When Shen Shuangjian the soft hair brush against Xie Jinghui's chin, Xie Jinghui was momentarily lost in thought, as if he had forgotten where he was and could not hear the chilling screams around him.
He could only feel the very slight tremor of Shen Shuangjian's body as she instinctively snuggled into his arms.
He heard Shen Shuangjian's low panting caused by fright, and a faint, whispering cry like the sound of the wind.
This is a side of Shen Shuangjian she rarely reveals.
Panic, unease, fear, and a desperate search for protection—beneath his cold facade, almost everyone would assume that Shen Shuangjian him as someone born to sit aloof on a high platform, untouched by worldly concerns, like a snow-white crystal.
He seemed aloof, as if he always carried an air of detachment that kept people at arm's length.
Xie Jinghui, who had spent the most time with Shen Shuangjian and had seen too much of Shen Shuangjian's life, knew that it wasn't actually like that.
Shen Shuangjian is really cute; even with such limited vocabulary, the description is quite apt.
He was not good at socializing, and for some reason, he felt a deep sense of unease about the world.
He seemed never to have truly immersed himself in the role of the world; he wandered aimlessly outside, harboring his own eagerness to try.
He doesn't need anyone to protect him or lift him up, but when he feels uneasy and timid, he will subconsciously seek out a sleeve to hold onto.
Xie Jinghui then understood.
It turns out that anyone can hurt him; his nature is too soft, too sensitive, so he can only get used to being insensitive and distant.
It turns out he wasn't the little prince who lived in a tower, coldly observing the love, hate, anger, and infatuation of the world.
It turns out he had always been outside the tower, supporting his frail spine, unyielding and resolute.
It turns out that my constant, restless attempts to claim and possess land were not about taking, but about protecting.
He wanted to protect Shen Shuangjian until he could no longer see her confusion.
Don't be afraid.
Xie Jinghui lowered her eyes, her hand covering his ear slowly tightening. "They're all fake; they can never hurt you."
Let him get close, let him offer his loyalty, his everything, until he has nothing left.
Please stay for him, let him dwell here for a lifetime.
"That scared me to death, oh my god!"
As the escape room ended and the lights came on, Lin Weiluo her chest, venting her frustrations, and then joined everyone in bowing to the escape room staff.
Xie Jinghui loosely put his arm around Shen Shuangjian's shoulder, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then took Shen Shuangjian's wrist and left first.
The camera is still rolling, and the live stream is still bustling.
[Haha, poor baby, you're scared out of your wits.]
[Sobbing, Shuangjian my baby was scared! She shrank back several times. So pitiful and cute, waaaaah!]
[A poor baby who's not afraid of the dark or ghosts, but is easily startled, hahaha.]
[My favorite couple has contributed another iconic scene.]
[With adrenaline surging, have you ever had a moment where you couldn't tell if it was fear or genuine emotion?]
[Xie Jing, Shen Shuang, you two absolutely have to get together, otherwise I'll never dare to ship any couple again in my life.]
[I'm dying of laughter. It turns out that apart from Yu Sheng and Xie Jinghui, they're all cowards. I thought Gu Xuanlin and Xie Qingchi weren't afraid either.]
[ Gu Xuanlin was so startled he almost swore, hahaha.]
[ Xie Qingchi the funniest; when an NPC was banging on the wall, he got startled and then banged back fiercely.]
[Tsk tsk tsk, none of them are good enough. I declare that in this year's Shen Shuangjian harem, only Yu Sheng and Xie Jinghui are barely comparable.]
[... Please do not compare or belittle others; Yu Sheng is not the same person.]
[Not yet, stop washing it, what's the point?]
[Your brother Yu Sheng doesn't want you anymore!]
[Is she crazy? Doesn't Shen Shuangjian even know to check on her own dog? How can she go around messing around with people like that?]
[ Shen Shuangjian there was no guidance whatsoever, a bunch of fans were acting like mad dogs, attacking and belittling everything.]
[I'm too lazy to argue, and they won't want to hear it anyway.]
[Don't you even know what it means to enjoy something you're not really interested in? You're acting like a lunatic. Every time Shen Shuangjian on screen, the comments are flooded with his posts, all sorts of random shippers.]
[If you don't want people to ship them, then make your own idols more impressive.]
[It's hard to say who's riding whose coattails right now.]
Four o'clock in the afternoon, before sunset.
Shen Shuangjian she had just eaten dinner, which was a bit greasy, Shen Shuangjian was having trouble digesting it, so she could only walk along the shore.
The sea breeze was strong, and although it felt a bit damp, it wasn't surprisingly cold.
After such a long time, it was rare for her to be without any cameras following her, and it didn't feel like she was at home. She was all alone, which made Shen Shuangjian feel a rare sense of peace and quiet.
Shen Shuangjian hadn't actually seen the sea much.
In his short previous life, he was a native of the South. He later got into a university in Capital and began living in the Capital.
The same applies to his life. If there's any difference, it's that he came to the Capital to recognize his relatives before he went to school Capital.
I lived in a single dormitory at school, and it wasn't until I graduated and went home that I started to have real interactions with Shen Sixian.
"Brother Shuangjian!"
When footsteps and shouts caught up from behind, Shen Shuangjian Yu Sheng running towards her, as he was quietly looking at the sea.
Shen Shuangjian didn't speak, but just watched him stand beside her, her eyes filled with calm incomprehension.
Yu Sheng had long been accustomed to his indifference, to his one-sided enthusiasm, and to the silence he received from Shen Shuangjian no matter what he did.
"What are you doing? Looking at the sea?"
Yu Sheng stood with his hands behind his back, a distinct smile curving his lips.
He heard Shen Shuangjian a very soft "hmm," which was considered a perfunctory response.
But Yu Sheng was not discouraged at all.
He rarely had a moment alone with Shen Shuangjian, and at this time, he simply didn't have time to wallow in self-pity.
He was overjoyed, his heart was pounding like it was about to burst out of his chest, and he felt a tickle in his heart.
"The sea is beautiful." So is yours.
However, Yu Sheng did not say the second half of the sentence.
Actually, I've always had three questions I wanted to ask you.
Yu Sheng finally turned his gaze away from the winding waves, which shone with a bright light, like sparkling, expensive gemstones.
"First question, do you have someone you like?"
The sea breeze gently lifted the hair of the person beside her, and Yu Sheng turned her head to look at him.
Shen Shuangjian didn't answer, he continued to ask.
"The second question is, what kind of person do you like?"
Yu Sheng really enjoyed the feeling of Shen Shuangjian. As long as those amorous, brown eyes met his gaze, even for just a second, it was enough for him to be captivated.
"My third question is, if one day someone like me were to pursue Shuangjian, would you agree to it?"
If it were someone with normal emotional sensitivity, they should be able to understand the implication behind Yu Sheng's words at that moment.
But Shen Shuangjian couldn't answer any of his questions. After a moment, Shen Shuangjian tilted her head slightly and subconsciously asked, "What?"
An irrelevant answer is itself an answer.
A normal person, after experiencing countless unrequited loves and still asking this question out of desperation, should end this well-known love affair with dignity.
But for Yu Sheng, this is far from over.
His crush hadn't even begun.
In his world, as long as Shen Shuangjian's love hadn't begun, his love would never end.