Reconcile and renew old ties

It was impossible to make sense of it; their world just seemed far too complicated. Caught off guard by Shangguan Xiao's direct retort, Hui could only reply foolishly, "No! Absolutely no objections!"

Then, standing there in a daze, he fell silent. After all, the turn of events was simply too abrupt! It felt like someone who had been dirt poor, suddenly waking up after a faint to find someone thrusting a massive stack of cash into their hands and telling them they had just won the lottery.

That kind of shock was definitely enough to cause anyone's brain to temporarily short-circuit. Seeing one after another of them wearing expressions of sheer disbelief, Shangguan Xiao didn't feel at all like she had just dropped any astonishing news.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around Ouyang Qianyu and deliberately planted a kiss right on his cheek. "Mwah!" A crisp sound of skin making contact with lips echoed through the air.

This plunged the few individuals, who had only just managed to digest the news, right back into a state of tangled confusion. As for Shangguan Xiao's action, Ouyang Qianyu felt thoroughly pleased.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss him! It truly had great commemorative value. He was going to mark down today so they could celebrate it as an anniversary in the future.

Shangguan Xiao never expected that Ouyang Qianyu would make such a big fuss over her tiny gesture and turn it into an anniversary.

Of course, all of that was a story for another day. It was only now that Shangguan Xiao began to truly acknowledge Ouyang Qianyu's deep affection for her.

If only he had expressed his love a little earlier in the past, perhaps their path wouldn't have been so rugged and full of twists.

Nor would they have had to wait until Ouyang Qianyu was actually injured for Shangguan Xiao to truly face reality. In the past, she had always been blindly arrogant, assuming he was merely toying with her.

Therefore, Shangguan Xiao had never taken his words seriously. Looking back now, she felt more than a bit of regret. Yet, she didn't think the blame rested entirely on her shoulders!

After all, whenever she confronted him with questions, Ouyang Qianyu always ended up sulking and acting difficult. So, the reason they had waited until now to finally get together was half Ouyang Qianyu's own fault.

At this moment, having survived two brushes with life and death, Shangguan Xiao and Ouyang Qianyu had finally come together against the odds.

The two of them gazed deeply into each other's eyes, leaving the rest of the singletons with a sour ache in their hearts! These two were truly something else!

To brazenly display their affection right in front of a group of single people—didn't they know that single folks were the least equipped to handle other people rubbing their happiness in?

Golden sparkles seemed to surround the couple, radiating a dazzling brilliance so bright that it made everyone else unable to keep their eyes open!

Though gnashing their teeth with frustration, there was nothing they could do to them. Finally, Xiao Ai couldn't help but cry out, "Hey! Don't you guys know that single people have fragile hearts? Flaunting your happiness like this!"

To her outburst, Shangguan Xiao replied quite ungraciously, "No, we don't."

Then, deliberately turning her head, she looked affectionately at Ouyang Qianyu and asked, "Have you ever heard of that?"

Watching her bat her eyelashes at him, Ouyang Qianyu cooperated and answered, "Never."

His words threw Xiao Ai into a daze; she hadn't expected Ouyang Qianyu to be so adorable when in love! It was enough to make anyone green with envy!

Covering her face with her hands, Xiao Ai squealed with a starry-eyed look, "Aww! Ouyang is so cute!" She shook her hands in front of her chest, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

This time, the speechless one was Shangguan Xiao! She never could have imagined that Xiao Ai would act so unhinged! She simply shut her mouth and decided not to converse with her anymore.

Instead, Xiao Ai asked with a puzzled expression, "Why aren't you talking?" Just look at that! What kind of remark was that? Daring to openly provoke a pair of lovebirds right to their faces!

Shangguan Xiao cast a cold, sidelong glance at her, let out a disdainful huff, and said, "Because your ridiculous behavior is truly awe-inspiring. I surrender to your greatness!"

Hearing this, Xiao Ai took it not as an insult, but as a badge of honor. "Much obliged! I'm only mediocre, hehe."

Such a thick-skinned person compelled one's admiration for her sheer audacity, not to mention her astonishing comprehension skills! Good grief! The girl was insulting you, can't you tell?

Watching Xiao Ai acting so foolishly, Ouyang Qianyu felt a surge of extreme displeasure. You're courting death! Without saying a word, he merely fixed her with an icy glare.

Xiao Ai, who had still been playing the fool, suddenly felt a gust of chilly wind blowing at her back. It felt as though she had been targeted by some malevolent spirit!

She involuntarily shivered, shuddered, and stretched out her arm only to find a layer of goosebumps crawling all over it. Xiao Ai hurriedly rubbed her arms, suddenly very busy.

Instantly, the room quieted down in the absence of Xiao Ai's voice. Seeing that peace had finally been restored, Ouyang Qianyu closed his weary eyes.

Noticing him close his eyes, Shangguan Xiao asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you tired?"

She reached out and gently helped him lie down. Ouyang Qianyu allowed Shangguan Xiao to support him as he reclined.

He let out a comfortable sigh, thinking to himself: Lying down is definitely much better! With a soft "Yeah," he answered her.

Everyone present noted that Shangguan Xiao's question had clearly been pointless, yet Ouyang Qianyu had still answered with such patience. This was truly a rare sight indeed!

They always said that falling in love could change a person's personality, something they hadn't quite believed before. But now, watching Shangguan Xiao and Ouyang Qianyu, they finally understood.

So love really was enough to transform someone! The night grew deeper, and the occasional chirping of cicadas could be heard. Shangguan Xiao sat alone by Ouyang Qianyu's side, watching him sleep.

She sighed inwardly at how fast time flew! In the blink of an eye, a whole month had already passed. Tomorrow, they would finally be able to go home.

To say she felt no reluctance at all would be an absolute lie! Even though there hadn't been anything particularly entertaining about this past month, and they had constantly been oppressed by the drill instructors.

Yet during this military training, they had learned a great deal! They had come to understand many things. For instance, an individual's strength is not enough to change a situation, but when everyone unites, a solution to any difficulty can always be found.

As the saying goes, unity is strength. Furthermore, through this training, she had finally understood her own feelings.

No longer lost, no longer completely oblivious to her own romance. Slowly, she rested her head on the edge of the bed, closed her tired eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Even in her sleep, the corners of her mouth retained a sweet smile, blooming like a spring flower, charming and lovely.

Sensing that the person beside him had quieted down, Ouyang Qianyu slowly opened his eyes. Though he should have been fast asleep, his gaze was remarkably alert.

There was no trace of someone who had just woken up! Tiptoeing out of bed, he carefully reached out and lifted Shangguan Xiao, who had fallen asleep resting against the bedside.

With gentle movements, he laid her properly on the bed and pulled a thin blanket over her. As for himself, he grabbed another light blanket and lay down on the lounge chair by the bed.

Before closing his eyes, he turned back to glance at the sweet figure on the bed. Only then did he close his eyes and truly drift off into a genuine slumber. In his dream, the world was no longer cold.

A warmth like spring enveloped him, transforming his world into something cozy and vibrant. Dawn gradually broke, and the sun rose proudly.

Its rays streamed into the luxurious room, framing Kevin's somewhat sickly, pale face. Last night had been far too intense, leaving him unable to wake from his slumber even by noon.

Everything from the previous night had happened so suddenly that he kept thinking it must have been a dream. A dream so breathtakingly beautiful that he was willing to lose himself in it completely and sink forever.

In the dream, Shangguan Han was no longer cold. He smiled at him, and even whispered words of love gently into his ear. He would cherish him and protect him just as one would treasure the most precious gem in the world.

Even ignoring the fact that they were both men, he still proclaimed his love without hesitation. If all of this was merely a dream, then he prayed he would never wake up.

He hoped time would freeze right at last night! He hoped dawn would never arrive, and that he could just sink into this oblivion forever. Even if eternal damnation awaited him at the end, he would have no complaints.

He was willing to bear everything, asking only for Shangguan Han to spare him one more glance—just a single glance! He repeated it endlessly in his heart.

Yet another voice in his heart whispered, "Is one glance really enough? Are you truly willing to become strangers with him after this?"

With his eyes tightly shut, tears slipped uncontrollably from the corners, dampening the pillow beneath him. This made his naturally delicate and soft features appear all the more poignant and heartbreaking.

He was afraid to open his eyes, terrified that he would only see a cold, empty room. Yet he desperately wanted to look—to see if Shangguan Han was still there.

Deeply tormented by doubt, sorrow laced with a sliver of hope, he slowly fluttered his tear-stained eyelids open.

His vision was blurry; naturally, it was because tears were welling up in his eyes, obscuring the world before him! He raised a hand and wiped fiercely across his face.

What came into view was a scene that filled him with joyous surprise! Shangguan Han was standing right there beside the bed, staring down at him with a stunned and bewildered expression.

Though his attitude differed somewhat from the night before, Kevin was already more than content! Without even bothering to put on clothes, he threw himself directly into Shangguan Han's arms.

Jolted by this sudden projectile embrace, Shangguan Han snapped out of his daze. This time, instead of retreating into his usual solitary overthinking, he asked directly, "Why are you crying?"

He gripped Kevin's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze head-on. Facing Shangguan Han's terrifying expression, Kevin momentarily forgot how to answer.

He could only stare back blankly, until Shangguan Han gradually loosened his grip on his chin and seemed about to turn and leave. Only then did Kevin realize the severity of the situation!

Hastily, he wrapped his arms around Shangguan Han's back, completely unmindful of his own nakedness. He held onto him tightly, terrified that if he let him go this time,

he would never return! He still retained vivid memories of what had happened last time; he never wanted to experience that heart-wrenching pain again!

Fresh tears spilled over his eyelids once more, streaming down like rain. They soaked through Shangguan Han's thin shirt, shaking the resolve of the man who had been about to storm off in a huff.

Turning around, he pulled the shivering figure into his embrace. He listened as the person in his arms cried out in anguish, choking out between sobs, "I... I was afraid... afraid that you'd leave me again... afraid you wouldn't want me anymore! Sob..."

Hearing this explanation, a sudden wave of guilt washed over Shangguan Han. So it turned out he was the only one who had been overthinking things the whole time; Kevin had loved him all along.

It was entirely his own misinterpretation that had caused the person in his arms to suffer so much! For the first time, he felt like a complete bastard in his own heart!

To have made the person he loved suffer so deeply! Even if he were a fool, now that everything had been laid out so plainly, if he still didn't understand, he truly would be the stupidest person alive!

Holding him tightly, he offered an apology for the very first time in his life! With an expression of utter sincerity, Shangguan Han looked down at Kevin, who was still weeping like a heartbroken child, and said, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't leave you ever again!"

He apologized sincerely, offering his solemn guarantee. As he pressed a kiss to Kevin's forehead, anyone could tell his apology came straight from the heart.

Looking at Shangguan Han like this, Kevin's face filled with lingering disbelief. But it was quickly replaced by overwhelming joy upon realizing that Shangguan Han had promised never to abandon him again!

Unable to stem the tide of his tears, Kevin smiled through them. These pleasant surprises instantly swept away every trace of his previous sorrow!

Shangguan Han lowered his head and captured his alluring lips. Cupping each other's cheeks, the two of them lost themselves in a passionate, devoted kiss.