87: In dreams and outside of dreams, she kissed Lu Chen!

Gu Xiaoxiao's voice was as soft as a dream, filled with longing and deep affection.

At this moment, holding Lu Chen, she felt as if she possessed the entire world.

Gu Xiaoxiao continued to hug Lu Chen tightly, savoring the warmth of that brief moment.

But suddenly, she keenly sensed Lu Chen's body subtly changing; its temperature was slowly ebbing away, gradually turning icy cold.

Her heart "thumped," as if clutched by an invisible hand, and panic immediately set in. She quickly looked up at Lu Chen.

What she saw, however, made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Lu Chen's gentle smile, which had been like the warm sun of spring capable of dispelling gloom, was slowly receding at a visible pace. The corners of his mouth gradually turned downwards, the curve disappearing, replaced by an icy coldness.

His gaze was even more terrifyingly cold. His eyes, which had once sparkled with starlight, as if holding an entire brilliant galaxy,

were now like a bottomless cold abyss, so profound it sent shivers down one's spine, devoid of any warmth.

Even his tall and upright body seemed to be pierced by a cold wind, radiating chill. The surrounding air also seemed infected by his indifference, its temperature plummeting rapidly.

Everything was turning cold; the entire world seemed enveloped by a layer of frost, a bone-chilling coldness.

Gu Xiaoxiao gazed at Lu Chen's gradually chilling face, her heart also feeling as if it were torn into countless pieces, pain spreading throughout her body.

Just as despair, like an abyss, was about to swallow her, she was suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration. Her mind was flooded with memories of beautiful moments from the past—Lu Chen's gentle smile, his concerned gaze, and the unconscious indulgence he showed.

The warmth of the past violently collided with the coldness of the present, and an impulse, like a surging tide, rose in her heart, no longer repressible.

In an instant, Gu Xiaoxiao stood on her tiptoes, her hands tightly gripping Lu Chen's collar, and almost instinctively pressed her lips fiercely onto Lu Chen's.

This kiss was resolute and passionate, carrying the courage of burning one's bridges, yet also the madness of a moth drawn to a flame.

Her eyes were tightly closed, her long eyelashes trembling incessantly. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, flowing down her cheeks and into the space between their tightly pressed lips, salty and tinged with endless sorrow.

She completely disregarded Lu Chen's astonishment, her body trembling slightly, yet she pressed closer with even more force, as if to use this kiss to awaken the deeply affectionate him of the past.

Or perhaps she wanted to grasp the last trace of warmth in this illusory dream, even if only for a brief moment.

This kiss did not last too long.

Soon, Lu Chen pushed her away.

After being ruthlessly pushed away, Gu Xiaoxiao's heart was terribly flustered, her breathing became rapid, her chest heaved violently, and she asked with trepidation, "Lu Chen, what... what's wrong with you?"

Her voice trembled with helplessness, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

Lu Chen was now completely expressionless, his facial features as stern as if carved by a knife. He stared coldly at Gu Xiaoxiao, extending his hands without hesitation and forcefully pushing her away.

The action was without a trace of hesitation, so resolute it was heartbreaking.

At the same time, his voice was utterly indifferent, like a chilling wind sweeping across an ancient ice field, each word like an ice shard: "Men and women should not touch each other intimately. Can you please stop this pulling and tugging?"

Gu Xiaoxiao was instantly stunned, as if struck by lightning. Her body froze, and her mind went blank.

A moment later, the piercing pain, like a surging tide, assaulted her again, agonizing and nearly suffocating her.

Tears uncontrollably streamed from her eyes again. Gu Xiaiaxo shook her head desperately, her hair flying wildly. She cried piteously, her appearance exquisitely tragic.

Tears, like a broken dam, rolled down her fair cheeks, soaking her clothes. Her eyes were red and swollen, her long eyelashes soaked and clumped together. With every blink, pearls of tears fell silently.

She choked out:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you. I won't ever say that to you again, okay?"

Her voice was broken, filled with regret and despair, seemingly hoping to salvage something with her words.

However, Lu Chen remained expressionless, like an emotionless statue, unmoved by her tearful plea.

He turned directly, striding away, leaving only an incomparably indifferent remark echoing in the air: "No need. We are not close."

His coattails cut through the air, as if carving an unbridgeable chasm, completely separating the two of them.

Gu Xiaoxiao watched helplessly as Lu Chen's resolute back receded into the distance, until he disappeared from sight.

Her hands rested weakly on the table, as if all supporting strength had left her.

Through blurred tears, everything around her began to seem illusory and unreal.

The entire world seemed to transform into a collapsing sand sculpture, shattering and disappearing bit by bit.

Objects like the office desk and files also vanished into nothingness. Finally, even the ground beneath her feet seemed to cease to exist, leaving her alone in a vast expanse of white, like a solitary boat lost in a boundless fog.

This white space was boundless, without any direction or reference points, frighteningly silent.

Gu Xiaoxiao stood in place, her eyes hollow and dazed, her body trembling slightly, not knowing where she was or where to go.

Her heart was filled with the despair and pain of abandonment, as if she had been forgotten by the entire world in this cold Chaos.

She didn't know how much time had passed,

Perhaps a minute, perhaps an hour.

With a 'click,' the entire void world seemed to shatter layer by layer like a mirror.

"Mmm..."

After a soft moan, Gu Xiaoxiao slowly opened her swollen eyes, looking around in confusion.

"Xiaoxiao, you're finally awake!" Zhao Jiaqi's voice reached her ears, and Gu Xiaoxiao's dazed eyes finally regained a trace of clarity.

"I... what happened to me?" Gu Xiaoxiao blinked, asking subconsciously.

"Oh my, you fainted! When you fainted just now, you were still holding Lu Chen... and you said a lot of things in your sleep, oh my... oh my, you don't even know, and so many people were watching..."

Zhao Jiaqi was a bit incoherent, her voice tinged with shyness and panic, seemingly very embarrassed.

And when Gu Xiaoxiao heard this, she was instantly stunned.

What!?

That wasn't a dream just now?!

No, it must have been a dream just now, but what she did in the dream, she also did to Lu Chen in reality!?

And in front of so many people?!

...PS: Ahhh, both updates and revenue have started plummeting again, like a rollercoaster. The green numbers in the backend are making me anxious. Didn't they say there would be more traffic at 200,000 words? How come mine has decreased instead... It's too difficult, it's making my heart cold. I feel even colder than Gu Xiaoxiao, boo hoo hoo... Please recommend me some books, dear readers, please give me small gifts, please ask for more updates, please comment, please follow along, please give me all kinds of data, please, please, please orz!