15 Love needs courage.

'Zoya…' Long Yuzhen's voice caught in his throat as he gazed upon the person standing before him. It was a face he recognized, but he couldn't bring himself to utter her name. The situation left him feeling puzzled and unsure.

'Why is he looking at me like that? Has he figured out who I am?' Chen Zoe couldn't help but feel a rising sense of anxiety as he observed the puzzled expression on Yuzhen's face. He wasn't certain if Yuzhen had identified him in his current appearance.

"Ziya… Let her go, what are you doing?" Rui suddenly intervened, pushing Yuzhen away as if he were the savior of the moment.

'Is her name Ziya, not Zoya?' Yuzhen wondered silently, his confusion growing.

"Do you know her, senior?" Yuzhen asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"She is my—my maid, Ziya. I sent her here to deliver a message to your master. But what were you trying to do with her?" Rui quickly covered the truth with a fabricated story, attempting to ease the tension.

"It's my fault. I thought she was an intruder," Long Yuzhen admitted.

"Then the misunderstandings are settled, we were leaving," Rui said, taking Chen Zoe with him as they exited the residence. They continued walking, putting some distance between themselves and Yuzhen. "We almost got caught! What if he recognized you? Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to stay at Uncle Zeon's place?" 

Chen Zoe replied angrily, "Why are you talking like I have some weird hobby of wandering around like a woman? It's because Father came to Uncle's residence that I had to leave."

"Leader Zeng was there? What was he doing there?" Rui inquired.

"Who knows why he was there? The moment I heard his voice near the room, I snuck out from the window.

How long do I have to wear this damn ring? If its power stays like this, where should I stay tonight?" Chen Zoe shared his worries.

"I would have taken you home if it weren't for Father. Today, he hosted a party at home, and security is damn tight. How about we go to Brother Shen's?" Rui suggested.

The idea takes them to Xi Shen's residence. They sneaked inside through their secret passage; one they had been using for a long time.

When they arrived, Xi Shen wasn't there. 

Later, after Xi Shen had taken a bath and returned to his room, he received an unexpected welcome. Candles were lit all around the room, petals were scattered on the floor, and there was a hot, and Chen Zoe who was sitting on the bed.

For a moment, Xi Shen was completely mesmerized by Chen Zoe's beauty, and he couldn't focus on his surroundings. He paid no attention to the shower of rose petals falling around him, as he was completely unaware of Rui's presence behind him.

Slowly, Xi Shen moved towards Chen Zoe. "Xi Shen..." Chen Zoe called out in a lovely voice as he approached. He continued, "Xi Shen... where did you hide the red wine?"

"What?" This question snapped him back to reality, and he pushed Zoe's face away from him.

Then he took a closer look at his room. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw the state of his meticulously cleaned room; it was now in disarray. Candles had been deliberately placed in certain spots to divert attention from the disorder. The petals strewn across the floor weren't from actual flowers; they were bits of torn paper. As for Zoe on the bed, he was actually searching for the bottle. 

The only real element of the scene was the shower of rose petals, though even those had been plucked from a plant that Xi Shen had taken good care of.

"Five minutes," Xi Shen said.

"Huh!"

"Restore this room to how it was before, or you'll meet your end here," Xi Shen threatened.

That night felt unusually long for everyone. After many days, a gathering had truly brightened Chen Zoe, Xi Shen, and Rui's day. It also allowed Xi Shen to confirm that his feelings for Chen Zoe were more than just friendship. No matter how hard he tried to conceal them, they eventually surfaced...

The incident that almost killed Chen Zoe ten years ago made Xi Shen realize the importance of Chen Zoe in his life. That time, without eating or sleeping, he stayed by Zoe's side, taking care of him.

As time passed, he learned that what he felt towards Chen Zoe wasn't just friendship but something deeper. However, he was well aware of his circumstances and the world that often didn't understand or accept such feelings. Hiding these emotions became his only option at that time.

Opening up his heart to Zoe had always been an unfulfilled dream for Xi Shen. To him, the distance between them felt as vast as the gap between heaven and earth.

On the other side, Long Yuzhen was attempting to bridge the gap between heaven and earth to reach his love, even though he remained unaware of the truth.

The next morning, at Rui's clinic, an unexpected guest arrived.

"Yuzhen, why are you here? Are you unwell?" Seeing Long Yuzhen in front of his clinic, Rui asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

"I'm Ok... Mmm...."Senior, I have a favor to ask." Yuzhen hesitatingly spoke.

"Of course, what is it?" Rui replied.

"Can I meet your maid, Zoya, for a moment?"