The sea of clouds churned violently beneath their feet, yet it paled in comparison to the raging storm of emotions within their hearts.
The air seemed to completely freeze. Only the rising steam from the hot spring and the churning clouds below silently testified to the passage of time.
Rover's completely unexpected directness and the incredibly subtle sensation of his fingertips brushing through her hair caused Changli's heart—a heart heavily accustomed to calm, calculated strategy—to experience an intense, undeniable flutter for the very first time.
A rare flash of panic crossed her orange eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by the scorching heat of having her deepest, most guarded feelings struck dead-on.
She slightly turned her face away, letting out a soft, disguising cough as she desperately attempted to regain her usual composure as a Counselor. However, the crimson flush spreading across her ears completely betrayed her.
"You... certainly have a better way with words since returning from Rinascita." Her voice was much lower and softer than usual, carrying an almost imperceptible tremble. "I wonder just how many people you have spoken to like this."
This half-complaining, half-coquettish remark, coming from the usually demure and elegant Changli, possessed an incredibly unique and devastating charm.
Rover gave a low chuckle. Instead of backing away, he stepped another half-pace closer.
He could smell the faint, elegant fragrance of her hair, forming a bizarrely perfect contrast with the burning heat radiating from her flushed cheeks.
"Changli," he said, holding her gaze with absolute, unyielding focus, "did you know? The person I wanted to see most upon returning... was you."
His gaze was far too intense. It made Changli feel as though her cheeks were practically catching fire, so much so that she completely failed to register the "one of the" hidden within his sentence.
She instinctively tried to step back. However, her foot caught on a loose stone, causing her to lose her balance.
"Careful." Rover reacted instantly. His arm naturally wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her firmly against him.
In a split second, their bodies were pressed tightly together. Even through the fabric of their clothes, they could vividly feel each other's scorching body heat and frantic heartbeats.
Changli's hands instinctively pressed against his chest. She could feel the solid muscle and the powerful, rhythmic thumping of his heart beneath her palms.
This accidental embrace completely shattered the final shred of their reserved distance.
Changli didn't push him away. Instead, she looked up, staring deeply into his golden eyes. They clearly reflected her currently flustered state, along with a raw, unfiltered desire she had never seen in him before.
"You..." She opened her mouth to speak, only to find her throat incredibly dry.
"I never forgot," Rover said softly. His arm didn't loosen; instead, it tightened slightly, as if trying to press her entirely into his embrace. "Fighting side-by-side in the Mt. Firmament Domain... and those seemingly casual words of yours that completely woke me up."
"Changli, to me, you have always been someone entirely different from the rest."
As he spoke, Rover gently covered the hand she had pressed against his chest—the very hand that burned a fiery crimson due to the erosion of her Resonance Forte. "Look. It doesn't burn at all, and it doesn't hurt."
The heartfelt words she had confessed to him in the Domain back then were now being returned to her, word for word.
The tension in the hand pressing against his chest slowly melted away.
Changli's eyes, which usually sparkled with profound wisdom, were now clouded with a hazy mist, as if she had been intoxicated by the rising steam of the hot spring.
"...You certainly have learned how to be smooth-talking."
Ultimately, she just muttered that single sentence under her breath. It sounded like a complaint, but felt much more like a complete, helpless surrender.
She didn't deny it, nor did she try to pull away.
Seeing this, Rover's heart completely softened. He knew full well that for a classically reserved Huanglong woman like Changli, this reaction was already a monumental leap forward.
He relaxed his embrace slightly. Keeping one hand gently resting on her arm, he slowly raised his other hand. His fingertips lightly and affectionately caressed her burning cheek.
This time, the touch was undeniably real.
Changli's body gave a subtle shiver, but she didn't dodge away.
She closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled violently like butterfly wings, and her breathing grew noticeably heavier.
His fingertips, carrying a tentative, searching intent, slid from her cheek down to her jawline, gently tilting her face upward.
"Changli," his voice was as low as a whisper, carrying a completely bewitching power. "Look at me."
Changli slowly opened her eyes. They were shimmering with a watery light, swirling with a storm of complex emotions. There was shyness, shock, and a brief struggle—but ultimately, it all melted into a soft, quiet acquiescence.
Rover abandoned all hesitation and slowly leaned down.
However, just a fraction of a second before he captured those alluring red lips, Changli slightly turned her head away.
His kiss landed softly against the corner of her mouth.
It was warm, moist, and carried the faint, incredibly elegant scent of plum blossoms.
Even though their lips hadn't fully met, this brief, feather-light kiss sent an electrifying jolt through both of them, making them completely freeze.
Changli abruptly took a step back, tearing herself out of his embrace. She turned completely around, leaving him with only the panicked, fleeing view of her slender back.
Rover didn't chase after her. He simply stood there, watching her quietly.
He knew she needed a moment to process this.
Perhaps I've changed far too much compared to before?
Or maybe I was just a bit too aggressive today?
But Rover also knew that with a classically reserved beauty like her, if the gentleman didn't take the absolute initiative, the lady would likely never respond.
The mountain wind swept past, fluttering their clothes and hair, yet it utterly failed to blow away the thick, cloying tension suffocating the air between them.
With her back to Rover, Changli stood quietly in front of the cabin door. The hand resting on the wood trembled slightly, but she ultimately couldn't bring herself to push it open and hide inside.
After a very, very long time, she slowly turned around.
The brilliant flush hadn't left her face, but her eyes had regained a fraction of their usual clarity. Yet, within that clarity, there was an indescribable, profound softness and a quiet sense of relief.
She didn't look directly into Rover's eyes, instead fixing her gaze on the collar of his shirt. Her voice was incredibly soft, yet perfectly clear.
"...The wind is quite strong out here. Let us go inside and have a cup of hot tea."
She didn't mention the unfinished kiss, nor did she directly respond to his confession. But this seemingly ordinary sentence was absolutely no different from a silent, profound invitation and acceptance.
Rover's heart leapt. He seamlessly obliged. "Alright."
Changli took a deep breath, turning around to push open the wooden door.
The furnishings inside were minimalist, yet every single detail radiated the owner's elegant, refined taste. A faint scent of sandalwood burned in the corner, immediately putting one's mind at ease.
With practiced grace, she opened a cabinet, retrieved a tea set, and began boiling water. Her movements were as fluid and elegant as ever, but the slight tremor in her fingertips completely exposed the fact that she was nowhere near as calm as she appeared.
Rover sat across from her, quietly watching her perform the tea ceremony like flowing water, not making a single sound to interrupt her.
A steaming cup of clear tea was gently pushed in front of him.
"Try it. It's Cloud Peak Mist Sprouts, a specialty of Mt. Firmament." Changli's voice had regained its gentle cadence, but a sharp ear could still detect a faint underlying tension.
Rover picked up the cup and took a slow sip.
"Excellent tea. The fragrance is incredibly crisp, and the aftertaste is rich and sweet."
The two sat across from each other, sipping their tea. For a while, no one spoke, but the atmosphere was completely different from when they first arrived.
Outside the window, the sea of clouds continued to churn. Inside the room, the fragrant steam of the tea curled lazily upward.
A warm, deeply intimate tranquility slowly flowed between them.
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