Honorable Sacrifice - FIYS

Smiling hated smiling once too

Tong Yao awoke to an unfamiliar setting, her head throbbing from the aftermath of last night. The sleek, modern design of the condo—black, gray, and silver tones—was jarringly elegant. She blinked, her vision adjusting to the light pouring through the large windows. The silence was oppressive, and she felt a jolt of panic, unsure where she was. Her heart raced as she took in her surroundings: the minimalist furniture, the pristine surfaces, and the neatly placed glass of water on the nightstand, accompanied by a small dose of pain medication.

She glanced down at herself—relieved to see she was still in the clothes she wore the previous night. But the calm didn't last long. As her eyes roamed the room, they landed on a framed photograph of Lu Sicheng—Chessman—hanging on the wall. Her breath caught in her throat as memories of the night before slowly started to flood back.

Drunk. Vulnerable and Completely out of it that's how she was last night.

Her throat tightened as she recalled what happened last night, what she had blurted out—a secret she never intended to say. Not to him. Not to anyone.

Before she could make sense of it all, the door to the room opened. Lu Sicheng walked in, his expression unreadable. His presence was calm, composed, yet it only made her more anxious. He stood there for a moment, looking at her without speaking, as if assessing her state.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked, his voice neutral.

Tong Yao swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. She avoided his gaze, focusing on the floor instead. Did he hate her now? Was that why he hadn't taken her back to the base? She couldn't bear to think about what he must have thought of her after last night.

"I... I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. The room seemed to shrink around her, suffocating her in the silence that followed.

The anxiety gnawed at her, and her mind raced with questions she was too afraid to ask. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Why am I here? What... what do you want to do with me now?" she asked, her voice trembling and oh so small. She hadn't meant to sound so small, so scared but the words came out before she could stop them.

Because for the first time in her life Tong Yao, Yona Linghuo didn't know what to do.

Lu Sicheng watched her for a long moment, his face giving nothing away. Then, without a word, he walked to the chair in the corner, pulled it up, and sat down directly in front of her. The tension between them was unbearable.

"You think I brought you here because I want something from you?" he asked, his voice calm, almost emotionless but there was something in his eyes—something that made her feel even more unsettled.

Tong Yao could only nod, her fingers twisting tightly in her lap as panic clawed at her chest. She bit her bottom lip hard, trying to keep the rising fear from overwhelming her. She knew, deep down, that if he knew the truth—if everything came out—he might leave her. The thought was suffocating. Her heart raced as her mind spiraled, thinking of him walking away, disgusted or scared. She didn't want him to look at her like that, like she was broken or dangerous. She liked him, really liked him, and the idea of losing him because of her past—because of what she had done—was unbearable. She bit down harder, her lip trembling as she tried to stop herself from crying. She had told herself that she would be fine if he walked away but now that it might become reality she found out she didn't want him too.

"I didn't take you to the base," he said, cutting through her thoughts, "because we need to talk. Alone. Without anyone else jumping in and making this into a spectacle."