Jinhai's POV
The last note of the song faded, leaving behind nothing but the hum of the engine and the sound of my own sanity slowly unraveling.
Of all the songs that could've played… it had to be that one.
"Almost Touching."
Perfect. Because apparently, the universe liked irony.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to look like a man focused on the road instead of the girl sitting beside me in my jacket — sleeves too long, face turned to the window, pretending she wasn't blushing hard enough to power a small city.
God, why was the air so thick all of a sudden?
The heater wasn't even on.
I risked a sideways glance.
She was chewing her lip, clearly dying inside, probably composing an internal eulogy about how she'd embarrassed herself again.
Cute.
Stop it. Not cute.
This is your brother's wife.
Well—technically not yet—but close enough for the thought alone to make my brain scream abort mission.
And yet… there it was. That stupid flutter in my chest like a traitor waving a white flag.
"Okay," I muttered under my breath, "say something. Anything. Before the silence kills you both."
I cleared my throat — way too loud. "Sooo…"
Her head turned just slightly. I panicked.
"Nice song choice, huh?"
Smooth, Jinhai. Real smooth.
She blinked at me, cautious. "Y-yeah. Totally. Very… lyrical."
Lyrical?
Who even says that?
A laugh almost slipped out, but I bit it back. "You looked… invested," I said, teasing just enough to sound casual.
The goal: lighten the mood. Not die.
"I was not!" she sputtered, voice jumping an octave.
Bingo. Got her talking again.
I smiled, forcing my heartbeat back to normal. "Relax, I'm kidding. You just had that—"
I waved a hand vaguely in her direction. "—'main character in a music video' look going on. It was very dramatic."
She groaned and slumped in her seat. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"Oh, I plan to bring it up in your autobiography," I said. "Chapter title: 'The Day Lily Zhao Was Emotionally Attacked by an FM Radio.'"
Her glare slid my way — but there was the tiniest curve at the corner of her lips. Mission accomplished.
The tension eased a little. Not completely, though.
Because underneath the jokes, my chest still felt… weird. Tight.
I shouldn't have looked again. But I did.
Her hair brushed her cheek as she turned back to the window, sunlight catching just enough to make her profile glow.
Beautiful in that completely unaware kind of way.
I exhaled, quietly.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't supposed to make me forget everything for half a second — the studio, the job, the name Su that tied us both to a past she didn't even know about yet.
I rubbed the back of my neck, forcing a smile that hopefully looked normal.
"Anyway," I said, a bit too brightly, "don't worry. No one's ever died from secondhand embarrassment."
She snorted. "You sure? Because I'm pretty close."
"Good," I said, grinning again, finally able to breathe. "That'll make two of us."
The next song started — some upbeat nonsense about summer and dancing and everything not dangerous.
Thank God.
Still, my fingers stayed tight around the wheel.
Because no matter how loud the music got, the words from the last song kept echoing in my head —
We're almost touching.
And I hated that, deep down… part of me didn't want that "almost" to end.
-----------------
LILY'S POV
The tension from before had mostly melted into something lighter by now.
Jinhai was rambling again — something about how the new song's chorus needed more breath control — his "professional mode" voice was oddly soothing.
But halfway through his very detailed breakdown of "melodic pacing," something in my stomach twisted.
At first, I thought it was nerves.
Then it got worse. Much worse.
Like, curl-up-and-die-on-the-floor level worse.
"...what do you think —Lily?"
I hadn't even realized I was hunched forward until I heard his voice.
"Huh?" I blinked rapidly, trying to smile. "Yeah! Totally!"
He frowned, eyes flicking from the road to me. "You don't look so good."
"I'm fine!" I squeaked. "Just, uh, listening really intensely."
Sure. Because normal people listen by clutching their abdomen like it's a live grenade.
Gods, not now. Of all days.
Another cramp hit, sharp and merciless.
Okay, this was officially not nerves.
I felt my soul leave my body for a moment, waving goodbye.
Jinhai's voice softened. "Lily."
That tone — low, calm, concerned — sent my heart straight into chaos.
"I said I'm fine!" I insisted again, forcing out a laugh that sounded like someone choking on air.
He didn't look convinced.
"You sure? Because you look like you're about to pass out."
"Thanks, very comforting," I muttered through clenched teeth.
He slowed the car a little, glancing sideways. "You're curled up like a shrimp. That doesn't scream 'fine' to me."
"I'm just cold," I said quickly. "Very… temperature-sensitive."
Smooth. Maybe he'd buy it.
Except he didn't.
He flicked on the hazard lights and pulled over to the side of the road, putting the car in park.
My eyes widened. "Why are we stopping?!"
"Because," he said simply, turning toward me, "you're clearly not okay. And I'm not driving another meter until you tell me what's wrong."
Oh no. He was doing the gentle voice thing again. The one that made my brain malfunction.
My face was already on fire. "It's nothing serious. Really."
"Lily." His tone softened further, a mix of worry and quiet authority that made my stomach flip for entirely different reasons. "Talk to me. Did you eat? Are you dizzy? Should I call someone?"
He was genuinely panicking, I could tell — that tiny furrow between his brows, the way his hand hovered near mine but didn't quite touch.
And here I was… on the verge of confessing the most mortifying thing known to womankind.
I pressed my hands to my face. "Oh my god, this cannot be happening."
"Hey," he said gently. "Look at me."
"I can't!" I groaned. "You'll die of secondhand embarrassment."
"Try me."
He was smiling, but it was soft, not teasing. And that just made it worse.
"I think—" I mumbled through my hands, voice barely audible, "I think my period started."
But then, instead of grimacing or freezing like I feared, Jinhai laughed.
"What were you so embarrassed about? Everyone gets them."
Lily glared at Jinhai.
But Jinhai had already started rummaging through the glove compartment. "I've got water… uh, chocolate bar… and maybe painkillers somewhere."
"Wait—why do you have chocolate and painkillers in your car?" I asked, suspicious.
He grinned, glancing up. "Because half my family are women, and I enjoy living."
That actually got a laugh out of me, even through the pain. He handed me the bottle and I popped a painkiller.
"There we go," he said softly. "Better. Now lean back, breathe. I'll stop by a nearby pharmacy before we head to the studio, okay?"
I nodded weakly, still holding my stomach. "You're… really not freaking out?"
He laughed. "You said it yourself. I'm a gentleman, remember?" His lips curved into that annoyingly confident half-smile. "And gentlemen don't let Liang princesses suffer."
I groaned but couldn't stop smiling.
"Shut up, Jinhai."
"Gladly," he said, putting the car back into gear, "after I get you more chocolate, a heating pad, and maybe… a new internal organ."
"Very funny."
"I try."
He was trying to keep it light, but every now and then his gaze flicked toward me — not playful this time, but soft, protective.