"Talk about what?" Xia Lihua said, not bothering to look at him.
Yang Lingyun sighed, running a hand through his hair. The frosty air made the strands stick up awkwardly, but he didn't care. "About us."
Xia Lihua stopped abruptly, turning to face him. Her phoenix eyes, sharp and cold as the wind that whipped around them, locked onto his. "Us?" she echoed, her tone laced with skepticism. "What is there to talk about? It's just a contract, remember? Nothing more."
Her words struck him like a physical blow. He felt his chest tighten.
"It may have started that way," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean it has to stay like that."
"Nothing will change. It's just a deal—you get to sleep while I sing for you, and I inherit my mother's properties. That's what our relationship is."
Yang Lingyun tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering. "But even after marrying, I didn't ask you to sing for me. You did it yourself."
