She simply pressed her forehead back against his chest and grumbled, her voice muffled by his clothes, "...You have no say in this!"
This time, however, the arms wrapped around his waist pulled him even tighter.
A new silence settled over the hallway, leaving only the distinct sound of their heartbeats beneath the motion-sensor light.
They held each other tightly, and time itself seemed to stretch, sweetened by the moment.
The cold winter night was shut out beyond the apartment building, leaving only their mingled breaths and the reassuring warmth radiating from each other in the entryway.
After a while longer, Li Zhi stirred in Shen Yuan's arms, her voice slightly muffled.
She looked up. The blush hadn't faded from her face, but her eyes were much clearer now. They held a barely perceptible clinginess, mixed with the sober realization that she had to go.
"I really... really have to go back..."
