Because I Cannot Hurt You

Yin Liu smiled. "Congratulations, Yunru. And keep up the good work."

For the first time, he felt as if he needed someone to hold him. Everything had went so fast that he could barely digest it.

"This...I really cannot…"

Chief Xu Hui stood up and said, "You have to accept it, Yunru," he chuckled. "It's the gratitude you have earned. The lives you saved pales in comparison to this number. This is not some favor. We want you to feel happy by it, not burdened. This is just another way of recognizing you apart from the medal and promotion."

He was silent. He thought about what to say and how to respond, but in the end, he only bowed. "Thank you. I will always cherish this medal. I will strive my best to give justice to my new position as the Chief and not disappoint you. And this…"

His heart raced like crazy. "I promise to make the best use of this money."

"Congratulations!" The officers clapped loudly and cheered his name.

Yin Liu laughed. "We just did what we were supposed to do. But the real person you should thank is your fiance. It was she who thought of arranging this commemoration ceremony on your birthday."

Yunru raised his head and stared at Zizi. She sheepishly grinned. "Hehe~~"

"Do you know? Han Zizi came to my office a few days ago and asked if you were getting any medal for your work during the Conference attack."

Yunru choked.

Y-you asked him...just like that?

"And of course we had planned for this. I was impressed by your work. But she was more concerned if your Chief pulled any strings to take all the credit. It was when I came to know how corrupt your superior was."

Yin Liu refused to say that with the way Zizi had demanded the answer, she wouldn't have taken a no from him. 

It was like,

'Yunru is going to be rewarded for his bravery, right?' Zizi stood before him, her arms folded at her chest as she looked at him with her eyes narrowed.

It was more of a confirmation than a question.

Yin Liu felt really fortunate that Yunru's commemoration was, in fact, planned all along. He was very senior and practically an elder to her. Nobody dared to speak to him that way in the position he was.

But Zizi didn't care. And he didn't mind that.

He smiled. 'Indeed. It was a threat to our national security. Yunru did an excellent job, and yes, he will be definitely rewarded.'

Zizi nodded in relief and satisfaction. Her only request was to arrange the commemoration ceremony on his birthday.

It was actually supposed to take place a month later. But Zizi was insistent to prepone it.

Yin Liu beamed. 'I understand your thoughts. It would be a great gift on his birthday. Alright. Let's do as you say.'

At present, Yunru was utterly dumbfounded. "You met Head Yin?"

Zizi shyly smiled. "Yeah."

It wasn't an easy feat to meet Yin Liu. But well...it was Zizi on the other side. What was impossible for Princess Han Zizi?

He felt silly at his own stupidity.

Feng Xiao then chimed in. "We all got the news of your ceremony, and honestly, it was on very short notice. But it was exciting! We were all eager to see your speechless expression! But your fiance is very capable. She took the responsibility in her hands, and we immediately started the work. All the invitations to everybody present here, the hall arrangements and the whole ceremony organisation was done by her! I was just helping her here and there. She worked a lot for your surprise."

Yunru froze. As if somebody dropped the whole Arctic upon him, he stood unmoved. 

"Wait a minute...So-so…" he cautiously glanced between Zizi and Feng Xiao, "Your meetings in the last few days were for this?"

They nodded hard. But Feng Xiao felt something was wrong.

"Hey, how do you know that we used to meet? We never told you."

Zizi realized the same. "Oh yeah!"

The imaginary flashback button played, and suddenly everything became crystal clear. 

The secret meetings, the anticipation that ticked him off, the lies about that 'imaginary friend'...

Zizi grinned. "Your whole department has helped me a lot. Feng Xiao was sort of the captain to manage things on his end."

At that moment, Yunru truly felt like digging a hole in the ground and never come out. No, he didn't even have the energy to dig a hold.

Let the earth just swallow me already…

He lowered his head in his palms. "...Fuck."

Zizi furrowed her brows. "What's wrong with you? Why do you look like you saw a ghost?"

Suddenly, Soo Enlai's hearty laughter rang in the hall. "Ahahahaha. I understand now. Oh-oh God... You idiot son. You...you are so funny…"

He clutched his stomach and was almost on the verge of rolling on the floor. Yunru wanted to throw him out. Everybody was curious.

"What, what? Tell us too!"

"Yeah, what's going on? What did you understand?"

"Father Soo. Don't hide it from us!"

Suddenly, everybody turned into gossiping aunts as they smelled something interesting was about to happen.

Soo Enlai wiped the tear from his eye that came due to laughing too hard. "Are you confessing or should I tell them?"

Yunru rubbed the back of his neck and shut his eyes.

Earth, swallow me already!

Zizi narrowed her eyes. "Why are you suddenly embarrassed?"

He felt as if he lost all his face. "...Nothing."

"No, tell me. You are hiding something. How do you know about Feng Xiao and my meetings? What have you realized?"

"...lous."

"Huh?"

"Hsdgsjsjsf…"

Her brow twitched. "Are you muttering some curse?"

His ears turned bright red. "I-I was…"

"Can't hear you."

Yunru glared at her and grabbed her head. The world spinned in front of Zizi as he suddenly pressed his lips on hers and kissed her hard. 

He exclaimed, his voice mixed with embarrassment, relief and nervousness. "Jealous! I was hell jealous, Princess!"