Serena fell silent. Her eyes trembled slightly—but only for a moment. She quickly masked the expression.
"Instinct," she answered briefly.
Ren knew that wasn't the truth. He had clearly seen it—that subtle reaction no one as observant as him could miss.
"It's definitely more than just instinct..."
Ren thought to himself.
"Serena," he called softly.
"Hmm?"
"To face Lydia... maybe you and your mother need to go back to the Shine family."
That sentence froze Serena in place. She knew it was true. If they wanted to resolve everything, they had to return to the root of the problem.
But she also knew—Elena would definitely refuse. The Shine family was never a pleasant place for her. As for Serena herself, she didn't really care about them. To her, Elena was the only family she had ever needed.
"I'll figure out a way,"
she finally said.
Silence fell between them for a moment before the soft sound of rain began tapping against the window.
"It's raining,"
Serena said, glancing at Ren. A subtle hint for him to head home.
"Yeah,"
Ren replied, staring into his teacup—pretending not to catch her hint.
Serena sighed.
"You're not going home?"
she asked more directly this time.
Ren smiled and moved a little closer.
"You're kicking me out already? Don't you want to talk about anything else?"
"Like what?" Serena asked, confused.
Ren stood up and walked slowly toward her. For some reason, Serena suddenly felt nervous around him.
Her heart began to race and panic crept in.
As Ren came closer, she backed away, but he didn't give her space. Until finally, her head hit the back of the sofa. Their faces were barely seven centimeters apart.
"Ren! Stop!" she whispered in panic.
Her face was already flushed red.
"Why didn't you say anything about what I said earlier in your mom's hospital room?"
Ren asked, a teasing smile appearing as he noticed her reaction.
"She's absolutely adorable,"
he thought to himself.
"Uh… I thought you were just joking?" Serena replied nervously, her voice trembling slightly.
"I was serious," Ren said firmly.
Serena looked into his eyes and slowly nodded. She couldn't bring herself to say anything else—for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to refuse him.
"Good,"
Ren smiled and pinched her cheek playfully.
"Could you… maybe move back a little?"
she asked, her face still red and her eyes slightly misty—making her look unintentionally seductive.
"I like talking from this close," Ren teased.
"Ren…"
she whined softly, without even realizing how sweet her voice sounded.
That expression, that voice—Ren was stunned for a moment. She was seriously tempting him. But he managed to restrain himself, though it wasn't easy. He stepped away from Serena, walked over, and picked up his coat.
Serena blinked, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.
"You're leaving now?"
she asked, surprised—and a little unwilling.
Ren stared at her deeply.
"Do you have any idea what you look like right now?"
"What do I look like?" Serena asked curiously.
"If I don't leave now, I might end up doing something… too much."
Serena's eyes widened at his confession.
"Um… in that case, yes, you definitely need to go!!"
she said, panicking.
Ren chuckled softly.
Watching her panic like that only made her more adorable.
He walked to the door, but before stepping out, he turned around.
"I'll give you time to think about us. I won't force you, because I know you've got things you want to settle first. And if you need help—I'll always be there. But there's one thing I want you to remember clearly."
"What is it?"
"Your partner... can only be me. No one else."
Ren said, dead serious.
Serena smiled. Strangely, that "threat" made her heart feel warm.
"What makes you so special compared to other guys?"
she asked, half-teasing.
"Ridiculously handsome—totally your type, I'm sure. And of course… most importantly, I'm rich. Don't you just love money?"
Serena burst into laughter and nodded in agreement.
"That… is actually true!"
Ren smiled gently.
"I'm heading out."
Serena nodded and said softly,
"Go on, and… be careful."
Ren smiled again before finally stepping out. Serena stood for a long time in the doorway, gazing out the window where the rain continued to fall gently.
Their relationship didn't have a name or a label yet. But something had already begun to bloom—slowly creeping in, filling the spaces they had long left empty, hidden behind all the words they never dared to say.
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