I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Gu Yan took a deep breath, banishing those thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about them anymore; it was useless anyway, and thinking about them wouldn't change anything.

Last night I mentally prepared myself to save her, no matter the cost or how many lives it would take.

A seven-colored light shone deep within his pupils, like a rainbow shattered and scattered into his eyes, the seven colors intertwining and swirling, so beautiful it seemed unreal.

The Mirror Flower Seal was activated, and the pupils turned into seven colors, with reflections layered upon each other, like the depths of a kaleidoscope, or like a shattered mirror.

He reached out and grasped the girl's hand, which was lying outside the blanket. Her fingers were cold, as if they had just been pulled out of ice water.

The girl's fingers were slender and fair, with neatly trimmed nails that resembled ten tiny seashells, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

His palm was pressed against hers, the temperatures were different—his was warm, hers was cool, like ice and fire touching, or winter and spring colliding.

Immediately afterwards, a pain shot from my fingertips, traveled up my arm along the blood vessels, and then along the nerves toward my heart.

It wasn't a sharp, stinging pain, nor was it a burning pain like being burned by fire; it was a deeper, more intense pain, as if it were seeping out from between the bones.

It was as if something had been drawn from his body, like sand slowly leaking through his fingers, silently.

But Gu Yan didn't show any exaggerated reaction; she didn't even frown or purse her lips.

He had gotten used to this pain, used to having things pulled out of his own body, used to trading his life for it, and once he got used to it, it didn't hurt so much anymore.

Cecilia's eyelashes began to tremble, like a butterfly flapping its wings once, then once more, as if she were dreaming or struggling.

A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks, as if someone had lit a small lamp there, the light shining through her skin.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she were saying something, but no sound could be heard, only the faint vibration of the airflow.

Her chest heaved more than before, her breathing became stronger, and the blanket rose and fell slightly with her movements.

She had a dream in which she was standing in a field of white flowers, the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the wind was gentle.

A woman stood in the distance, wearing a long white dress, her long hair fluttering in the wind, her face obscured as if shrouded in mist.

But Cecilia knew that was her mother, the mother who had left when she was very young, the mother who only existed in old photos.

Her mother didn't turn her head; she just stood there with her back to her, her voice soft and gentle, like the wind blowing through a wheat field.

"Lia, it's time to wake up. Someone is waiting for you. They've been waiting for a long time. Don't keep them waiting too long."

Then Mom's figure slowly faded, dissipating like mist, melting like snow, as if she had never existed.

The flower field was gone, the blue sky was gone, and Cecilia felt her body sinking, rising, and drifting in one direction.

She felt the warmth, a warmth coming from her palm, a warmth that flowed through her body along with her blood.

The person held her hand, it was steady and warm, as if afraid she would get cold, or as if afraid she would run away, the temperature of his palm was just right.

She doesn't want to let go, she can't let go, she never wants to let go in her life, and she can't let go.

The girl lying on the bed suddenly opened her eyes. Her icy blue eyes were full of mist, like the surface of a fogged lake, making it impossible to see the bottom.

Before she could even see who was in front of her, her body moved before her mind could react, like a taut string suddenly snapping.

She sat up abruptly, hugged Gu Yan tightly, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and clasped her fingers around his back.

Because of her vigorous movements, one of the straps of her slip dress slipped off her shoulder and down to the middle of her arm, revealing a whole expanse of her fair shoulder and collarbone.

Her shoulders were rounded and smooth, and her skin was dazzlingly white, like a piece of finely polished jade in the sunlight, without a single flaw.

Below her collarbone was a large expanse of skin on her chest, with a white nightgown hanging there, barely covering the area that shouldn't be exposed.

Her body was pressed against his chest, with almost no barrier between her thin nightgown and thin shirt, and her warmth was directly transmitted to him.

Soft, warm, and with the elasticity unique to young girls, the sensation traveled from her chest to Gu Yan's brain as fast as an electric current.

He could feel the curves of her body, the softness of her chest against his ribs, and her heartbeat through the fabric.

The thuds were fast and powerful, like a startled fawn thrashing about in his arms, or like the beating of drums.

Gu Yan's mind went completely blank, unable to think of anything, like a formatted hard drive with nothing left.

He froze as if his pressure points had been frozen, completely still, not even daring to move his eyes.

Her white hair brushed against his neck, cool and smooth, carrying a faint, cool fragrance that was stronger than usual.

Her breath sprayed into the crook of his neck, hot and ticklish, like feathers gently brushing against his skin.

Her arms were wrapped around his back, her fingers gripping his shoulder blades tightly, showing no sign of loosening, but rather tightening even more.

She nestled into his arms like a kitten that had found its nest, refusing to come out or let go.

Gu Yan's hand hung in mid-air, hesitant to put it down or where to place it. His fingers were slightly curled, unsure whether to clench them into a fist or open them.

He stopped breathing, his chest hesitant to rise or fall, afraid of touching the wrong place, afraid that any movement would shake the shoulder strap completely off.

The girl was dressed too scantily, with her shoulders, collarbone, and most of her back exposed. The white nightgown hung on her body like a cloud that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

If he makes even the slightest movement, he'll touch places he shouldn't, the most private parts of a young girl, and once he does, things will get complicated.

He could only sit like a stone, his hands and feet stiff, his back straight, and he even suppressed his breathing to the lowest possible level.

I didn't dare to breathe too loudly, afraid that my breath would blow onto her exposed shoulder and cause some misunderstanding, or that my heartbeat would be too loud and she would hear it.

The room was so quiet you could hear two heartbeats, one fast, the other erratic, one a pounding drumbeat, the other a frantic thumping.

Two heartbeats intertwined, indistinguishable as to whose; the faster one was hers, the erratic one his; neither was any better than the other.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the two people embracing each other, bathing them in golden light, like a frozen painting.