He knocked on the door leading to her room after arriving at her quarter, he wasn't getting any reply and he wasn't sure if it peeping into the room or forcefully opening the door would be the right thing to do, he was about to take the latter choice when he noticed something.

The door isn't fully closed, judging from her habit of closing the door fully when she is inside her room but failing to fully close the door when she leaves the room which is a habit they have always tried to correct but to no avail, he realized that she hasn't returned to her quarters.

​​

"Huo Ying, where are you?" He asked rhetorically with his face filled with worry, he placed his hands on his waist while he looked around her quarter to try finding her, maybe in her pavilion or somewhere near the trees in her quarter but he still couldn't find her, he decided to look for her in other places.

"Huo Ying!" he softly called out as he searched the others places outside her quarters, he has now covered almost half of the sect but he still couldn't find her, a strong seed of worry was now growing in his heart, he was already starting to blame himself and Huo Mei for scolding her, Huo Ying is someone who doesn't mind getting scolded but if she gets scolded for doing harm to her close ones then the feeling of guilt always weighs her down.

"Huo Ying!"

"Huo Ying!" he called softly again, his entire clothing was now drenched by the rain pouring heavily and his hair sleeked on his back, he just realized that the rain was pouring heavily when he came out of his room but he was in a rush to find her so he didn't return to get an umbrella but he was now regretting that he didn't, the thought of her getting drenched in the rain too since she is not inside her rooms worries him.

He had almost given up the idea of looking for her by himself and was about to return to get help from the other guardians when he heard the sound of someone crying, he turned around to see which direction the sound was coming from but he couldn't see anyone.

He looked around again frantically, hoping that he heard correctly and he wasn't just having auditory hallucinations because he is worried about her, then his eyes caught the sight of the garden.

"That's right! the cherry blossom garden, why didn't I think of this place sooner?" He questioned himself, looking at the cherry blossom garden from afar, he remembered that there is no place in the sect that holds as much meaning as this cherry blossom garden to her, a glimmer of hope appeared on his face as he hastily walked towards the garden.

"Huo Ying!" he softly called out looking around the nooks and crannies of the garden in hopes of finding her there.

"Huo Ying!"

"Huo Ying!"

"are you here?" he was starting to doubt that the sound was actually coming from the garden

"Please answer me if you are here," he pleaded with desperation resounding in his voice but she was crying too loud in her corner for her to hear his calls which weren't loud enough for her to hear since he didn't want to garner attention to prevent anyone from finding out about the accident in the refining room.

He was now getting deeper into the garden but was still looking around, he was about to look in another direction when he heard the sound of someone crying and sniffles clearly, he knew immediately that she is the one, he heaved a sigh of relief knowing that his efforts to find her actually paid off.

The closer he got, the louder the sound of her crying grew, she was now in sight.

He stood with his back straightened and his looking at her with compassion, love and sadness seeing her cry so loudly, he realized how guilty and disheartened she must have felt but he was now wondering if she actually saw his wound, he desperately wished she didn't cause that would explain why she is crying so loud.

He walked closer to her slowly until he was now standing in front of her but she still didn't seem to realize his presence in the garden, even whilst standing in front of her.

{She really lets her guard down here,}

He said in his mind!

"Why are you crying here alone?" He asked with a soft, gentle and warm voice that penetrated her soul immediately the sound travelled into her ear, she didn't want to raise her head up in fear of seeing who the voice belongs to but she could already make a wild guess.

Her entire body was drenched by the rain and her clothes seemed to be exposing more than it should since it was now plastered to her body and highlighting her features.

He suddenly realized that he asked the wrong question, how stupid of him, of course, he knows why she is crying!

He removed his outer robe and draped it over her shoulder, knowing that it wouldn't do much since it is also wet but he still wanted to do it, she slowly raised her head feeling the wet clothing on her body, she didn't want to meet his eyes quickly so she slowly lifted her head, upon meeting with his eyes, she mumbled, "Huo Qiang,".

Her voice seemed shaky and it showed just how cold she already is but she didn't leave the garden.

{How foolish of her,}

He felt the need to bundle her up and carry her back to her quarters to make her warm, he placed his cold hands on her shoulder to help her up but she didn't want to budge.

"Stand up,"

She nodded in refusal with a guilty look in her eyes. she definitely didn't want to be found by anyone, especially not by him.

"Stand up," he repeated again but this time with a slightly stern voice.

"Can you please just let me be?" She asked, with her gaze lowered, not daring to meet his eyes.

"No, don't you realize that your body is very cold right now, you might fall sick if you continue staying under the rain," He insisted

"Why are you still worried about that when I made you get such serious injuries on you back and shoulder and I even left you to struggle with it all by yourself, not minding that you were trying to save me, why?"

"If you know you did wrong then it is enough, we can talk more about this in your quarter, for now, you have to leave the rain," he realized that she must have peeped into the room while Huo Mei was dressing his wound so it really does explain why she is here crying under the rain.

"No, please just leave me be, you don't even love me so why do you care so much, even if you are my guardian, you should still be angry at me, shout at me and scold me for not listening to you," she said, raising her voice at him and lifting her eyes to meet his gaze, she didn't want him to be so nice to her even after she made him get hurt, it only makes her feel more guilt.

"I do," he replied with a soft voice.

"What?" she asked, now sure if she heard right or if he is referring to what she thinks he is referring to.

"I said I do, I love you, not as a guardian but a woman I want to be with," Huo Qiang replied boldly and clearly, she was shocked and stunned by his answer, the tears seemed to have stopped falling on its own, in fact, she could feel everything around her stop except for her heart. It started beating faster than it normally does, she felt like it was going to explode at any minute.

He was now confused, he couldn't understand the meaning behind her reaction, was she angry, confused, surprise, or did he get her wrong?

He pondered! but seeing as she was no longer stiffing her body, he took the opportunity to help her up but she just moved like a soulless body.

"Huo Ying," he called to make sure that she is alright.

"You...what did you just say?" she asked with her dark orbs boring intently his eyes, it felt too good to be true or to hear, she wanted to hear it again until she can be sure that she really heard the right thing, he looked into her eyes, more intently then she looked into his.

Yes! he felt the urge to let her know how he really feels about her instead of letting his feelings coop up in his heart.

"I said I love you, not a guardian but as a woman, I want to be with forever," He repeated again, stressing each word clearly for her to understand so she wouldn't have him repeat the same words again, her lashed fluttered, the drops of rain on her lashes dropped to the ground while the water entered her eyes but her heartbeat kept increasing, she could feel the pressure of her heart against the walls of her chest.

"But you clearly didn't...you,"

"I have always loved you since we were little but I couldn't bring myself to confess to you or tell you this aloud,"

"Then why are you suddenly...."

"No, it isn't sudden because I just found out that you also love me," Huo Qiang replied with a smile on his wet lips soaked in the rain, at that moment, both of them seemed oblivious to the fact that they are standing under the rain.

"I...I" she didn't know what to say but she still didn't seem to believe him, the both of them stared intently into each other's eyes, her eyes were still fixed on his gaze but she found his gaze slowly flickering from her eyes to her lips, the speed of her heartbeat increased again.

{are we about to...}

She paused her thought seeing him lean closer to her until their nose touched then he tilted his head and wrapped his hand around her neck, she felt every part of her body stiff, she has always dreamt of this but...but all this is too sudden for her to process at once.

Their lips touched!

She could feel the softness of his lips and nothing else, she had her hand still placed on her thigh not knowing what to do, she finally regained her senses knowing that this is their first real kiss, she couldn't let the opportunity go the waste.

Her body finally moved!

She clutched the side of his robe as they kissed gently under the open sky, lost in a bubble of time and space, not even caring about the heavy rainfall pouring down on them while they were getting more soaked.

"oh my gosh! this dumbass is really good, he actually..." she was speechless watching the both of them, she had only followed him to make sure that he doesn't ruin things again but was shocked to see that he was very far from needing her help.

She shook her head in surprise seeing the both of them kiss under the rain, she covered her mouth, suppressing the urge to look at them, she turned around, leaning her back on the tree she was hiding behind.

"I wonder when I will also do that..." she pondered, touching her lips shyly, then she walked away not wanting to ruin their mood when they notice her presence.

He slowly moved away from her with her eyes still closed but with his hand still wrapped around her neck, then she opened her eyes, she was too shy to look at him so she just lowered her gaze.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked, smiling.

"hmmm," she replied shyly then she suddenly raised her head aggressively with an angry look in her eyes.

"Did why did you leave with such stupid excuse that time?" she asked now glaring at him with her head raised since he was much taller than her, he didn't need to ask to know what time she is talking about.

"I thought you were going to get angry at me, so I wanted to leave before you had the chance to say anything," he replied with a remorseful look.

"tch!" she hit his shoulder then he winced in pain touching his shoulder, she was too engrossed in the moment that she had almost forgotten about his injury.

"What, is it still hurting you, are you feeling pain?" she asked with a worried look on her face while stretched her legs to reach his shoulder, he smiled when her face came close to his with a teasing smile, she stopped when she noticed that he was just toying with her.

"Now let's get you back to your room, else you will really catch a cold," He said, holding her hand and pulling her away without hearing her answer first.

She blushed behind him while looking at the side of his face, she didn't think that it was going to go down in this direction not to talk of having a romantic kiss under the rain, she used her free hand to cover her mouth to prevent herself from laughing aloud in excitement.

He was satisfied with his performance, he was even more shocked at his sudden boldness and manliness but the thought of him having already confessed his feelings made him stick a broad smile to his lips.

Looking at the side of his face, she realized that he was also smiling.

{Seems like he really loves me, this is not a dream}

She said excitedly in her mind.