LUO FAN
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Once again, our supplies were running low, so I made the risky decision to head to a remote town to replenish them. While it would have been safer for me to go alone, I couldn't bring myself to leave Lan Feng behind. His tall frame and striking presence might attract unwanted attention, but the thought of him being discovered—or worse, attacked—while I was away filled me with dread.
In the end, I had no choice but to keep him close.
As expected, our visit to the market was anything but discreet. Everywhere we went, people turned their heads to look at us—more specifically, at him. Women giggled behind their hands, some blushing as they glanced our way. Others simply stared, their eyes wide with curiosity. Even some men stole second glances.
Hurrying through the bustling streets, I kept my head down, focusing on buying only the essentials. We stuck to the nearest stalls, paying whatever the vendors asked without bothering to haggle. Once our bags were full, we left quickly, avoiding lingering in the crowded market.
As we walked back toward the outskirts of the town, I teased him, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you see those women staring at you?"
He blinked, his expression blank. "I didn't notice."
I smirked. "Oh, you should have. Some of them were very beautiful."
To my surprise, he turned to me, his eyes soft and almost dreamy. "No one's more beautiful than my gege."
I stumbled over my own thoughts, caught off guard. Clearing my throat, I looked away, deciding not to comment. His words held no malice or mischief—just a simple sincerity that made it impossible to scold him.
"Gege," he said after a beat, his voice shifting to something more serious, "where should we go next to find the herb you're looking for?"
I shook my head. "We won't be searching anymore. We've wasted too much time already, and we've left traces of our presence. It's only a matter of time before those searching for us figure out we're here. It's no longer safe to stay in this area. We'll head toward the border and cross into the Wun Empire. We'll be safer there, at least for a while."
He smiled softly. "Whatever Gege decides."
By noon, the sun had risen high and blazed down relentlessly. The heat bore down on us like a hammer, thick and inescapable. We stopped beneath a sprawling tree whose shade painted a cool patch over the earth like a gift from the heavens. After a simple meal of steamed buns and dried fruit, Lan Feng stretched out on the grass—and as he had done so many times before—rested his head on my lap.
I didn't stop him.
Over the past weeks, I had come to recognize this small act for what it was—a silent request for comfort. A wordless plea for tenderness. His body sought closeness in the same way a child clings to warmth. And somehow, my hands had learned to respond without thought, fingers slipping through his hair with gentle strokes, calming us both.
"Let me check your injury," I said, gently lifting his head with one hand while loosening the ribbon that held his hair with the other.
Compared to the brittle, sea-tangled locks he'd had when we were still on the island, his hair had grown soft again—silky and smooth under my touch. The coconut oil I'd used seemed to have worked wonders.
I ran my fingertips carefully over his scalp, searching for the thin crack he had once carried like a badge of his trauma. The bone had knit together nicely, though the area remained sensitive. At least he could now bathe alone without risking a setback, though a full recovery would still take time.
"You're doing well," I murmured, combing his hair back with my fingers. "But don't get careless. It hasn't healed completely."
He didn't respond. I glanced down and found his eyes closed, a serene smile gracing his lips. He looked utterly peaceful, as if my voice alone could soothe every ache in his body.
"Did you hear what I said?" I asked, feigning a scolding tone.
"Yes, Gege," he whispered, sounding more asleep than awake.
I smiled faintly and gathered his hair, tying it back neatly. "Shall we get moving?"
He shook his head, still nestled in my lap. "I'm tired, Gege… Let's stay here just a little longer. Half an hour?"
I sighed, but my hand moved again, almost on its own, returning to its rhythm of stroking his hair. His smile deepened, as if that was exactly what he had hoped for. I could tell he wasn't tired at all. He just wanted more time—more warmth, more attention, more of this quiet world we'd carved out for ourselves, however briefly.
"You're impossible," I murmured under my breath, though my tone carried no real frustration.
The shade cooled the sweat clinging to our skin, and the breeze stirred the leaves above, their rustling forming a gentle lullaby. For a while, I let myself relax, basking in the quiet companionship of the boy resting on my lap. It was a fleeting respite—but one we both desperately needed, every now and then.
"Gege, there's something I want to tell you," Lan Feng said softly, breaking the long silence between us.
I looked at him, curious. "What is it?"
He opened his eyes and turned them toward me, his gaze steady but layered with a strange mix of determination and hesitation. "I've been thinking about it a lot. At first, I wasn't sure, so I kept thinking harder, to the extent that I couldn't even sleep. But now I'm sure."
I blinked, surprised. That must have been the reason for those times back in the village when he would sit by the shore, staring into the horizon with an intensity that I had chalked up to random daydreaming. This was clearly something he'd been wrestling with for a while.
"Then tell me," I encouraged him gently, curious but also bracing myself for whatever was coming.
Lan Feng sat up slowly, his movements deliberate, and turned fully toward me. His usual playful spark was absent, replaced by a deep uncertainty that made my chest tighten. He held my gaze, his lips parting hesitantly before he spoke. "Gege… I like you."
I stiffened, my heart skipping a beat. I frowned, unsure if I had heard him correctly or misunderstood the intent behind his words.
Is that… what he had been thinking about all this time?
For a fleeting moment, I convinced myself that he meant it in a platonic way, like a younger brother expressing admiration for an elder. That had to be it. This was Lan Feng, an innocent child in mind, after all.
"I like you, too, of course," I replied casually, hoping to ease the tension.
But my answer had the opposite effect. Lan Feng's eyes widened, his lips trembling slightly as he uttered breathlessly, "Gege… do you mean it?"
The raw emotion in his voice was impossible to miss, and the weight of his words finally hit me like a falling boulder. He didn't mean it platonically. He meant it in the romantic sense—something I hadn't been prepared for.
I froze, caught between disbelief and panic.
Does that mean I just accepted his confession?
Before I could find the words to clarify the misunderstanding, Lan Feng surged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around me, his embrace warm and trembling. "Gege, I didn't expect…" He took a shaky breath, his voice muffled as he rested his chin against the crook of my neck. "Gege… I'm so happy."
I was too stunned to respond, my mind racing in a thousand directions at once. His genuine emotions, his unguarded vulnerability, left me paralyzed. How could I correct him without shattering the fragile trust and connection we'd built? How could I explain that what he felt wasn't right—not with his injuries, his fragmented memories, and certainly not with who he truly was?
I hesitated, patting his back lightly as I tried to think of a way to set things straight without breaking his heart. When he finally pulled back, his face was tender, his gaze soft as he stared at me. Then, without warning, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips.
I froze again, the unexpected contact leaving me speechless. His kiss was soft, innocent—nothing like the teasing, predatory advances of Ruan Yanjun. And yet, that was exactly why it unsettled me so deeply. It was wrong, no matter how sweetly or earnestly he acted. This wasn't something I could encourage. This wasn't something I could allow.
And yet, I still couldn't bring myself to push him away.
When he pulled back, his hand came up to stroke my cheek, his touch gentle and full of wonder. "Gege," he whispered, "when I get better and recover my memories… will you still like me?"
The answer burned at the tip of my tongue. Absolutely not. Never.
But the words refused to come out. I couldn't say that to him, not when he looked at me with such earnest hope. It would crush him. He wouldn't understand why, and it would only make things worse. For now, it was safer to avoid giving him a direct answer.
I forced a smile and patted his cheek gently. "You think too much," I said, deflecting. "Come on, we should go."
"Let me hug you one more time, gege," he said, his voice almost pleading.
Before I could respond, he pulled me into another embrace, his arms wrapping around me as if afraid to let go. I stiffened, uncertain, but he didn't seem to notice. His lips brushed lightly against my hair in a gesture so tender it left me even more at a loss.
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