The secret chamber was spacious, and voices echoed off its walls. Even the slightest sound grew loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
Zhang Lanhe's sudden confession found its way into Xie Huizhou's heart.
"This is how I feel about you, Huizhou."
Zhang Lanhe needed no prepared lines for the love hidden in his heart. Carried by his surging emotions, his overwhelming love spilled out in his gentle voice.
His simple, shy words were like towering waves beneath a calm sea, sweeping the two of them, caught in the whirlpool of emotion, down to the seabed. Within those waters, their hearts understood each other.
He had conveyed his feelings.
With his feelings laid bare, the heavy boulder weighing on his heart finally settled. Zhang Lanhe, who had been plagued by countless worries, finally felt relieved.
He waited for Xie Huizhou's response.
If Xie Huizhou accepted his love, he would reveal the concerns he had harbored all this time. If not, he would take them to his grave as a secret.
He did not know where love began. Zhang Lanhe only knew that, as they spent time together, he had long since been unwittingly drawn to Xie Huizhou, thinking of him at every moment and caring about his daily life.
He wanted to be with him.
"This is my first time confessing to someone I love. Zhouzhou, may I have your answer?"
Confessing his feelings to someone for the first time in his life, Zhang Lanhe experienced helpless bewilderment for the first time.
He hoped Xie Huizhou would return his feelings and let him know his love was not one-sided, yet feared it was all a prank by this little rascal.
He, a great white serpent once covered in wounds, had hidden his love away. He saw the flowers flourishing