"Darling."
Chen Ziming was truly a little flustered. He pulled her into his arms and called her by that deep, low voice.
Su Yue's mind was still a blur, the thoughts from moments ago consuming her entire being, rendering her immobile.
"Darling, don't ignore me, hmm?"
He lowered his head and spoke in an almost pleading tone. He wanted to look into her eyes, but she dodged his gaze.
She didn't know what to say, nor what to do. If she hadn't fallen for him, she could still chat with him.
But once her heart was involved, everything changed.
He dreaded this look of hers the most.
The look of deep thought, weighing the pros and cons of entanglement with him.
Especially when he spoke to her, and received no response.
The direction of events tonight had indeed exceeded his control. He hadn't expected her to remember that first night. He reached for the supplies on the bedside table.
"Officer Chen."
Suddenly, the girl's soft voice rang out, but with a slightly polite address.
That was much better than silence.
He immediately looked into her eyes and softly replied, "I'm here."
"I want some quiet. Can I go find Nian Nian?" Her eyes were slightly reddened, but her voice carried a hint of resolve.
Li Nian Nian had rented a place near the police station where she was interning. When she replied to him tonight, she mentioned that Chen Cheng was on duty, so she was staying alone tonight.
His expression instantly darkened a little.
The words he hated hearing most were her wanting to leave.
But not daring to frighten her further, he coaxed her gently:
"Darling, sleep here. I'll go out, okay?"
No matter what, he couldn't let her leave.
A hint of hesitation flickered across Su Yue's face.
Her wanting quiet was merely to retrace everything that had happened since she met him, to determine the situation she was currently in.
It wasn't that she wanted to separate from him.
She just wanted to confirm her safety.
With that thought, she nodded.
The man let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to kiss her again, but he restrained himself. He simply whispered goodnight, got up from the bed, and left.
However, he didn't sleep in the second bedroom. Instead, after closing the bedroom door, he sat on the floor leaning against it.
In the darkness, Su Yue wrapped herself in the quilt, lost in thought, recalling everything that had happened since she met him.
She realized that all she remembered were the times he was good to her.
Even though he sometimes teased her deliberately and made her angry.
But more often, it was his gentle gaze, his strong embrace, and the small gestures of spoiling her.
She couldn't recall his bad deeds.
Nor could she guess any signs that might harm her.
Thinking like this until two in the morning, her heart gradually became clearer.
What if his intentions weren't pure? She herself had approached him again for unspeakable reasons.
If one were to talk about it, her purpose seemed even more sinister.
Su Yue let out a long sigh, her tension gradually dissipating.
Feeling a bout of thirst, she got up, intending to go to the living room for some water. The air conditioning was a bit cold, so she found a light cardigan to wrap around herself.
But as she opened the door, she saw the man sitting there.
She was startled, and Chen Ziming, seeing her appearance, felt his heart sink.
She was indeed planning to slip away quietly.
"Why are you sitting here?" she asked in surprise.
He stood up nonchalantly, his tall figure looming over her. Even as he suppressed it, his displeasure was evident in his tone:
"You still want to leave, don't you."
Su Yue was taken aback, then understood what he meant.
"I..." She tried to explain, but he directly pulled her into his arms.
His lips, cool with the night air, pressed against her neck, and his deep voice trembled slightly as he spoke:
"Darling, won't you stay? I admit I was wrong. I'll do anything you want."
"Don't leave me again."
He held her so tightly, as if trying to merge her into his very being.
Su Yue was truly a little shocked. Her heart, which had already stopped objecting, melted into a puddle. She slowly reached out, wrapping her arms around his waist, and softly said:
"I wasn't planning to leave. I just wanted to get some water."
Upon hearing this, his body stiffened for a moment, then slowly straightened up. He looked at her, still disbelieving, and asked:
"Really?"
His eyes were slightly red, and his face showed a trace of grievance.