Kyoto Night Kiss

The surface of the pool water rippled with tiny, shimmering waves.

Qu Yun has always been afraid of water, and now, just standing on the side makes her heart clench uncontrollably.

Her gaze was fixed on Lu Junhe's departing figure.

Seeing that he didn't pause at all, she didn't have time to weigh the pros and cons. She closed her eyes, fell backward, and plunged straight into the pool.

"Thump—"

The moment she entered the water, Qu Yun was overwhelmed by a huge sense of panic. She couldn't swim at all and flailed her arms and legs wildly.

The water in the pool rushed into her nose and mouth, and she choked, feeling a tearing pain in her throat.

The water here is deeper and deeper than Qu Yun had imagined.

She couldn't touch the bottom of the pool, and her body kept sinking uncontrollably.

Lu Junhe didn't come to her rescue, probably thinking she was just fooling around.

She really did act crazy...

The ripples blurred Qu Yun's vision, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the downward pull became stronger and stronger. Her hand, which had been reaching towards the surface of the pool, had lost its strength.

To die like this...

Suddenly, a dark shadow broke through the water and plunged into the pool. A strong arm pierced through the water and firmly gripped Qu Yun's waist, which was about to go limp.

Lu Junhe pulled Qu Yun ashore as quickly as possible, his expression cold and indifferent.

Qu Yun lay on the cold floor, unable to stop herself from bending over and violently choking on water. Her clothes were soaked through and clung to her skin, and she was shivering all over.

Although she didn't actually die, the suffocating feeling from choking on water lingered in her mind.

Lu Junhe was also dripping with water. His brows were furrowed into a cold, stern expression. Only after Qu Yun calmed down and stopped coughing did he suppress his anger and question her, "Are you crazy?"

"Knowing he's afraid of water and can't swim, why did he recklessly jump into the deep water? Was he risking his life out of spite?"

Qu Yun did not answer, but raised her head, her eyes wet with tears.

She said, "Are you going to listen to my explanation or not?"

"If you don't listen, I'll keep jumping."

To deal with a paranoid person like Lu Junhe, she had to become even more paranoid.

Water droplets fell from the ends of their hair to the ground, forming a small dark water stain.

Lu Junhe seemed to have lost his temper, replaced by a deathly indifference.

He stood there, his back straight, without moving an inch.

Qu Yun immediately gripped the man's drooping hand tightly. She didn't have the strength to stand up, so she could only continue sitting on the cold floor and solemnly apologize: "Lu Junhe, I'm sorry. When I was at my mother's, I did have some doubts about you."

"But you need to know that my doubts are just because I'm worried about you. I'm afraid that if we get back together, we'll break up again. Even if you really do something bad, all I can think about is how to stay by your side."

"And...and about Wang Bing's drowning, I already know it has nothing to do with you. The person who actually pushed him into the river was the girl he had bullied before. He just got his comeuppance."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Junhe slowly raised his eyes, his tone indifferent to the point of being almost apathetic: "Is that all you wanted to say?"

Qu Yun was stunned.

Isn't that enough?

She thought that as long as she cleared up these misunderstandings and explained her feelings clearly, Lu Junhe would calm down.

But what is his reaction after hearing this?

Before Qu Yun could reply, Lu Junhe's cold words struck her head.

He said impatiently, "If you continue to pester me with this self-harming behavior, I will completely cut off your right to see the children."

"My son doesn't need a mother who is mentally unstable."

Qu Yun suddenly loosened her grip on Lu Junhe's hand.

She blinked in disbelief and confusion.

Is the man in front of her really someone she knows?

Her voice trembled as she asked, "Lu Junhe, how...how could you use the child to blackmail me?"

"You know perfectly well how important Lu Jinxing is to me; he's my own flesh and blood. How can you use something like this as leverage to force me to stay away from you?"

Clearly, he was just as important to her.

Qu Yun couldn't bring herself to say those words; she kept them to herself.

Lu Junhe's expression remained unchanged. He gently pulled away from Qu Yun's cold hand, turned away from her gaze, and refused to engage in any more maneuvering.

The departing figure was even more resolute than before.

*

When Qu Yun left the club, she was soaked to the bone and only wrapped in a large towel. She had been exposed to a lot of cold wind, and unsurprisingly, she caught a cold after returning home.

At night, my whole body was burning hot.

Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, her head was dizzy and throbbing, and with each breath, her throat felt like it was on fire.

While groggily getting up to pour water, I accidentally dropped the cup on the floor.

Hearing the noise, Cheng Tongzhou, who was still awake, knocked on the door and entered her room. When he reached out and touched her feverish forehead, his expression immediately became tense.

He busied himself searching for fever reducers and fever patches at home, and even went to the kitchen to brew ginger and jujube soup to dispel the cold.

Qu Yun's eyelids were heavy, but she wasn't asleep.

She could feel Cheng Tongzhou's care, tenderness, and gentleness. He not only gently wiped her neck with warm water, but also blew on the warm ginger soup to cool it down before patiently feeding it to her.

After tossing and turning for most of the night, Qu Yun's high fever finally subsided a bit, and she regained consciousness.

She walked weakly into the living room and looked at Cheng Tongzhou, who was still washing the dishes, and a sense of guilt welled up in her heart.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Cheng Tongzhou asked earnestly as he turned around and saw her.

He sat down beside her, as if he knew what had happened that day, and said with a serious expression, "Qu Yun, you are not allowed to go to see him anymore."

"Every time I see you injured, I feel even sadder than you do."

Qu Yun smiled and still had the energy to joke: "Then your heart is too fragile. You should eat more apples."

Cheng Tongzhou was taken aback before realizing that eating apples could keep doctors away.

Does he want to distance himself from himself?

It's both infuriating and hilarious.

The night outside the window was deep and quiet, with only the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.

Qu Yun lowered her eyes.

Beside him, Cheng Tongzhou spoke again: "If the pain outweighs the happiness, then choose to let go."

"Yunyun, do you think I'm okay?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Yun actually looked up at Cheng Tongzhou.

The warm yellow light fell on his face, making him look calm and grounded, as if he were a warm harbor where a person who had been wandering for a long time had finally found refuge after a lifetime of good fortune.

She is so, so different from Lu Junhe.

But her heart won't beat because of this, what should she do?

"Tongzhou, you know I've always considered you my family, the family I chose." Qu Yun had a faint smile on her lips. "You're the one who should have let go."

"I'm full of troubles, and I have a child with Lu Junhe. I don't deserve your sincerity."

Cheng Tongzhou's smile faded. He leaned forward and spoke more earnestly, "Qu Yun, never belittle yourself like that. In my eyes, there is no such thing as being worthy or unworthy."

"My love for you is not just a passing fancy. Your past, your concerns, everything about you—I am willing to accept it all."

Seeing Qu Yun remain silent, Cheng Tongzhou softened his tone, "I know how important Lu Jinxing is to you. As long as you ask, I can use all my connections to hire the best lawyers to help you fight for custody with the Lu family."

"I will treat your own child with the same sincerity."

These words were so sincere that Qu Yun's nose tingled with emotion.

Just as she was about to speak, a soft thud came from the stairs as a pillow fell to the ground.

The two adults looked towards the stairwell together.

In the shadow of the steps, Cheng Chongchong, who should have been sleeping soundly, was standing there with her arms empty.

He wasn't as cheerful and carefree as usual.

Her small face was filled with panic and astonishment.

That was an expression Qu Yun had never seen on his face before.