Long Huojin woke up early. He gave Xue Guangli a peck on the forehead before he began to wash up.

When he finished, she was still fast asleep on his bed, and he smiled before placing the covers over her body as it slipped from her grasp.

He then went down the stairs to make some breakfast when he found Yin Shou sitting by the kitchen countertop. He began to make some eggs and toast some bread while cutting pieces of avocado for the toast.

Meanwhile, Yin Shou hadn"t said a word to him. He had eye bags circled his eyes as if he had been up all night. But Long Huojin kept mum and continued to make some food.

Yin Shou stared at him, realizing something about Long Huojin had changed...He was smiling. It seemed like a man who just got laid...But no, he shook his head. It wasn"t possible.

Yin Shou proceeded to drink his cup of coffee, which had gone cold.

"Why does it look like you haven"t slept in days?" asked Long Huojin.

Yin Shou raised his head. "I was staying up doing stuff," he responded.

Long Huojin smirked. Yin Shou frowned, "No, I didn"t stay up doing Teegan if that"s what you"re thinking."

Long Huojin paused, almost unbelieving.

Yin Shou took another sip of coffee, running a hand through his shoulder-length hair.

"Then why do you look so tired?" Long Huojin questioned, pa.s.sing him some toast. Yin Shou took it and bit the toast with a frown.

He then began to vent. "Xue Teegan is the first girl that I haven"t f.u.c.ked on the first date. I mean, I typically don"t proceed to court women after anyways, but still. I don"t understand."

He ran both his hands through his hair. "She"s beautiful, don"t get me wrong, but I couldn"t do it...She"s so delicate, like someone that needs to be cherished and coaxed, as if she never had that before."

Long Huojin heard him, sipping his freshly brewed coffee. Indeed, he knew what his friend was experiencing, but Yin Shou was stubborn.

He continued, "I want to keep seeing her, but I"m afraid."

"Of what?" Long Huojin asked.

"You know what," Yin Shou responded and sighed.

"What"s wrong with liking her?" Long Huojin asked.

Yin Shou released a breath. "I am afraid of getting heartbroken again," he admitted. "I gave her a letter once...confessing my feelings...I saw her kissing some guy in the hallway the next day."

Yin Shou didn"t say anymore, but the rest of the words hung in the air.

Yin Shou liked Xue Teegan once before. But what Long Huojin didn"t know was that he was in love with her, and she had broken his heart. Therefore, he was afraid. And Xue Teegan wasn"t someone who let people in easily.

"I think it"s all about timing," Long Huojin said.

Yin Shou glanced at him thoughtfully. He thought for a long moment. He recalled that Long Huojin had always liked Xue Guangli, and yes, it was all about timing for them. In the past, Long Huojin wasn"t on good terms with his family, thus shutting everyone out, including Guangli.

Yin Shou stayed by his side because, he, too was a troubled kid trying to fit in. But he was bullied for his small stature, and he recalled Long Huojin sweeping in to fight them and defend him. Long Huojin received a bad beating, but in the end, he won against them.

Ever since then Yin Shou became loyal to him, and stayed loyal to him, despite everything. He didn"t care what people said about him. Long Huojin was like the brother he never had.

A creak of steps sounded near them. Yin Shou then saw Xue Guangli walked down the steps, entering the kitchen. His eyes widened, and she flushed, practically glowing.

He stared between Long Huojin and Xue Guangli from side to side before it clicked in his mind. He stood up from his seat. "You two did something!" he accused them. Long Huojin"s eyes narrowed dangerously at Yin Shou.

"Go back upstairs. I"ll bring you breakfast," Long Huojin said to her gently, and Xue Guangli retreated.

Yin Shou"s mouth opened, wide. This guy was whipped!

When she disappeared, Yin Shou gave him a "Why didn"t you tell me?" look. Long Huojin rolled his eyes playfully before he smirked. Yin Shou smiled.

He then drank the rest of his coffee, pretending as if nothing happened. He figured that Xue Guangli must feel embarra.s.sed.

Xue Guangli felt embarra.s.sed.

When she woke up, she found the spot next to her cold and empty. Xue Guangli was still naked, so she had to find one of Long Huojin"s s.h.i.+rts to wear because she didn"t want to put on the clothes she wore the night before.

She then put on one of his s.h.i.+rts, ending at her thigh. It slipped her mind that Yin Shou might have been home, so she went down the stairs. She only wanted to find Long Huojin, and thus, she descended the stairs. Xue Guangli heard silence. Therefore, she didn"t expect to b.u.mp into the two of them in the kitchen.

She heard the bedroom doork.n.o.b turn. Long Huojin had entered the room with a plate of eggs, toast and avocado, and some fruits, and a gla.s.s of strawberry juice. Her heart was stung with an arrow, and she warmed instantly. He set the tray on the side before he steadied his gaze on her.

It seemed that the afterglow affected both of them. Xue Guangli flushed.

He approached her, leaning in, hovering over her neck. "Wearing one of my s.h.i.+rts is dangerous," he whispered in her ear. Xue Guangli shuddered.

His scent overwhelmed her, and they were still ripe with pa.s.sion. She couldn"t lose herself, not with Yin Shou downstairs.

"Eat, get dressed, and we"ll start working on the files we downloaded."

Xue Guangli smiled and nodded. She had already called someone the night before to run the store for her, as her stay at Long Huojin"s house extended.