Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The dance studio instantly fell silent, with only the soft sound of the lake water lapping against the shore.

Little Ba landed on her lap, its round eyes filled with worry: "Grandma, are you alright?"

"fine."

Liu Yunshu raised her hand to wipe the blood from her lips, her voice calm, "I didn't expect him to have such poor patience."

Xiao Ba: Goodness, with your actions, any man with that kind of patience, I'd respect him as a eunuch!

Liu Yunshu slowly stood up, straightened her disheveled dance costume, and retied her silk scarf, concealing all the ambiguity and embarrassment.

On the other side, Gu Shichen sat in the car, his eyes fixed intently on his index and middle fingers.

He slowly brought the sniff closer, a dark, burning light flashing in his eyes, and a lingering, cool fragrance seemed to remain on his fingertips.

She brought it close to her lips and licked it, the faint salty taste mixed with her unique, refreshing scent.

It wrapped around his tongue like a vine, traveled down his throat, and burned his heart.

"Liu Yunshu..." Gu Shichen murmured the name, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily. "The more you resist, the more fascinated I become."

As soon as Liu Yunshu stepped out of the second-floor dance studio, she ran into Li Wei, who was hurrying up with a glass of warm water, her eyes filled with undisguised worry.

"Yunshu, you've been up there for so long, are you alright?"

She took the water glass and smiled faintly, "It's nothing, I was just a little tired after dancing, so I rested for a while."

When she spoke, she deliberately avoided Li Wei's gaze, afraid that the abnormality of her lips would be noticed.

But Li Wei, with her sharp eyes, noticed her swollen lips and exclaimed, "What happened to your lips?"

Liu Yunshu pursed her lips, feigning nonchalance, and unconsciously covered her mouth with her fingers, her voice light and amused:

"I was so engrossed in practicing 'Floating Light' that I accidentally bumped into the barre when I turned around and hurt myself."

"Huh? Is it serious?" Li Wei immediately leaned closer to see clearly. "How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?"

"It's a minor injury, nothing serious."

Liu Yunshu stepped aside and handed the water glass back to her. "I've finished the water, thank you. By the way, how was the rehearsal this afternoon?"

She deliberately changed the subject, and Li Wei was indeed led astray, frowning and complaining:

"What else can I do? The new ones keep missing the beat, they're driving me crazy. But after your demonstration of 'Huo Yuanjia' this morning, they're much more serious now."

Liu Yunshu nodded, her gaze sweeping over the students practicing diligently downstairs, her voice calm: "No rush, I'll go over the movements with them again tonight."

Liu Yunshu led everyone in practice until the afternoon.

During the break, my phone suddenly rang, and the words "Shen Moci" appeared on the screen.

Her eyes softened instantly, and her voice became softer when she answered the phone: "Mo Ci."

"Yunshu, are you done with your work?"

Shen Moci's voice came through the receiver, as gentle as ever, "I'm at the theater troupe's entrance, I'll take you to dinner."

"So fast?"

Liu Yunshu was somewhat surprised. She looked up at the window and, sure enough, saw the familiar white sedan parked on the side of the road.

"I'm coming right away."

After hanging up the phone, she said to Li Wei, "I'm leaving now, you can take care of things here."

"Go ahead, go ahead," Li Wei waved her hand, a teasing smile in her eyes.

Liu Yunshu smiled, picked up her handbag, and quickly walked out of the theater troupe.

Shen Moci had already gotten out of the car and was waiting. When he saw her come out, he immediately went up to her and naturally took her bag.

But he keenly noticed the unusual appearance of her lips and frowned slightly: "Yun Shu, why are your lips swollen? And they're cracked."

Liu Yunshu's heart tightened, but she quickly put on a wronged expression, gently touched the corner of her lips, and spoke in a soft voice:

"I accidentally bumped into the barre while practicing dance. It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Shen Moci was still worried. He reached out to touch her but was afraid of hurting her. His fingertips hovered in mid-air, his eyes full of heartache.

"How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

She took his arm and rested her head on his shoulder, her tone coquettish.

"With you here, it doesn't hurt anymore."

This word of dependence felt like a feather gently brushing against his heart, and Shen Moci's heart softened instantly. He gently ruffled her hair.

"Be careful next time. I'll take you to eat something light so as not to irritate the wound."

With the air conditioning on in the car, Liu Yunshu leaned back in the passenger seat, looking at Shen Moci's profile as he focused on driving, her gaze somewhat complicated.

This man's gentleness is as pure as a blank sheet of paper. What would his reaction be if he knew everything...?

As dusk deepened outside the window, neon lights lit up one by one, casting a soft silhouette on Shen Moci's profile.

He seemed to notice her gaze, turned to her, and smiled, his eyes filled with undisguised doting affection: "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about how delicious the breakfast you made was."

Liu Yunshu snapped out of her thoughts, a gentle smile curving her lips.

Shen Moci chuckled at her words and reached out to ruffle her hair: "If you like it, I'll make it for you every day from now on."

The car slowly drove into a quiet alley and stopped in front of a quaint, private restaurant.

Shen Moci considerately opened the car door for her and led her into the store.

They quickly ordered a table full of dishes, all of them light in flavor, clearly ordered especially for her.

"Try this tofu soup, it's very tender and won't irritate your wound."

Shen Moci scooped up a spoonful and held it to her lips, his eyes so tender they could drown a person.

"Mmm, delicious." Liu Yunshu opened her mouth to take it, tasting the delicate warmth on her tongue.

Shen Moci also scooped up a spoonful, smiling with narrowed eyes: "It tastes good, it's a pity that Ayan can't have any."

Liu Yunshu paused slightly as she scooped the soup, then looked up at him: "Mr. Lu, what's wrong?"

"Ayan has to go on a business trip out of town. His flight is tonight, so he's probably already at the airport by now."

Shen Moci casually said, picking up a piece of green vegetable and putting it into her bowl.

"We had planned to have dinner together tonight, but work got in the way."

Liu Yunshu's fingers, which were holding the spoon, curled almost imperceptibly. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but she said calmly, "That's really unfortunate."

The meal was warm and sweet, with Shen Moci taking meticulous care of her throughout, afraid that she might touch the wound on her lip.

When they left the restaurant, it was already late at night. The alley was so quiet that they could hear their footsteps. Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows.

"Shall we take a walk back?" He turned to look at her, his eyes reflecting the moonlight, so tender they were intoxicating. "It's not far, just a twenty-minute walk."

Liu Yunshu nodded and let him lead her forward.

Passing by a small stall selling sugar paintings, under the dim light, the master craftsman was skillfully sketching on a stone slab with a spoon.

The syrup solidified quickly upon cooling, transforming into a lifelike rabbit.

Shen Moci stopped and asked her with a smile, "Do you want some? I always pestered my dad to buy them for me when I was little, they were so sweet."

Just as she was about to shake her head, he took out some money and handed it to her, his tone somewhat childlike: "Master, I'd like a rabbit."

The sugar painting was still warm and sweet when it was handed to her, and Liu Yunshu took a small bite.

The delicate sweetness spread in my mouth, but it couldn't mask the slight stinging sensation on my lips.

Seeing her frown, Shen Moci immediately reached out to wipe the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth, his voice full of heartache:

"Is it too sweet? Is it irritating the wound?"

"No, it's delicious."

She shook her head, her fingers pinching the small sugar rabbit.

When they reached the bottom of the apartment building, Shen Moci suddenly took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her, a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"This is for you."

Liu Yunshu raised an eyebrow and opened the box, inside which lay a small silver moon pendant.

It gleams softly in the moonlight, with delicate patterns engraved on the edges, making it extremely exquisite.

"Why did you suddenly give me a gift?"

I saw it when I passed by a jewelry store, and it looked like you.

He scratched his head, his ears turning slightly red. "You're so aloof and beautiful, like someone made of moonlight. It would look great on you."

He raised his hand and carefully put it on her, his fingertips brushing against her collarbone, bringing a slightly cool touch.

Liu Yunshu looked down at the small moon and suddenly heard him say softly:

"Yunshu, I think... let's get engaged after you've finished your work with the theater troupe."

She looked up abruptly, meeting his earnest eyes, which held no jokes, only sincerity and expectation.

The sugar painting in my hand suddenly fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. The sweet aroma wafted in the air, but it also carried an unexpected bitterness.

"Mo Ci, I..."

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked with cotton; she didn't know how to respond.

Shen Moci thought she was just shy, and chuckled as he ruffled her hair: "No rush, take your time thinking, I'll wait for you."

He bent down to pick up the sugar painting fragments from the ground, threw them into the nearby trash can, turned around, still holding her hand, and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Let's go upstairs, it'll be too late and you'll catch a cold."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next few days were the most relaxing time for Liu Yunshu.

Aside from going to coffee shops, Shen Moci would come to the theater troupe to accompany her to rehearsals, his gentleness like a clinging vine, wrapping her in an airtight warmth.

Until the night of the third day.

Everyone in the troupe had left, and Liu Yunshu was alone in the dance studio on the second floor.

She practiced "Floating Light" while waiting for Shen Moci to come and pick her up.

The serene melody of the guzheng still lingered in the dance studio, and the moonlight, streaming through the French windows, cast a long, slender shadow of Liu Yunshu.

With her flowing sleeves, she resembled a white plum blossom blooming alone in the cold night.

She stepped barefoot on the polished floor, the pressure from her fingertips deliberately restrained.

The wound on her lips had not fully healed, and there was still a slight pain when it was pulled, which only made the sorrow of "Fleeting Light" feel more real.

When the music ended, she stood still, slightly out of breath.

Sweat beads slid down her chin and dripped onto her plain white dance costume, leaving a small damp patch.

Just as I was about to raise my hand to wipe the sweat, a burst of applause suddenly came from behind me.

The applause was deep and rhythmic, echoing through the empty dance studio.

Startled, Liu Yunshu froze and turned around abruptly.