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The golden rays of dawn filtered gently through the thin curtains, casting a warm glow across the modest bedroom.
Lin Yue stirred, a dull ache pulsing in her temples.
Her eyes fluttered open, the familiar ceiling greeting her.
But something felt... different.
Her body felt oddly warm, too warm.
The undeniable feeling of skin against skin, the light sheets tangled around their bodies.
She tried to shift and stretch but paused immediately when she felt a weight draped around her waist.
Slowly, carefully, she turned her head.
And froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her heart skipped several beats.
There, beside her, sleeping peacefully on the same bed, was Ah Yan.
His long lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks, his chiseled jaw slack with sleep, and his arm... his arm... his... his arm was draped around her waist.
She swallowed hard, panic slowly rising.
No.
No way.
No freaking way.
Her breath caught in her throat as she resisted the urge to scream as she very slowly and carefully peeked under the blanket..
Her heart almost stopped.
Their bodies—naked.
Completely, undeniably bare under the sheets.
Lin Yue almost fainted.
She let out a strangled squeak before slapping her palm over her mouth.
What did they... What had she done?
What had she done?
Could someone tell her this is a dream?
She was sleeping in her room?
Dreaming?
However...
Fragments of last night came crashing into her mind like a storm.
The drinking.
Her confession. The kiss... his kiss... the heat... the way... the way they couldn't stop.
She squeezed her eyes shut in disbelief.
No.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't even thinking clearly!
It was still a dream.
A dream that looked and felt realistic,right?
But then... she remembered something else.
A whisper between the passionate chaos.
"I love you too."
Her eyes opened again, softer now, and turned to him.
So he had feelings for her too.
She hadn't been the only one.
For so long she'd buried those feelings, terrified to become a burden, to put her hopes on someone who didn't even know who he was.
Not until he knew who he was.
But last night... he had chosen her, too.
That thought made her heart race all over again, but now for a different reason.
Hope.
Excitement.
And a deep, deep confusion.
But what now?
Just then, she felt a shift beside her.
Her breath hitched.
His eyes slowly opened.
Warm black irises locked with hers.
She stiffened.
He blinked a few times, then a faint smile touched his lips.
"Morning," he said, voice still husky from sleep.
Lin Yue could barely breathe.
She quickly looked away, cheeks burning.
"I-I'm really sorry..." she stammered. "About last night. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't know what came over me..."
Ah Yan sat up slightly, propping himself on one elbow.
He gently touched her cheek, guiding her gaze back to him.
"No," he said seriously. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've known better. I still haven't recovered... and yet, I lost control. I shouldn't have let it happen, not when I can't even promise you anything definite about my future."
Her lips parted slightly.
He continued, voice low, firm, yet filled with guilt. "I don't even know who I am, Yueyue. I don't know my past, my identity. What if I was someone... bad? What if I'm on the run? What if I was already married? What if... what if I'm someone who will only bring you pain?"
She shook her head fiercely.
"You're not a bad person," she said, almost whispering. "I know you're not. You've been nothing but kind. You're thoughtful, gentle, and honest. Whatever your past is, it doesn't change who you are now."
Ah Yan stared at her, stunned by her certainty. Her faith in him made his chest ache.
"We'll figure it out together," she added, placing her hand over his.
His eyes softened.
He pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder.
She could feel him trembling slightly.
"I'll try," he whispered. "I'll fix everything. I promise. I want to give you a good future... even if I have to disappear in the end."
She clutched him tighter, her heart twisting.
"No more disappearing," she said. "We go through it together. Even if we fall, we fall together."
Ah Yan closed his eyes.
He didn't deserve her.
Not when he was a man with no name, no memories, no certainty of who he was or what he had done.
The watch in his pocket, the custom design, the subtle logo... he could tell it was expensive, not something a regular citizen would own.
The fighting techniques he used that day she was kidnapped to take down those men?
Too precise, too skilled.
Something about it wasn't normal.
What if he was dangerous?
Was he in the military? Or something darker? An assassin? A fugitive? A criminal?
What if the reason he was injured and left for dead was because of something dark in his past?
But he knew one thing:
Even if he was a criminal, he would protect her.
He would never let anyone hurt her.
If he was dangerous, then he needed to protect her from himself too.
He would find out who he was.
Not for himself, but for her.
So he could become a man worthy of standing beside her.
Protect her.
And until that day, he would do everything he could to make her smile.
But right now, her arms around him made him forget the storm.
Right now, she was his peace.
Even if it didn't last.
They stayed like that for a while, tangled in each other, the weight of the world momentarily pushed aside.