During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 36: Silent Synergy

"They knew their love was real when they understood each other on the field, their unspoken bond translating into perfectly timed passes and synchronized victories."

Translator: Wuxia Studio, Editor: M.H Lovecraft

- -

Yin Guo stirred in her sleep, the shrill cry of the alarm clock tearing her from the remnants of a dream. She mumbled a protest, her voice laced with drowsiness, mirroring the little girl who always seemed to wake with the sun.

Silence answered her complaint. The alarm continued its insistent ringing, each piercing note echoing in the sterile white room. Yin Guo furrowed her brow, a tiny wrinkle forming between her eyes. She was awake, but the effort of rising was evident in the slump of her shoulders and the defeated sigh that escaped her lips.

With a listless hand, she reached for the covers, intending to pull them back over her head and steal a few more precious moments of sleep. But an itch on the tip of her nose, a feeling both familiar and strangely out of place, interrupted her.

Opening her eyes slowly, the world came into focus. Row upon row of identical white uniforms filled her vision, none of them uttering a word. But then, a flicker of recognition sent a jolt through her. That fabric, the soft blue hue at the edge of the sleeve was the same color as the shirt Lin Yiyang had worn just yesterday.

The realization hit her like a wave, washing away the remnants of sleep and leaving her wide-eyed with surprise. Was this... his bed? And they're lying side by side.

-

The insistent shrill of the alarm clock pierced Lin Yiyang's sleep, dragging him from his dreams. He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand, but as he opened his eyes, a wave of confusion washed over him. In his bed, nestled in the white sheets, lay a young woman, her eyes wide and unfocused.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, the remnants of sleep clinging to him like cobwebs. A sliver of guilt flickered within him as he recalled the events of the previous night. He hadn't exactly given her a choice, leaving her to find refuge in his bed.

He cleared his throat, the sound rough and rusty like an unused hinge. "Awake?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as if he'd spent the night inhaling dust. He forced a smile, hoping to dispel the awkward tension hanging in the air.

Yin Guo blinked slowly, her gaze flitting around the room as if trying to piece together the situation. A faint blush crept up her neck, and she mumbled something inaudible in response.

Yin Guo found herself captivated by the gentle rise and fall of his Adam's apple, a rhythmic counterpoint to the pounding in her own chest. Her gaze drifted down to his chin, the shadow of stubble stark against his pale skin. A stray thought, barely formed, flitted through her mind, was this the consequence of surrendering to the weakest part of oneself?

The air felt thick and languid, heavier than it had been the night before. Was it just the closed window, or was it something more? Perhaps the lingering scent of the extinguished candles or the subtle mingling of their individual aromas permeated the room, adding a new element to the charged atmosphere.

The fabric of his half-sleeve brushed against her nose, causing a phantom itch. She reached out impulsively, her hand hovering in the air before she thought better of it. "What time is it?" she managed to ask, her voice in a silent whisper.

"Seven," he replied, his voice a husky murmur against her forehead.

They lay entangled in the sheets, his body draped over hers. Lin Yiyang was acutely aware of the stirring within him, a response that transcended mere physical attraction. This was a yearning that reached beyond the surface, a deep pull toward the woman he had grown to care for. In this moment, reason seemed to fade away, replaced by an undeniable and genuine desire.