The Long-awaited Mr Han

She then saw Han Zhuoling pass her a bouquet. "You forgot your flowers."

Shi Xiaoya took it awkwardly. She didn't leave it on purpose; it had really slipped her mind.

Because she was too nervous, anxious to get home quickly, the flowers were left behind on the backseat.

"It wasn't on purpose," Shi Xiaoya explained. "I forgot about it."

Her explanation made Han Zhuoling's mouth curve into a smile.

She didn't leave it behind on purpose. She didn't not care about it.

Did that mean that she could possibly forgive him?

Seeing those flowers reminded her of the unspoken words before the gala.

Han Zhuoling was waiting for Shi Xiaoya to finish her words all this while when he was driving.

But she never did.

Since she didn't say it, he asked again, "Will you forgive me?"

Han Zhuoling stuffed both his hands into his pockets. His palms were sweating on this chilly night.

He could only hide them in his pockets.

For the first time ever, he discovered that begging for forgiveness could make one so nervous and on the edge.

Han Zhuoling's heart palpitated, and then he heard Shi Xiaoya say with her lowered head, "Yes."

Han Zhuoling couldn't believe his ears. After a pause: "What did you say?"

Shi Xiaoya sighed and lifted her head to see him in such a baffled state.

He was such an aloof man usually; seeing him so cutely puzzled was unexpected.

The huge difference made Shi Xiaoya forget her nerves.

Hugging the flowers, she looked at Han Zhuoling with a smile. "I forgive you. Let's forget about the misunderstanding. I'll seem petty if I continued harping on it."

Her smile appeared sincere to him, not at all like how it looked when she wanted to distance herself from him previously.

Han Zhuoling couldn't stop his smile from growing. "You really forgive me, not the kind where we draw the line clearly?"

Shi Xiaoya never thought Han Zhuoling would be this worried. She said shyly, "I was being mean then. Just… just treat it like nothing happened."

If this were someone else, she could also say that they were still friends.

But this was Han Zhuoling.

She didn't feel bold enough to say that.

Draw the line?

They never had a line in the first place, never close nor distant.

To be precise, they were never close at all.

Drawing the line implied that she had a rather good relationship with Han Zhuoling.

Shi Xiaoya watched as Han Zhuoling smiled, his stern face at once becoming gentle.

He was already handsome. Though he was always severe and made others afraid of him, no one could deny that he was good-looking.

His smile pushed his attractiveness to the next level.

It made Shi Xiaoya feel that she was too young and inexperienced back then, to think that that was called gorgeousness.

When she saw him smile, she finally understood how stunning he could be.

She had no idea whether he knew that he looked especially dazzling when he smiled, so dazzling that one couldn't bear to look away even if it blinded their eyes.

Shi Xiaoya's ears went red as she said, "Then I'll be going home. Please stay safe on the road."

Han Zhuoling frowned but never budged.

Shi Xiaoya thought, why was he still blocking her way now that they'd cleared the air?

She then heard Han Zhuoling say, "Why are you still being so polite?"

Shi Xiaoya paused, realizing that she'd spoken automatically.

It was hard thinking of them as equals when facing him, so she'd subconsciously used honorifics.