This scene was something Yaxi had only dreamed of before, but now that it was actually happening, she wasn't happy.
Instead, when Chen Ling had cursed earlier, her heart had been in turmoil. Looking back on it, she felt deeply saddened.
She believed that Chen Ling had bent his principles for Xu Xiaoyi, willing to stoop so low just to protect his "white moonlight."
In the winter mall, even with the air conditioning running, wearing just a single layer of clothing left her shivering.
The fleeting warmth from their encounter quickly dissipated, and Yaxi's skin finally registered the biting cold.
Calmly, she got off Chen Ling, picked up her soaked underwear from the stool, and put it on.
The thin fabric clung to her as she pulled it up her legs, hugging her figure before settling around her hips.
Chen Ling watched silently from the side, not uttering a word. Only after she slipped on her sweater and coat did the restlessness within him subside.
Between them, it felt as if an icy chasm had opened up, separating their hearts. Even as they faced each other, neither could decipher what the other was truly thinking.
Yaxi broke the silence first: "You don't need to give me that look. If you're already worried about her hearing this, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle what comes next. You might as well leave now."
One of Yaxi's biggest realizations these past few days was learning to exaggerate facts to assert herself.
Chen Ling's dark eyes remained unreadable. He forced a smile: "I'm not worried about her, and I'm not leaving. I'm only concerned about how we're going to get out of here now."
Yaxi took out her phone and typed: "I'll message Lu Ziyang and tell him to leave."
Chen Ling nodded, struggling to reach the cane by the door. He put on his coat, then bent down awkwardly, using the gray scarf Yaxi had handed him earlier to wipe away the incriminating wet spots on the floor.
Yaxi's ears turned slightly red, and she avoided looking at the traces.
Just then, there was a loud clang outside the door, followed by Lu Ziyang's exaggeratedly loud voice:
"Oh… ah… yeah, the clothes here really aren't great, nothing worth looking at. We've rested enough, let's go…"
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps, as if he were stomping through the floorboards, growing fainter as he walked away.
Yaxi: "…"
Chen Ling: "…"
Fortunately, that fool hadn't pursued a career in acting.
Chen Ling was about to open the door for Yaxi, but she beat him to it and opened it herself.
She glanced at him, seeing the insincere gentle smile on his face, and felt a surge of anger. She grabbed the navy blue sailor dress they had used for "trying on," and without waiting for Chen Ling to step out, slammed the door shut. She paid the bill and left alone.
She walked briskly, heading straight for the mall exit. She told herself not to look back. Staying with him would only lead to being toyed with and hurt. It was better to let him taste the bitterness of abandonment.
As soon as she stepped outside, a fierce gust of wind hit her, and she sneezed from the sudden chill.
After walking a few steps against the wind, she noticed a fluffy yellow stray dog by the flower bed, one ear drooping, wagging its tail and following anyone who passed by. It kept panting happily, seemingly unafraid of freezing its tongue, its little steps tapping cutely against the pavement.
Suddenly, Yaxi remembered a night three years ago when she had sat alone in the living room, hugging her knees and crying. When her parents abandoned her, all she could do was cry, not knowing how to survive the long winter nights.
But ever since she picked up Chen Ling, he hadn't shed a single tear.
She stopped in her tracks and turned back.