Although the ground was only a few steps away, if she were to fall face-first, Chuxia was sure she would suffer either a fracture or facial disfigurement. Without thinking, she covered her cheeks, preferring a broken bone over ruining her face.
Just as Shi Che was about to step out the door, he was suddenly jarred by a scream from behind. He recognized that voice as Ling Chuxia’s. His steps abruptly halted, and he involuntarily turned around to see Ling Chuxia tumbling down the stairs.
Shi Che’s dark brown pupils suddenly contracted, and without time to think about anything else, he quickly walked over and stretched out his hands to catch Ling Chuxia.
Ling Chuxia had thought she was surely going to die, her mind going blank with panic. But instead of crashing to the ground as expected, she found herself caught in an embrace.
This embrace, both unfamiliar and familiar, carried a cool breath.
The heart that had leaped to Chuxia’s throat instantly fell by half, and she rapidly opened her eyes to unexpectedly meet Shi Che’s dark pupils.
In those black eyes, unlike their usual icy indifference, she thought she could even see a hint of nervousness.
Ling Chuxia was somewhat stunned. Nervous? Why would he be nervous?
Wasn’t Shi Che always detesting and abhorring her? How could he possibly reveal such an emotion towards her?
Ling Chuxia wondered if she was hallucinating from the shock of the fall. She blinked her eyes, trying to get a clear look at the expression in Shi Che’s eyes, but before she could pin it down, Shi Che abruptly let go and stood up, leaving her to fall back down.
Although Shi Che had caught her, preventing a tumble down the stairs, his heartless release still made Ling Chuxia’s expression wince in pain.
Shi Che watched Ling Chuxia’s beautiful face contort with pain. A thin sweat also began to form on her forehead.
Shi Che’s hands, hanging by his sides, clenched suddenly, his handsome face slightly tense. He lowered his eyes, hiding all emotion, and then, with an expressionless face, he slightly lifted his gaze, imbuing his words with a sense of superiority, "Ling Chuxia, is this the kind of etiquette you’ve learned over these years? Studying for so long, yet you can’t even walk properly?"
Still reeling from the pain, Ling Chuxia heard Shi Che’s stern rebuke. Her heart lifted again, and she ignored the discomfort, scrambling up from the ground to stand as properly as she could, nervously beginning, "I... I..."
The words she had prepared had vanished with the fall and the scolding, leaving her stammering and unable to articulate her thoughts.
Shi Che’s brows drew together slowly, impatience flickering in his eyes.
As Ling Chuxia glanced out of the corner of her eye at Shi Che’s expression, her heart sank. For some reason, whenever Shi Che scowled, she found herself even more tongue-tied. Her hands clenched in desperation and, without thinking, she blurted out, "I... I was just wondering if you would like to stay for breakfast before you leave."