Tears streamed down her face as she desperately tried to wrench her hand from his grasp. For a split second, he let go, and she turned to run. But in the next instant, he had her tightly in his arms again. Newest update provided by NoveI(F)ire.net Her struggles were futile against his iron grip. He held her tight, refusing to let go. The chill wind whipped around them, the festivity of Christmas unable to dispel the biting cold. She shivered slightly in his arms, but his embrace generously transferred warmth to her. A sense of calm suddenly washed over him. He had waited for this moment for so, so long. From the first day she left, through countless days of searching for her, from their first reunion on the university campus, to that fleeting glimpse at the company... He himself didn’t know where he’d found such willpower, or how much self-control it had taken to hold back. I absolutely have to hold back. But on this grand holiday, on a night filled with embracing lovers and the scent of roses, he lost control. He just held her tightly, his heart swelling with an almost startling joy. Separated for so long, and now, to have her back...Xixi, you have no idea how desperately I’ve searched for you these past two years.Now that I’ve found you, how could I possibly let you go? "Xixi, I’ve been constantly going on blind dates these past two years, meeting all kinds of women, but none of them were you. I couldn’t forget you; I couldn’t be with any other girl. Eventually, I got tired of all the blind dates and stopped trying to find a girlfriend. Lin Qianqian, the woman who came to the company with my mother today, isn’t anyone special to me. She was just a blind date my mother insisted on. I’ve already rejected her completely and made things crystal clear to my mother. Don’t worry, they won’t be coming to the company anymore..." He hurriedly confessed everything, wanting to leave no room for misunderstandings or excuses. "Xixi, I’ve worked myself to the bone, earning as much money as I could. I wanted to gain the ability to protect you as quickly as possible, to never let you suffer even the slightest hardship again..." He hadn’t been able to protect her back then; he had watched helplessly as she was pushed to the brink. That immense pain became his driving force. No one knew how desperately he had thrown himself into his work for the past two years. It was no exaggeration to say he’d worked almost ceaselessly, pouring his life, blood, and sweat into achieving everything he had today. "Xixi, I love you. There’s nothing standing in our way anymore, why can’t we be together?" Her hot tears seared his chest. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist. His overcoat was so warm, his scarf enveloped her, just like that night, years ago, when they first fell in love—under the moonlight, with only their burning gazes meeting. God knew how much she needed those warm hands. God knew how many times she had missed those gentle hands, how often during times of hardship she had found herself hoping for a miracle. She too was a lonely woman. In the dead of night, when her spirits were low, she too had wept silently, all alone. But ultimately, she had been the one to let go first. He still held on to her, his voice surprisingly gentle, "Xixi, let me take you home." She sat in his car, silent the entire way. He, however, seemed unusually cheerful. Though he didn’t say much, his face was wreathed in smiles. He drove slowly. The heating was ample, and her trembling hands slowly began to regain their warmth. Occasionally, he would glance over at her and see her leaning back against the seat, her eyes gently closed.