Because I Cannot Hurt You

Zizi stared at him as if wanting to find an answer in his eyes. His words were firm and truthful, but she still wanted to reassure herself.

"I know I am handsome, Princess."

"..."

"I am just!"

He smiled and ruffled her head. "What are you looking into my eyes for?"

Zizi pursed her lips and hesitated. "To really see if you...you really don't think that I am forcing you."

Yunru held up his hand as his answer and showed her his left ring finger. Zizi stared at the ring. It had dried off and on the verge of breaking too. 

She still remembered how she had just randomly made that ring out of a stem in a hurry. 

"Y-you still have that?" Her lips parted in an O in shock. She couldn't believe that Yunru had still kept the withered ring with him. "I thought you already threw it away!"

"Of course, I wouldn't. I would never throw your feelings in a dustbin. This ring has your confession. It's extremely important to me. I will never discard it. Do you still think that I am being forced?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she suddenly jumped into his hug. "You...you are the best! Why are you the best?"

Yunru chuckled and hugged her back. "Well, I am also searching for the answer behind my awesomeness."

Zizi looked at him and blushed. "You have made me really happy, Yunru. I am so touched to see that ring. But you should throw it away. It will break soon anyway. There is no point in keeping it."

He shook his head. "Nope. Even if it breaks and I cannot wear it anymore, I will still keep it safe in a small box. And then I will tell the story to the future generations of how their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother proposed to me...in such a novel way."

Zizi's face flushed even harder. "You...you are already thinking about our children. You have become really naughty."

Yunru widened his eyes. He realized just how naturally it came out of his lips as it was always meant to be. He blushed himself and cleared his throat.

It was strange. Even though Yunru had loved Shuang, he never really felt this way when he lived with her. But with Zizi, everything was different. His cheeks would always heat up as if he was a teenager just falling in love for the first time.

Zizi fidgeted with her fingers and looked a little embarrassed. But then, she leaned forward for a kiss. To which, Yunru suddenly held her shoulders and stopped her.

Zizi blinked her eyes. "Why did you stop me? It's a perfect moment for a kiss! Don't be a party pooper."

Yunru cleared his throat. His gaze fell upon a place just for a moment before he looked back at her. "*Ahem* It's a beach. It's an open place…"

"Huh? People kiss on the beach all the time. Don't be such a spoilsport. Plus it's already night. Hardly anybody is passing by…"

Yunru pushed her away again, and she glared at him. Then she teared up. "I see. So indeed I am forcing you...You should tell me honestly instead of pushing me away like this…" she sniffled as she lightly touched her nose.

"..."

It's not like that!

He coughed again. "Um...we should head home now."

"No! Are you that against kissing me? Didn't we kiss in Shanghai?"

His brow twitched. He sighed and gave up.

"Alright…"

Zizi beamed. 

"I will tell you why we cannot kiss."

"..."

Yunru leaned and whispered near her, "Your father is here too."

Zizi blinked. "Ah? Dad?"

"No. Uncle An."

She froze.

"Actually, he has been standing by that shop's corner for a while now. He is there for the last fifteen minutes. Maybe he came too when I dropped a message to brother-in-law that I found you."

"W-why is he here…" she trembled and couldn't quite finger what she felt.

"Well, now that he knows that you are his daughter, he came here to check on you. He might have gotten worried that you were gone and untraceable. He is still a father, in the end, right?"

Zizi kept quiet.

Yunru cleared his throat. "I think we should refrain from kissing in front of a parent. You shouldn't mess with a daughter's father," he smiled.

She bit her lip.

Yunru took a peek and found An Guoting anxiously looking at their direction. He glanced at Zizi. "Do you want to meet him?"

She said nothing.

"It's alright. We can pretend we didn't see him and leave from here. Or if you want to talk to him, we can walk up to him."

"I-I don't know what to say…"

"Neither does he," he pinched her cheek. "How about just telling him that you are okay now? Right now, I am pretty sure he just wants to make sure of that.".

Zizi seemed hesitant. She took five minutes to make up her mind. First she would decide to yes, then she would shake her head and say no. After going back and forth like that, she finally decided that she would meet him. She felt bad watching him worrying about her.

"A-alright…"

Yunru smiled and nodded.

"B-But you stay with me! Don't go anywhere. I am still not ready to meet him alone."

"I won't."

They got up, and An Guoting straightened up. He thought that they would directly leave, but he saw them coming towards him.

Ah?

He looked back and nobody was behind him.

Are they coming here!? Wait, how did they see me?

Nervousness suddenly set in, and he didn't know what to do. So, he dropped a message to Shuang, who he had been consulting with for a while.

'They are coming here!'

He got an immediate reply.

'Who?'

'Yunru and Zizi! They are coming towards me!'

'That's why I always tell you to polish your hiding skills. You suck.'

"..."

'Just tell me what I should do!?'

'Talk to her, that's what. Zizi is not a ghost. Just act normal.'

'I don't know how!'

'I am pretty sure she wouldn't know either, so you are safe.. For now, just act like you always do.'