After a while, Lu Jinnian added, "It's been a long time now. In some places, the scars are so light, they aren't even visible anymore."
Qiao Anhao curved the corner of her lips into a gentle smile. "That's good."
Lu Jinnian didn't speak more. He just stared, slightly transfixed by the corners of Qiao Anhao's lips and that peacefully warm smile she wore.
The suite fell silent again. Qiao Anhao hadn't quite come back from Lu Jinnian's stunning gaze, so her fingers grabbed for the glass of red wine that the service staff had brought over, to steady her shaken heart.
But before she could bring the glass to her lips, Lu Jinnian, who wasn't standing far away, suddenly strode over and grabbed her soft, delicate fingers to stop her.
Qiao Anhao was stunned for a moment, then she looked up at him with confusion.
Lu Jinnian didn't look at her, but gently took the tall glass from her hands and put it back on the round table. He grabbed for a bottle of mineral water, twisted the cap, and handed it to her. He stared into her eyes and said, "Drink some water. Alcohol is bad for the body."
Most importantly, it hadn't been one month since her miscarriage operation. She couldn't have alcohol.
Qiao Anhao didn't know what Lu Jinnian was really thinking. She thought about how he had been carefully looking after her all this time, and how he must be afraid she'd drink the alcohol and trigger the same stomach pains as before, that's why he probably stopped her. The happiness and sweetness that she'd recently been feeling crawled into her heart again. Staring into his eyes, she couldn't help but freeze up.
As Lu Jinnian met her eyes, a hint of tenderness washed over his own, usually cold ones. His hand didn't move, it was still holding up the bottle of water.
For that instant, it was like time stood still with the image of the two of them deeply staring at one another...
The entire world had become utterly silent. They could hear the sound of each other's heartbeat.
The room was gradually filled with an air of intimacy. Lu Jinnian couldn't help but lower his head, as he drew closer to Qiao Anhao's face. Qiao Anhao didn't move away, but her lips gently quivered, as though they were anticipating for something.
A broiling heat crept into Lu Jinnian's eyes, and his head pushed lower. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, a knock on the door was suddenly sounded.
Both Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao snapped back to reality at the same time. To mask her nerves, Qiao Anhao quickly took the bottle of water from Lu Jinnian's hands and hurriedly said, "Thank you". Then she pretended to be really thirsty and gulped the water down with her head raised.
Lu Jinnian peacefully stared at Qiao Anhao for a few seconds, then straightened up and said in his usual neutral tone, "Come in."
When his words reached outside, the service staff at the door opened it, and the reporter and photographer came in.
Qiao Anhao hastily put the bottle down and grabbed a napkin. She wiped the water from her lips and stood up.
The reporter respectively shook hands with Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian, greeting them, and then the three of them took their seats. They waited for the cameraman to adjust the lighting and give them the OK hand sign.
When he did so, the reporter brought the mic up and said, "We all know that you both act as a couple in "Alluring Times", so you must of worked quite closely with each other during this time. Let me ask you then, Mr. Lu... In your eyes, what kind of person is Miss Qiao?"