By the time Yue Ling slowly stirred, the sky outside was already brightly lit, with faint traces of gray clouds drifting across the morning horizon.
For a few moments, she remained caught between sleep and wakefulness, unaware of where she was. The steady warmth surrounding her felt almost dreamlike, while the rhythmic beat beneath her cheek slowly pulled her back to reality.
She recognized his scent first.
Then the familiar strength of his arms wrapped securely around her waist.
Her eyelashes fluttered before her bluish-green eyes slowly opened.
The first thing she saw was the faint morning light filtering through the curtains.
The second was Lu Tian.
He was still asleep, his features unusually relaxed. One arm remained firmly around her, as though even in sleep, his instinct was to keep her close.
Yue Ling remained still.
She stared at him.
Last night came back to her in fragments—the hospital, Jingxu, her grandfather, Fate, Hung Woo…
Her chest tightened.
