Morning Light
1171 Words
Pain woke Qin Ruoxi before her eyes did.
It was not the kind of pain that came suddenly. It was heavy, slow, everywhere. It lived in her bones, in her muscles, in places she did not even want to think about. Her body felt unfamiliar, like it no longer belonged to her.
For a long moment, she didn’t move.
She simply lay there, breathing shallowly, caught between sleep and reality.
Then memory returned.
Her eyes opened abruptly.
The room was quiet.
Soft golden sunlight filtered through the thick hotel curtains, falling in thin lines across the large bed. The air smelled faintly of expensive perfume and something else she could not name.
Everything looked calm.
Too calm.
As if the night before had never happened.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She turned her head slowly.
And saw him.
He was still asleep.
For the first time since last night, she saw his face clearly.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He was incredibly handsome.
His brows were straight and sharp. His nose tall and defined. His jawline firm. Even in sleep, there was an unexplainable authority in the way he lay there. He did not look like the man who had pinned her down with overwhelming strength hours ago.
He looked composed. Cold. Untouchable.
Like someone born into a world she could never step into.
Ruoxi stared for a second too long before quickly looking away.
Her chest felt tight.
She didn’t know why.
Carefully, she tried to push herself up.
The moment she moved, pain shot through her lower body and she gasped softly, grabbing the bedsheet for support. Her fingers tightened in the white fabric as she forced herself to sit.
Everything hurt.
Her thighs trembled slightly. Her shoulders felt sore. Even lifting her arm felt like effort.
Her lips felt swollen.
Her skin burned in places she dared not check.
Her body remembered what her mind wished to forget.
Her eyes stung.
She swallowed hard and forced the tears back.
Crying would change nothing.
Slowly, painfully, she got out of the bed.
Her legs nearly gave way when they touched the floor.
She steadied herself against the bedside table, breathing slowly until the dizziness passed.
Her clothes were scattered across the floor.
Some parts torn.
The sight made her throat tighten.
She picked them up one by one, avoiding looking at the bed behind her.
She dressed with trembling fingers.
Every small movement reminded her of the night.
Her phone.
She suddenly remembered.
She rushed to her bag and pulled it out.
The screen lit up.
23 missed calls.
All from her assistant — Xia Yuxi.
Her heart dropped instantly.
The audition.
Her mind went blank for two seconds before panic set in.
She quickly called back.
The phone rang once.
“Ruoxi!” Xia Yuxi’s voice came through immediately, filled with worry. “Where have you been?! I’ve been calling you since last night!”
Ruoxi instinctively lowered her voice and glanced at the man still asleep on the bed.
“I… something happened.”
“Forget that for now. Listen to me carefully,” Xia Yuxi said quickly. “The audition venue changed this morning. It’s no longer at the hotel. They moved it to Rong Media Building studio. I’ve been trying to tell you!”
Ruoxi froze.
“No longer… the hotel?”
“Yes! Why weren’t you picking your calls? You’re already late but the director hasn’t left yet. If you hurry now, you can still meet them.”
Ruoxi leaned against the wall for support.
“I’m coming,” she whispered.
She ended the call.
She went into the bathroom, washed her face, and stared at herself in the mirror.
She looked pale.
Her lips slightly swollen.
There were faint marks near her collarbone she quickly covered.
She didn’t recognize the girl staring back at her.
Before leaving, she turned her head unconsciously.
Her eyes landed on the man again.
He was still asleep.
Peaceful.
Unaware.
Like he had no idea what he had done.
She held the door handle for a second longer than necessary.
Then she opened it quietly and left.
She stepped out of the hotel building and the cool morning air hit her face.
It made her feel slightly more awake.
Taxis moved past. People hurried along the sidewalk. The world was already alive, busy, normal.
So painfully normal.
Ruoxi pulled her bag closer to herself and raised her hand to stop a cab.
“Maple Street,” she said softly after entering.
Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
The ride was quiet. She leaned her head against the window, watching the city pass by in a blur. Every small bump on the road sent a dull ache through her body. She clenched her teeth and endured it silently.
She couldn’t go to the audition like this.
Her clothes were wrinkled. Torn. And they carried memories she did not want to take with her.
Twenty minutes later, the cab stopped in front of an old two-storey building.
Her apartment.
Small. Old. Cheap.
She paid quickly and hurried upstairs.
The moment she entered her room, she locked the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes for a few seconds.
This was her space.
Her safe space.
She moved quickly despite the pain, changing into a simple clean blouse and jeans. She tied her hair neatly, washed her face again, and applied a little powder to hide how pale she looked.
When she finished, she stood in front of the mirror.
She looked like herself again.
Or at least, something close to it.
She picked up her bag, took a deep breath, and finally left for Rong Media Building.
The audition was waiting.
And she could not afford to miss it.
A sharp ray of sunlight fell directly across Lu Shaoming’s face.
His brows furrowed slightly before his eyes opened.
He did not move immediately.
He stared at the ceiling for two seconds, allowing his mind to wake before his body did.
Then awareness returned.
He turned his head.
The other side of the bed was empty.
The sheets were messy.
Very messy.
He sat up slowly.
His gaze dropped to the floor.
Torn fabric.
A broken zipper.
A woman’s presence that was no longer there.
His expression did not change, but something in his eyes grew colder.
Fragments of the night returned.
The heat in his body.
The loss of control.
A woman beneath him.
His jaw tightened.
He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face.
When he looked up into the mirror, his eyes were already clear.
Sharp. Calm. Rational.
As if nothing had happened.
He stepped out, picked up his phone, and dialed.
“Lin Junyu.”
His assistant’s voice was immediate. “Yes, President Lu.”
“Find out who the woman that was in my room last night is.”
There was no hesitation from the other end.
“Understood.”
- Writer
