The Right Way to Apologize

Morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains like a golden sword, piercing the living room at an angle and landing right on the dining table.

Tang Wulin stood before the stove, watching the fried egg sizzle in the pan. The edges of the egg white had turned an enticing caramel brown. Beside it sat a pot of thick millet porridge, giving off the mellow fragrance unique to grains. He wore an ill-fitting pink apron—one Gu Yue had forcibly stuffed into his hands during their last shopping trip, claiming it was essential gear for a "stay-at-home husband."

This should count as an apology... right? Tang Wulin flipped the spatula as he planned out today's "battle strategy."

Breakfast was secondary. The main objective was to "break the ice." What had happened last night was like a tiny fishbone lodged in his throat. The cause had been simple, and awkward: after buying fruit and coming home, he had desperately needed the bathroom, so he had pushed the door open without knocking. In that instant, the sight of a back shrouded in steam had made his mind go blank for a full three seconds. Then came the towel Gu Yue hurled at him, wrapped in a bath towel herself and radiating murderous intent.

How should I say it? Tang Wulin rehearsed to the empty air. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have entered the bathroom without knocking?"

Too stiff. It sounded like he was reading a written self-criticism.

Or maybe, "I didn't mean to watch you shower?"

No, that was practically an admission of guilt. Explanations that tried too hard to conceal something often pushed the other person's emotions even higher.

With Gu Yue's temper, the moment she felt he was making excuses or being flippant, she would absolutely explode on the spot.

"Sigh..." Tang Wulin sighed, turned off the heat, and plated the food. In his mind, he typed out that sentence, deleted it, typed it again, then deleted it once more.

Apologizing was an art too, especially when it came to a girl like Gu Yue, who was sensitive and fiercely proud.

Too humble, and it would seem insincere. Too casual, and it would seem like he did not take it seriously.

He needed to find a middle ground. Tang Wulin carried breakfast to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, his gaze drifting involuntarily toward the bedroom.

Gu Yue came out.

She wore simple loungewear, her long hair casually pinned behind her head, revealing her slender, fair neck. Her expression was calm—so calm it resembled a bottomless lake, without a single ripple, yet carrying a chill that kept people at a distance.

"Eat." Gu Yue walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, her voice completely flat.

Tang Wulin quickly filled a bowl with porridge and pushed it in front of her, putting on what he thought was his most sincere smile. "Um, about last night..."

"No talking while eating or sleeping." Gu Yue picked up her spoon and cut him off. She lowered her head and took a sip of porridge, her movements elegant and unhurried, as though she were savoring a heavenly delicacy rather than an ordinary bowl of millet porridge.

Tang Wulin's hand, which had been reaching for the pickled vegetables, froze in midair.

The next ten minutes became the longest torment of Tang Wulin's life. Gu Yue ate quickly, but not hurriedly, chewing every bite with care.

She did not look at Tang Wulin again the entire time. She did not even raise her eyes. That indifference was more lethal than any high-decibel shouting during an argument, like a silent execution that carved away at his heart, cut by cut.

Tang Wulin tried to find a topic. "The weather's pretty nice today..."

Gu Yue did not react.

"Um, I was thinking of going to the mall today..."

Gu Yue still did not react.

Tang Wulin felt like a clown talking to a wall.

He wanted to apologize, but every time he was about to open his mouth, Gu Yue seemed to suppress him with an invisible aura, forcing him to swallow the words back down.

This was complete "cold violence," or rather, a "cold war."

At last, Gu Yue finished the final bite of fried egg. She put down her spoon and wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, every movement meticulous.

"I'm full." After saying that, she rose from the table, walked straight into the living room, and flopped onto the soft sofa.

Tang Wulin watched her back and shook his head helplessly. He knew this breakfast had been a complete failure.

Not only had Gu Yue not accepted his apology, she had not even given him the courtesy of pretending to listen.

"Do the dishes." Lying on the sofa, Gu Yue turned onto her side, leaving Tang Wulin only a cold profile. Then she took out her phone, her thumb flying rapidly over the screen.

The message was obvious: I don't want to talk to you. Stay away from me.

Resigned, Tang Wulin began clearing the dishes. Water washed away the grease on the plates, its rushing sound concealing the disappointment in his heart.

He looked at the bright spring scenery outside the window, yet the room felt somewhat cold.

After cleaning the kitchen, Tang Wulin dried his hands and did not return to Gu Yue's side to keep enduring that low-pressure atmosphere. He knew that anything he said now would be wrong.

He needed reinforcements. He needed a strategist.

He sat on the carpet at the other end of the sofa, took out his phone, and skillfully opened the "Shrek Brothers Group."

The message list was completely quiet. It seemed everyone had gone to class or was carrying out missions. Tang Wulin's fingers flew as he typed out a plea for help and sent it.

[Help! Waiting online, this is urgent! I made my girl furious. I accidentally walked into the bathroom. Even though I didn't see anything, she's completely ignoring me now. She won't even let me properly apologize over breakfast. How do I fix this? Urgent, waiting online!]

After sending the message, Tang Wulin stared at the screen, his heart racing as though he were awaiting judgment.

A few seconds later, his phone screen lit up.

[Le Zhengyu]: Boss, you have a day like this too? Hahahaha! I knew it! That wooden head of yours was bound to get you into trouble sooner or later!

Tang Wulin rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to type a rebuttal, Le Zhengyu's next message popped up right after it. This time, it came with a serious sticker—though it was a panda wearing sunglasses and striking a cool pose.

[Le Zhengyu]: Don't panic, Boss. Listen to your brother. If being soft doesn't work, get tough.

[Tang Wulin]: ??? Get tough? Are you telling me to fight her or something? Gu Yue is an assault-type Soul Master. I'd get blasted away before I could even get close.

[Le Zhengyu]: Who told you to actually use force? I mean your attitude! If it comes down to it, take the initiative. Let me tell you, this works every time. Look at Xiaoyan. Whenever we have an argument, no matter whose fault it is, I just pull her over and kiss her, or forcefully hug her and refuse to let go. I guarantee she calms down within half an hour. Boss, trust me. This move is practically nuclear-level against girls!

Tang Wulin frowned even more as he read the message.

[Tang Wulin]: No, no. Gu Yue and Xiaoyan don't have the same personality. Xu Xiaoyan is simple and straightforward. She responds to gentleness, not force. A few comforting words are enough for her. Gu Yue thinks deeply, and she cares especially about her dignity. If I go over and forcefully hug her now, she'll definitely think I'm humiliating her, that I look down on her. Then it won't be a cold war anymore. She'll blast me straight out of the house, maybe even use her elemental power to give me an "ice-sealing special."

[Le Zhengyu]: Tch. You mental-power types just overthink everything. Tell me, though—isn't she ignoring you right now, but actually waiting for you to go talk to her?

[Tang Wulin]: ...I think so. She's giving me the cold shoulder, but she didn't go straight back to the bedroom and lock the door. And while we were eating just now, she was deliberately avoiding my eyes. That means she's conflicted and angry, but she's also waiting for me to speak.

[Le Zhengyu]: Exactly! Boss, trust me, I wouldn't lead you astray. Don't be fooled by Gu Yue acting like she couldn't care less about you right now. Deep down, she desperately wants you to comfort her. A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, but hanging beneath that needle is nothing but the desire to be cared for. If you don't make a move, she'll think you don't care about this relationship anymore. That's the real crisis.

[Le Zhengyu]: So stop hesitating. Treat a dead horse like a live one and go for it! Bring out the same spirit you had when you first chased her!

The phone screen went dark. Tang Wulin held the phone and fell into thought.

Le Zhengyu's words might have been rough, but they made sense. His remark about "wanting to be cared for" struck the softest place in Tang Wulin's heart. Gu Yue looked cold and proud on the outside, like ten-thousand-year-old black ice, but deep down, she severely lacked a sense of security.

She was angry not merely because her privacy had been violated. It was also because, in that moment, she had felt Tang Wulin's attention slip out of control. That instinctive glimpse had made her feel completely defenseless before him, placed at a disadvantage.

If he did not comfort her, this crack would become an unbridgeable chasm.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and stood up. The living room was quiet, with only the faint sound effects from Gu Yue's phone game.

Sunlight fell over her, tracing a soft outline around her. She remained in that same position, like an exquisite yet fragile ice sculpture.

He could not drag this out any longer.

Tang Wulin straightened the hem of his clothes, then quietly took two deep breaths, trying to calm the deer wildly crashing around in his chest. He started forward, walking toward the sofa one step at a time, incredibly slowly.

With every step, his heartbeat sped up. Strangely, this felt more nerve-racking than facing a powerful enemy.

At last, he reached the sofa. Gu Yue seemed to notice the movement behind her. Her fingers paused for a moment, but she still did not turn around.

The line of her shoulders was taut, revealing that even in a relaxed state, she remained constantly alert to her surroundings.

Tang Wulin stopped and looked down at her profile. Her eyelashes were long and trembled slightly, showing that she was not as calm as she appeared.

"Gu Yue..." Tang Wulin called tentatively, his voice a little dry.

Gu Yue ignored him. She even turned off her phone screen and closed her eyes, clearly adopting a posture that rejected communication.

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth. Following Le Zhengyu's "core principle"—treat a dead horse like a live one—he decided to change "getting tough" into "assertive gentleness."

Without saying anything else, he directly dropped to one knee on the carpet beside the sofa. At this height, he could look Gu Yue straight in the eyes.

Gu Yue's eyes flew open, a flash of surprise passing through them. She instinctively tried to sit upright, but Tang Wulin gently pressed a hand to her shoulder.

"Don't move." Tang Wulin's voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"What are you doing?" Gu Yue's voice turned cold. A faint blue ball of soul power had already quietly gathered in her hand, a sign that she was ready to attack at any moment.

"I know you're angry." Tang Wulin ignored the ball of soul power, his gaze burning as he looked into her eyes. "And I know I shouldn't have gone in without knocking.

But Gu Yue, please believe me. I really just needed to use the bathroom at the time. My mind went completely blank in that instant. It absolutely wasn't because of anything else."

Gu Yue looked at him. The ice in her eyes seemed to crack open by the tiniest degree, but it quickly froze over again. "You think I'll believe that? Tang Wulin, since when has your self-control become so poor?"

"This isn't about self-control. It was an accident." Tang Wulin gave a bitter smile, then suddenly changed tactics. He stopped explaining and instead reached out, gently and carefully taking Gu Yue's hand from her knee.

Gu Yue's hand was cold, like a piece of fine cold jade.

"Let go!" Gu Yue tried to pull her hand back, but Tang Wulin held on tightly without hurting her, his grip filled with pleading.

"I won't." Tang Wulin looked up at her, his eyes as sincere as the rising sun. "Gu Yue, we've been together for so long.

We endured the tides of Sea God Lake together. We faced the hail of bullets against evil Soul Masters together. Do you think that, between you and all those life-and-death trials, I would choose to look at some meaningless sight?"

Gu Yue's fingertips trembled slightly.

"I apologize to you," Tang Wulin said, each word clear and deliberate. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so reckless. But I don't want us to keep giving each other the cold shoulder over something this small. I don't want you to be sad, not even for a second."

He tightened his hold slightly, enclosing Gu Yue's hand more firmly, then gently rested his forehead against the backs of their clasped hands.

It was a gesture filled with dependence and reverence.

The living room fell into deathly silence. Even the birdsong outside the window seemed to disappear.

Tang Wulin could feel the chill in his palm gradually warming beneath his body heat. Seconds ticked by, each one as long as a century.

Just when Tang Wulin thought his "tactic" was about to fail again and was preparing to unleash his ultimate move—the "nuclear weapon" Le Zhengyu had mentioned—a faint twitch came from within his palm.

Gu Yue's tightly wound body slowly relaxed.

She did not speak, nor did she push him away.

Tang Wulin held his breath and waited for fate's verdict.

After a long time, Gu Yue finally moved. She slowly turned her head. Those eyes, always cold and clear as stars, were now veiled by a faint mist, like spring water after a glacier thawed.

"Idiot."

She softly uttered the two words. Her voice was no longer icy, but carried a trace of barely perceptible grievance and reproach.

Then she turned her hand over and clasped Tang Wulin's, pulling him toward her with force.

Tang Wulin rose with the motion. Before he could figure out what was happening, a soft but irresistible force drew him forward, and he fell into that familiar embrace.

Gu Yue leaned against his chest, wrapping both arms around his waist. Her cheek pressed against his shirt, warmth passing through the fabric.

"If you dare do that again..." Gu Yue's voice was muffled, tinged with a nasal sound. "I'll freeze you into an ice sculpture and put you outside the door as a decoration."

Tang Wulin froze for two seconds, then overwhelming joy burst in his heart like fireworks. He tightened his arms, holding the girl in his embrace even closer, his chin lightly brushing the top of her head.

"I won't. Absolutely won't," he promised endlessly beside her ear. "From now on, before entering any room, even if there's only a cat inside, I'll knock three times."

Gu Yue said nothing. She merely gave a soft hum in response.

At that moment, all the awkwardness, cold war, and inner turmoil vanished in their embrace. The sunlight became warm again, and the air was filled with the lingering scent of millet porridge and the sound of their mingling breaths.

Le Zhengyu had been right. Sometimes, so-called "getting tough" was merely another form of "caring." As long as one was sincere enough, even the solid ice of the Arctic could be warmed into a pool of spring water.

Holding Gu Yue and breathing in the faint, cool fragrance of her hair, Tang Wulin felt that although breakfast had taken a winding path, its ending was perfect beyond belief.