Xu Jin spent exactly one hour scolding himself.
Out loud.
In detail.
On the sofa.
"You absolute idiot." "What kind of grown man grabs someone like that?" "What were you thinking—no, you weren't thinking." "Congratulations, Xu Jin, you've unlocked a new low."
Yun Hu lay beside him, tail flicking lazily, ears twitching every time Xu Jin raised his voice.
At the forty-minute mark, Xu Jin buried his face in his hands.
"…I scared him," he muttered. "I really scared him. What would he thinks about me ? I just made a promise with grandma and now I've done that."
That realization sat heavy.
Finally, he exhaled, straightened, and stood up.
"Alright," he said decisively. "We're fixing this. If I don't then my love story is ended before it start."
He scooped Yun Hu into his arms. The cat protested briefly, then settled, clearly sensing a mission.
Xu Jin walked out, crossed the hall, and stopped in front of Room 1207.
He hesitated.
Then knocked.
