Chen An knew his words had taken effect. After he rose and sat on the edge of the bed, he made sure Tong Ran's eyes met his own. His gaze was extremely gentle, allowing some of her tension to ease. "Tong Ran, let it out. Don't hold it in, not even for Nanjue's sake. You can't keep it bottled up like this."
Looking into his eyes, Tong Ran bit her lower lip. Chen An continued to persuade her softly, "If Nanjue knew you were doing this, it would hurt him more than it hurts you."
"I..." She turned her head away.
"Do you love him?"
Her lips trembled. She couldn't deny the fact any longer, "Love..."
Chen An took her by the shoulders, "Since there's love, what else are you afraid of?"
"..."
