That suffocating silence seemed to last an eternity, yet also no more than an instant.
Fang Mo's gaze slowly swept over the three faces, each bearing a different expression yet the same resolve. He did not speak at once. He merely drained the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp, the fiery liquid sliding down his throat and bringing a trace of searing clarity.
Unease, anxiety, panic, anticipation—complex emotions filled the three women's eyes.
"Good!" he said. His voice was somewhat low, yet exceptionally clear. There was not a single unnecessary word.
He felt that saying even one more word at this moment would be a desecration of these burning feelings.
It was only one word, yet it was like a massive boulder thrown into a still lake, stirring towering waves in their hearts.
Guan Lu's taut shoulders abruptly relaxed, and her eyes instantly brimmed with tears—not from sorrow, but from overwhelming relief and joy.
She blinked hard, forcing the moisture back, but the corners of her lips kept rising until they formed a dazzling smile that nearly lit up the entire room.
Yue Quan's fingers, which had been stroking her wine cup, stilled. She looked deeply at Fang Mo, and gentle ripples of laughter spread through her clear eyes.
She said nothing, merely picked up the wine flask and refilled the cups—for Fang Mo, Guan Lu, Luo Jiangyan, and herself.
Luo Jiangyan looked at Fang Mo. The faint flush on her face deepened, but her gaze no longer wandered. Instead, she stared directly into his eyes; the stillness of her deep-pool gaze seemed to have been touched by warm sunlight, rippling with glittering waves.
She drew a light breath and raised her cup. She said nothing, only lifted it in a toast.
Fang Mo raised his freshly filled