[Truly Captivating]
The sun was setting, the cicadas' chirping grew hoarse, and not far ahead was a small stall selling sugar figures.
Su Zhenzhen's face was flushed red by the setting sun as she held Lu Hexu's hand and walked forward.
The two arrived in front of the sugar figure stall.
The vendor had just set up his stall and was making sugar figures to display and attract customers.
Holding a small copper spoon, he scooped liquid sugar from a copper pot and swiftly drizzled it onto a clean stone slab, forming patterns of dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and birds. Once they cooled and hardened, he picked them up with bamboo sticks.
Besides these, the vendor also made a few three-dimensional sugar figures.
Using more sugar, he took out a wheat straw and blew gently. A lump of soft sugar transformed at his fingertips into a lifelike little tiger, which he then stuck onto a bamboo stick.
"My lady, young master, what would you like?" the vendor greeted them warmly.
"This one," Lu Hexu said, picking a phoenix that had the largest pattern and the most sugar.
Clearly, he had no interest in the design; he only cared about the sugar.
"Alright, three copper coins."
The price was quite reasonable.
Su Zhenzhen took out the coins from her pouch and handed over three coppers.
Beside her, Lu Hexu had already started eating.
The man bit off the phoenix's head. When he met Su Zhenzhen's gaze, he offered the remaining phoenix in his hand to her lips.
Su Zhenzhen took a small bite; it had the sticky, sweet taste of malt sugar.
Since the End of Heat solar term had passed, the weather had become increasingly sweltering.
Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu strolled around for a while, eating some night market snacks, before the heat drove them to seek shelter in the shade.
As night fell, lanterns were hung on both sides of the street, forming strings of light that wound their way down the long avenue.
"That is the Slender West Lake."
Yangzhou's most famous Slender West Lake.
The night was lit up endlessly, illuminating the continuous stretch of pavilions and terraces along the lake.
The evening breeze swept across the water, rippling with fragmented light. Painted pleasure boats moored one after another along the shore, their hulls carved with intertwining lotus branches. The vermilion paint looked even brighter in the lamplight. Small red lanterns hung outside the cabins, swaying gently in the wind and casting scattered, firefly-like reflections on the water's surface.
"Young master, come and play."
A woman dressed in light, sheer silk leaned against the railing and tossed her handkerchief down at Lu Hexu.
The handkerchief was wrapped around a few grapes to add weight, hurtling straight toward the man.
Lu Hexu tilted his head slightly and dodged it.
The handkerchief and grapes hit the ground, and a curious child picked them up to eat.
Su Zhenzhen grabbed Lu Hexu's hand and quickly hurried away.
Even after they had walked far away, the woman's gaze remained glued to Lu Hexu's face.
[Truly captivating.]
Su Zhenzhen stole a glance at Lu Hexu.
[Truly handsome.]
The man's skin was naturally cool and pale. Coupled with his lack of sun exposure, it bore a somewhat unhealthy pallor. His complexion was extremely light, yet his eyes were so dark they seemed bottomless. Dressed in a high-quality black robe, he carried an outstanding aura.
The two walked hand in hand over the bridge.
A painted boat passed beneath them.
The Slender West Lake was vast and renowned as Yangzhou's ultimate money-squandering den.
Painted boats of all sizes dotted the lake like a fallen galaxy. In the middle was a particularly massive merchant vessel adorned with hundreds of horn lanterns. Under the light, the carved peony petals on the boat's hull shimmered in twelve different colors.
This painted boat had only appeared recently. It was said that its owner was a wealthy merchant who loved to befriend scholars and refined gentlemen.
Every day, a literary prompt would be hung on the shore. Anyone who could answer it was invited aboard to enjoy free wine and food.
To attract talent, they even posted the daily banquet menu on the bank.
Su Zhenzhen took a look as she led Lu Hexu past it.
It was a long list. There were eight cold dishes alone, not to mention the hot dishes and pastries.
"Today is the lake's Lotus Banquet. My master is hosting a feast to admire the lotuses, awaiting men of talent to join us in appreciating the pristine blooms and partaking in this elegant gathering."
A servant stood guard on the shore next to a table displaying the four treasures of the study.
Beside it hung today's prompt: Compose a poem with the theme of "Lotus."
A scholar was already eager to try. He picked up the brush and wrote a poem.
The servant took it and handed it to another servant beside him.
This servant boarded a small skiff, took the poem to the massive painted boat, and returned moments later, shaking his head at the scholar.
The scholar flushed red, likely feeling humiliated, and flicked his sleeves before storming off.
Su Zhenzhen stood on her tiptoes to watch for a while, then tugged at Lu Hexu's sleeve. "Can you write one?"
"Yes."
Su Zhenzhen had never seen Lu Hexu compose a poem before.
The man stepped forward, picked up the brush, and began to write.
His calligraphy was bold and expressive, the brushstrokes sharp as knives, the force penetrating the back of the paper.
His exquisite handwriting alone was enough to awe the onlookers, let alone the lotus poem written on the paper.
Sure enough, in no time at all, Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu were invited onto the painted boat.
They took a skiff to the painted boat and climbed up the ladder.
The painted boat was huge. A large red sandalwood desk sat at the bow, where agarwood incense burned as an offering to the moon.
The front cabin was wide open. Inside, many invited scholars and gentlemen were already sitting around the tables, raising their cups and chatting merrily.
Behind a gauze curtain, a woman played the pipa, the melody as melodious as flowing water, pushing the atmosphere of refined elegance to its peak.
"You two, please hold out your hands."
Looking puzzled, Su Zhenzhen extended her hand.
The maid took out a small seal from her waist, slightly pulled back Su Zhenzhen's glove, and pressed it onto the back of her hand.
A peony?
Su Zhenzhen guessed this was probably something like a boarding pass, making it easy to identify the guests and prevent stowaways.
Su Zhenzhen's gaze fell on the maid's hand, and sure enough, she saw a peony stamp there as well.
After both she and Lu Hexu received the peony stamp, the maid put away the seal and led the way. "This way, please."
She led them to sit by a window on one side.
Su Zhenzhen's attention was drawn to the ceiling of the cabin, which seemed to be inlaid with something that glowed on its own, independent of the lamplight.
"Those are luminous shells," Lu Hexu said, following her gaze.
"Are they expensive?"
"Yes, they are quite rare."
To use such rare items to decorate the cabin ceiling, and nearly cover it entirely...
Truly extravagant.
Su Zhenzhen began to look forward to the upcoming dishes.
"You don't know this, but when I first came to Yangzhou, I was so poor that I had to go to Jiang Yunshu's place to mooch meals. Later, I saved Little Persimmon, adding another mouth to feed. I have thin skin, so I didn't dare go out during the day. At night, I would bring him to the painted boats here to scavenge, hoping to find something valuable..."
Speaking of her sad history of poverty, Su Zhenzhen couldn't help but sigh.
Lu Hexu picked up his teacup and took a sip, clearly indifferent to the top-grade Biluochun tea inside.
He set the cup down, his eyes landing on Su Zhenzhen's face.
The woman was resting her chin on one hand, studying the menu on the table.
The maid came over again and placed a plate of peony pastries on the table.
The peony pastries were freshly baked, pink on the outside and yellow on the inside. The flaky layers were delicate, and they were shaped like half-blooming peonies.
"These peony pastries are made with peony petals and honey. The floral fragrance is elegant, and they are sweet but not cloying, perfectly paired with clear tea," the maid explained as she poured two bowls of tea for Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu.
Su Zhenzhen picked up a peony pastry and took a bite, immediately reaching the filling inside.
It was red bean paste.
The flavor of the peony petals wasn't too strong; it tasted more like honey.
Lu Hexu sat across from Su Zhenzhen. He broke the peony pastry in half and took his first bite right from the filling inside.
Su Zhenzhen took a few bites but found it a bit too rich. She handed her half-eaten pastry to Lu Hexu and sat back to sip her tea.
She was saving room for the good stuff.
Lu Hexu finished the rest of the pastry and also began to sip his tea slowly.
"Madam, sir, what would you like to order?"
Su Zhenzhen ordered a few cold and hot dishes, along with two desserts.
Among these dishes, she was most looking forward to the steamed crucian carp with fermented rice wine.
She had heard it was a summer specialty.
After a short wait, the food arrived.
The moment the lid was lifted, Su Zhenzhen caught a whiff of fragrant wine mixed with the savory aroma of fish.
"The carp has been completely deboned. Please enjoy your meal."
Resting on a porcelain-white plate, the fish looked translucent and pristine. Soaked in the sweet wine, the meat appeared as tender and smooth as jade-like fat.
Su Zhenzhen picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of the fish.
It was incredibly tender, fresh, and soft. It practically melted on her tongue without needing to be chewed. The clear sweetness of the fermented rice wine had seeped right into the meat, completely removing any fishiness while elevating its natural flavors, leaving only a warm, lingering sweet aftertaste.
So delicious.
Su Zhenzhen eagerly took a few more bites.
Lu Hexu, on the other hand, showed little interest in the fish. Instead, he was eating the two desserts Su Zhenzhen had ordered.
One was diced mint cakes, and the other was a jasmine-flavored rice wine iced curd.
The diced mint cakes were small, square pastries made of glutinous rice flour. Fresh mint juice had been kneaded into the dough, giving them a faint, pale green hue after being steamed.
Su Zhenzhen skewered a piece with a bamboo pick and popped it into her mouth.
It tasted a bit like chewing gum.
Sure enough, Lu Hexu didn't seem to care much for it either. He had moved on to the iced curd.
Likely just taken out of the icebox, the porcelain bowl holding the iced curd was still beaded with condensation.
Yangzhou was famous for its pearl orchid tea, and this jasmine iced curd was considered a local specialty.
Two bowls of iced curd had been served in total: one jasmine-flavored and the other osmanthus-flavored.
The literati and elegant scholars of ancient times loved incorporating flowers and plants into their food and drinks to add an air of refinement.
Su Zhenzhen took a spoonful of the osmanthus one but found it too sweet.
She then leaned over and scooped a spoonful of the jasmine one from Lu Hexu's bowl, which turned out to be quite nice.
After enjoying their complimentary dinner, it wasn't until the meal was almost over that Su Zhenzhen finally caught sight of the owner of the painted pleasure boat.
Separated by a curtain, the owner sat behind the drapes, dressed in a magnificent robe adorned with peony patterns.
As if that weren't enough, his face was further obscured by a veil of pearls. It was a layer of fine, lustrous white pearl strings, suspended from a wide-brimmed bamboo hat by two horizontal hairpins.
Each pearl was as round as a dewdrop and perfectly uniform in size. Strung together in overlapping layers, they cascaded down like a dense, shimmering waterfall, making it utterly impossible to make out his features.
Rich people really went out of their way to protect their privacy.
The man sat behind the curtain, holding a fan. The fan itself was extraordinarily lavish, embroidered with intricate peony motifs in gold thread and inlaid with precious gems and pearls. With every flutter of the fan, one could practically smell the wealth.
Through the double barrier of the pearl veil and the curtain, onlookers could only discern a faint, swaying silhouette.
Someone stepped forward to offer flatteries but was immediately intercepted by the guards.
The man sat there in silence, as still as a wooden puppet, amidst the noisy chatter of the crowd.
Conversations, poetry recitations, and sycophantic praises drifted past his ears in fragments. They blurred into a meaningless hum that washed over his mind without leaving a single trace.
Suddenly, the man seemed to catch a familiar voice.
Subconsciously, he raised a hand and parted the pearl veil before his eyes.
Not far away, at a table by the window, sat two people.
The woman possessed a pure and flawless beauty, as pristine as moonlight. Resting her chin on one hand, she used her spoon to scoop up the jasmine iced curd from the bowl in front of the man across from her.
The man tried to block her with his own spoon, but she easily bypassed his defenses.
Su Zhenzhen beamed as she popped the last spoonful of the jasmine iced curd into her mouth.
The man sitting behind the curtain froze. His gaze locked onto the woman so intensely that he didn't even notice his fan slipping from his grasp and falling to the floor.
It wasn't until Lu Hexu sharply looked up that the man abruptly dropped the pearl veil back into place.
The shimmering pearls concealed his face once more, cutting off his line of sight.
A maidservant stepped forward and bowed to retrieve the fallen fan.
"Master."
The man gave a slight nod and reached out to take it. His knuckles turned white as he unconsciously gripped the handle of the fan with force.
"Master, it is time to head upstairs."
He hesitated for a moment, seemingly reluctant to leave, but under the maid's gentle urging, he finally rose and headed up the stairs.
The figure behind the curtain was gone.
Lu Hexu calmly looked away, still holding his soup spoon.
Having eaten and drank her fill, Su Zhenzhen looked absolutely radiant, with a faint, rosy flush dusting her cheeks.
She looked as though she was slightly tipsy.
It was all because of that rice wine fish.
She had polished off the entire fish all by herself.
"It's so hot. I'm going out to get some fresh air."
Su Zhenzhen stood up and stepped out of the cabin.
Out on the lake, the summer breeze carried a gentle moisture. It brushed against her face, cool and damp, gradually stripping away the stifling summer heat.
Feeling a bit more clear-headed, Su Zhenzhen leaned her hands against the wooden railing and gazed out into the distance.
Wow, what a massive lake.
Wow, so many boats.
Wow, so many people.
Please forgive her limited vocabulary.
Lu Hexu walked over and stood beside her.
Noticing there was enough space between them for another person to fit, Su Zhenzhen quietly scooted a little closer to him. Then, she scooted closer again.
"Let's go to..."
"Hmm?"
The man's voice was snatched away by the wind, and Su Zhenzhen didn't quite catch it.
"What did you say?" she asked, tilting her head up to look at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"Let's go pick up trash."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
"Let's go pick up trash." Assuming she hadn't heard him, Lu Hexu lowered his head and repeated himself.
Su Zhenzhen: ...Is the Great Zhou Dynasty about to collapse?
Seeing her just staring at him without replying, Lu Hexu furrowed his brow. "You'd go pick up trash with him, but not with me."
Su Zhenzhen: ...Who is 'him'? Little Persimmon.
It finally clicked in Su Zhenzhen's brain.
Was he... jealous?
He was definitely jealous, right?
Lu Hexu took Su Zhenzhen's hand and led her back inside the pleasure boat.
"Wait, wait, not this way. Let's go upstairs."
Oh well, what else can I do? Spoil him, of course.
It's a happy kind of trouble, but it sure is tiring.
The pleasure boat had multiple levels.
The first floor they had been on was essentially a main dining hall.
The second floor consisted of private rooms reserved for more distinguished guests. Naturally, all the best stuff would be up there.
"Back when we were starving and desperate for a decent meal, I used to bring Little Persimmon along to help clear plates. We would gather up the clean, untouched leftovers left by the guests and take them home. But we only ever went to ordinary boats; we've never been to one this luxurious. We'll probably find a lot of good stuff..."
As she spoke, Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu made their way up to the second floor.
A private room had just been vacated, and the staff hadn't gone in to clean it up yet.
Su Zhenzhen pulled Lu Hexu inside. After scanning the room, she found there wasn't much left to eat. She reached out and grabbed two leftover crab roe buns, handing one to Lu Hexu and keeping one for herself.
The buns had gone cold, and the crab roe filling tasted a bit fishy.
Su Zhenzhen scarfed hers down in one bite and poured herself a cup of tea to wash it down.
The private rooms on the second floor were very well insulated. Even though they were only separated by a single wall, it was impossible to clearly hear what was being said next door.
Su Zhenzhen looked up and was amazed to find that the ceiling of the private room was actually inlaid with a layer of luminous seashells.
She really wanted to touch them.
Su Zhenzhen stood on her tiptoes to reach it.
"Help me a bit."
Su Zhenzhen gently kicked Lu Hexu's calf with her foot.
She wanted Lu Hexu to help her bring over a stool or something.
The man stood up slowly, and Su Zhenzhen suddenly felt her body lighten.
She was lifted up by Lu Hexu, her legs parted, and seated on his shoulders.
Su Zhenzhen subconsciously steadied herself, only to find that the man was supporting her very firmly.
It was just that this posture... was a bit embarrassing.
The man seemed oblivious, the pads of his fingers gripping her thighs, sinking in deeply.
Su Zhenzhen steadied her nerves and raised her hand to touch the shells.
This posture reminded her of when her pet kitten wanted to touch the crystal chandelier in the living room; she had stood on a chair, holding the kitten up to touch it.
With this thought in mind, Su Zhenzhen reached out to touch the shells.
"Crack."
Hmm?
She hadn't expected these shells to be so loosely inlaid. They fell off with just a light touch.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Su Zhenzhen climbed down from Lu Hexu holding the shells, then began to examine them on the low couch with great interest.
The private room was lit, with the scent of incense lingering in the corners.
Su Zhenzhen found a curtain, pulled it down, and draped it over herself and Lu Hexu.
The curtain was a bit thin, and it was still a little hard to see clearly.
Su Zhenzhen lifted the curtain, stood up, and went to extinguish the glazed lamp in the corner.
The private room instantly went dark.
Now, even without a lamp, she could clearly see the luminous shells in her hands.
So beautiful.
The surface of the shells was a lustrous, warm white, slightly cool and smooth to the touch, shimmering with a faint pearlescent iridescence in the dark.
After admiring the luminous shells for a moment, Su Zhenzhen noticed a pot of wine.
It was a pot of sweet wine, only half consumed.
She took out a clean wine cup and poured a cup for Lu Hexu.
The man raised his hand to take it, leaned against the window, and took a light sip.
The spell runes on Lu Hexu's body had disappeared. His long black hair fell behind him, revealing the fair lines of his neck as he drank.
Su Zhenzhen's gaze swept over his Adam's apple, which was dotted with a single mole.
The mole was very small, but because the man's skin was so pale, Su Zhenzhen noticed it at a glance.
Caressing the luminous shells in her hand, Su Zhenzhen suddenly felt that they weren't all that rare anymore.
Compared to these shells, the man in front of her was the shell truly worth admiring.
He was far more beautiful than the shells.
She poured another cup for Lu Hexu.
The man sat there with his chin propped on one hand. The summer breeze blew in through the window, and a faint, wine-induced flush appeared on his pale cheeks.
Was he getting flushed?
Was this wine that potent?
Su Zhenzhen had previously gotten a little flushed from eating some wine-fermented fish, but the slight buzz had already faded by half.
She sat opposite Lu Hexu, watching the faint tipsiness surfacing in his eyes.
Su Zhenzhen reached out, following her heart's desire, and lightly tapped her fingertips against the man's throat.
Lu Hexu sat there, allowing Su Zhenzhen to do as she pleased.
Su Zhenzhen grew bolder. She leaned closer and asked him, "Are you drunk?"
"No."
Very well, drunk people never admit they're drunk.
Su Zhenzhen swallowed hard. Actually, she had harbored a certain thought for a long time.
"Actually, I'm three years older than you. You should... call me older sister."
After Su Zhenzhen spoke, she stared at Lu Hexu with a hint of nervousness.
The man sat there with his head tilted, his beautiful fingers supporting his chin. Hearing Su Zhenzhen's words, the moist corners of his eyes glanced slightly in her direction.
Footsteps came from the stairway. Su Zhenzhen subconsciously sat up straight. A maid carrying a lacquer tray passed by the door of the private room and peeked inside.
Her gaze swept over the backs of Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu's hands.
Feeling guilty, Su Zhenzhen slightly turned her head away.
The maid didn't come in. She even thoughtfully closed the door to their private room for them, and flipped the Unoccupied sign hanging outside to Occupied.
Su Zhenzhen: ... Is the service here really this thoughtful?
Once the door was closed, the noisy sounds from outside were instantly muffled.
This was a cool daybed situated by the window, probably meant for drunken guests to take a temporary rest.
The daybed was right by the window, and the window couldn't be fully opened, likely out of fear that someone who had too much to drink might accidentally fall out.
As the summer breeze blew in gently, Su Zhenzhen caught the scent of wine on Lu Hexu.
Such a sweet smell.
She wondered what kind of wine it was to be so sweet.
Lu Hexu's gaze landed on Su Zhenzhen's face. The corners of his eyes shifted slightly, his eyelashes fluttering like little fans, incredibly alluring.
A painted pleasure boat passed by outside the window. A songstress was singing for her guests while idly casting her gaze upward.
Su Zhenzhen leaned over, shutting the window with one hand while cupping Lu Hexu's cheek with the other, and gently kissed the corner of his lips.
Ah, it was the fragrance of wine.
Su Zhenzhen licked her lips, tasting a hint of sweetness.
The man sat there obediently, letting her kiss him.
Su Zhenzhen moved closer, pressing herself against Lu Hexu.
She gave a light cough, pinched Lu Hexu's chin, and said, "Call me older sister."
[He is so easy to tease.]
Lu Hexu's dark pupils shifted, and he suddenly leaned sideways, pressing her down.
Su Zhenzhen was pinned against the cool daybed. The man's fingertips, carrying the heat of summer, slipped into her collar and grasped the back of her neck.
So hot.
Lu Hexu leaned over, his lips pressing against Su Zhenzhen's cheek.
The man's lips were even hotter. They trailed down her cheek and gently bit her neck.
Su Zhenzhen kicked her legs, but the man pinned them down with his knee.
She felt like she was currently a wine-steamed carp about to be deboned.
The man's breath brushed against her skin, carrying a scorching heat.
"Shen Yanci and me. Who do you choose?" Lu Hexu narrowed his eyes, his fingertips pinching Su Zhenzhen's jaw with slight force.
A woman's skin is thin; even with just a little force, red marks could be seen blooming on it.
Lying on the daybed, Su Zhenzhen thought in a daze: during such a wonderful moment, why would he suddenly bring up that bad luck of a guy?
[This kind of question shouldn't even exist!]
"Sister, who do you choose?"
The man's voice had lost its youthful rawness. His large frame pressed down on her, his slightly husky voice accompanied by his burning breath as he nuzzled her affectionately.
Su Zhenzhen immediately said firmly, "I choose you."
[I choose you.]
[I choose you.]
[I choose you.]
[Call me that again!]
Then, Su Zhenzhen felt a light bite on her neck.
The man's clingy, muffled voice came through, "I don't believe you."
[Then why the hell did you ask!]
Su Zhenzhen cupped Lu Hexu's face and saw the flush spreading beneath his eyes, as if a layer of rouge had been applied.
Su Zhenzhen rubbed the corners of his eyes with the pads of her fingers, watching the area grow even redder from her touch.
[I really want to kiss him.]
After the doors and windows were closed, the private room became much darker.
Only a faint light filtered in from outside the window.
The window was covered with thin gauze. The pale, clear light shone on the two of them. As Su Zhenzhen's fingertips gently brushed across Lu Hexu's face, she saw the flush deepen, bringing out an even more captivating and gorgeous charm in him.
He lay against Su Zhenzhen's chest, his eyes slightly downcast, looking incredibly docile.
Beneath her palm, the man's face was slightly hot, whether from the summer heat or the mischief of the wine, she couldn't tell.
The private room was incredibly quiet, and Su Zhenzhen's heart settled into a deep calm along with it.
She caressed Lu Hexu's face, feeling his heavy, grounding weight against her chest.
The man's eyes were half-closed, as if he were drunk.
Su Zhenzhen swallowed hard, her chest heaving.
She lay there with her eyes open, asking him in a low voice, "Do you still want to kill me now?"
Only a faint trace of incense remained in the private room, yet it was still overwhelmingly rich.
Su Zhenzhen could smell its heavy fragrance with every breath she took.
It was too thick, rushing into her lungs and bringing a suffocating sensation.
When Su Zhenzhen finally caught her breath, she realized she was simply too nervous. She had almost forgotten to breathe, yet she had blamed the incense for being too strong.
Su Zhenzhen felt time passing agonizingly slowly, so slowly that she could not bear to wait even a second longer.
But she did not dare to rush him. She was afraid, afraid of hearing an answer she did not want to hear.
Su Zhenzhen felt the man's Adam's apple bob as he uttered a short reply, "I do."
The light in Su Zhenzhen's eyes gradually dimmed.
The fingers she had resting on Lu Hexu's cheek slowly began to pull back, only to be firmly grasped by the man.
"I do miss you, Zhenzhen."
The man's low, husky voice invaded Su Zhenzhen's ears. Through the thin white gloves, he gently kissed her fingertips, even accurately finding the nail that had just grown back.
Through the fabric, he gently took her fingertip into his mouth. He opened his eyes, which were steeped in a thin, hazy mist of intoxication.
"Don't die, Zhenzhen."
Su Zhenzhen reached out one arm and wrapped it around Lu Hexu's neck.
Lu Hexu buried his face in the crook of the woman's neck, his voice even lower, his breathing slightly ragged. "It doesn't matter even if you betray me."
"I won't," Su Zhenzhen held him tighter, "I won't."
"Even if you lie to me, it doesn't matter." The man shifted slightly, keeping his face buried in her neck as he pulled her into his embrace.
"I won't betray you, and I won't lie to you."
After Su Zhenzhen finished speaking, there was no response from him.
She gently stroked Lu Hexu's back. The man let out a soft murmur, lightly biting her fingertip as if he had fallen asleep from the alcohol.
[Is he really drunk?]
Su Zhenzhen pressed her cheek against the man's, whispering very, very softly, "I love you."
