"I... Gong Beiming, I love you, so very much... When I see you with other women, it hurts my heart so much. I tell myself I shouldn't have inappropriate thoughts about you. But... I still miss you, I want to see you every day, I want your hugs every day..." She spoke haltingly, her voice a whisper.
"Mm, I love you too very much. So, how about we be together?"
"No, my mother said doing so would send us to Hell, and I'm scared. I don't want my baby to go down to Hell with me. He's so little!"
Her soft voice was mixed with low sobbing, like crying after an injury.
He felt an ache in his heart listening to her, and when he reached out to hold her, he realized she was still deep in sleep, talking in her dreams.
His arm touched her forehead, and it was frighteningly hot.
He hurriedly turned on the bedside lamp, only then noticing that she had gone to bed with her hair wet without drying it.
