“Luo Yaling, are you done washing?” he called out. He remembered her name from their last encounter, although he wasn’t sure why it stuck with him.
After waiting with no response, his nervousness grew. “Luo Yaling, I’m coming in.” Had she fainted? Could she have drowned? Anxiety surged in him as he pushed open the unlocked door.
Inside, he found Luo Yaling lying on the floor, her shoulder-length hair covering her face, making it hard to assess her condition.
Shen Yixuan’s face darkened. Was she really unconscious? Moments ago, she had been confronting him energetically. Gently, he embraced her as she lay on her side.
“Mmm…” Luo Yaling nestled into his embrace, seeking comfort, and buried her head in his chest.
“Huh?” Shen Yixuan was bewildered. She wasn’t fainted, but asleep? He couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the irony while feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
Looking at her dress covered in dirt, Shen Yixuan helped Luo Yaling take it off. He felt somewhat awkward while cleaning her. When he wiped her chin, she slapped his hand away and continued searching for a comfortable place to sleep. Feeling cold, she burrowed into his clothes, finding a cozy spot.
Amused, Shen Yixuan thought she had woken up while watching her nestle against him. However, when he looked at her chin, he froze. A deep scar cut across it, suggesting a violent past. His experience as a killer led him to wonder who could be so cruel. He realized he had misinterpreted her reactions; she wasn’t afraid of him but perhaps haunted by her trauma.
After tending to her, Shen Yixuan draped a bathrobe on Luo Yaling and settled her in his bed, covering her with a blanket. He then cleaned himself, having become dirty from helping her.
Later, he lay next to Luo Yaling, and they cuddled together.
The next noon, Luo Yaling slowly stirred in bed.
Habitually, she reached out to feel the bedside.
Huh? Where was it? She felt around, confused that it wasn’t there. Luo Yaling suddenly opened her eyes.
Looking at her surroundings, she was bewildered. This wasn’t her room. Whose room was this? It seemed very plain, likely belonging to a man. Could it be…?
