The next morning broke with a soft, golden sunlight filtering through the curtains of the locked bedroom. The room still held the lingering warmth of the night before—the fierce passion that had turned into Akira's quiet, childlike surrender against Naea's chest. When they woke up, the peace was visible on both of their faces. There were no words spoken about the chin bite or the midnight vulnerability, but as they followed their daily routine, a deep, silent understanding vibrated between them.
Zheng wasn't that morning; her high-stakes final exams had officially begun, and she was already at the center in full 'War Mode'. Aunt Zhi arrived as usual, filling the house with the comforting aroma of breakfast. Around the dining table, Akira, Naea, Wei Jian, and Aunt Zhi ate together. While Wei talked about her upcoming campus shifting, Akira's eyes repeatedly darted toward Naea. The silent chemistry was heavy, a thick layer of unspoken intimacy that belonged only to the two of them.
But as the days rolled into a week, the reality of their chaotic schedules began to pull them apart.
Wei Jian officially shifted to her university campus, leaving the house a little quieter. Zheng was entirely consumed by her ongoing examination papers. Meanwhile, Akira became completely buried under her late-night book editing at the cafe, and Naea was left taking care of Naria full-time. The contrast was agonizing. When Akira would finally walk through the door late at night, exhausted and mentally drained, Naea and Naria would already be fast asleep. And by the time Naea would handle Naria in the morning and finally get a free moment, Akira would already be out the door, racing back to the editing cafe.
The care and love were still there—felt in the warm meals left covered or the blankets gently pulled up—but the normal, effortless chit-chat had completely vanished. The distance was friction, and it was quietly driving them both insane.
Staring at her glowing laptop screen in the dimly lit corner of the editing cafe, Akira rubbed her tired eyes and focused entirely on the pages sent by the author. Her heart raced as she read the ultimate, breathtaking climax of the story.
In these chapters, Ruoxi's truth had finally shone through. She had completely cleared her name, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was entirely innocent and that every single allegation thrown against her was completely malicious and fake. With the heavy clouds of suspicion lifted and her innocence fully validated, Ruoxi—just as she had promised—set out with Fen Tao for a peaceful escape into the mountains. Wanting to leave the chaos behind, they slipped away quietly without giving anyone else a single inkling of their destination, traveling to a famous, breathtaking mountain region in Taiwan, where a magnificent river carved its way through the valley.
They checked into a local hotel, taking two separate rooms. For the first two days, they deeply explored the beautiful terrain, enjoying the journey together as genuine, supportive friends. But on the third day, they decided to try white-water rafting.
The climate conditions suddenly turned hostile, rapidly deteriorating within minutes. The violent, crashing waves slammed into their raft, instantly destroying its balance and flipping it completely upside down. The passengers were violently thrown out into the freezing, aggressive current, and several individuals began to sink into the deep vortex.
The local rescue team rushed to the scene, pulling survivors out one by one. Fen Tao was pulled onto the safety of the rescue boat, coughing and gasping for air. But the moment she looked around at her surroundings, her world completely stopped.
Ruoxi was nowhere to be seen.
Without a single thought for her own life, driven by a sudden, manic desperation to protect her , Fen Tao dove straight back into the freezing, treacherous water. She thrashed beneath the surface, looking around like a madwoman possessed, her eyes burning as she clawed through the blinding currents. But she found nothing. Ruoxi had completely vanished.
Hysterical and weeping, Fen was forcefully dragged back out by the rescue team to prevent her from drowning herself. She sat on the rocky riverbank, completely shattered and broken inside, believing she had lost Ruoxi forever.
But then, through her blurred, tearful vision, she saw a rescue boat approaching the shore. There, dripping wet and shivering, was Ruoxi—safely rescued by another team downriver.
Seeing Fen safe, a weak, genuinely sweet and relieved smile touched Ruoxi's pale lips.
Fen didn't care about the rules anymore. She didn't care about the hardships they had faced, or the society around them. Without a single second thought, completely oblivious to the crowd of onlookers, the medical staff, and the whispering visitors standing right there, Fen sprinted across the rocks and threw herself directly at Ruoxi.
Before Ruoxi could even utter a word, Fen aggressively cupped her wet face with both hands and crashed her lips onto hers.
She kissed her passionately, deeply, and desperately in front of the entire world. It no longer mattered who was watching or what anyone thought. Fen only cared about the raw taste of her lips and the undeniable warmth of her presence, anchoring herself to the pure soul who held her heart.
Beneath her, a completely stunned Ruoxi could only widen her eyes, thoroughly confused and entirely overwhelmed by the untamed, fearless weight of Fen's public devotion.
Still breathless from the intensity of the kiss, Ruoxi gently pressed her palms against Fen's wet shoulders, pushing her back just a fraction of an inch. Her eyes darted nervously toward the gathered crowd. "Fen... stop," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "People are watching us."
Fen didn't even turn her head to look at the onlookers. Instead, she wrapped her strong arms securely around Ruoxi's waist, pulling her into a fierce, unyielding hug. "Let them watch," Fen murmured into her damp hair, her voice steady and completely indifferent to the world. "It's their job to look. It's not like they are paying for my living expenses. They don't know me, and they don't know you. None of these people matter to me, Ruoxi. Right now, the only thing that matters in my entire universe is you."
Hearing those words, Ruoxi's heart began to beat wildly against her ribs, echoing loudly in her chest. For the first time in her life, a profound realization washed over her—there was actually someone in this cold world who cared for her so deeply, someone who would willingly throw away their pride, their safety, and their dignity just to make sure she was breathing.
Before she could process the sudden rush of emotion, a female medical officer approached them, holding a clipboard and looking at Fen with a mix of exhaustion and genuine respect. "Excuse me, you need to come with us for a proper check-up to ensure you haven't sustained any internal injuries," the staff member said, shaking her head with a small smile. "Honestly, what a crazy person you are. The moment you didn't see your partner, you just dove straight back into those dangerous rapids without a single thought."
Ruoxi listened to every word, her chest tightening as she realized the sheer madness of what Fen had done for her.
The medical officer then turned directly to Ruoxi, nodding appreciatively. "I must admit, you are incredibly lucky to have a partner like her."
Hearing the word partner, Fen immediately felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her. Wanting to protect Ruoxi from feeling awkward or cornered by the public display of affection, she quickly interjected, waving her hands. "Oh, no, no... Ruoxi is just my friend. Just a friend," she insisted, trying to keep her voice casual though her cheeks were flushed warm.
The medical staff member blinked in surprise, chuckling lightly. "Oh, really? My bad. I honestly thought you two were in a relationship because, well... that kiss was quite something."
Feeling the heat rise to her face, Fen cleared her throat awkwardly and quickly tried to redirect the conversation before Ruoxi could feel any weird pressure. "Ah, everything is completely fine anyway! Let's just focus on the medical check-up, shall we? Is there a tent we should go to?" She rambled, completely changing the subject to hide her sudden nervousness.
Following the intense chaos at the riverbank, both Fen Tao and Ruoxi were thoroughly examined by the medical team. Fortunately, apart from a few minor scratches and the chilling shock of the freezing water, their checkups came back perfectly clear. Once cleared by the authorities, they were finally given permission to return to their hotel.
The journey back was wrapped in an unbearable, suffocating silence.
The lingering taste of that desperate, public kiss and the weight of the medical officer's words hung heavily in the air between them. Neither of them knew how to look at the other. Every time their eyes accidentally met, a sharp wave of awkwardness flared up, forcing them to quickly look away. The raw boundary Fen had crossed on the shore had changed everything, rewriting the rules of their entire relationship in a single breath.
Upon reaching the hotel, they immediately retreated into their respective rooms without uttering a single word.
As the afternoon dissolved and evening began to settle over the misty Taiwan mountains, the quietness of the hotel only amplified the thoughts racing in their minds. Ruoxi sat by her window, her heart still beating at an erratic rhythm every time she remembered Fen's arms wrapped tightly around her waist, declaring her the only thing that mattered. Meanwhile, Fen paced around her own room, her mind a chaotic mess of embarrassment and protective fiercely-burning instinct, wondering if her sudden outburst had made Ruoxi uncomfortable.
When dinner time arrived, they met up to eat together, driven by a silent habit.
The dining table was filled with a thick, heavy tension. They went through the motions of having their meal side by side, but the effortless, friendly chit-chat from the first two days of the trip was completely gone. Every click of the cutlery felt incredibly loud in the silence. Ruoxi kept her gaze lowered, her cheeks occasionally flushing warm, while Fen awkwardly focused on her food, desperately trying to find a normal topic to break the ice but failing entirely.
As soon as dinner was finished, unable to handle the intense, crackling awkwardness any longer, they quietly muttered their goodnights. Retreating back into the safety of their separate rooms, they closed their doors, leaving the unresolved tension of that unforgettable day vibrating through the walls.
Once inside the isolation of her own room, Fen couldn't sit still. She paced the floor, her wet hair dampening the collar of her shirt, but her mind was burning with a completely different fire. A suffocating wave of self-anger and guilt washed over her. She gripped her own hair, cursing herself silently.
Why did I do that? she thought desperately.
For her, the kiss had been a raw, unstoppable reaction to the terrifying thought of losing Ruoxi forever. It wasn't about a boundary crossed for her own sake—but she knew Ruoxi. Ruoxi was gentle, pure, and had already been through so much judgment from the world. Fen realized that her sudden, public outburst had forced Ruoxi into a corner of deep weirdness and overwhelming awkwardness. The silent dinner was proof enough.
Unable to drown in her own guilt inside the empty room any longer, Fen made a definitive choice. She couldn't let the night pass with this suffocating distance between them. She needed to apologize.
Stepping out into the dimly lit corridor, Fen walked over to Ruoxi's door. Her hand trembled slightly, but she forced herself to knock softly.
Inside, hearing the quiet sound against the wood, Ruoxi paused. Her heart gave a familiar, erratic thud. Walking over, she turned the lock and pulled the door open.
There stood Fen, looking completely drained, her eyes carrying a profound weight of apology.
Without a word, Ruoxi stepped aside, letting Fen walk into the warmth of her room. She quietly closed the door behind her, turning the lock with a soft click. Turning around to face her, Ruoxi looked straight into Fen's tense eyes and asked softly, "What happened, Fen?"
Hearing the soft question, Fen immediately lowered her head, unable to maintain direct eye contact. Her fingers tightly clenched at her sides as she forced the words out of her suffocating throat. "Ruoxi... I... I am really, really sorry. I shouldn't have... I mean, I shouldn't have kissed you like that without your permission. I should have controlled my emotions. I should have kept my feelings in check. I am so incredibly sorry, Ruoxi..."
The room was cast in deep shadows, illuminated only by a dim, warm bedside lamp. The lack of light made every sound feel amplified, every breath intimate.
As Fen finished speaking, she slowly forced herself to look up, her gaze locking with Ruoxi's. Even in the low, faint light of the bedroom, Fen's eyes were completely transparent. Ruoxi could clearly read the intense, agonizing guilt and the profound depth of apology reflecting in those dark irises. There was no lust, no force—only a pure, raw fear of having hurt or disrespected her.
Seeing that immense level of love, care, and absolute respect standing right in front of her, Ruoxi felt something snap inside her soul.
Every defense mechanism she had built, every layer of caution she had maintained, completely dissolved. She couldn't handle the frantic, wild drumming of her own heartbeat anymore. She didn't want to suppress it, and she didn't want to fight the overwhelming rush of her feelings.
Closing the small distance between them, Ruoxi reached out and lean up , and captured Fen's lips with her own.
It was a soft, definitive kiss—her own silent answer to Fen's apology. It was a confession born out of pure surrender, telling Fen louder than any words ever could that she didn't need to be sorry, because her heart now belonged to the very same wild current.
Ruoxi's slender fingers tightened around the fabric of Fen's collar, pulling her down decisively to meet her lips. For two breathy, agonizing seconds, Fen's brain completely short-circuited. She stood frozen, her mind spinning, unable to comprehend the sudden warmth of Ruoxi initiating the touch.
But as the soft pressure of Ruoxi's lips registered against her own, the last remaining walls of Fen's restraint shattered into dust.
All the boundaries she had sworn to protect just moments ago were instantly crossed. Reaching around, Fen firmly gripped the back of Ruoxi's delicate neck, anchoring her in place. With one swift, powerful motion, she steered them across the small space, pushing Ruoxi back until her shoulders met the solid surface of the wall.
The kiss, which had started as a gentle surrender, shifted instantly. Fen began to kiss her back with a fierce, ravenous hunger. The slow sweetness rapidly dissolved into something rougher, deeper, and completely consuming. Every ounce of the agonizing fear of losing her to the river, the weight of her hidden feelings, and the suffocating control she had practiced for months came pouring out in every single breath. Fen was kissing her with a desperate, wild intensity, as if she wanted to completely devour her, to fuse Ruoxi into her very being so she could never slip away again.
Far from pulling back, Ruoxi wrapped her arms tightly around Fen's waist, digging her fingers into her back to pull Fen even closer, eliminating any remaining distance between their bodies.
The air in the dim room turned scorching hot as the kiss grew intensely passionate and heavily heated. The sounds of their frantic breathing echoed softly against the locked door. Ruoxi's head tilted back against the wall, completely yielding to the suffocating pressure, while Fen completely took over, establishing her absolute, untamed dominance over the rhythm, the heat, and the night.
In the very middle of the scorching, breathless kiss, Fen abruptly pulled back. A sharp, icy memory flashed through her mind, completely freezing her core. The last time she had crossed this line—the night she had kissed Ruoxi while completely drunk—Ruoxi had vanished from her life the very next day, leaving her shattered.
Seeing the sudden break, Ruoxi stared at her, completely confused, her breathing still ragged against the wall.
Fen looked down at Ruoxi's face, her voice trembling as she struggled to anchor herself to reality. "Is... is all of this real, Ruoxi? Or is one of us drunk right now? I don't understand anything... I am really sorry, but please... please don't leave me again."
Hearing the raw vulnerability and the lingering trauma in Fen's voice, Ruoxi's expression softened completely. She gently placed both of her hands on Fen's warm cheeks, tilting her head up, and placed a soft, lingering kiss right on her forehead. "Nothing is unreal," Ruoxi whispered against her skin, her voice a soothing balm. "And neither of us is drunk tonight."
A beautiful, radiant smile instantly broke across Fen's face, cutting through the shadows of the room. "It means... we both..."
Before Fen could even finish her question, Ruoxi gently nodded her head with a soft smile, validating everything Fen had been too afraid to hope for. Unable to contain the pure explosion of joy in her chest, Fen threw her arms around Ruoxi, pulling her into a fierce, suffocating hug. "This is the best moment of my entire life, Ruoxi. I can't even describe the feeling... when the person you cherish and love finally becomes yours. I am truly, incredibly happy right now."
A gentle smile graced Ruoxi's lips as she rested her chin on Fen's shoulder. Feeling Fen's absolute innocence and unfiltered reality against her chest, a deeper wave of affection washed over her. In her entire life, Ruoxi had never encountered a soul like Fen Tao—so fiercely caring, so painfully real, and so unashamedly protective.
Gently pulling back just enough to look at her, Ruoxi let out a soft laugh. "I never thought my heart would ever fall for a girl either. This entire thing... it's completely unexpected and unpredictable."
Fen locked her eyes onto Ruoxi's, her gaze burning with an absolute vow. "From this day forward, there will be no more tears in your eyes, Ruoxi. From now on, there will only be smiles on your face. I will make every single day special for you. I promise."
Ruoxi's smile widened, her heart fully at peace under the weight of that beautiful promise. Wanting to lighten the intense emotional gravity of the room, she playfully raised an eyebrow. "Alright then... do you know how to play card games?"
Fen blinked, surprised by the sudden shift, but nodded with a grin. "Yeah, I do."
"Let's play then," Ruoxi challenged smoothly, moving toward the small table. "Let's see who wins."
Fen chuckled, following her closely. "And what does the winner get? What's the reward?"
Ruoxi turned around, crossing her arms with a teasing pout. "Nothing. Why does everything have to be done for a reward?"
"Uhm, no, it's not like that... I just thought—" Fen stammered, rubbing the back of her neck.
"If you don't want to play, it's fine. You can leave," Ruoxi said, her tone perfectly flat but her eyes dancing with mischief.
Fen gave her a thoroughly confused, panicked look, completely trapped. Seeing her adorable reaction, Ruoxi finally let out a soft laugh and added gently, "And... if you want, you can sleep here tonight."
A massive, bright smile instantly took over Fen's face. She quickly raised her hands in surrender, stepping up to the table. "Well, alright! Let's play. No cheating, and absolutely no greed for rewards."