Saying One Thing, Meaning Another

"Chen... Xu..."

Somewhere in the haze, Chen Xu heard a voice carrying over from an unknown distance.

Who was calling him? He struggled to identify where the voice was coming from, but the darkness around him pressed down like a tide, making it hard for him to breathe. His subconscious told him that this voice was extremely important to him.

"Chen... Xu..."

The voice rang out again, but it had grown softer and was fading away.

Alarmed, he suddenly struggled and finally opened his eyes.

"Hmph."

The movement tugged at his wound. A sharp pain shot through his forehead, making stars burst before his eyes.

It took him a while to recover. At last, he could make out the scene before him: a vast mass of dark clouds.

The snow had stopped. The sky was dim, but night had not fully fallen yet. He probably had not been unconscious for very long.

Still, his situation was dire. Half his body was buried in the snow, and his limbs had gone numb from the cold. Fortunately, he had woken up in time. If another hour or two had passed, he would have frozen to death.

"Chen... Xu..."

From far away, a voice drifted faintly toward him. Amid the howling wind, it came and went, too unclear to make out.

It was Luo Xiyun's voice.

An indescribable emotion surged up in Chen Xu, and he wanted to answer her.

"I—" The moment he opened his mouth, his throat felt as if it had been glued shut. His voice was hoarse. He desperately called out several times, but the sound could not carry at all.

No, his voice was too faint. There was no way she could hear him.

What should he do? Anxiety burned through him. Then he suddenly remembered the alarm in his pocket. It was an Anti-Wolf Alarm for women. The pockets of his Cold-Weather Clothing were stuffed with all sorts of small items that he carried every time he went out, just in case.

By now, he had recovered a little strength, and his hands were not quite as numb. With great effort, he raised his right hand, bit off his glove with his teeth, and took an alarm from his pocket.

Those ordinarily simple movements drained what little strength he had left, and his vision kept darkening.

He gritted his teeth to keep himself from passing out, clamped the alarm's switch between his teeth, and yanked hard.

Woooo—

A shrill, piercing alarm rang out. At such close range, Chen Xu felt as though his eardrums were about to burst. It was unbearable. Using the last of his strength, he threw the alarm as far away as he could.

After that, he only had enough strength left to breathe. His mind was muddled, and amid the piercing alarm, he could only force himself to stay conscious.

After a while, he vaguely heard the sound of a car engine. He could not help but relax. Unable to hold on any longer, he slowly closed his eyes. The last thing he saw was a staggering figure running toward him.

Then he lost consciousness.

"Hmph."

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Xu woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling above.

"Where am I?"

His head hurt terribly. Just as he tried to move, he found his entire body sore and weak.

The pain brought back his memories.

Did Luo Xiyun bring me back?

He looked down at the blanket covering him and finally understood where he was. This was Luo Xiyun's room, and he was lying in her bed.

In that instant, an indescribable emotion rose in his heart.

He had not gone home all night. She must have been worried sick.

She had driven around everywhere, searching for him without any direction. He had no idea how long she had been looking.

Last time, when she had been trapped by the typhoon, Chen Xu had searched everywhere for her in the same way. He understood that feeling all too well—the terror, worry, and frantic anxiety that burned one's insides.

The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts.

Luo Xiyun walked in carrying a bowl. When she reached the bed and saw that he was awake, a mixture of surprise and delight appeared on her face. "You're awake..."

"Water..." Chen Xu said hoarsely.

Luo Xiyun hurriedly set the bowl aside, poured him a glass of water, and sat at the bedside. With one hand, she helped him sit up and brought the cup to his lips.

Chen Xu leaned half against her chest and gulped down the entire glass of water.

"Do you want more?" she asked.

Chen Xu nodded. She went to pour him another glass.

After drinking two glasses of water, Chen Xu finally regained some strength and leaned against the headboard.

"I made some porridge. Do you want some?" Luo Xiyun picked up the bowl she had set down earlier and asked.

"Mm." Chen Xu looked at her face and let her feed him the porridge spoonful by spoonful. His heart stirred. He had never felt such tenderness from his ex-girlfriend.

After he finished the bowl of porridge, Luo Xiyun asked, "Do you want more?"

Chen Xu suddenly said, "You haven't rested at all these past two days, have you?"

"What are you doing?"

Luo Xiyun seemed at a loss. She took a step back and said, "Y-you're misunderstanding. I'm taking care of you because you're injured, not because of anything else."

Chen Xu looked into her eyes and said, "This time, after taking a trip to death's door, I've thought things through. Our fates are tied together now. Neither of us can do without the other. Why keep getting angry at each other? We might as well spend the rest of our time together, loving each other..."

"Stop dreaming." Luo Xiyun's chest rose and fell rapidly as she cut him off. "I'm telling you, even if you die, I'll still live well. Next time, don't you dare lay your hands on me. Otherwise, I... I won't go easy on you."

With that, she took the bowl and left the room.

Chen Xu said disdainfully, "That kind of threat has no intimidation at all."

Though he said that, his expression was still somewhat unpleasant. Even at this point, was she still unwilling to accept him? He lay there, letting his thoughts run wild for a while before gradually falling asleep.

When Chen Xu woke up again, he felt much better. Just as he was about to get up, he sensed someone beside him. Turning his head, he saw Luo Xiyun sitting at the bedside, her upper body slumped over the edge of the bed as she slept, one hand resting on him.

He found it a little amusing. Just moments ago, she had spoken so heartlessly, yet now she had fallen asleep while keeping watch beside him.

She really said one thing and meant another.

He reached out and brushed aside the hair that had fallen over her face, looking at her.

The more he looked, the prettier she seemed.

Thinking of what she had said earlier, he still felt a little annoyed. He whispered, "You can't escape the palm of my hand."

"Hmph..."

Luo Xiyun's long eyelashes fluttered, and she woke up. The moment she looked up and saw him staring intensely at her, she rubbed her eyes and said, "You're awake."

Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, she checked the time and cried out, "Oh no, how did I sleep for so long?" As she spoke, she hurried out.

Chen Xu was a little curious. He threw off the blanket, got out of bed, and followed her outside. Seeing her bustling about in the kitchen, he could not help but smile.