Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

Arya stood by the bed, her hand still being held by Lin Yu, her face already flushed red to the roots of her neck.

She looked down at the black stockings on her legs, then looked up at Lin Yu. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

"Um...why the rush..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until the last few words were barely audible. Her fingers twitched restlessly in his palm, trying to pull away but without much force, just hanging there half-open, her whole body stiffened by the bedside, like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck.

Lin Yu did not let go.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at her. He had just finished soaking in the hot spring, and his hair was still damp, with a few stray strands falling across his forehead, making his eyes appear even deeper. The top two buttons of his collar were undone, and the skin below his collarbone was flushed a thin layer of red from the steam, making him look much more relaxed than usual—but his gaze was anything but relaxed.

"Urgent?" He repeated the word, his tone flat, but the last syllable rose slightly. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Arya's ears turned even redder.

That's as if she made him wait for ages. They'd only come back from the hot springs… well, she'd lingered in the pool for ages, splashing around and admiring the scenery, refusing to get up. Lin Yu urged her three times, and she always said she wanted to soak a little longer. Finally, he just stood up, wrapped her in a towel, and half-carried, half-dragged her away.

She didn't dare look at him the whole way.

The lights in the corridor were dim, but her face shone as if it were on fire.

Underneath the bath towel was her swimsuit, and under the swimsuit were the black stockings she had specially worn today. She had planned to take them off after soaking in the hot spring, but she had completely forgotten about them. Now, standing in the bedroom, being stared at so intently by Lin Yu, she wished she could disappear into the ground.

"I... I thought you were busy with something else today..." she made up a lame excuse, glancing out the window.

Lin Yu didn't reply. He pulled her hand slightly towards him, not with much force, but Arya, who was already unsteady on her feet, stumbled forward with her knee hitting the edge of the bed and almost fell into his arms.

"you--"

She was about to complain when she looked down and met his gaze.

Those eyes weren't as calm as usual. Now there was a lazy heat within them, like the red glow hidden beneath the white ash of a burning ember—it didn't look hot, but you'd only realize how strong it was when you put your hand in.

Arya forgot everything she was about to say.

"I have a question for you." Lin Yu's voice was a little lower than before.

"...What?"

"You're wearing this," he glanced down at her legs, then looked up at her again, "is it for me to see, or for someone else to see?"

Arya's mind went blank.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say, "Who wore them for you?", "I just wore them casually," and "Don't flatter yourself." But even she didn't believe these words. She had bought these black stockings a long time ago, keeping them at the very back of her closet, the tags still on. Today, before leaving the house, she searched for a long time before finally finding them. After putting them on, she stood in front of the mirror for five minutes, then took them off, then put them on again, going through this process three times.

She wore it in the end.

I kept wondering if he would notice. I was afraid he would see it, and I was also afraid he wouldn't.

Now that he's seen it and asked directly, so bluntly, she doesn't know how to answer.

……