?Zhang Wei, "... Where is the ring?"
Chen Yulan, her heart aflutter, confessed, "I put it away."
Zhang Wei observed her with a hint of amusement, "It really suited you, though."
Chen Yulan's smile dimmed, her voice tinged with resolve, "I don't wear a ring that bears another's name."
"Why not? It looked quite good on you," Zhang Wei countered, his curiosity piqued. In a swift motion that seemed almost magical, he produced a ring from the depths of his belongings, leaving Chen Yulan in silent wonder.
'How does he always manage to take things from thin air?' she thought silently.
Her gaze was drawn to the ring, its silver gleaming under the light, adorned with patterns of blue that sparked a memory within her. "Why do it feel so familiar" she murmured, her thoughts drifting to the blue orchids she once found, crystallized within ice. N0vel--Biin hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
"They remind me of those orchids...?" she pondered aloud.
With a nonchalant shrug, Zhang Wei revealed, "Because it's crafted from them." Effortlessly, he slid the ring onto her finger, rendering Chen Yulan speechless, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and contemplation.
As Zhang Wei pulled out his phone and began to compose a message, Chen Yulan's curiosity overcame her, "Who are you messaging at this hour?" Though it was none of her concern, the question slipped out, fueled by a mix of curiosity and concern.
Flashing a sly grin, Zhang Wei responded, "Just arranging for someone to pay Liu Ming a little visit and cut his fingers."
!!
Chen Yulan's eyes widened in shock, Her heart skipping a beat.
"Please, no violence!" she pleaded, her hands instinctively covering his. But it was too late; the message had already been sent.
Zhang Wei looked at her, an expression of mock reproof on his face. "Tch, do you really think I would lose?" His hands gently cradled her face, a subtle reassurance in his touch.
Chen Yulan, her lips pressed firmly together, shook her head softly, "I don't want you get in pointless conflicts," she stated firmly.
Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Wei studied her closely.
Her gaze locked with his, earnest and pleading, "You don't have to worry about me. I won't reach out to him—or anyone else. I promise."
Zhang Wei, now amused, teased, "Are you certain?"
Chen Yulan, her eyes shimmering with a melancholic yet unyielding light, whispered with a voice laced with determination and a hint of despair, "I would rather embrace death than surrender my body to another..."
"I cling to my honor as my guiding star," she added, her words floating softly in the charged air between them.
"And unlike you," she continued, her voice trailing into a whisper as if the words were too heavy to carry, "I keep my promises."
Her gaze wavered under Zhang Wei's piercing scrutiny, his eyes narrowing into slits that seemed to slice through her defenses, making her heart flutter with nervousness before he visibly relaxed, his demeanor softening.
With a gentle touch, he caressed her cheeks, his laughter light yet probing, "Haha... Have I tainted you with my influence? Your words, once gentle are not so gentle today."
His chuckle deepened, amusement twinkling in his eyes, "Yet, for someone who claims to be indifferent, you sound quite worried to not care about me..."
Chen Yulan, seeking refuge within herself, pulled her legs close, hugging them to her chest as if to shield her heart from further assault. Resting her forehead on her knees, she observed him through the veil of her lashes.
"I might follow you... but don't mistake that for affection," she clarified, her voice muffled against her knees, yet every word was imbued with a raw honesty.
Zhang Wei, momentarily speechless, studied her closely, searching her eyes for any sign of deceit. But there was none; her disdain for him was as clear as the daylight that failed to penetrate their secluded space.
It dawned on him that her simplicity, her unwavering will to follow yet not submit her heart, amused him in a way he hadn't anticipated.
It was both amusing and adorable.
In his eyes, she was the epitome of stupidity, a woman who would endure and follow him against all odds, unless pushed beyond an unseen boundary.
Dismissing the thought, he shook his head, opting for peace over conflict, "Let's just sleep," he suggested, steering away from further debate.
"Mm..." Chen Yulan hummed softly, her fingers brushing against the cool fabric of the bed as she searched in the dim light for her clothes.
The sudden sound of Zhang Wei's voice cut through the silence, startling her. "No need for clothes," he declared, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I prefer the freedom of sleeping unclothed."
With a fluid motion that seemed almost too casual, he peeled his shirt off, revealing his lean muscles before he reached out and plunged the room into darkness with a flick of the lamp switch.
Silence enveloped Chen Yulan, as she sat frozen, robbed of speech in the dead of night.
After a moment heavy with unspoken words, she exhaled deeply, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her resignation.
Carefully, she slipped next to him under the quilt, the fabric whispering against their skin.
The chill in the air prompted her to pull an additional blanket over them, seeking warmth in its embrace.
Her head found a place on his arm, a makeshift pillow that felt too intimate and too distant all at once.
Her eyes, wide open, stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in the shadows that danced just out of sight.
It was then, in a voice so soft it was almost lost in the stillness, that she murmured, "... How many times must I endure what happened today?"
Zhang Wei, drifting on the edge of sleep, felt a ripple of annoyance at her words. "I take no pleasure in beating your kind," he replied, his voice low and tinged with a complexity of emotions he didn't fully understand himself.
"Just follow my lead, don't scream and all will be well. Although," he added, a smirk playing on his lips unseen in the darkness, "I cannot deny... You look quite adorable crying today..."
!!
At his words, Chen Yulan trembled, a shiver running down her spine.
Adorable?
Crying?
His words felt like a mockery, a jest too cruel to bear. With a heavy sigh, she forced her mind to retreat, to seek refuge in the prospect of sleep.
She couldn't let his words, his actions, disturb her peace any further. Not tonight.
?Zhang Wei, "... Where is the ring?"
Chen Yulan, her heart aflutter, confessed, "I put it away."
Zhang Wei observed her with a hint of amusement, "It really suited you, though."
Chen Yulan's smile dimmed, her voice tinged with resolve, "I don't wear a ring that bears another's name."
"Why not? It looked quite good on you," Zhang Wei countered, his curiosity piqued. In a swift motion that seemed almost magical, he produced a ring from the depths of his belongings, leaving Chen Yulan in silent wonder.
'How does he always manage to take things from thin air?' she thought silently.
Her gaze was drawn to the ring, its silver gleaming under the light, adorned with patterns of blue that sparked a memory within her. "Why do it feel so familiar" she murmured, her thoughts drifting to the blue orchids she once found, crystallized within ice. N0vel--Biin hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
"They remind me of those orchids...?" she pondered aloud.
With a nonchalant shrug, Zhang Wei revealed, "Because it's crafted from them." Effortlessly, he slid the ring onto her finger, rendering Chen Yulan speechless, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and contemplation.
As Zhang Wei pulled out his phone and began to compose a message, Chen Yulan's curiosity overcame her, "Who are you messaging at this hour?" Though it was none of her concern, the question slipped out, fueled by a mix of curiosity and concern.
Flashing a sly grin, Zhang Wei responded, "Just arranging for someone to pay Liu Ming a little visit and cut his fingers."
!!
Chen Yulan's eyes widened in shock, Her heart skipping a beat.
"Please, no violence!" she pleaded, her hands instinctively covering his. But it was too late; the message had already been sent.
Zhang Wei looked at her, an expression of mock reproof on his face. "Tch, do you really think I would lose?" His hands gently cradled her face, a subtle reassurance in his touch.
Chen Yulan, her lips pressed firmly together, shook her head softly, "I don't want you get in pointless conflicts," she stated firmly.
Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Wei studied her closely.
Her gaze locked with his, earnest and pleading, "You don't have to worry about me. I won't reach out to him—or anyone else. I promise."
Zhang Wei, now amused, teased, "Are you certain?"
Chen Yulan, her eyes shimmering with a melancholic yet unyielding light, whispered with a voice laced with determination and a hint of despair, "I would rather embrace death than surrender my body to another..."
"I cling to my honor as my guiding star," she added, her words floating softly in the charged air between them.
"And unlike you," she continued, her voice trailing into a whisper as if the words were too heavy to carry, "I keep my promises."
Her gaze wavered under Zhang Wei's piercing scrutiny, his eyes narrowing into slits that seemed to slice through her defenses, making her heart flutter with nervousness before he visibly relaxed, his demeanor softening.
With a gentle touch, he caressed her cheeks, his laughter light yet probing, "Haha... Have I tainted you with my influence? Your words, once gentle are not so gentle today."
His chuckle deepened, amusement twinkling in his eyes, "Yet, for someone who claims to be indifferent, you sound quite worried to not care about me..."
Chen Yulan, seeking refuge within herself, pulled her legs close, hugging them to her chest as if to shield her heart from further assault. Resting her forehead on her knees, she observed him through the veil of her lashes.
"I might follow you... but don't mistake that for affection," she clarified, her voice muffled against her knees, yet every word was imbued with a raw honesty.
Zhang Wei, momentarily speechless, studied her closely, searching her eyes for any sign of deceit. But there was none; her disdain for him was as clear as the daylight that failed to penetrate their secluded space.
It dawned on him that her simplicity, her unwavering will to follow yet not submit her heart, amused him in a way he hadn't anticipated.
It was both amusing and adorable.
In his eyes, she was the epitome of stupidity, a woman who would endure and follow him against all odds, unless pushed beyond an unseen boundary.
Dismissing the thought, he shook his head, opting for peace over conflict, "Let's just sleep," he suggested, steering away from further debate.
"Mm..." Chen Yulan hummed softly, her fingers brushing against the cool fabric of the bed as she searched in the dim light for her clothes.
The sudden sound of Zhang Wei's voice cut through the silence, startling her. "No need for clothes," he declared, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I prefer the freedom of sleeping unclothed."
With a fluid motion that seemed almost too casual, he peeled his shirt off, revealing his lean muscles before he reached out and plunged the room into darkness with a flick of the lamp switch.
Silence enveloped Chen Yulan, as she sat frozen, robbed of speech in the dead of night.
After a moment heavy with unspoken words, she exhaled deeply, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her resignation.
Carefully, she slipped next to him under the quilt, the fabric whispering against their skin.
The chill in the air prompted her to pull an additional blanket over them, seeking warmth in its embrace.
Her head found a place on his arm, a makeshift pillow that felt too intimate and too distant all at once.
Her eyes, wide open, stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in the shadows that danced just out of sight.
It was then, in a voice so soft it was almost lost in the stillness, that she murmured, "... How many times must I endure what happened today?"
Zhang Wei, drifting on the edge of sleep, felt a ripple of annoyance at her words. "I take no pleasure in beating your kind," he replied, his voice low and tinged with a complexity of emotions he didn't fully understand himself.
"Just follow my lead, don't scream and all will be well. Although," he added, a smirk playing on his lips unseen in the darkness, "I cannot deny... You look quite adorable crying today..."
!!
At his words, Chen Yulan trembled, a shiver running down her spine.
Adorable?
Crying?
His words felt like a mockery, a jest too cruel to bear. With a heavy sigh, she forced her mind to retreat, to seek refuge in the prospect of sleep.
She couldn't let his words, his actions, disturb her peace any further. Not tonight.
