The night was quiet, with only the faint hum of city lights seeping through the curtains in Xiao Zhan's small apartment. He glanced at Sang Zhi, her soft breaths steady as she leaned heavily against his shoulder, the slight blush on her cheeks deepened from the wine she'd insisted on drinking. He hadn't meant for her to get drunk, but she'd seemed so insistent, so carefree tonight.

It was rare to see her like this. Always so guarded, so serious around everyone else, but with him, she let down her walls. And in moments like this, Xiao Zhan's own walls started to crumble. He'd been her friend for years, the one she called at 2 a.m. for advice, the one she teased relentlessly, the one who had secretly fallen for her.

As he helped her into his room, her arms instinctively circled around his neck, pulling him closer. Her head leaned against his chest, and for a moment, Xiao Zhan froze, feeling the steady thrum of his heart. He tried to gently lay her down, but her fingers tightened, her face inches from his. He could smell the wine on her breath, He knew he should pull away. She was drunk, unaware, her guard completely down.

But he couldn't help it. As he laid her on the bed, he paused staring deeply into her as if he wanted to bore a hole on her face, his hands moved without control as he brushed off the strands of hair on her face, tucking it behind her ears, he bent his head down causing his lips to brush over hers, soft and tentative at first, But then, something in him stirred, and he pressed deeper, feeling the warmth of her mouth, the softness of her lips,he hungrily slided his tongue Into her mouth,the kiss intensified, His heart raced, and for a second, he imagined her kissing him back. He imagined the two of them together, not as best friends, but as something so much closer, so much more.

But then, she shifted slightly, her eyes fluttering, almost as if she were about to wake. Xiao Zhan pulled away, breathless, shaken, his heart beating wildly as he looked down at her. Her face had softened again, lost in sleep.

He quietly left the room, closing the door behind him, the warmth of her lips lingering. He walked to the bathroom of the guest room after which he turned on cold shower as of washing down the heat and lust from him.he lay back in the bathtub, covering his face with his hands. He had crossed a line, yet that moment had been everything he'd ever wanted. The truth was, he had fallen in love with her a long time ago, but he was terrified to admit it. She was his best friend, the one constant in his life, and he was afraid that confessing his feelings would ruin everything they had. If she didn't feel the same, would it destroy their friendship?

Xiao Zhan sighed, running a hand through his hair. How was it possible to feel so close to someone yet be so far away? With his heart pounding and his mind racing, he lay awake, wondering if he could keep pretending they were just friends

The next morning 🌟.

The morning sunlight spilled through the thin curtains, casting a warm glow over Xiao Zhan's apartment. He woke up to the faint scent of lavender a fragrance that somehow lingered whenever Sang Zhi was around. His mind, however, was far from the peaceful light of morning. Memories from last night hit him in fragmented bursts: the warmth of her body leaning against him, the way her soft breaths grazed his shoulder, and that brief, stolen kiss he still couldn't believe he'd dared to take.

Xiao Zhan ran a hand over his face, sitting up in bed as a pang of guilt settled in. He shouldn't have done it. She'd been drunk, completely oblivious. She had no idea that, in the midst of her vulnerability, her best friend had crossed a line he'd sworn never to approach.

A soft knock on his door jolted him out of his thoughts. His pulse quickened. It was her.

"Zhan?" Sang Zhi's voice was muffled, still thick with sleep. "Are you up?"

He took a deep breath and forced his expression into a mask of nonchalance. "Yeah, coming," he replied, his voice barely steady.

He opened the door to find her standing there, eyes half-open, her hair a mess. She looked at him with a sleepy smile, and for a moment, Xiao Zhan felt his heart twist painfully in his chest. She looked beautiful, even in this disheveled state—especially in this state, he realized. Carefree, unfiltered.

"Good morning," she mumbled, stretching her arms as she yawned. "I feel like I got hit by a bus. Did I… drink that much?"

He chuckled nervously, the sound more strained than he intended. "Uh… yeah. You were pretty out of it."

She grimaced. "Great. Well, do you have coffee? Or, you know, a time machine, so I can erase my mistakes?"

Xiao Zhan laughed, feeling a sliver of tension melt away. She didn't remember. Relief washed over him, mingling with a surprising pang of disappointment he couldn't quite explain. "Coffee, yes. Time machine… still working on it."

She padded over to the kitchen, looking around as if searching for something, then turned back to him with a frown. "I didn't… do anything too embarrassing, did I?"

His throat tightened, but he forced himself to keep his voice casual. "Just the usual Sang Zhi chaos. Nothing out of the ordinary."

She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not convinced. "The way you say that makes me nervous." She reached for her phone, checking messages and scrolling, likely looking for anything she might have missed or forgotten. Xiao Zhan seized the chance to focus on making coffee, hoping the familiar routine would calm his nerves.

As the coffee brewed, he stole a glance at her. She was still scrolling through her phone, occasionally sighing as if trying to piece together the night. A small smile played on his lips. Despite her toughness, Sang Zhi had a soft, almost vulnerable side she rarely let others see. But he saw it. And the realization brought a familiar warmth to his chest, one that bordered too close to longing.

"Zhan," she suddenly said, pulling him from his thoughts. "Are you sure I didn't do anything weird?"

He turned, trying to keep his expression neutral. "Positive."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you look guilty?"

"Guilty? Me?" He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, trying not to think about the fact that he had, indeed, stolen a kiss. "I'm just… making sure you're okay."

She tilted her head, considering him, and then shrugged it off with a smile. "If you say so." Her tone was light, but there was a hint of something in her gaze—something uncertain, almost as if she could sense the shift between them.

The coffee pot beeped, and Xiao Zhan seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Coffee's ready." He poured two mugs, sliding one over to her.

They sat across from each other, the silence stretching between them as they sipped their coffee. Xiao Zhan could feel her gaze on him, her eyes tracing his face as if trying to read something hidden beneath the surface. He forced himself to look casual, but inside, his heart was racing. Every small movement felt charged, every glance, every accidental brush of her hand against his.

"So…" she began, setting her mug down. "How did I end up here?"

"Well," he said, trying to sound breezy, "you insisted on going for drinks, had a few too many, and then passed out in the cab. I figured it'd be easier for you to crash here than try to get you home."

She nodded, then laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sounds like me. Thanks for looking out for me… as usual."

"Of course," he replied, his voice soft. "That's what friends are for, right?"

The words felt heavier than he intended, lingering between them like an unspoken promise. Friends. It was what he'd always been to her, what he'd promised himself he'd stay. But after last night, after that kiss… his feelings felt like they were slipping through the cracks he'd so carefully built.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her attention away as she glanced at the screen. Xiao Zhan took the opportunity to steal a quick look at her, his eyes tracing the familiar lines of her face, trying to memorize every detail. She was completely unaware, oblivious to the storm of emotions raging within him.

"Hey," she said suddenly, looking up at him. "I feel like I haven't seen you smile all morning. Are you sure you're okay?"

Xiao Zhan forced a grin. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"From babysitting me all night?" she teased, nudging him playfully.

"Maybe a little," he said, chuckling as he pushed away the ache of wanting something he couldn't have.

They shared a smile, a warm, familiar silence stretching between them. But to Xiao Zhan, it was different. It felt like something fragile and precious something he didn't want to break.