Ye Qingyue's fingertips still rested on Lu Yuan's bandaged arm, her finger pads gently brushing the soft cotton as if checking whether his wound was truly secure.
The panic and embarrassment from earlier had faded somewhat, replaced by a heavy sense of lingering fear. She lowered her eyes, her long silver-white lashes trembling, and spoke in a hushed voice that brooked no argument:
"Lu Yuan, next time... next time you find yourself in danger like that..."
She lifted her eyes slightly. Her gaze shimmered with tears, filled with both heartache and a hint of annoyance, along with worry she couldn't hide. Her fingertips gently clasped his uninjured wrist. "You run first, understand? Your life is what matters most."
By the end, her voice had grown very soft. The tip of her nose was faintly red, and her lips pressed into a tender curve. The sight of her looking so earnest and aggrieved softened Lu Yuan's heart.
He merely gazed at her, his thin lips curling into a faint yet utterly resolute smile. He neither answered nor tried to explain.
Run? How could he?
In Lu Yuan's world, there was no such thing as abandoning his woman and running off alone.
To put it bluntly, anyone who wanted to lay a hand on his woman would have to step over his dead body first.
Seeing him simply smile without a word, Ye Qingyue grew even more anxious and annoyed. She reached out and lightly tapped his shoulder, her touch gentle. "Did you hear me? I'm being serious."
"I heard you."
Lu Yuan answered quietly, but his eyes remained fixed on her slightly swollen lips.
The softness of their earlier kiss still lingered on his lips, and her sweet breath still circled his nose. He could no longer suppress the stirrings in