Watching Heather’s pain, Li Sinian turned to her and kissed away the tears on her cheeks. "I haven’t blamed you."

"You should blame me..." Heather felt too much pain inside and had to vent it, "You should scold me, punish me, you shouldn’t let me off like this... Doing so only makes me hate myself more, wondering why I ever had such thoughts about you. That is my sin."

She had never wept so unrestrainedly in front of him before.

All these years, the character she played as Xiao Man was an intellectual woman, she knew everything, playing the role of the good woman Haohao by Li Sinian’s side, not crying, not making a fuss, as if she never encountered anything sad or troubling.

This was the first time, in front of him, she confessed and wept, shedding tears of regret.

Li Sinian carried her horizontally and walked toward the soft bed.

He sat down, allowing her to sit across his lap like a child, his strong arms wrapped around her waist, leaning down to kiss her.

"Don’t cry, I have never blamed you, because from the beginning I knew who you were. You didn’t come clean to me, so I didn’t bring it up. I didn’t know you were always struggling inside like this."

"Why didn’t you tell me... Do you know how dangerous it is to keep an enemy by your side? I also thought about killing you, really... I had such thoughts..." Heather cried, her pale face covered in tears, "Leaving Night Hawk, and leaving you, I could live a day without Heather or Xiao Man, these years I really lived so repressed, I was so afraid you would find out... Li Sinian... I really love you... but I’m still afraid I might hurt you... I’m afraid after you know the truth you wouldn’t believe me, I’m afraid my heart would ache unbearably..."

She had told him "I love you" so many times, very perfunctorily, with a hint of pretense, but only this time, it was genuinely, with all her heart.

So...

"That’s enough, just that one sentence from you is all I need."

He didn’t say it, because there was no way to begin talking about it.

Once it was brought up, he had to talk to her about Helena, knowing that there was a complex relationship between them, how could he tell her?

Li Sinian kissed from the tears on her face down to her neck, reaching into her clothing, removing the obstacles on her body one by one, gently laying her down on the bed.

"Say it again," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you..." Heather’s eyes glistened, her eyes brimming with tears, "I really love you."

Her lips were instantly sealed by his.

For him, that one sentence was enough.

...

The next morning, Heather woke up in the familiar embrace.

Opening her eyes, she saw Li Sinian’s muscular body, full of scars.

Last night, they, unhealed, were in pain yet joyful, lost between Paradise and Hell.

Sometimes they touched each other’s wounds, but still didn’t want to stop. In those moments, they only wanted to possess each other more fervently.

Sunlight streamed into the room, shining on his handsome face, as if it were sparkling.

In that instant, Heather, holding his body, felt very calm inside, not thinking about anything, quietly observing his face, smiling.

Her hand rested on his chest, where there was a long scar, left by her. She had left an indelible scar on his heart; looking at it now was like being in agony.