"Hmph… who wants to shower with you?" she muttered, the words muffled by her hands, her voice losing its melodic command and taking on the petulant tone of a thwarted child. She peeked at him through her fingers, her eyes wide. "There are so many men all over the world!" It was a ridiculous, defensive whisper, a retreat into a fantasy of options she had never before needed to consider.
Lu Yuze watched the transformation with a fascination that tightened his chest. The siren was gone, and in her place was this unexpectedly young, vulnerable woman, pouting behind her hands. He didn't chase her. He simply stood there, a faint, tender smile touching his lips.
"It's okay," he said, his voice gentle, absolving her of the failed enchantment.
But the unspoken words hung, crystal clear, in the space between them: Go and look. You won't find another.
