Chapter 129: Breaking Through Defenses

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An Tong had never shown her vulnerable side to anyone—not even Su Ji, whom she regarded as an older sister.

When a strong exterior tightly wrapped itself around every hurt, it became indestructible, but she also grew accustomed to bearing everything alone.

Until someone murmured softly, “Your past had no me in it.”

The strength and hardness she had maintained for so long crumbled in an instant.

Countless grievances and heartaches surged forth, all reduced to a seemingly reproachful murmur: “Why didn’t you appear sooner...?”

After saying this, An Tong turned her face away, her eyes growing redder by the second.

She could not remember the last time she had cried. Perhaps it had not been long ago. Perhaps it had been an eternity.

But tonight, beneath the man’s deeply affectionate and unwavering gaze, the emotions she had always kept under control finally broke through her defenses.

“I’ll go back to...” her room.

An Tong instinctively wanted to hide. Whether to compose herself or find an excuse to cover up her distress, she simply did not want Rong Shen to see the weakness buried deep within her bones and blood.

But before she could finish, the man caught her by the wrist.

A soft sigh immediately rang out with particular clarity in the quiet living room.

Rong Shen pulled her arm toward him and lowered his long legs. With overwhelming strength, he drew An Tong into his arms and settled her securely on his lap.

He said nothing. His palm cradled the back of her head and pressed it against his broad shoulder.

Forced to lie against the man’s shoulder, An Tong’s tears fell without warning, quickly soaking the shirt at Rong Shen’s shoulder.

One drop, then another...

At last, they came in a flood, until her face was covered in tears.

Yet though the tears drenched her cheeks, she did not make a sound.

It was precisely those silent tears that tore at the heart most painfully.

Rong Shen never looked at her. He simply held her and let her release everything.

Some wounds could be forgotten and healed with time, but what An Tong had endured clearly was not among them.

At one point, Rong Shen had considered finding out every detail of that accident.

But whenever he saw An Tong’s eyes, he could never bring himself to ask.

Just as now, he wanted to say something to comfort her, yet the words lingered at his lips, and not one could be spoken.

All those so-called lessons and truths about life seemed unbearably pale and hollow in this moment.

There was no remedy except to stay by her side.

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...

An Tong cried for a long time, her tears running down her chin and soaking the entire expanse of fabric at the man’s shoulder.

Later, she lay motionless in Rong Shen’s arms, her eyes bloodshot, silently drawing warmth from him.

In all the time they had been together, this was the first time she had lowered every defense and discarded every disguise.

She could cry when she wanted to cry and laugh when she wanted to laugh, and the man beside her would not press her for answers the way other people did.

Sometimes, tears were the most direct expression of the fluctuations within one’s heart.

The fact that An Tong could cry in front of Rong Shen at least meant that she was now able to reveal her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness before him without restraint.

Time passed second by second. Once the tear tracks on her face had dried, she spoke with a hoarse voice and a faint, choked note at the end.

“Your shirt... You should change it.”

The fabric over the man’s left shoulder was completely soaked and clung to his skin, revealing the clear lines of his bones beneath.

“It’s fine.” Rong Shen threaded his fingers through the long hair at the back of her head, stroking it again and again. “Feeling better?”

An Tong gave a muffled response, then opened her arms and hugged him. She clearly wanted him to change, but she could not bear to give up this strange, tender intimacy.

In the past, when she was hurt or upset, her parents and younger brother had comforted her. After the accident, she locked every sorrowful emotion deep within her heart.

She ignored it and left it there, allowing it to rot inside until, little by little, she developed emotional detachment.

Now, a crack had appeared in the darkness, and Rong Shen was the light shining through it.

Before long, An Tong sniffed and sat upright in the man’s arms.

Her eyelids lowered. With curled fingers, she tugged at his shirt, then slowly lifted her gaze. Her reddened eyes met his dark, ink-black ones.

His expression was as it had always been: calm, gentle, and touched with a hint of tenderness.

An Tong wanted to speak, but hesitated.

In the end, she said nothing. Her slightly damp palm rested against the side of his face, and she leaned forward to brush his lips with a light kiss.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time An Tong had taken the initiative to kiss Rong Shen.

Most girls, early in a relationship, were shy and passive when it came to kissing and intimacy, caught between reluctance and invitation.

An Tong was no exception.

Had she not just released all those pent-up emotions, she likely would not have turned from passive to主动.

She even thought that if he stopped restraining himself tonight and wanted something more intimate with her, she would not refuse.

However, a mature and steady man would never take advantage of someone at such a moment.

He did not deepen the kiss. He simply allowed An Tong to brush and linger lightly against his lips.

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Only when she stopped of her own accord did Rong Shen curl his fingers and touch her cheek, the skin tight from having dried beneath her tears.

“Let’s leave tomorrow morning and head back, hm?”

An Tong pressed her lips together and nodded faintly. “Do you have much to take with you? I can help you pack...”

“No need.” The man kept one arm around her and used his free hand to pick up the teacup from the table, bringing it to her lips. “Cloud Summit has everything. There’s no need to hurry back, either. We can stay a few more days.”

An Tong’s arms were still looped around Rong Shen’s neck. Taking advantage of the movement as he raised the cup, she lowered her head and took a sip of tea, silently revealing her dependence like a fragile child in need of care.

Her unconscious behavior deepened the smile at the corners of the man’s lips. “Do your eyes feel sore?”

An Tong touched her eyelids with her fingertips. “A little.”

“Go upstairs and wash your face first. I’ll be there shortly.”

An Tong did not think much of it. As she rose, she kissed his cheek once more.

After her figure vanished around the bend in the staircase, Rong Shen glanced at his shoulder, curled his lips into a smile, and walked toward the kitchen.

Upstairs, An Tong entered the bathroom unhurriedly. Before she could turn on the faucet, the sound of little footsteps came from the hallway.

She turned her head and immediately saw An’an, the snow mastiff, running inside and rubbing against her legs.

The little fellow had grown considerably taller and had already reached her knees.

Animals possessed sharper senses and a keener sense of smell than humans.

An’an seemed to know that she was upset. He had followed her all the way to the second floor without making a sound. Instead, he pawed at the leg of her trousers, as though asking to be held.

An Tong’s nose grew sore. She crouched down and gathered An’an into her arms.

The soft touch of a pet was always especially healing. An’an even stuck out his tongue and licked An Tong’s chin again and again.

The sensation was difficult to describe; her heart felt both tender and achingly soft.

When Rong Shen arrived with an ice pack, he saw An Tong washing her face while An’an lay beside the sink, quietly watching her.

At the sight of the man, the little fellow gave two soft whines.

An Tong wiped the water from her face and turned to look as well.

The scene was somewhat amusing, yet unexpectedly warm and harmonious.

The eyes of both little creatures were clear black and white, and both gazed at him with a similar, innocent helplessness.

Rong Shen lifted An’an down and set him on the floor. Before he could say anything, An Tong asked softly, “Tomorrow... can we take him back with us?”

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