Chapter 60

In the castle library, summer sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting a patchwork of light over the white piano below.

Quiet.

Yan Su, dressed in white, lay on the piano... Next to him were materials for crafting, like enamel and golden silk threads...

Quiet.

Since the kiss during Easter, Zhen Ai had vanished.

On the first day he couldn't reach her, he went to find Owen. Owen said, "Ai has been busy with work and studies lately. Don't worry, with me around, she'll be safe."

Yan Su silently had three black lines above his head; that wasn't the point!

But he couldn't tell Owen... that he had bitten Zhen Ai, um, many times...

Yan Su said, "Then tell her I need to see her."

A day passed, and Owen returned, looking puzzled: "Ai said she doesn't want to see you."

Yan Su felt a bit frustrated but sheepishly asked, "Did she say why?"

Owen replied, "Uh, I'll ask her again."

Yan Su was almost ready to kick him: why was this person so inefficient, only relaying one message a day?

After another day, Owen returned, his expression awkward: "Ai said she doesn't know you well."

Yan Su's face darkened instantly.

He spent the whole day lying on the piano, deep in thought. He shouldn't have kissed her without her consent, but why did she run away?

What upset him the most was her saying: "I don't like you, I hate you. We're not close."

Why?

He had to prove that he and she were close! That she didn't hate him!

But his mind could only list a pile of data—two months of acquaintance, not much conversation, and their understanding of each other based on guesses.

Indeed, they were not close!

She always seemed absent-minded and indifferent, without showing her preferences; when she looked at him, it wasn't with the sparkling eyes one would have when seeing colorful candy.

It seemed she really didn't like him.

Yan Su felt despondent.

He rummaged through his mind, trying to find evidence: they had held hands, embraced, attended weddings, watched movies together, slept in the same place, and lived together. Unintentionally, they had shared many small intimacies.

After the bank robbery on Maple Street, he was sure of his feelings for her.

He liked her, but she was avoiding him.

Zhen Ai's words echoed in his ears: "I don't like you, I hate you."

His mood was at rock bottom; he comforted himself that she had always been slow to react, perhaps she hadn't realized her feelings for him yet.

He lay on the ground, eyes closed, unconsciously recalling that night's kiss; in the first few instances, she had been dazed, thinking it was just a game, neither reciprocating nor resisting.

But during the last kiss, she had tensed up, gripping his shirt tightly, clearly nervous. He remembered that he kissed her with abandon, her lips fragrant and soft. She hadn't rejected him; her fingers instinctively clutched tighter at his arm.

Her body language was saying she wanted it.

He had received her permission, and his mind became hotter; one hand slipped into her hair, while the other tightened around her slim waist. At that moment, he felt a strange and stimulating craving, wanting to press her into his body.

She must have felt the same because, when their bodies were pressed together, her legs unconsciously moved closer to him. That was a flirtatious gesture.

Her body language was still saying she wanted it.

Then, he could no longer contain the fire surging within him and suddenly bit her. From that moment on, she trembled in his embrace, her body showing signs of resistance, trying to push him away, but it was futile...

He slowly opened his eyes, looking at the tall stained-glass windows, the brilliant sunlight falling into his eyes, deep and silent... he seemed to understand why.

His heart suddenly hurt.

He really wanted to slap himself hard.

Half an hour later, Yan Su called Eva.

Eva answered gruffly, "It's Sunday morning at 9. Don't you think this timing is rather inappropriate?"

Yan Su replied apathetically, "From your voice, you've been awake for over an hour."

The other side fell silent.

Yan Su said, "Oh, sorry to interrupt your mating session with Lin Dani."

Eva was stunned.

Yan Su recalled what Zhen Ai said about being polite to people, so he obediently said, "Sorry for bothering you. Good morning, and please say good morning to Lin Dani for me."

Eva was speechless for a moment until Lin Dani's distant voice rang out: "Hi, S.A. morning! Good morning!"

Eva, irritated, shouted, "Who told you to greet that freak? Get back to bed!" A second later, she turned to the phone, "I'm going to sleep. Talk later."

"Later?" Yan Su frowned, "Are you trying to drain Lin Dani's energy?"

Eva: … "You're not allowed to call me today!"

Yan Su fell silent. After a second, in a tone like the robot Wall-E, he slowly called out: "E~~VA~~"

Eva raised an eyebrow and didn't hang up. Having known him for over ten years, she noticed he always referred to people by their last names, never their first names.

"What do you want?"

"I kissed Zhen Ai, and now she's gone..."

Eva burst out laughing: "Are you saying she vanished into thin air after a kiss, like magic?"

Yan Su: …

He retorted, "Diaz! Your IQ has plummeted since you started dating."

"I'm just mimicking you! You often misinterpret what others say."

Yan Su replied earnestly, "I don't think so!"

Eva said seriously, "Could it be that your kissing skills are lacking?"

Yan Su felt a headache coming on: "Cough, I kissed her without asking for her consent…"

The other side fell silent for a full three seconds: "WOW~~~"

...

"S.A., I think Ai is a very cautious girl when it comes to relationships. For me, when I like someone, regardless of the outcome, I'll enjoy and strive for it wholeheartedly. But she is the opposite; even if she likes you, if she thinks there won't be a future, she'd rather not start anything and maintain a friendship. She would rather love you silently than risk damaging the current relationship."

Yan Su was taken aback: "She is so cute!" But at the same time, it made his heart ache.

Eva lost all her playful tone: "S.A., now that you've kissed her, everything is laid bare. You can't be just friends anymore. As for being lovers? Are you prepared for that? Have you thought it through? Although I don't want to praise you, a man like you is so top-notch yet unreachable. Plus, your brain works in ways ordinary people can't comprehend. Are you sure she is your soul mate? These are questions I can think of, let alone Ai?" 

"S.A., if you haven't thought through these questions and you go provoking Ai, you will definitely hurt her."

Yan Su remained silent for a long time before smiling slightly. "I've never been clearer than I am at this moment."

Zhen Ai sat in the sunlight by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass cup. The mist rising from the cup reflected her face, quiet and lonely.

Her mother once told her not to love; love is a prison. Whoever loves becomes trapped in someone else's cage.

Once you love, you lose the feeling of freedom and the carefree state of mind. Just like the blue sky, no matter how clear and vast, there will always be a breeze bringing in wisps of clouds that you can't catch and can't disperse.

But Zhen Ai didn't understand. In the past, there was no love, but there was also no freedom, no carefreeness, no ease, and no comfort.

It had been several days since she last saw Yan Su. She had buried herself in the laboratory, and while there had been progress in her research, she felt no excitement. Yan Su had initially sent Owen to check on her, but lately, there had been no news.

He must have forgotten her, right?

But what was she feeling lost about?

Actually, everything she wanted, he possessed. Purity, wisdom, brightness, integrity, warmth. So much warmth, a warmth she had never experienced from childhood.

And the things she feared, he had them all too. Too pure, too wise, too bright, too upright, too warm.

Thinking seriously, she realized she actually had no right to love or be loved.

Easter was still fresh in her memory. The first six kisses, though they were a setup by Natural Black to lure her, had made her happy yet uneasy.

She had been infatuated with the moment his lips gently touched hers, occasionally sipping a bit, sometimes licking as if teasingly, feeling both thrilled and excited.

But the seventh kiss...

Now, when she thought of that feeling of helplessness, that electrifying suffocation, Zhen Ai couldn't help but feel her heart tremble fiercely, causing the water in the glass to sway violently.

She stared at the mist, lost in thought. Even after all these years, some memories remained indelible.

Sunlight fell on the rippling glass, refracting colorful light, as if a pair of eyes that changed color were floating up. He gazed at her, his voice deep and mysterious: "Little C, no matter how far you run, the mark we left on you will never fade away."

She was momentarily stunned; she shouldn't have any fantasies. She could never be an ordinary girl.

But then she remembered Yan Su, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window that night, his eyes confused and remorseful. It was the first time she had seen him so flustered, helplessly wanting to grab her, wanting to apologize, wanting to keep her.

Yet, she had kicked his cane and run away.

She lowered her head, feeling sad.

The water in the cup was warm. These past few days, as her research approached its conclusion, she had rarely felt comfort in her work, which was a way to compensate for the low spirits of recent days.

At that moment, a melodious violin melody floated from outside the door, a piece she had never heard before, alternating between sorrowful and bright, melancholic and cheerful.

Zhen Ai's mood flowed like water, slowly moving with the violin's tune.

She was captivated and couldn't help but get up to open the door.

It was a person she was all too familiar with.

With his cane set aside, he stood straight in the hallway, holding a white violin on his shoulder. After several days apart, he was still the same, clean and graceful. Even though his right foot was inconvenient, he still stood tall and handsome.

When she opened the door, he glanced at her with a calm expression, leisurely finishing the last few notes on the violin before lowering his gaze. His light brown eyes quietly rested on her face, his voice low and lingering, 

"Hi!"

With a soft greeting, intertwined with the lingering sound of the violin, he expressed an unspeakable longing.

"To Zhen Ai"

Zhen Ai leaned against the door frame, her heartstrings quivering slightly as she looked up at him with her dark eyes, remaining silent and not inviting him in.

They stood silently on either side of the doorway, quietly gazing at each other.

She wore casual home clothes: a small white T-shirt and fitted dark gray cotton pants, her long hair casually pinned up in a bun, exuding a carefree and immaculate aura.

Even now, in front of him, she felt an overwhelming longing.

And after such a long time, she was also happy to see him.

It was as if he had a magical power to soothe the heart; the moment she saw him, all her entanglements, anxieties, and gloom evaporated into thin air.

The sky was clear, and the sun was bright; suddenly, she felt happy. Yet in that moment, she still couldn't say anything. Even though she could look at him openly, she couldn't speak freely.

Though she didn't admit to liking him, she still asked, "What are you doing here?"

He approached with his cane, handing her a neatly folded letter.

Zhen Ai took it and suddenly imagined him sitting by the piano, writing the letter calmly and quietly, earnestly and poetically. She noticed the bandage on his foot and looked down. "You came all this way just to deliver a letter?"

He stared at her. "I wanted Isaac to deliver it, but it talks too much. I was worried it would stop halfway to chat with other birds, and the letter it was carrying would fall out."

"You're really bad at telling jokes; that's so cold." Zhen Ai chuckled in her heart but pouted, "Why didn't you just drop it in the mailbox?"

"Afraid of losing it; it's better to deliver it personally."

"What kind of letter is so precious?"

"A letter of apology."

Zhen Ai was taken aback. "Why apologize?"

Yan Su casually frowned, appearing indifferent but somewhat sad. "You said you hated me."

He looked pitifully innocent, and Zhen Ai realized that he had taken her words to heart like a child. He must have been worrying about it repeatedly over the past few days.

Feeling a bit guilty and annoyed, Zhen Ai replied, "I didn't!"

Yan Su's brow relaxed, not understanding why she didn't just accept his kindness. "So you're saying you don't like me either?"

Zhen Ai turned her face away. "Hmph, 'I hate you, I don't like you' is a conjunction proposition. One false doesn't mean they're all false. How could you still be a logician!"

Yan Su was taken aback for a moment before suddenly laughing.

Being rebutted by the girl he loved using the subject he loved... the feeling of being at a loss for words was truly... so happy.

He gazed at her beautiful profile, his eyes gradually falling on her porcelain-like neck. Unconsciously, he reached out to touch it and softly murmured, "But I think you like me."

Zhen Ai felt her chest warm up, shocked, she turned to look at him. "You're so full of yourself!"

His gaze was deep, unwaveringly fixed on her eyes, his long fingers slowly tracing from her collarbone up to hold her chin. "Really? Say it again."

Zhen Ai was stunned, suddenly realizing. Touching the carotid artery and observing the pupil dilation was the simplest lie detection method used by the CIA. She had learned to guard against this tactic long ago, but with him, she couldn't.

"If I'm just self-absorbed, can you explain why your pulse rate reached 147 beats per minute when I got close to you?"

This idiot!

She felt both shy and angry, just as she wanted to push him away, but she suddenly saw the anxious and nervous emotion in his eyes. He actually felt insecure in front of her, so he foolishly used the method he was most familiar with, one devoid of emotional intelligence, to seek proof.

Her heart softened, and she couldn't bear to push him away.

She tilted her head, blushing, and pressed her face against his warm palm, asking, "What about you?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he replied, "I like you, very deeply."

Zhen Ai's heart raced, and her blood boiled. She stared at him in a daze, still not knowing what to say, when he spoke again, his words quite formal:

"Ai, I'm very sorry for forcibly... kissing you that day without your consent. I feel deeply ashamed of such a foolish and uncivilized act driven by male hormones.

While I believe that the act itself was inappropriate, it objectively reflects my deep feelings for you. It wasn't a fleeting impulse but a result of my admiration for you growing day by day. Unfortunately, due to my unfamiliarity with emotions and lack of experience, I failed to control my actions.

I apologize.

However, Ai, please don't think my feelings for you are rash because of this. On the contrary, I adhere to the principle of being selective rather than reckless. I would rather remain alone for a lifetime than settle for less. I have thought this through, and I'm very certain that if there is truly someone in this world with whom I resonate on a spiritual level, it's you. Just you.

I've said before that you are the best girl I've ever met; I know you have a heavy past. But I'm willing to face it with you, willing to step into your world, and I want you to enter mine.

I'm willing to hold your hand and lead you out of your dark memories; I'm also willing to let you hold my hand and take me out of my lonely world."

Her heart felt warm and sour at the same time; she hadn't expected him to see through her thoughts so completely. This formal yet rigorous speech, logically coherent yet complex in structure, filled with strong emotional nuance and literary flair, completely overwhelmed Zhen Ai. She had lost the ability to think, completely immersed in his deep gaze.

He raised his chin slightly, his face slightly flushed: "Additionally, as the person I like, you can enjoy many lifelong benefits, both intellectually, psychologically, and physically.

If you get drunk or don't want to walk, I can carry you; for anything you don't understand, I will do my utmost to explain; 

If you're unhappy, I will cheer you up. Though I still need to learn a lot in this area, you know my learning ability is quite strong, and I will definitely learn until you're satisfied—oh no, you're asking too little, I'll learn until I'm satisfied;

As long as you're happy, at any time, you can write or draw on my bandages.

And there's one major privilege just for you: you can touch anything of mine, including... me.

Ahem, from now on, you can exercise your rights."

His voice was melodious and pleasant, and after finishing, he pointed to the envelope in Zhen Ai's hand, his expression bashful yet awkwardly proud:

"What I just said is in this letter. Word for word, oh, there are punctuation marks too. You can take another look; my handwriting is quite nice. Hmm, my voice is pleasant too."

Realizing he was digressing, he blushed again and proudly said, "What's spoken is a promise, what's written is a record. I've signed my name at the end, stamped it. In both Chinese and English.

But you don't need to be particularly nervous about this letter; even if you lose it, don't cry. I've tagged it with 'Zhen Ai,' 'Promise,' and 'Unique' in my mind, and I remember it very clearly.

I'm very trustworthy and won't go back on my word.

But that doesn't mean you can just throw it away and not cherish it…"

"I will cherish it well~~~"

Before he could finish speaking, he found himself filled with the soft warmth of her embrace.

She pounced into his arms, wrapping him tightly with her arms. His scent enveloped her, solid and safe, bringing her peace. She tiptoed, pressed her face against him, and whispered in his ear, "Yan Su, I like you too, very deeply."

The corners of his lips curved up, and he gently wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her soft pink ear: "Luckily."

The sunset streamed in through the European-style window, filling the classic castle with a serene elegance.

A young man stood by the window, the sunset casting a golden-red glow on his dark brown hair. He was tall and slender, his features handsome, resembling a prince from the Middle Ages.

He had a face identical to Arthur's, but unlike Arthur's pitch-black eyes, his dark irises had a layer of gold around the edges, almost hinting at a fleeting violet hue.

He also had a pair of long, fair hands like Arthur's, fingertips holding several photographs.

The first photo showed a beautiful girl squatting in front of a basket of colorful eggs, smiling joyfully. He squinted, recalling that he had never seen her smile like this before—bright and cheerful.

"I told you, how could A suddenly run off to that obscure city?" He gazed at the girl in the photo, the corners of his mouth curving up, then looked up: "K, how's his injury?"

Kerr stood solemnly nearby: "Mr. Bert, Arthur's injury isn't severe, but he's been in a bad mood."

Bert lowered his gaze, looking at the set of colorful eggs in the girl's arms, a peculiar smile appearing on his lips: "Tell him the set of eggs he sent is C's favorite."

Kerr nodded: "Yes."

Bert continued to examine the second photo, where a girl dressed in a bunny costume stood shyly and awkwardly beside a mirror, her reflection showing a graceful figure from both angles.

Bert raised an eyebrow meaningfully, a flash of incredulous light sparkling in his ghostly eyes: "K... our Little C has grown up..." His fingers slowly glided over the photo, tracing the fluffy bunny ears, the rosy cheeks, the delicate chest, the slim waist, the alluring navel, and the captivating long legs.

He exhaled with enjoyment, "Little bunny suits her best. She's really adorable."

Kerr didn't dare to look at the photo, lowering his gaze: "Miss C has been cute since she was little, like a well-behaved and gentle doll."

Bert's eyes darkened, causing Kerr to startle, and he hurriedly said: "I'm sorry, I misspoke."

Bert stepped from the sunlight into the shadows, muttering to himself: "Indeed, there's no doll cuter than her in this world."

In his memories, she always looked at him in terror, her face pale and trembling.

Every time he touched her, she would scream in fright!

"Hi, little C!" He pinched the corner of the photo, his eyes sparkling as if enchanted, leaning over to exaggeratedly kiss her navel, "Miss you, so much!"

In all the world, he still loved her screams the most!