Morning came—
but it didn't feel like morning.
It felt unfinished.
I hadn't slept.
Every time I closed my eyes—
his voice came back.
A knock broke the silence.
Before I could move—
"Ge, I'll get it," my brother called from the bed.
The door opened.
A pause.
Then—
"…you again."
I stepped out of the room just as Cheng Mo walked in.
And just like that—
everything shifted.
His eyes found me instantly.
Locked.
Unmoving.
Like nothing else existed.
You look terrible," he said.
Blunt.
Honest.
I let out a quiet breath. "You didn't come here to comment on my face."
"No," he said.
A pause.
Then—
"I came to have lunch."
My brother blinked from behind. "…lunch?"
Neither of us explained.
I stepped aside anyway.
Cheng Mo walked in like he belonged there—
but his gaze never left me.
Not once.
"You didn't sleep," he said after a moment.
"No."
"You should."
"I couldn't."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
"Because of him?" Cheng Mo asked.
My jaw tightened. "…don't."
From the bed, my brother watched quietly.
Not interrupting.
Just… observing.
Understanding more than he let on.
"I'm fine," I said.
A lie.
A fragile one.
Because the next second—
the room tilted.
I frowned.
Blinking.
Everything felt… distant.
"Ge?" my brother's voice sharpened slightly.
"I'm—"
The words slipped.
And suddenly—
I wasn't standing anymore.
—
Strong arms caught me.
Before I hit the ground.
"Shu Lin—!"
Cheng Mo's voice.
Close.
Tight.
Holding me up.
"Hey—look at me."
His grip firmed around me, steady, unyielding.
Like he refused to let me fall.
"Ge!" my brother was already trying to get up, wincing but ignoring it. "What happened?!"
"He's exhausted," Cheng Mo said quickly, his voice controlled—but not calm. "And he hasn't eaten."
I tried to open my eyes.
Failed.
Everything blurred into shadows and warmth.
"Sit him down," my brother said, pushing himself up anyway. "Careful—"
I've got him."
Too fast.
Too certain.
Cheng Mo lowered me onto the couch, one hand still at my back, the other steadying my shoulder.
Not letting go.
Not even for a second.
"Water," he said.
My brother grabbed the bottle immediately, handing it over without hesitation.
Their hands brushed briefly.
No tension.
No anger.
Just urgency.
Because right now—
nothing else mattered.
"Shu Lin… stay with me."
His voice dropped.
Closer.
Rougher.
And for the first time—
it didn't sound like control.
It sounded like fear.
I felt his hand tighten slightly against me—
grounding.
Holding.
Like I might disappear if he didn't.
"Ge, can you hear me?" my brother's voice came softer now, worried—but steady.
I tried to respond.
But darkness pulled again.
And the last thing I felt—
before everything faded—
was this:
Cheng Mo's grip—
firm.
Unshaking.
And my brother's presence—
right there.
Not blaming.
Not questioning.
Just… trusting him.
Because somehow—
even after everything—
he knew.
Cheng Mo wasn't the danger right now.
He was the only one keeping me from falling apart.