Soon, only Deanna and Lance were left in the room.
Under the light, Deanna's cheeks were flushed.
"Don't listen to her nonsense, she just gets excited sometimes," Deanna said.
"It's fine," Lance shook his head, not minding at all. In fact, he was quite pleased with Julia's actions.
The two chatted casually. Xavier, who had promised to call via video once he arrived, was nowhere to be seen. Deanna guessed that Xavier had been sidetracked by Julia.
Bored, Deanna sat on the bed, propping her chin on her hand and looking out the window, clearly wanting to go out.
Lance, sitting nearby and handling company documents, noticed her restlessness. He felt a mix of pity and amusement.
"How about I take you out for a walk?" he finally suggested, going against his initial plan.
Deanna was surprised but quickly agreed. She hurried to get ready, fearing Lance might change his mind.
"I'm ready, let's go," she said, standing at the door with her handbag and smiling at Lance.
Lance noticed her sweater and frowned slightly. "Put this on before we go," he said, taking off his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders.
At that moment, they were very close. Deanna looked up and saw his well-defined jawline, her heart skipping a beat. As he stepped back, she regained her composure.
"You don't need to do this. Aren't you cold?" she asked, trying to return the jacket.
Lance smiled and said, "I'll grab another jacket from my room. But you must wear this one; I don't want you getting sick again."
With no other choice, Deanna wore the jacket as they left.
Outside, the streets were bustling with activity. The festive decorations and large crowds made it lively. Several times, Deanna almost got pushed around, but Lance held her close to prevent it.
"Thank you," Deanna said softly, feeling a bit awkward as she tried to step away from his embrace.
Lance didn't let go. "Let's stay like this to avoid getting separated in the crowd," he said quietly.
As if on cue, the crowd surged again. Lance held Deanna tightly, leaving no space between them. Her cheek pressed against his chest, she felt safe and comforted by his strong heartbeat.
After some time, they finally emerged from the crowd and reached a fork in the road.
Lance reluctantly released her and asked, "Which way do you want to go?"
Deanna forgot her earlier embarrassment and looked around. She noticed a stone arch bridge nearby with people setting river lanterns by the moat. The lanterns were beautifully crafted and floated like stars on the water.
She couldn't help but look at them twice.
Seeing this, Lance asked indulgently, "Do you want to set one?"
"I'm not a child," Deanna replied, shaking her head. She felt shy about doing such things in front of Lance.
Lance saw through her hesitation. "Then accompany me," he said, walking towards the bridge.
Deanna knew Lance was giving her an excuse and felt warm inside. She happily followed him to pick out a lantern.
The vendor assumed they were a couple and recommended a pair of lanterns. "Take these; they symbolize eternal love."
"We're not..." Deanna started to explain but was cut off when Lance took the lanterns and asked, "How much?"
"Fifty-two dollars for the pair," the vendor replied cheerfully.
Lance nodded, paid, and led Deanna to the riverbank. Despite feeling odd about setting couple's lanterns with Lance, she enjoyed herself.
Their good looks attracted attention from many onlookers. Some bold girls even complimented Deanna with smiles.
"Your boyfriend is so handsome."
"And you're very pretty."
"What a perfect couple."
Hearing this, Deanna's cheeks burned with shyness. She wanted to clarify that Lance wasn't her boyfriend yet but was interrupted by Lance's low, pleasant voice saying, "Thank you."
His response made her blush even more and filled her with nervousness and puzzlement. Did Lance just acknowledge what those tourists said?