It fell from his fingertips

Their eyes met, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.

The lazy, disdainful smile on Zhou Yanchen's face hadn't completely faded before it froze at the corner of his mouth.

The man's prominent Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly stood up from his chair to greet Tang Luoqing, reaching out to take the tray from her hands: "You're back so soon? I just told Old Chen to tell them to leave quickly, so you wouldn't overthink things if you saw them..."

Tang Luoqing took a step back, avoiding Zhou Yanchen's hand.

She placed the plate on the table next to her, looked up, and gazed into Zhou Yanchen's eyes.

The girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a thin red tinge spread visibly across the corners of her eyes, as if smudged with rouge. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she bit her lower lip tightly to keep them from falling.

"Zhou Yanchen, what you just said was... 'I have to coax her again,' am I a nuisance?"

Tang Luoqing's voice trembled slightly, her nose was red, but she stared intently at Zhou Yanchen with wet eyes, making his heart clench.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanchen's hand froze in mid-air, his brows furrowed, and his voice was noticeably more flustered than before: "Luo Qing, I was just saying it casually..."

Su Leqi and Lao Chen were also slightly taken aback. They looked at each other awkwardly before quickly leaving.

"You didn't come here specifically to see me,"

Tang Luoqing interrupted Zhou Yanchen, and finally a tear fell. Her shoulders trembled slightly, but she managed not to cry out loud. Only suppressed sobs escaped from her throat: "You came here on vacation with them, but I ran into you yesterday and you said you were going to give me a surprise, right? Zhou Yanchen, didn't I tell you that I hate being lied to the most?"

Tang Luoqing gripped her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. Her long eyelashes drooped down, obscuring the emotions in her eyes, with only her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying her breakdown.

After saying her last words, Tang Luoqing sniffed, stopped looking at Zhou Yanchen, turned around, and stumbled out of the restaurant.

Zhou Yanchen's expression changed. Without thinking too much, he quickly chased after her, reaching the elevator in one breath. He stopped her just before the elevator doors closed, then quickly stepped into the elevator and hugged Tang Luoqing tightly.

"Let me explain..."

Tang Luoqing struggled in Zhou Yanchen's arms, her tears falling even more fiercely.

Zhou Yanchen tightened his grip on Tang Luoqing's arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible panic: "Baby, stop it, I was wrong."

Tang Luoqing struggled for a long time to no avail. Her body went limp, and she let the other person hold her without saying a word or looking at Zhou Yanchen.

Tears kept falling, soaking a large part of the man's shirt.

Zhou Yanchen held Tang Luoqing in his arms and watched the elevator descend to the 9th floor. He took Tang Luoqing's hand and stepped out of the elevator, leading her to the door of room 901. He took out the room card from her phone, swiped the card, and pulled Tang Luoqing into the room.

Throughout the entire process, Tang Luoqing did not resist, because she knew she was not strong enough.

Once the door closed, Zhou Yanchen pinned Tang Luoqing against the doorframe. Looking at the girl in his arms, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her wet eyes stared blankly ahead, making Zhou Yanchen feel uneasy.

"Luo Qing, I'm sorry, I don't know how to tell you the truth. I promised to go back with you this weekend, but Lao Chen and the others insisted on dragging me here. I did this to protect you and prevent you from getting angry..."

"Zhou Yanchen,"

Tang Luoqing's tears flowed like a broken string of pearls, impossible to stop no matter how much she wiped them away. Her long eyelashes trembled with tears, making her look extremely pitiful: "You said you didn't know how to tell me the truth, but have you ever told me the truth?"

"You never told me the truth once, and you just made the decision for me. You thought I would be angry, so you chose to keep it from me. It's not that you didn't know what to do, it's that you always choose the easiest way."

"I……"

"Zhou Yanchen, you have never chosen to tell me the truth in any moment when you thought I would be angry. You are always hiding things, always trying to make amends, and always telling me 'It won't happen again next time.' But you have never tried to be honest with me."

Tang Luoqing's tears fell even harder, her shoulders shaking with each sob. She turned her face away, not letting Zhou Yanchen see her eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks and landed on the back of his hand, icy cold, yet burning hot, making his heart tremble.

Zhou Yanchen panicked completely, frantically wiping away the girl's tears in his arms, but the more he wiped, the more tears she shed. In the end, he simply pulled her into his arms, patting her back like he was comforting a child.

"Luo Qing..."

a long time,

"Do you think this is protecting me, or protecting yourself?"

Tang Luoqing raised her head and looked into Zhou Yanchen's eyes. Tears were still falling, but she cried quietly, her eyes filled with deep disappointment: "Zhou Yanchen, I don't want to talk to you or see you right now. You can leave. I want to be alone for a while."

After saying that, Tang Luoqing stopped looking at Zhou Yanchen and looked elsewhere.

"Luo Qing."

Zhou Yanchen was taken aback, his brows furrowed, and his eyes were full of unease. He reached out to touch Tang Luoqing, but then withdrew his hand halfway through, afraid of making her even angrier.

"go out."

·

Tang Luoqing stayed in the room alone for an unknown amount of time. Standing on the balcony, looking at the sea outside, she felt an overwhelming pang of sadness.

After a long while, Tang Luoqing opened the door, but Zhou Yanchen was no longer there.

Perhaps he went to see those friends again.

Tang Luoqing felt only irony, and the bitterness in her heart intensified. She couldn't help but wonder what she really meant in this relationship.

The sunlight outside was dazzling, but Tang Luoqing felt a chill in her heart.

She walked aimlessly forward, the sand beneath her feet soft, each step sinking into her, only to be quickly washed away by the waves.

Thinking of how her grandmother had held her hand in the hospital room and said that she wanted to be with Zhou Yanchen, Tang Luoqing felt a lump in her throat and tears fell again.

She crouched down, buried her face in her knees, and cried like a child.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, blew over, making Tang Luoqing's hair a mess.

Her cries were drowned out by the sound of the waves; only her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed her emotions.

I don't know how long I cried, until all my tears ran dry and my voice became hoarse, before I calmed down a little.

Tang Luoqing raised her head, wiped her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, and felt a stinging pain in her eyes.

Then, a neatly folded tissue appeared in front of her.

Tang Luoqing looked up following the hand holding the tissue and saw Zhou Jinbai.

The man stood before her, tall and straight, dressed in a white casual outfit. Sunlight shone from behind him, casting a soft, frayed effect that softened his otherwise harsh features.

His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes were deep, fixed on Tang Luoqing's face with a subtle...concern?

Tang Luoqing quickly turned her face away, not wanting her older brother to see her crying so miserably.

She had no idea how long Zhou Jinbai had been there, or if he had watched her cry for a long time.

She must look ugly when she cries.

Zhou Jinbai didn't say anything, but squatted down next to Tang Luoqing and handed her the tissue again.

Tang Luoqing hesitated for a moment, but still took the tissue.

"Thank you, brother."

Her voice was soft and hoarse as she took the tissue and wiped her face.

After wiping her face, she clutched the tissue in her hand, still too embarrassed to look at Zhou Jinbai.

The atmosphere was quiet, with only the sounds of waves and wind.

After a while, Zhou Jinbai's voice rang out.

"Mr. Lu's studio is nearby."

The man's voice was calm, as if he were talking about something very ordinary, but if you listened carefully, you could hear that Zhou Jinbai's deep and magnetic voice was also a little hoarse: "He used to go there often when he was sketching in Xinwei. He has a few original seascape paintings that have never been published before. They are very well painted."

"If you want to go, I can take you there; if you don't want to, that's fine too."

Tang Luoqing was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look up at Zhou Jinbai.

Her eyes were still swollen, with red corners, like a wronged little rabbit. Her eyelashes were wet, and she looked extremely pitiful.

Tang Luoqing blinked, a little confused. "Old Master Lu?"

Is it Mr. Lu, the illustrator she admires so much? The Mr. Lu she had the pleasure of meeting at Qinyuan last time?

Zhou Jinbai looked at Tang Luoqing, his gaze deepening as he stared into her red, tear-filled eyes.

"Um."

Tang Luoqing finally understood. Was Zhou Jinbai referring to Old Master Lu's original seascape manuscript? Or one that hadn't been made public?

Her heart, which had been aching for so long, suddenly started beating faster.

As an illustrator, Mr. Lu is her idol. She has copied many of Mr. Lu's works and loves them to the core.

If we could see Mr. Lu's original manuscript, which had never been published before...

Tang Luoqing was tempted, yet also a little hesitant.

Is it really appropriate for her to go to see a painting with her older brother in her current state?

Tang Luoqing looked up at Zhou Jinbai again.

The man's profile remained indifferent in the sunlight, his features sharp and his jawline taut, revealing no extra emotion. His gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, his eyes deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.

The sea breeze ruffled his hair a little, but it didn't detract from his good looks at all.

Tang Luoqing hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"it is good."

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but very firm: "I want to see the paintings."

Anyway, let's put those worries aside for now.

Seeing Mr. Lu's original manuscript makes the trip worthwhile.

Tang Luoqing sniffed, thinking to herself.

Zhou Jinbai then turned his head and glanced at Tang Luoqing.

After a moment, Zhou Jinbai nodded slightly, a small gesture, but one that carried a reassuring power: "Mm."

After saying that, he stood up, patted the sand off his pants, and turned to walk towards the exit of the beach.

The man walked at a leisurely pace, just enough for Tang Luoqing to keep up. His back was tall and upright, giving off a very reliable feeling.

Tang Luoqing watched Zhou Jinbai's back and noticed his deliberately slowed pace, and her heart suddenly raced a little.

A moment later, she stood up from the beach, brushed the sand off her body, and quickly followed.

The two walked on the beach, one in front of the other.

Tang Luoqing's mind was still in turmoil, but the intense pain she felt while crying seemed to have faded a little.