Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.-Chapter 72: THE LOCKET

Hua Rong set her water bottle down on the desk with a small clink, wiping her damp palms against her shorts unconsciously. Her eyes drifted toward Xu Lingwei, who was perched at the edge of the bed, his laptop balanced on his knees, the screen casting soft, flickering light across his focused face.

She padded over to him, her loose tank top brushing against her bare thighs. "Move it," she said, her voice light but firm.

Xu Lingwei blinked up at her, puzzled for a second.

"Remove that laptop," she insisted with a stubborn pout, crossing her arms under her chest. "That's my place."

A lazy smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Without a word, he closed the laptop and set it aside. Before he could react further, Hua Rong climbed onto the bed, then onto his lap, facing him fully. She nestled comfortably against him, her knees bracketing his hips.

Xu Lingwei's breath caught slightly at the boldness. His hands, instinctively careful, hovered near her waist, not daring to touch her just yet.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice low, touched with curiosity.

Instead of answering immediately, Hua Rong reached into the small pocket of her shorts. Her fingers fumbled for a moment before she pulled something out — a dark, glinting locket, its surface catching the low light like a shard of midnight.

"You kept it?" Xu Lingwei said, staring at the locket as if it were something sacred.

"Yeah," Hua Rong said, her voice softer now, vulnerable. "After all... it was the only thing you ever gave me."

Something flickered across his face — guilt, tenderness, longing all tangled together. Without hesitating, he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist firmly but carefully, as if afraid she might vanish.

"I thought you must've thrown it away," he murmured against her hair, his voice rough. "After I... after that rejection."

"How could I?" she whispered, tightening her arms around his neck.

"I thought you hated me," he said, his voice trembling just slightly.

"I can never hate you," she replied fiercely.

He pulled back to look at her, their faces inches apart. "Then why?" he asked. "Why did you reject me?"

Hua Rong bit her lip, lowering her gaze. "I... I can't tell you," she admitted in a small voice.

He smiled sadly, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. "Fine," he said softly.

Gently, he shifted her, adjusting her so she was properly straddling him, her thin shorts riding up her thighs slightly, her tank top slipping a little lower as she moved. The soft fabric shifted, exposing the creamy skin of her shoulders, the top of her chest — and he drank her in, every inch, with reverence in his gaze.

His hands cupped her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks tenderly. Hua Rong's breath hitched under his touch, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"You're really beautiful," he murmured, so low she almost didn't catch it.

She swallowed hard, unable to speak, only able to feel — feel his warmth, his scent, his nearness.

Then, slowly, deliberately, he leaned in. His lips brushed against the sensitive curve of her neck, feather-light at first, then deeper, hotter. Hua Rong gasped softly, her hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt, anchoring herself as sparks shot through her veins.

His kisses trailed downward, to the soft skin of her collarbone. His mouth lingered there, open and wet, and she shivered uncontrollably, feeling her tank top slip further, one strap sliding off her shoulder completely, leaving her skin exposed to his gaze, his lips.

"W-wait—" she breathed, half-heartedly pushing at him, but he only cradled the back of her head, keeping her steady as he pressed a slow, hot kiss to her bare shoulder, his tongue flicking out lightly.

He pulled back, just enough to look at her — her flushed face, her heavy-lidded eyes, her lips parted. His own breathing was ragged now, his self-control fraying at the edges.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, his hands sliding down her sides, feeling every line of her.

Before she could react, he gently lowered her onto the mattress, hovering above her. His hands slipped under her, cradling her back as he dipped down, claiming her mouth in a deep, possessive kiss.

Her mind blanked out instantly.

His tongue parted her lips, hot and wet and demanding, exploring her slowly but thoroughly. Hua Rong whimpered softly into his mouth, her fingers threading into his hair, pulling him closer.

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The kiss grew deeper, hungrier, as if he was trying to pour everything he couldn't say into her mouth — all his anger, hurt, love, regret, everything.

But soon, she started squirming — desperate for air, for space — but he was lost in her, unwilling to let go.

"Why isn't he stopping?" she panicked faintly, pushing weakly against his chest.

Finally, she gathered all her strength and shoved at him with a loud gasp.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" she choked out, panting, glaring up at him with wide, watery eyes.

Xu Lingwei blinked, his lips slightly swollen, his hair tousled, looking dazed and guilty at the same time.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, chuckling under his breath as he sat back, running a hand through his messy hair.

Flustered beyond belief, Hua Rong smacked his arm weakly, earning a laugh from him. He leaned down again, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling, warm and uneven.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. ''But you drive me crazy."

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, and without thinking, she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek gently.

"And you," she whispered back, "you make it hard to breathe."

He smiled then — not the cocky smile he usually wore, but something softer, more raw, just for her.

For a long time, neither of them moved. Just breathing, just existing, tangled in each other's arms, knowing that whatever had been broken between them before... was slowly being mended, kiss by kiss, heartbeat by heartbeat.