Gan Yuan raised her hand, took the cup, and casually walked to sit by the sofa; he followed and sat opposite her.
"I’ve thought it through carefully." Gan Yuan gently swirled the cup in her hand, her gaze lowered to watch the liquor inside, "You really shouldn’t acknowledge Xiaotang."
"You want children, there are plenty of people who can bear them for you." Gan Yuan lifted her face, "We can’t be together."
She lifted her face, the lamp light reflecting in her dark, shiny eyes, her tone unusually sincere when facing him.
"I’m not suitable for you, and you’re not suitable for me."
Huangfu Jue was silent for a moment.
"I don’t accept that."
She helplessly turned her face aside, then, furrowing her brows, she looked at him, anger tinging her tone.
"Then what do you want me to do?"
The man set down his cup and leaned toward her, his blue eyes deep.
She frowned, "That’s impossible now."
"Huangfu Jue!" She raised her hand to smooth the hair sliding from her forehead, struggling to control her emotions, "Why don’t you understand? What’s past is past, we can’t go back."
The man’s expression was stubborn yet calm.
"Then let’s start over."
"I can’t communicate with you!" She slammed the cup down on the coffee table, got up abruptly, "I say it’s impossible, it’s impossible. Give me back my things!"
"I can give you back your things." Huangfu Jue also stood up, his gaze fixed on her across the space, his voice low, "But you need to give me a reason—one that I can accept."
"I don’t love you anymore. I don’t want to be with you. Is that reason enough for you?"
"You... why do you have the right to force me?"
His blue eyes narrowed as he slowly bent down, closing in on her face.
"Because, you love me."
She averted her gaze, scoffing with disdain.
"Which eye of yours sees that I love you?"
"Why won’t you look me in the eyes?" He reached out, seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, "What are you avoiding?!"
"Why should I avoid anything?" Gan Yuan took a deep breath, "Yes, I did like you six years ago, so what? Who decrees that if you like someone, you must like them forever? Now, I have no feelings for you anymore."
"Really?" The man before her let out a cold snort, "Then why does your heart beat so fast when I hold your hand?"
She panicked internally.
This guy, he’d been holding onto her hand the whole time; had he been taking her pulse?
Catching the flicker of panic in her eyes, a bright light flashed in his.
Releasing her chin, he gently caressed her face.
With that, he turned and walked into the study.
On her cheek, the tenderness of his fingertips lingered. She turned her eyes to see him bending over to open the safe.
A moment later, Huangfu Jue returned, now holding the external hard drive in his hand.
"I’ll give it to you now, but I have one condition."
He raised his hand, placed the hard drive on the bar, and picked up the remote to turn on the sound system.
Music started playing, a familiar rhythm, that old song.
Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
He put down the remote, "Dance with me."
Gan Yuan stood by the sofa, silent for a few seconds, then reached for the cup on the table, drained its contents in one gulp, placed the cup on the coffee table, and stepped toward him.