Xian laughed softly at his teasing, the sound light and unguarded, her shoulders loosening as she leaned a little closer to him while they walked. She tilted her head up at him with eyes bright with mischief and wiggled her eyebrows in an exaggerated, theatrical way that made her look like she was trying very hard to be serious and failing immediately.
"Hey," she said, adopting a mock‑stern tone for all of half a second. "I was not being bad. I was being emotionally overwhelmed and socially clumsy, which is a completely different category of behavior."
Her expression broke into a grin that made it very clear she was not defending herself at all.
"But yes," she added with a small shrug, "probably bad too."
She squeezed his hand, her fingers warm against his, and nodded thoughtfully when he mentioned champagne and whiskey, as if she were weighing the options like a very important scientific decision that required careful consideration.
"Okay," Xian said at last, sounding far more decisive than the situation required. "We can try something new."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as though she were sharing a secret that only he was allowed to hear.
"I already know what champagne does to me," she confessed with a soft laugh. "It makes me lose my thoughts and forget what I was saying halfway through sentences, which is not ideal when I am trying to appear composed."
To demonstrate, she waved her hand vaguely in the air, then stopped mid‑gesture with a helpless little shrug. "Exactly like that."
With another quiet laugh, she bumped him lightly with her elbow, the gesture playful and affectionate in a way she rarely let herself be with anyone else.
"But I am willing to risk it," she said, her smile widening. "For science."
When he thanked her and called her beautiful, her cheeks warmed instantly, the color rising even if she wanted to hide it. She looked down for a moment, gathering herself, then lifted her gaze back to him with eyes that had softened into something warm and sincere.
"Always," she repeated quietly, the word carrying more weight than the moment demanded. "I like that."
By the time they reached the bar, Xian straightened just a little, as if preparing herself for a challenge she fully intended to meet. Resting one hand on the counter, she glanced at the menu, then at Veyran, her expression determined in a way that was both earnest and endearing.
"Alright," she said with a decisive nod. "One champagne. And whatever you are having."
She looked back at him with a grin that was equal parts daring and shy.
"You are responsible if I start rambling," she warned lightly, "or forget what I am saying."
Veyran Solis
Vulpesen
