Gu Ran opened his eyes and swiftly withdrew his hand from He Qingyan's embrace. His other hand was a beat slower, as if only after seeing the action of the first hand did he realize he also needed to release Chen Ke.
The four quickly separated and stood properly. He Qingyan covered her chest with her bathrobe in a posture as if she had been assaulted.
Zhuang Jing and the others walked in.
The "Lake Water" was spacious enough that even with nine people gathered in the living room, it felt lively rather than cramped.
Of course, the liveliness referred only to the size of the space, not the atmosphere.
At this moment, the atmosphere... usually, people are hardly aware of their breathing unless thrown into water. Similarly, Gu Ran, Su Qing, Chen Ke, and He Qingyan usually weren't aware of the authority of their elders unless they were caught playing a game.
—It was roughly the kind of atmosphere where one becomes aware of their own breathing.
