Li Xinyuan's gut twisted into a painful knot as a bitter sense of dismay filled his lungs to the brim. It had not been the meaning of his words, spoken so thoughtlessly, he only caused Liu Mingyun to feel hurt.
He wanted nothing more than to apologize profusely, hold the Crown Prince close and tell him: those harsh words of his were rooted not in dismay but in the swamp of worry.
Even with his thoughts screaming in the silence of his mind, the surgeon drew in a deep breath, the cold air entering his lungs as he swallowed tightly around the lump sore in his throat. The words he could not bring himself to speak nigh on the tip of his tongue strangled by the tension fraught in the room.
Why did he have to open his mouth before his brain could think clearly?
Opening and closing, his lips spoke no words and throat refused to sound. Hands shaking akin to leaves in a storm, he tightened his hold on Liu Mingyun's lukewarm hand.
