novelraw Chapter 85: Close your eyes
Chapter 85: Close your eyes
Lan Yue did not move.
That was the first problem, and she knew it the moment she realized her feet had rooted themselves to the ground like stubborn weeds that refused to be pulled out. Her body had gone completely still, as if movement itself might make everything worse.
The second problem was that Zhao Lingxi did not move either.
She stood there just as steadily, just as deliberately, close enough that the space between them felt fragile, like something that could shatter if either of them breathed the wrong way. The distance was not gone, not completely, but it was so small that Lan Yue became painfully aware of every detail, where her hands were, where Zhao Lingxi’s hands were, how their sleeves nearly brushed when the wind shifted.
"...This is an incident," Lan Yue said softly, her voice quieter than she intended, like speaking too loudly might push things further than she could handle.
"Yes," Zhao Lingxi replied, calm as ever, like she was simply acknowledging a fact and not standing in the middle of it.
"We said no incidents," Lan Yue continued, her tone gaining just a little more strength, like she was trying to remind both of them of something important.
"Yes."
Lan Yue swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
"Then we should stop."
"Yes."
Neither of them moved.
The silence stretched, thin and tense, like a thread pulled too tight but not yet snapping.
Lan Yue let out a slow breath, forcing herself to stay steady.
"This is exactly how incidents happen," she said, her tone turning slightly more serious now. "Not all at once. Not dramatically. Just... like this."
"Yes."
"Through a series of poor decisions," she continued, her gaze fixed on Zhao Lingxi now, like she was trying to anchor herself in something solid.
"Yes."
"We are making them in real time."
"Yes."
Lan Yue closed her eyes briefly, pressing down the rising awareness that threatened to scatter her thoughts completely.
Then she opened them again.
Zhao Lingxi was still there.
Still close.
Still looking at her with that same calm, steady attention that made everything feel sharper, clearer, more dangerous.
"...This is your fault," Lan Yue said, narrowing her eyes slightly, trying to push the blame somewhere else just to regain a little control.
"How," Zhao Lingxi asked, not defensive, not surprised, just... asking.
"You stepped closer."
"You asked a hypothetical question."
"That does not require a physical demonstration," Lan Yue shot back immediately.
"It suggested one."
Lan Yue stared at her, completely unimpressed.
"...That is not how hypotheticals work."
"It is how this one works."
Lan Yue let out a small, disbelieving sound under her breath, something between a scoff and a laugh.
Then she looked away.
Then back again.
Still close.
Still no distance.
"...We should step back," she said, trying again, more firmly this time.
"Yes."
"You first."
"No."
Lan Yue narrowed her eyes further. "Why me."
"You identified the problem."
"That does not mean I solve it."
"It usually does."
"That is unfair."
"It is accurate."
Lan Yue exhaled sharply, clearly dissatisfied with that answer.
"...Fine."
She still did not move.
Zhao Lingxi’s lips curved just slightly, the faintest hint of amusement slipping through her otherwise composed expression.
Lan Yue immediately pointed at her. "Do not."
"I did nothing."
"You are doing something."
"I am standing still."
"That is exactly it."
A brief silence settled again, heavier this time, filled with something neither of them was willing to name out loud.
The air between them felt... charged.
Not like the garden, not artificial or overwhelming.
Just present.
Real.
Lan Yue became aware, again, of the distance.
Or more accurately, the lack of it.
"...If we were less responsible," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully now.
"Yes."
"This would already be worse."
"Yes."
Lan Yue nodded once, like she was confirming something to herself.
"...Good to know."
Zhao Lingxi tilted her head slightly, watching her. "Is it."
"No," Lan Yue said honestly. "It is not helpful at all."
Another pause followed, longer this time.
Neither of them stepped back.
Lan Yue let out a quiet laugh, soft and a little unsteady.
"...We are really bad at this," she admitted.
"Yes."
"Terrible."
"Yes."
Lan Yue hesitated.
Then, before she could stop herself, before she could think through the consequences, the words slipped out.
"Are you going to do something or not."
The moment the sentence left her mouth, she froze completely.
Zhao Lingxi’s gaze sharpened, just slightly, but enough that Lan Yue felt it immediately.
"...That was not what I meant," Lan Yue added quickly, her voice rushing now.
"It sounded like it was."
"It was not."
"It was."
Lan Yue pressed her lips together, clearly regretting everything.
Then she said, very carefully, "I am rescinding that statement."
"Noted."
"You are not allowed to act on it."
"I have not decided."
"You should decide no."
"I have not."
Lan Yue exhaled slowly, her heartbeat picking up again despite her best efforts.
"...This is escalating," she said.
"Yes."
"We should de escalate."
"Yes."
Neither of them moved.
Lan Yue looked at Zhao Lingxi.
Zhao Lingxi looked back at her.
The quiet stretched again, but this time it felt heavier, more deliberate.
Then Zhao Lingxi said, "Close your eyes."
Lan Yue blinked. "What."
"Close your eyes."
"Why."
"Trust me."
"That is not an answer."
"It is sufficient."
Lan Yue stared at her, deeply suspicious now.
Very suspicious.
"...This is how people get into trouble," she muttered.
"Yes."
"And yet."
"And yet," Zhao Lingxi echoed.
Lan Yue hesitated.
Then, slowly, she closed her eyes.
"...If this is something ridiculous," she warned.
"Yes."
"I will remember it forever."
"Yes."
There was a brief pause.
Lan Yue became hyper aware of everything.
The faint rustle of leaves above them.
The soft movement of wind through branches.
Her own breathing.
And Zhao Lingxi’s breathing.
Closer.
Then...
A light touch.
Not where she expected.
Not on her lips.
On her wrist.
Zhao Lingxi’s fingers wrapped gently around it, warm and steady, firm without force.
Lan Yue’s breath caught instantly.
Her eyes opened immediately.
Zhao Lingxi was still there.
Still close.
Still composed.
But now she was holding Lan Yue’s wrist.
Lightly.
Deliberately.
"...What is this," Lan Yue asked, her voice quieter now.
"A correction," Zhao Lingxi said.
"For what."
"You are about to step forward."
Lan Yue blinked, genuinely confused. "I am not."
"You were."
"I was not."
Zhao Lingxi’s grip shifted slightly, guiding her back half a step.
The movement was small.
But noticeable.
Intentional.
"There," Zhao Lingxi said.
Lan Yue stared at her.
"...You tricked me."
"Yes."
"That was not what I expected."
"No."
"That was... responsible."
"Yes."
Lan Yue narrowed her eyes.
"...I do not like it."
Zhao Lingxi’s lips curved faintly. "You do."
"I do not."
"You do."
Lan Yue exhaled sharply again.
Then she looked down at her wrist.
At Zhao Lingxi’s hand.
Still there.
Still holding.
"...You are still doing it," she said.
"Yes."
"You can let go now."
"Yes."
Zhao Lingxi did not move.
Lan Yue looked back up at her.
"...You are not letting go."
"No."
A pause settled between them.
Lan Yue’s heart did something complicated and unhelpful.
"...This is still an incident," she said.
"Yes."
"We reduced it."
"Yes."
"But it still counts."
"Yes."
Lan Yue hesitated.
Then, slowly, she relaxed just a little.
Not pulling away.
Not stepping forward.
Just... staying.
"...This is acceptable," she decided.
Zhao Lingxi inclined her head slightly. "Acceptable."
"Yes."
A small silence settled between them.
Not tense.
Not awkward.
Just quiet.
Lan Yue exhaled slowly.
"...We are improving," she said.
"Yes."
"Still bad."
"Yes."
"But slightly better."
Zhao Lingxi’s gaze softened. "Slightly."
Lan Yue nodded.
Then she glanced down again.
"...You can still let go," she said.
"Yes."
This time, Zhao Lingxi released her wrist.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Lan Yue felt the absence immediately.
She flexed her fingers slightly, like she was testing something that had just changed.
"...Good," she said.
"Yes."
Neither of them moved for a moment.
Then Lan Yue turned.
Started walking again.
This time, a little faster than before, like putting distance between them would help her regain control.
Zhao Lingxi followed.
Of course she did.
Lan Yue stared straight ahead.
"...That was controlled," she said.
"Yes."
"No chaos."
"Yes."
"No incidents."
Zhao Lingxi said nothing.
Lan Yue frowned slightly.
Then she sighed.
"...Minimal incidents," she corrected.
"Yes."
Lan Yue nodded.
"...We are getting better," she said.
"Yes."
A brief pause.
Then she added, very quietly, "But not by much."
Zhao Lingxi’s lips curved again.
Lan Yue did not look at her.
But she knew.
And that was the problem.
They walked in silence for a while.
Not uncomfortable.
Just thoughtful.
Lan Yue kept her eyes forward, but her mind refused to settle.
It kept replaying the moment.
The closeness.
The pause.
The way Zhao Lingxi had said trust me, not like a request, not like a question, but like something that simply was.
Lan Yue exhaled slowly.
"...That was unfair," she said at last.
Zhao Lingxi glanced at her. "What was."
"The close your eyes part."
"It was effective."
"That is not the point."
"It is a point."
Lan Yue shook her head. "You used strategy."
"Yes."
"On me."
"Yes."
"That feels like cheating."
"I disagree."
"Of course you do."
Zhao Lingxi’s expression remained unchanged. "You asked me to decide."
"I did not mean like that."
"You did not specify."
Lan Yue opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Then narrowed her eyes. "...You are impossible."
"Yes."
"That was not a compliment."
"It was accurate."
Lan Yue let out a quiet huff.
Then she slowed slightly, just enough that their steps aligned more closely again.
"...If I say something," she started.
"Yes."
"You are not allowed to use it against me."
"I make no such promise."
"Then I am not saying it."
"Then do not."
Lan Yue hesitated.
Then said it anyway.
"...I did trust you."
Zhao Lingxi did not respond immediately.
Lan Yue kept walking, her gaze fixed ahead.
"...When you said close your eyes," she continued, her voice softer now, "I thought it was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea. And I still did it."
A pause.
Then Zhao Lingxi said, "Yes."
Lan Yue glanced at her. "...That is all you have to say."
"Yes."
Lan Yue stared at her.
Then looked away again.
"...You are really bad at responding to important statements."
"Yes."
"That was important."
"I know."
Lan Yue’s steps slowed again.
"...Then say something useful."
Zhao Lingxi was quiet for a moment.
Then she said, "I will not misuse it."
Lan Yue blinked.
"...That is your useful statement."
"Yes."
Lan Yue considered that.
Then, slowly, she nodded.
"...Alright," she said.
They kept walking.
The path opened slightly ahead, sunlight filtering through the trees in soft patterns across the ground.
Lan Yue looked at it.
Then she said, very casually, "Next time, do not use tricks."
Zhao Lingxi glanced at her. "Next time."
Lan Yue froze for half a step.
Then kept walking.
"...Hypothetically," she added quickly.
"Yes," Zhao Lingxi said.
But there was something in her voice.
Quiet.
Certain.
Lan Yue did not look at her.
But she felt it.
And this time, she did not argue.