Li Na tensed briefly in his arms, her body stiffening out of reflex, but her exhaustion quickly overtook her resistance. Instinctively, she looped her arms around his neck for balance, her head resting against his chest.
As they crossed the garden, the cool night air brushed against her skin, carrying with it the faint, earthy scent of freshly turned soil and the distant sweetness of blooming flowers. The rhythm of his heartbeat, steady and sure, pressed faintly against her, grounding her in the quiet amidst her exhaustion. Her injured foot rested securely in the crook of his arm.
His hold was firm yet careful, each step deliberate as he navigated the uneven garden path, strangely without a single word of complaint. His silence felt purposeful, as his focus unwavering, as though the task of carrying her demanded all his attention—or perhaps, as though any words might disturb the fragile quiet that had settled between them, an unspoken understanding neither dared to break.
