Chen Wanqing tried to ignore the frantic THUMP-THUMP of her heart. She feigned composure as she answered Zhao Jing, "Why would I be hiding from you? It's not like you're going to eat me."
It was hard to tell if Zhao Jing believed her, but he chuckled in delight anyway.
The young man was past the age where his voice would crack, and it had settled into a magnetic, clear timbre.
Now, whether due to the night air or his current mood, his usually bright voice carried a deeper, huskier magnetism.
It was like the lingering note of a zither, or shattered jade sinking into a deep chasm. The sound reverberated by her ears, making her heart flutter and her knees feel weak.
Chen Wanqing had no idea how they had gotten back to the room. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Zhao Jing was squatting in front of her, removing her shoes.
Greatly startled, Chen Wanqing shot to her feet. "I can do it myself."
"Sit still, Wanqing. I'll take them off for you."
