"A gift… for me?"
Now it was Lu Lin's turn to be surprised. Ningguang had prepared something for him?
With curiosity, he opened the box.
Inside was a stack of photographs — the very ones taken the first time they met, when he had mischievously "left his mark."
The photography was impeccable. More importantly, they were a secret shared only between the two of them.
"I thought you destroyed these," he said with a teasing smile. "Seems you were fond of them after all."
"I wasn't!" Ningguang turned her head away. "The composition was good. Worth keeping."
"Worth keeping… and carrying with you?"
"They were stored in a space device," she insisted stubbornly.
As Liyue's wealthiest figure, she naturally possessed storage artifacts. Originally, the box had been kept by her bedside. She had only moved it to storage temporarily out of caution.
Lu Lin chuckled but said nothing more.
In truth, she hadn't prepared the gift in advance. It was an impulse — a response to everything he had done for her.
It was her quiet way of acknowledging her heart.
When he placed his hand gently over her chest and asked, "Back then I said I'd win your heart. Did I?"
She replied softly:
"Isn't it already in your hands?"
The double meaning ignited him.
He pulled her into his arms, about to kiss her again — but she gently stopped him.
"I… I want to bathe first."
"Then we'll bathe together."
Before she could protest, he carried her toward the adjoining bath chamber.
The Bath
Steam curled gently over the large bath.
"After such a long day, you should relax," he said warmly. "It'll be an even longer night."
He filled the bath and heated the water to a comfortable temperature.
"Can I… bathe alone?"
"Of course not. What if the water cools? And I can help wash your back."
Reluctantly, she compromised.
"Turn around first."
He complied.
Moments later came the soft sound of clothing falling, then water rippling.
"You can turn back now."
Steam veiled her form. She submerged herself shyly, only her head visible, long white hair floating on the surface.
Lu Lin stepped into the bath beside her.
Despite her attempt not to look, curiosity won, and she stole a glance.
He, meanwhile, showed patience.
He gently helped her wash away the day's fatigue. His touch was careful, unhurried.
Gradually, her tension eased.
She took a cloth and helped him in return.
The small, inevitable brushes of skin grew more frequent.
What began as bathing slowly turned into quiet exploration.
Her breath grew softer.
He drew closer.
She trembled slightly under the warmth and proximity, her composure dissolving.
When he whispered near her ear, she responded faintly, her lashes fluttering like petals in wind.
The water rippled.
She turned slightly, bracing her hands against the bath's edge, back arched unconsciously — a graceful curve framed in steam and candlelight.
"Lu Lin…"
Her voice was soft, trembling.
The quiet room filled with the echo of shared breath and rising emotion — delicate, intimate, lingering like music that refused to fade.