The air was utterly still.

A light drizzle pattered against the glossy leaves of the ivy.

Suddenly, Luo Xi’s eyes brightened again. "Momo, he's threatening you, right? Just like last time, he's forcing you, isn't he?" A childish glimmer lit his gaze, as if he had finally found the answer; the words tumbled out quickly and softly.

Looking at the hopeful spark in his eyes, Yin Xia Mo was stunned into silence, a sharp knife twisting in her heart, slicing piece by agonizing piece.

She clenched her fist suddenly, the sharp pain in her palm a desperate barrier against the agony inside. Suppressing everything with immense force, she kept her voice perfectly level.

"No. He isn't threatening me."

"He isn't... Then what is the reason? You’ve exhausted every excuse..." Luo Xi mumbled, lost and bewildered, a roaring echo sounding in his head, like a torrential downpour—everything was chaotic and cold.

"Could it be... you really have always loved him... Is that why we broke up? You’re already with him, this quickly..." So fast... They had only been apart for a few days, and she and he had already progressed to the point of marriage... Just like that... That was it then... A faint, metallic taste rose in Yin Xia Mo’s throat, as if fresh blood were churning within.

Standing rooted, she felt like a stone weathered by erosion; the slightest breeze would turn her to dust and scatter her away.

The rain fell quietly.

Water droplets beaded and rolled off the ivy leaves, one by one.

"I don't believe you anymore."

Luo Xi suddenly stared at her, holding his breath, a slow smile forming like white mist. "So, everything you just said... I don't believe any of it."

Her eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly.

"You're lying to me, aren't you? Everything you just said here..." His smile was soft, his fingers tracing gently over her lips. "It's all fake, right? My Momo, what brilliant acting..."

"Luo Xi..." His smile startled her into silence.

The next moment, his hand suddenly tightened, pulling her shoulder towards him as he bent down and claimed her mouth in a kiss! A kiss entirely without warning! This kiss tasted of pure despair, yet it seemed laced with a final, desperate craving and hope, which only made the flavor of that despair more potent, rattling her heart! She tried to pull back, to struggle free, but her body slowly became immobile, as if cursed. Enduring Luo Xi’s desperate kiss, she forced her own emotions down, refusing to respond, stiff as wood, simply letting her eyes drift slowly shut.

At the far end of the hospital corridor.

The thick, dark green leaves of the ivy clung densely to the wall.

On the balcony.

Fine rain drifted down.

The figures of the two were shrouded in the mist of the drizzle, a pale white haze, like a wash of ink painting that would never truly fade.

The steady, deep sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, jolting the silent scene within the fog.

Luo Xi released her.

Staring blankly—at her—"You really are..." Her body was rigid and cold, that chill spreading from her shoulder into his hands, freezing him bit by bit, forcing a dryness into his throat until he could utter no more words.

The footsteps grew nearer.

The heavy sense of pressure was undeniable; the steps approached steadily. Luo Xi looked up blankly in the direction of the sound, and upon seeing the figure, his arms instinctively tightened around her! A sharp pain shot through Yin Xia Mo’s shoulder; she inwardly gasped, turning her head to look—down the length of the hallway.

Ou Chen’s features were indistinct in the shadows; she couldn't read his expression. He walked step by measured step, heading directly towards Yin Xia Mo, as if she were the only person on that veranda.

Reaching her, Ou Chen’s face was utterly devoid of expression. He calmly hooked his arm around her shoulder and drew her firmly into his embrace.

Summer of Bubbles III