The two of them arrived at the edge of a cliff on Feihua Island. Below them was a rough sea, and when the waves crashed onto the jagged rocks, they instantly shattered into thousands of snowflakes. There was nothing around them but the boundless sea illuminated by the crescent moon in the silent dark sky.

     Mo Ran summoned his sword, then turned to ask Chu Wanning, “Why doesn’t Shizun know how to use the imperial sword technique?”

     “It’s not that I don’t know how,” Chu Wanning said. “I’m just not very good at it.”

     “Why do you say that?” Mo Ran asked.

     Chu Wanning waved his sleeve, his expression a little proud, but his ears were red, “I can only fly close to the ground.”

     Mo Ran was a bit surprised. For something like the imperial sword technique, the amount of spiritual energy consumed was the same when it was one inch above the ground or a hundred feet above the ground. There was no reason he couldn’t fly higher, so Mo Ran said, “Shizun, why don’t you try? Let me see.”

     “...” Chu Wanning didn’t summon his sword, but instead said indifferently, “I’m usually reluctant to use the sword because I feel that weapons should be respected. It’s inappropriate to step on them.”

     “?” Mo Ran didn’t know why he suddenly started explaining, but he still nodded, “Shizun is right, but… we can’t just lay down on our swords, or hang on them and fly, right?”

     Chu Wanning was at a loss for words, but when he looked up, he saw Mo Ran smiling at him under the moonlight. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed, “Usually if there’s an emergency, I can use the Rising Dragon Talisman to fly.”

     Mo Ran was taken aback, “That little dragon?”

     “It can get bigger,” Chu Wanning said. He seemed to have recovered some face, but soon felt a bit embarrassed again, “But after the great fire at Rufeng Sect, it was completely useless. It fears fire.”

     Mo Ran suddenly understood, “So Shizun wants to learn the imperial sword technique in order to—”

     “In case of an emergency,” Chu Wanning said.

     Mo Ran fell silent. The thick smoke billowed from Linyi, covering the sky in the distance. How many lives had been devoured by the sea of flames?

     At that time, Chu Wanning stood on Mo Ran’s sword and watched as the civilians of Linyi were swallowed up by the fire and burnt to ashes, leaving not a single bone behind. However, the dignified Beidou Immortal couldn’t do anything, couldn’t carry anyone on his sword. How would that make Chu Wanning feel?

     No wonder this person who preferred to go out by carriage than by sword would suddenly make such a request to his disciple.

     Mo Ran told him, “I understand. Don’t worry, Shizun, I’ll definitely teach you well.”

     Hearing him say this, Chu Wanning didn’t say a word. He lowered his eyes, unwilling to reveal his thoughts, but in the end, he still sighed and raised his hand, “Huaisha, come.”

     A golden light suddenly appeared, and under the moonlight of the serene sky, Mo Ran once again saw the holy weapon that had only appeared in his previous life during a battle between life and death.

     Chu Wanning’s killing blade—

     Huaisha.

     Mo Ran obviously knew this longsword well.

     There was probably no other person in this world who was more suited to be its master than Chu Wanning. It was lightly ornamented and its entire body flowed with gold. But because the golden light was so dazzling, it even had a hint of white to it. The radiance flowed down from the sword, falling into the night like burning fireworks, yet also like falling white sand.

     “This is Huaisha.” Chu Wanning looked at the sword and said, “You’ve never seen it before. Its vicious aura is too strong, so I don’t use it often.”

     Mo Ran’s emotions were complicated, but after a while he nodded half-heartedly and said in a low voice, “It’s a good sword.”

     With the night breeze blowing gently, Mo Ran stepped on the blade of his own sword. With a slight movement, the sword obediently rose up a few inches off the ground.

     Mo Ran turned to Chu Wanning, “Shizun, you try it too.”

     Chu Wanning also stood on Huaisha. It steadily rose a few inches, bringing Chu Wanning around in a circle.

     “Isn’t this good?” Mo Ran asked. “Try going a little higher.” As he spoke, he moved his own sword up about five feet. He lowered his head and smiled at Chu Wanning, “Come up here.”

     “...”

     Chu Wanning frowned, silently raising Huaisha to the same level as him.

     Mo Ran said, “See, Shizun? There’s nothing wrong with it. Let’s—”

     He suddenly stopped short.

     He noticed that Chu Wanning’s face was pale and he was extremely tense. His lowered lashes were trembling like a blade of grass in the wind, as if he was doing his best to hold something back.

     Mo Ran looked down. They were less than five feet from the ground. He looked up again and stared at Chu Wanning in disbelief. Suddenly, a very absurd thought came to mind.

     Shizun can’t control the sword… Can it be because he's afraid of heights?

     Mo Ran: “...”

     He suddenly felt very awkward, and also felt this was strange. Chu Wanning’s qinggong was extremely swift; he could jump up and down towering buildings as he wished, could jump several feet with just a tap of his toes. How could such a person be afraid of heights?

     But when he observed the person standing on the sword, he saw a truly unsightly expression on Chu Wanning’s face. His gaze wandered, and even though he tried his best to restrain himself, there was still a thin layer of fear between his brows.

     Mo Ran tried, “Shizun?”

     Chu Wanning’s reaction was a little intense. He looked up abruptly, the night breeze blowing his hair, but he didn’t raise his hand to brush it away. His pair of phoenix eyes flashed with anger, a guarded flurry of fire erupting behind the tangled hair falling on his face. In the end, he was only able to let out a small “Hmm?” before looking around again.

     “Ahem. Pfft—”

     “What are you laughing at?!” Chu Wanning fumed.

     Mo Ran tried desperately to hold back his laughter, “My throat is dry. I’m only coughing.”

     He thought to himself, So he really is afraid of heights. No wonder he was rambling so much, he just wanted to save face.

     Since Shizun wanted to save face, as a disciple, he naturally had to follow along and give him a way out.

     Mo Ran said, “The higher you go, the harder it is to control the sword. At the beginning, I also couldn’t go up more than five feet.”

     “You couldn’t go up there before?” Chu Wanning asked.

     “Right.”

     Mo Weiyu, who had soared a hundred feet in the air the first time he flew on his sword, nodded gently.

     “Maybe it wasn’t even five feet.” Mo Ran tilted his head, “I didn’t dare to look down, so maybe… three feet? In any case, Xue Meng could easily kick me down.”

     Chu Wanning’s heart calmed down slightly.

     He never had the face to tell anyone about his fear of heights, but now it seemed there was nothing to be ashamed of.

     “Shizun, try your best not to look down.”

     “Hmm?”

     “Just look at me,” Mo Ran said. He hovered above him and thought for a while before descending a little, “Forget about how far you are, just think of flying to the same level as me.”

     Chu Wanning gritted his teeth and rose a little higher, the thin and smooth blade swift under his feet. The originally warm night breeze now felt as cold as a snake, slithering into his clothes and chilling him to the bone.

     “Don’t look down, don’t look down,” Mo Ran patiently repeated to him, stretching out his hand. “Come here, take my hand.”

     Chu Wanning was focused, taking the lesson seriously, “No need, I can do it myself.”

     Mo Ran didn’t force him. He knew Chu Wanning’s temper very well, so if it wasn’t an important matter, it was best to let him be. A person who was used to being a towering tree was not accustomed to relying on others. He wasn’t used to having someone to be by his side, someone to stand shoulder to shoulder with him to make him feel comfortable and at ease.

     Deep down, Mo Ran really wanted to turn Chu Wanning into a soft spring water and fiercely rub him into his own rough torso until he shattered and dissolved in his blood. He, like most men in the world, had some unrealistic and frightening possessiveness over someone he loved deeply. This was his nature, and his instinct.

     His aggressive male instinct made him long to lock Chu Wanning up, endlessly entangling himself with him day and night, swallowing all of his passion.

     He longed for him to spend the rest of his life laying in a warm bed while embracing him—a golden beast, beautiful and fragrant, never to be seen by another person other than himself.

     He longed to own him, for him to be under him for an entire lifetime, forever wrapped around him. He longed to leave dark blue and purple marks that would never fade, to nurture him into a beast of desire, fill him to the brim every night with his fiery passion, and sate him to the point of weakness.

     However, love made Mo Ran’s heart grow fonder.

     His love made him want to respect Chu Wanning. He wanted to see him in high spirits, wanted to see him wielding his sword out in the world, shaking his sleeves to remove the snow.

     He wanted to indulge him as he grew proudly to reach the heavens, benevolently casting shade. He wanted to allow him to flourish, but also allow him to break his branches and be wounded in the wind and rain.

     And so, love put a shackle on his fierce instincts, chained his beastly desires, and made him lower his eyes, suppress his hot breath, and become obedient.

     In this life, he would rather keep his instincts locked away, refusing to pull out his sharp teeth and fangs.

     Because of his love, he had become possessive and selfish in his last lifetime. Now, because of his love, he became tolerant, he became selfless.

     He would not be like he was in his previous life, trying to imprison Chu Wanning, trying to change him. This late and pure love made the former Emperor Taxian-Jun willing to submit, willing to spend his entire life as Chu Wanning’s companion.

     The sword rose little by little, and when it reached a certain height, even if Chu Wanning didn’t look at the ground, his fingertips still trembled under his wide sleeves.

     His body went numb.

     Mo Ran saw his nervousness and said, “Don’t be afraid, it’s just like qinggong.”

     “It’s not the same,” Chu Wanning said. “Qinggong is dependent on oneself, the imperial sword technique is…”

     “The imperial sword technique is also dependent on oneself,” Mo Ran said.

     Chu Wanning retorted angrily, “The imperial sword technique is dependent on the sword!”

     “...” Hearing this, Mo Ran finally understood why his Shizun was so skilled at qinggong, but afraid of flying on a sword. Chu Wanning wasn’t used to relying on anything; he had always relied on himself, so only when he relied on himself could he feel at ease.

     This knowledge made Mo Ran’s heart sink, and he felt very pained. He said, “It’s okay, Shizun. You have to believe in Huaisha.”

     But while Chu Wanning’s demeanor was calm, there was no hiding the anxiety and panic in his eyes. Seeing the beads of sweat on his forehead and the slight shaking of his feet, Mo Ran knew he couldn’t continue like this. If Chu Wanning fell off his own sword at this point, the shadow would be even deeper.

     He immediately said, “Let’s go down first.”

     Chu Wanning was relieved, and as the two dropped to the ground, he paused for a moment, then asked, “How high did we go?”

     Mo Ran deliberately reported a higher number, “More than fifty feet.”

     Chu Wanning’s eyes widened, “That high?”

     “Yes,” Mo Ran smiled. “Shizun is so good, next time, even five hundred feet will be a piece of cake.”

     “...” Hearing this, Chu Wanning’s already pale face became even paler. He waved his hand, but didn’t say anything, staring blankly at Huaisha.

     Mo Ran thought for a moment, then said, “Shizun, how about this, I’ll take you flying first, so you can get used to it.”

     “You don’t need to take me,” Chu Wanning said. “It’s not like you haven’t brought me along before.”

     Mo Ran argued, “But before, Shizun didn’t really look at the ground while riding the sword.”

     He was right. Every time he rode on someone else’s sword, he would try to look at that person’s back, or at some other point, doing his best to try and think he was still firmly on the ground.

     Mo Ran summoned his sword again, deliberately making it wider. He stepped on it first, then turned to Chu Wanning and said gently, “Come, come up.”

     Chu Wanning gritted his teeth and leapt up, landing lightly on the hilt of the sword.

     Mo Ran said, “Stand firm,” and with the tap of his foot, they instantly soared into the sky.

     At first, Chu Wanning closed his eyes out of habit, but when he heard Mo Ran’s laughter, he was jolted back to his senses. He pulled himself together and looked down.

     It would have been better if he didn’t look; when he did, his hair stood on end.

     Feihua Island was left far behind, becoming more and more distant. The turbulent wind howled in his ears, and even his robes were chilled by the cold air. They flew over the sea, the blue-black waters looking like the open mouth of an ancient beast, swallowing all the creatures that passed by. Under his feet, there was nothing to rely on but the sword.

     His ice-cold eyelashes trembled slightly, and Chu Wanning subconsciously closed his eyes again until he heard Mo Ran say behind him, “Don’t be afraid, it’s going to be okay.”

     “I… I’m not afraid.” Chu Wanning’s face was as white as paper.

     Mo Ran smiled, “Alright, you’re not afraid. Then, if you get cold or bored, tell me and I’ll take you back to the island.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t say a word. He knew that Mo Ran was giving him face. After all, a great zongshi shivering on the sword from the cold was much more impressive than a great zongshi shivering in fear.

     Seeing that Chu Wanning was overwhelmed, but still stubbornly refused to speak, Mo Ran said, “I’ll make the sword a bit wider.” He raised his hand and expanded the sword about five or six times, enough for him to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chu Wanning.

     “Shizun, in a few more days, the tribulation fire in Linyi will be extinguished. We’ll return to Sisheng Peak, but what about the people we brought with us?”

     He spoke, trying to lessen Chu Wanning’s tension.

     Chu Wanning really was amazing; he could actually think clearly despite his worries. He said, “Bring them to Shu.”

     “Hmm?”

     “We’ll bring them to the middle Shu area first. After the tribulation fire in Linyi, the land will be scorched. No one will be able to live there.”

     Mo Ran agreed, “Alright.”

     He looked at Chu Wanning’s pale face. After a while, he really felt sorry for him, so he asked, “Should we go back?”

     “Wait a little longer.”

     Mo Ran expanded the sword again and asked Chu Wanning to sit down. It would be much better to sit than to stand. He opened a barrier, and Chu Wanning turned to ask him, “What are you doing?”

     “It’s just a cold barrier.” Mo Ran’s gaze was very gentle, “It’s too high, so it’ll be cold.”

     Chu Wanning let it go.

     The barrier was very similar to his own, even down to the haitang blossom pattern, except his was gold and Mo Ran’s was red.

     With this translucent barrier, even though he knew it had no other effect than to dispel the cold, he suddenly felt that there was a layer of protection around him. Perhaps it was because looking through the barrier, the sea was no longer so frighteningly dark. In any case, Chu Wanning’s tense body gradually relaxed and his breathing became less stagnant.

     Mo Ran sat beside him and smiled, “Shizun, look over there.”

     “What?”

     “Do you see it?”

     “...” Chu Wanning looked in the direction he was pointing, then frowned, “There’s nothing but the moon.”

     “It’s the moon,” Mo Ran said.

     Chu Wanning was slightly startled, and said, “What’s there to see? It’s the same looking from the ground.”

     Mo Ran smiled, “This is the first time I’ve sat with Shizun to admire the moon.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t reply. After a while, when Mo Ran thought he wouldn’t say anything, he suddenly said softly, “It’s not like we haven’t seen it together before.”

     “...What?” Mo Ran was a little surprised, turning his head to look at him.

     The moonlight shone on Chu Wanning’s handsome face. His skin was like pure white petals in the cold night, his eyes seemingly filled with memories deeper than the sea beneath his two curtains of dark eyelashes.

     “It’s been too long, you should have forgotten,” Chu Wanning said. “It’s nothing.”

     Mo Ran was at a loss for words. He had lived much longer than the Chu Wanning in front of him and much of his past was no longer clear, so the things Chu Wanning remembered may not have been things he himself held so close to his heart.

     He looked at Chu Wanning’s face from the side and felt guilty. But he couldn’t help but also feel a trace of sweetness. He thought of the brocade pouch and the question he wanted to ask yesterday. Chu Wanning kept their tied hair, kept so many memories, why…

     Butterfly Town, Jincheng Lake…

     During the Heavenly Rift, he even gave his life to save him.

     Why?

     He had not dared to make any wild guesses before, thinking it was too bold and shameless. But in the past two days, every single discovery he made about Chu Wanning only fanned the flames of his wild ambition.

     Why?

     “Shizun.”

     “Hmm?”

     His blood rushed in his chest, surging with excitement. When he looked at Chu Wanning, his eyes were extremely bright. He suddenly wanted to go over and kiss him, wanted to muster up the courage to ask him, “Do you… Do you like me?”

     Sitting on the sword between heaven and earth, Mo Ran felt like he was immersed in an illusion. It was as if the two of them no longer had any ties in this world, as if the love and hate in the past had never occurred. Everything was peaceful and pure as the moonlight shone through the light clouds.

     He felt as if the tender seedling in his heart had finally turned into a tree, its thick roots pushing through the dead soil and revealing the rich smell of the earth.

     Seeing that he was silent for a long time, Chu Wanning turned his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

     Mo Ran didn’t answer. He was in a daze. He longed to possess him, to embrace him, to kiss him.

     He couldn’t help but lean over.

     He suddenly realized that although Chu Wanning had recovered a little after the barrier was opened above them, his thin lips were pursed and he was still pale. He hugged his arms around himself, his slender fingers tightly clutching the cold cloth of his robe.

     Even when Chu Wanning was afraid, he didn’t reach for others, but himself.

     Mo Ran was stunned for a moment.

     Then, the aggressive light in his eyes went out, turning into a fine and fragmented light, like a fisherman’s flame.

     Very gentle.

     The lips that had originally wanted to kiss him curved slightly, carrying a soft and bitter smile.

     The hand that had been about to embrace him suddenly stopped, and a moment later touched the back of his cold hand.

      “You…” Chu Wanning was shocked, a hint of red appearing on his pale face, but he remained alert and whispered, “What are you doing?”

      He tried to pull his hand away, but Mo Ran held it, refusing to let go. Chu Wanning only felt his frozen fingers fall into a large, warm hand, which closely covered his own from the center of his hand to the tips of his fingers.

     “Don’t always rely on yourself,” Mo Ran said. “I’m here, you can rely on me.”

     If Chu Wanning could still be said to be calm and collected before, after hearing these words, no matter how slow or hesitant he was, it was impossible for him not to sense the affection behind his words. Not to mention the dark, life-threatening eyes that gazed at him with a solemn, gentle, and loving look. Chu Wanning’s heart beat with the apprehension of a torrential downpour as it pounded against his soul bit by bit.

     He didn’t dare to look at Mo Ran’s eyes again, suddenly turning his face away and lowering his head.

     It’s too hot.

     How can it be so hot a hundred feet in the air?

     He had always been proud and calm, but at this moment it was as if he had suddenly stepped into a territory he was completely unaware of. The armor on his body had been stripped off, and the sharp claws forced into submission. In the face of Mo Ran’s sudden bluntness, Chu Wanning’s usual counterattack seemed to be ineffective. The man earnestly pried open his clam shell, looking straight at the white, quivering flesh inside. Both the shiny pearl and sweet clam meat were exposed to the man’s eyes.

     The proud and distant man lost his armor and was suddenly overcome with panic and helplessness.

     What should he do…?

     What should he say?

     He…

     He suddenly realized that his hand was still being held by Mo Ran, tightly pressed together.

     He didn’t know what to do. He was so anxious and nervous that his eyes were a little red, and he tried to pull his hand away again. However, the moment he moved, Mo Ran tightly held onto him.

     “Don’t take it away.”

     “...”

     He was so strong, stubborn, and unyielding. For some reason, Chu Wanning suddenly felt that there was a hint of sadness in his words.

     Mo Ran’s eyes blazed with emotion as he looked at him for a long time before he spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

     “Chu Wanning…”

     “...What did you call me?”

     “...I was wrong.”

     Chu Wanning’s body was even more tense than it was before and his heart was beating faster than when he first leapt on the sword. He wasn’t used to it. He tried his best to clear his head and make one last desperate struggle before falling into this great abyss.

     He lowered his eyes and said, “Well, you know you’re wrong, so you’re not hope…”

     Mo Ran’s heart was very hot, and finally, without thinking, he blurted out, “Wanning.”

     …less.

     Chu Wanning wasn’t able to utter the last word.

     When he heard the soft voice, his mind went blank.

     He couldn’t say the last word anymore.

     Hopeless—

     After hesitating outside the edges of love and desire for so long, they finally couldn’t help but fall into it. They were trapped within the inescapable net and could feel the pain seeping deep into their bones.

     Mo Ran’s voice was low and hoarse as he gazed at him, “Wanning, actually, these past few days I’ve been wanting to ask you a question.”

     “...”

     Mo Ran’s heart was burning fiercely, and he held onto Chu Wanning’s hand tightly, his fingers trembling.

     “No, I won’t ask you.”

     Chu Wanning was just breathing a sigh of relief when he heard Mo Ran’s next words.

     “I won’t ask you anything, I just want to tell you.”

     Mo Ran was resolute, and never looked back.

     In one breath, all of his courage was poured out.

     “I like you.”

     His heart was trembling violently.

     “I like you, not the way a disciple likes his Shizun, but… I’m being bold, I… I like you.”

     Chu Wanning closed his eyes. His fingers trembled under the man’s warm skin, gradually coming to a halt.

     How could it be?

     How could it be…

     He must have heard wrong. He was so ugly, so fierce, so bad at communicating, so uninteresting—he was nothing but a terrible fool. Who would like him?

     “I like you.”

     Chu Wanning was frozen for a long, long time; he was shocked, disoriented, and at a loss for words. He felt bitter and frightened, his mind going completely blank. He wanted to act like he used to—wanted to scold, “nonsense,” and say, “ridiculous!” but after thinking about it for a long time, he felt choked up and couldn’t find the words to express it.

     After a long pause, Chu Wanning finally said hoarsely, “...I have a bad temper.”

     “You’re very good to me.”

     “I… I’m old.”

     “You look younger than me.”

     Chu Wanning was filled with anxiety, bewilderment, and helplessness, “I’m so ugly…”

     This time, it was Mo Ran’s turn to be stunned. His eyes widened as he stared at the exceedingly handsome man in front of him. He didn’t understand why such a good-looking person would feel ashamed of himself.

     Seeing that Mo Ran didn’t say anything, Chu Wanning was even more flustered. He lowered his head and said, “I’m not good-looking.”

     “...”

     “Not as good-looking as you.”

     As he quietly muttered like this, his cheek was suddenly touched by a warm hand. He heard Mo Ran sigh; it was actually gentler than the moonlight. Mo Ran said, “Look into my eyes.”

     “Your eyes…?”

     Mo Ran’s eyes were warm, reflecting the figure of a man in white. He said, “Do you see it? That’s the most beautiful person in the world.”

     Chu Wanning stared at him. Although his heart was in turmoil, there wasn’t much of an expression on his face.

     Mo Ran gripped his hand, sweating lightly.

     He said softly, “I like you.”

     Chu Wanning felt as if he had been stabbed, his fingers trembling. After a moment, he suddenly lowered his head. “I like you” was like a sharp knife stabbing into his heart, causing his blood to flow, but he wasn’t able to stop it.

     Chu Wanning’s eyes reddened. It was probably because he really had waited too long, but he actually didn’t know that when he heard these words, he would have this kind of reaction. He was so anxious that he almost cried. He said, “I’m not good. I’ve never… I’ve never been liked.”

     I’ve never been liked.

     No one has ever felt happy, proud, and lucky to have me.

     Thirty-two years.

     No one has ever liked me.

     When he heard these words, Mo Ran looked at the man in front of him who had his head lowered, not even willing to lift his face. Suddenly, he felt so much pain, so much pain that it was as if his heart cracked and his bones were crushed.

     This man was his treasure, but he had been covered in dust for nearly half of his life.

     He was in so much pain that he didn’t know what to say. In the end, he could only clumsily hold Chu Wanning’s hand tightly as he said repeatedly, “Yes there is, there is.”

     Someone likes you. I like you.

     Someone wants you, someone wants you very much. Stop looking down on yourself, stop feeling inferior, stop treating your best self as worthless. Dummy.

     Dummy Chu Wanning.

     I like you.

     After a long time, Mo Ran asked him, “What about you?”

     “...What?”

     Mo Ran lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly. He said, “I… I’m so stupid, so ignorant, so unreliable. I… I’ve also made so many mistakes that cannot be forgiven.”

     He paused, then whispered, “Do you like me?”

     Chu Wanning had initially raised his head, but upon hearing his words, he suddenly met those soft black eyes and became flustered. He didn’t know where he got the strength, but he suddenly pulled his hand back and turned away from Mo Ran.

     He didn’t nod, but he also didn’t shake his head.

     There was no affirmation, nor was there any denial.

     But Mo Ran could clearly see that Chu Wanning’s ears had turned red, so much so that his beautiful neck was like a blooming flower.

     “The brocade pouch…”

     “Don’t say it,” Chu Wanning suddenly said in a muffled voice. This time his whole face was red. “Don’t say it.”

     Mo Ran looked at Chu Wanning’s reluctant and bewildered expression and his eyes glimmered with sadness and confusion as the moonlight lingered in them.

     He turned and reached out his hand again, catching Chu Wanning’s fingertips.

     Chu Wanning was trembling, and as Mo Ran held his hand, his fingers also started to shake lightly. He covered Chu Wanning’s slender fingers and held them tightly, folding them one by one in a way that had never been done before.

     Ten fingers interlocked, palms pressed together.

     Chu Wanning’s face was flushed red as he looked away.

     This time, he didn’t try to break free.

     And so, Mo Ran held Chu Wanning’s hand and finally realized the truth.

     Chu Wanning… liked him too.

     He finally understood.