Chapter 83 Chapter 83
Lia stood there stiffly, her body slightly tense as she felt his sudden approach. His arms unconsciously tightened, his head buried in the crook of her neck, his breathing light and rapid, his warm breath seeming to permeate the air invisibly.
Her skin was covered with goose bumps. Her body reacted faster than her brain, and her hand unconsciously raised to pat his back.
She tried to give him some comfort. However, when her fingertips touched his back, she suddenly stopped. She suddenly realized that his body was much thinner than she had imagined - the bones of his back were clearly visible.
That feeling of vulnerability made her feel dazed for a moment. It turned out that he wasn't always so high-spirited, that he also had a fragile side, and that he could feel fear. Quan Zhilong's body stiffened, as if he felt her touch.
Then he slowly relaxed again. After an unknown amount of time, he finally recovered from his emotion and said sullenly, "I'm sorry." Lia felt confused. She didn't understand why he apologized to her.
He still held her tightly, which made the whole scene seem a little strange. There seemed to be something invisible in the air, quietly expanding, with an indescribable sense of oppression. In order to comfort her, she patted his back gently.
It was like soothing a small animal. However, his breath did not subside with the comfort. Instead, it silently burned her skin and tightly wrapped around her heart.
"...I'm a little breathless." Her voice was panicked, desperate to break the oppressive silence. As if suddenly realizing that something was wrong, Quan Zhilong finally let go of her hand.
"Come in first." He lowered his eyes, hiding the emotion in them, and naturally took her hand, leading her into the house. * Something was wrong.
Lia sat on the sofa, her eyes wandering aimlessly, a vague sense of unease lingering in her heart. What had just happened seemed out of place, but she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.
When Quan Zhilong went to pour water, she finally pulled herself together and began to look at the room's decoration distractedly, trying to pull her attention away from the turmoil of anxiety. This was an artistic house, full of calm and sharp beauty.
Expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass run the entire length of the exterior, unobstructedly bringing in the city's light during the day. The interior walls are devoid of superfluous ornamentation, remaining a simple gray-white cement texture. Color is cleverly incorporated into the soft furnishings: a vibrant crimson velvet sofa, a geometric rug with contrasting colors, and saturated-hued pillows for casual use. Several modern sculptures stand in the corners, their smooth surfaces reflecting light, evoking an expensive yet restrained air that reflects the owner's aesthetic taste and taste.
However, apart from the visual impact, there is almost no trace of life here. The house is more like a carefully arranged exhibition hall, empty and cold, making people feel an untouchable loneliness and alienation.
Quan Zhilong walked back with a glass of water. The ice cubes in the glass gently clinked, making the only crisp sound in the entire room. "There's only water now." He smiled slightly apologetically and gently handed the glass over. Lia nodded and reached out to take it.
His slender hand almost covered the entire cup. If he didn't adjust his posture, she could only touch his warm skin to receive the cup. Her hand hung in the air awkwardly, hesitant.
As if not noticing her hesitation, he remained in that position, neither withdrawing his hand nor placing the cup directly on the coffee table. He stood quietly, like a low-key and dangerous cheetah, patiently waiting for her to approach.
Lia could only hurriedly take the cup, her fingertips sliding across the cold wall, and in passing, she also touched the slightly raised bones of his knuckles. A slight numbness came from under her fingertips, as if a needle had gently scratched them.
A faint smile flashed in his eyes, carrying an unspoken meaning. It was just a glass of water, but Lia couldn't help but shudder. It was definitely not her overthinking.
She remembered reading somewhere that when people encounter strong stimulation, their brains enter stress mode and their behavior deviates significantly from normal. Someone who was once enthusiastic might become apathetic, while someone who was usually independent might instead seek support from others.
He was like this now. The faint sense of distance that had previously separated them suddenly disappeared, and even his gaze on her became intense.
She suddenly realized that this incident might have hurt him more than she expected. Lia took a deep breath, and words of comfort rolled around in her mind, but she never spoke.
She really didn't know what to say. Any words seemed pale and powerless in this situation. Quan Zhilong had no idea of the myriad twists and turns in her mind. Instead, his mood at this moment was unexpectedly much better.
Her arrival itself made him feel extremely happy and even a little uncontrollable excitement.
He subconsciously failed to consider the vulnerable position he was currently in. This attitude of not rejecting her was perhaps more out of her sympathy for his current situation rather than any concern between the opposite sexes.
After a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he took out the broken DiDi from somewhere, his tone seemed a little uneasy: "This... is broken."
He looked at the little man with a guilty look on his face: "It was accidentally broken by Jiahu, can you repair it?" Lia was stunned for a moment, looked down at the doll in his hand, and it took a few seconds before she realized that this was her birthday gift.
She took the broken figurine and carefully examined its cracks: the figurine had obviously been carefully cleaned, and the dirt that was originally on it had disappeared. Only the torn cracks were exposed, revealing the tragic scene that had happened not long ago.
When her eyes fell on the crack on the belly, her heart suddenly jumped - what's inside! She pinched the little man's belly silently, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She could still feel the hardness of the small piece of paper beneath her fingertips, the manuscript still safely hidden in the cotton wool. "Okay, I'll take it home and sew it up." She nodded and put DiDi back into her bag.
So much time had passed that that once heartfelt moment had become blurred. She could no longer remember the feeling she had when she placed the manuscript inside the doll. She only thought that the first thing she would do after returning home was to take the manuscript out to avoid causing any more trouble.
Quan Zhilong saw all her little movements, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes. It seemed that he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
He deliberately put the paper ball back, just to see her reaction. Her current behavior was both expected and unexpected. The expected thing was her panic, the unexpected thing was her overly quick calmness.
This attempt didn't seem to have the desired effect. The two of them, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, suddenly fell silent. Just then, the visitor's phone rang, breaking the stillness in the house.
Lia was startled by the sudden noise. Before she could react, Quan Zhilong had already walked to the door: "I'll go check it out. It might be someone from the company."
He quickly returned to her side, with a hint of unconscious lightness in his tone: "Lee Soo Hyuk is here." Lia breathed a sigh of relief.
His trust in Lee Soo Hyuk is obvious. At times like this, the company of family and friends is obviously more important than colleagues.
Thinking of this, she tactfully reached out to take the backpack, stood up from the sofa and said goodbye: "It's about time for me to leave, Oppa, you should have a good rest." "Stay a little longer?" The words of persuasion almost came out of her mouth, and Quan Zhilong was secretly annoyed.
He felt a little regretful. He should have asked Lee Soo Hyuk to come up later. "No, next time. Let me fix the doll and bring it over." Lia shook her head, not noticing the sudden darkening of his expression, and walked towards the door.
Quan Zhilong couldn't think of a reason to keep her. He looked at her back in silence for a moment, then could only silently follow her to the elevator. Outside the elevator door, numbers jumped one by one. The two stood side by side at the door, each thinking about something.
Compared to the anxiety she had felt when she came over just now, after confirming that he was safe and had good friends with him, Lia felt relieved that the burden in her heart finally fell.
Quan Zhilong, who didn't want her to leave but had no excuse to ask her to stay, looked even darker than before, lost in thought as he stared at the numbers on the elevator. "Ding—" The elevator made a soft sound and the doors slowly opened.
Lee Soo Hyuk appeared behind the door. Seeing Lia, he was startled, his brows raised slightly, and a hint of subtle panic flashed in his eyes. Behind him stood a tall girl with shoulder-length hair and silver hoop earrings, looking fashionable and low-key.
It's Mizumoto Kiko.
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