Leon's lips had just left hers when a sharp rustling echoed through the trees.
Both horses neighed wildly and jerked away, startled by something unseen.
In the blink of an eye, they bolted—hooves pounding against earth, fading into the depths of the forest.
Leon cursed under his breath, turning his head toward the noise.
Yun Lan's eyes widened. "The horses…"
"They're gone," he muttered, scanning the shadows. "Something spooked them."
She tried to take a step back, but the moment her feet met the ground, she gasped.
A bolt of pain shot through her legs. Her knees buckled, and she clutched the tree to keep from falling.
Leon caught her instantly. "You're hurt."
"It's nothing," she lied, trying to push him away again, but her breath betrayed her. Her lips were pale. Sweat beaded her brow despite the cold.
"You're limping," he said, inspecting her ankles. Scratches and swelling—clearly from her reckless rooftop escape.
"But I can walk."
"No," he said firmly.
Before she could argue, he crouched and turned his back to her. "Get on."
"No!"
He ignored her and rose to his feet instead, sweeping her into his arms.
Her fists pounded weakly against his chest. "Put me down! You can't—!"
"I can and I will," he growled. "Stop fighting me for once, Yun Lan."
She froze. His arms were so warm, so steady. He held her like she weighed nothing.
Her head leaned against his shoulder, not by choice, but because her body ached and her eyelids fluttered.
He began walking.
Through the woods, over roots and stones, past silent trees and moon-soaked moss, Leon carried her—his breathing steady, his jaw clenched, his footsteps careful.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.
"Because you're mine."
She wanted to scream at him. To slap him. But her lips were too dry, and her body too weak.
She let her eyes close for a moment—just a moment.
They had been walking for nearly thirty minutes when the trees finally began to thin. Ahead, the soft outline of a field came into view. Streetlights glimmered in the far distance.
Leon pulled his phone from his pocket and called one of his men.
"Come to the south edge of the forest. Now. She's injured."
Yun Lan stirred in his arms. Her skin was hot. Too hot.
He looked down and frowned. "Yun Lan?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes were closed, and her brow furrowed in pain.
He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead.
"Damn it. You're burning up."
The wounds from her fall, the cold forest air, the stress—her body had taken too much.
He sat down on a rock near the field, cradling her in his lap.
"I told you not to run," he whispered, brushing damp strands of hair from her face. "But you never listen."
Her lips moved slightly. "L-Leon…"
"I'm here," he said, pulling his coat tighter around her.
"Why… do you care?" she murmured.
He looked away for a moment. Then back at her.
"Because you saved my life. Because you made me feel something again. And because… even if you hate me, I'd rather carry you through hell than let anyone else touch you."
She didn't reply. Her body relaxed against him completely.
She had fallen asleep.
And Leon just held her tighter, like a man clinging to the one thing that made him human.
In the distance, the headlights of a black SUV pierced the darkness.
His men had arrived.
The black SUV screeched to a halt at the edge of the field, its headlights casting long shadows through the thinning mist. The front door swung open, and two of Leon's men jumped out, armed and alert.
"Boss!" one of them called. "Are you alright?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained on Yun Lan, cradled protectively in his arms.
"She's burning up," he said instead, his voice cold but tight. "Open the back door. Now."
"Yes, sir!"
One of the men rushed to open the backseat door while the other hovered anxiously nearby, eyeing the bruises on Yun Lan's legs and arms.
"What happened to her?"
"She ran," Leon replied simply. "And she got hurt because of it."
He climbed into the backseat with her still in his arms, refusing to let anyone else touch her. As the car began moving, he gently shifted her so she was resting against his chest, her head tucked under his chin.
The heat from her fever radiated through both their clothes.
Yun Lan stirred in his arms, her lips dry and parted. "Water…"
One of the men passed a bottle to the backseat without question. Leon uncapped it and tried to bring it to her lips, but her body was too weak to sit up.
"Damn it," he muttered.
Without hesitation, he drank a small sip of water himself, then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers—transferring the water gently into her mouth.
She whimpered softly, the taste waking her slightly.
"You—" she whispered, her eyes fluttering open for just a second.
"Shut up and drink," he ordered quietly.
She obeyed without another word.
When she finished, she collapsed again, drained and shivering. Leon pulled her closer and draped his coat around her body.
"I'll call for the doctor to be at the estate when we arrive," one of the men offered from the passenger seat.
"Do it," Leon said. "And make sure the guest room is ready. She'll need rest."
There was a pause, then the man asked cautiously, "Boss… you really care about this girl, don't you?"
Leon didn't answer right away.
He looked down at Yun Lan—her long lashes resting against her pale cheeks, her fingers loosely gripping the fabric of his shirt like a child seeking safety.
"She saved my life," he said finally, voice low. "Now I'll protect hers. No matter what it takes."
The car continued through the night, toward a mansion cloaked in darkness but waiting—with warmth, medicine, and something neither of them had expected to find in each other.