"No." She promised.

After a moment of silence, he finally slowly loosened his interlocked fingers, and her hand suddenly became free, and she pulled away from his fingers bit by bit.

The sweat on her palms, she no longer knew whether it was hers or his. She shakily took out a tissue from her bag and wiped the sweat on her palms.

He half-closed his eyes and his gaze fell on her wiping hands, "Am I dirty?"

She was stunned and looked up at him, "Why do you say that?"

"If not, why are you wiping your hands?" he asked rhetorically.

His eyes looked at her solemnly, making her heart tremble unconsciously, "I... wiped my hands just because my palms were sweaty, not because..." It was rare that she stuttered in explanation in front of him.

She didn't have to explain it, but the hurt look on his face made her want to explain it clearly for some reason.

"Really?" He murmured, raised his hand, clasped the back of her head, and pressed his lips against her earlobe, "Then prove it to me."

"Prove?" How to prove it? She was confused, and his breath sprayed against her ears, confusing her thoughts.

"Yes, prove it." He said firmly, "I want to know if what you said is true."

His lips slowly moved away from her ear, and his eyes were facing hers. The two faces were very close to each other, so close that even in such a dim environment, she could clearly see every part of his face.

Subtle expressions.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, he... he probably wanted her to touch him again... "You want me..." she said.

"Don't you want to?" His eyes clearly told her his thoughts.

This kind of thing is so crazy! Just thinking about it, she felt a rush of blood rushing to her forehead. It was possible for her to do it.

But his eyes were still looking at her, full of eyes, but as if they were dead eyes, without any ripples, "Qiqi, it hurts..." His thin lips opened and closed, saying only these four words.

It hurts...how much does it hurt?

His voice was clear and cold, penetrating into her cochlea like water droplets, while his eyes were empty, but with a hint of bewilderment.

Inexplicably, her heart was constantly being pulled along with his breathing. What was this feeling? Some distress, some pity, but there were more emotions that she couldn't even explain.

I want to heal his emptiness, and I want his eyes to be able to contain ordinary joys, sorrows, and joys like a normal person.

Then, by some strange coincidence, her hand stretched out towards him little by little and touched his heat.

It was so hot that it almost seemed to burn her hands.

But he was so quiet, just staring at her. The only thing that was different from before was that his empty eyes were filled with some kind of emotion that should be called joy.

Time seemed to have stood still. She didn't know how long it had passed before she heard him whisper, "So, I'm not dirty, right?"

"Well, it's not dirty." She heard herself answer him.

——————
Chapter completed!