat, easing the discomfort slightly, but it couldn't calm the turmoil in his heart.
He put down his water glass, avoiding her eyes, his voice low and hoarse, almost inaudible: "Last night... I drank too much. I'm sorry, I caused you so much trouble." He paused, his heart clenching as if by an invisible hand, and added with difficulty, "Did I... say something I shouldn't have? Or... do something rude?"
He used almost all his strength to ask that question, awaiting judgment.
Lin Xiaotang sat down on the single sofa next to him, looking at his tense profile filled with regret and unease, and gently shook her head: "No. You just..." She seemed to choose her words carefully, "'I'm sorry' too many times, maybe hundreds of times. I can't hear the rest."
Persian suddenly looked up at her, then quickly looked down again, his ears turning uncontrollably red, utterly embarrassed. "...I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize anymore." Lin Xiaotang's tone was gentle with a hint of helplessness. "Mr. Bai, if I really hated you that much, I wouldn't have let you in last night, much less let you stay overnight."
Persian remained silent, his fingers unconsciously curling up.
Lin Xiaotang looked at him and continued calmly, "What I said that day wasn't really meant to drive you away. I just... can't understand some of your behavior. Sometimes, you seem afraid of me and avoid me; other times, you..." She recalled how he sternly forbade her from touching water and how he insisted on taking her to the hospital, "and you were also very... anxious. This confuses me."
She paused, her voice softening slightly: "What I said was in the hope that we could have a normal interpersonal relationship. If you'd like, it's not impossible for us to occasionally come to the shop, have a coffee, and chat, like ordinary friends. There's no need to always be so... tense and painful."
Per Sinian was completely stunned, as if he hadn't understood her words, or as if he had heard something utterly impossible. He slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and an extremely cautious hope, a shattered light slowly coalescing within them.
His lips trembled slightly, his voice as soft as if afraid to shatter a fragile dream:
"...Can we...be friends?"
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