Shi Yen woke up next to Yuan Shun, sleeping against her in the morning. She watched as his chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. His hair was a beautiful mess, toppling over his eyes.
She reached out to trace the sharp lines of his jaw, trailing down to his chest to feel his steady heartbeat.
She wondered how she could have hated someone so kind, humorous, and vulnerable. For a long time, she had felt nothing until she met Shun. She may have felt rage and anger towards him at first, but it was something—an emotion. And then he opened other parts of her that she had left behind and long forgotten.
Shi Yen found one of his hands, interlacing his fingers with hers. Yuan Shun stirred. He collected her in his arms in his sleep, and Shi Yen's heartbeat raced. She felt more aware of him, shyer, ever since she discovered what the depths of her feelings were.
