Li Xun quickly came to his senses, concealed the astonishment in his eyes, and explained softly, "It's not that you're unwelcome. It's just so late, and you came over so suddenly. I really was a little surprised."
The girl's soft, sweet voice carried a hint of cautious hope. "Then... can I come in and sit for a while?"
"Uh, come in."
Li Xun stepped aside, letting Ning Rongrong lift her airy skirt and walk slowly into the room.
The door closed gently, shutting out the light and noise of the corridor. All that remained in the small guest room was a quiet, tender atmosphere and the softly mingling sounds of their breathing.
The lights outside the floor-to-ceiling window spilled faintly across Ning Rongrong's delicate profile, lending it an almost impossibly soft glow.
Six years of growing up together, spending every day side by side, followed by two years apart, had long since made the girl recognize her own feelings completely.
What had once been an innocent dependence had quietly fermented through their long companionship into burning love.
And the scenes previously shown on the Heavenly Screen had left her heart troubled for a long time.
She knew very well that before long, the scene everyone knew would unfold: Li Xun and Qian Renxue would meet for the first time, fall in love at first sight, and begin a bond born of destiny.
She refused to accept that, and she wanted no regrets.
After six years by his side, how could she willingly hand him over to someone else?
So she had gathered every scrap of courage and come to him in the dead of night, when no one was around, hoping to secure a bond of her own before his destined fate arrived.
Ning Rongrong lowered her eyes, her fingertips