Husband With Benefits-Chapter 819: Nostalgia

It felt like a dream. Lily stood by the window, gazing out at the endless blanket of snow that stretched across the landscape. The world outside seemed frozen in time, untouched by the hustle of life. A month had passed in the blink of an eye, and yet not once had she felt ’bored.’ She’d been sure she would, despite the endless books available. But honestly, it was the presence of Cai here that made it all seem like a big dream. The isolation of the cabin, nestled in the mountains, had been almost healing.

Soon, the snowstorms would start to recede, and they would finally be able to make the trek to the small town a few miles away. But despite that prospect, a quiet fear gnawed at Lily. What if, when the snow melted, this dream would fade away too?

A light tap on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Cai standing beside her, his breath fogging the cold glass as he leaned against the window, looking out at the same view. "Are you trying to melt the snow with that concentrated gaze of yours?" he teased. And there that was. The smile and the tease. Always there.

Lily smiled softly, shaking her head. "Nope. I don’t have that kind of power. I was just... thinking."

"Thinking?" Cai quirked an eyebrow, shifting to face her more fully. "That’s a dangerous thing to do in a place like this. Too much time in your own head and you’ll start getting all philosophical. And then you will want to start writing down your thoughts and become some big philosopher."

Lily laughed,"Oh, and you’re not philosophical? I don’t think I’ve ever met a man whose thoughts are as clear and methodical as yours. You’re quite the deep thinker, Cai."

He shrugged, leaning back against the window. As their shoulders brushed, Lily’s breath caught but Cai seemed unfazed even unaware of the little touch, though his gaze softened as he looked at her. "Actually," he said, "I don’t think."

She blinked. "You don’t think you’re philosophical? That’s hard to believe."

"No," Cai corrected, turning to her again. "I mean, I don’t have deep thoughts like that. I don’t spend hours pondering the meaning of life or what could’ve been. I just... think of the future, of what’s in front of me, and follow my gut. My dad always told me to trust my instincts. As long as I’m not out to harm anyone and I consider other people’s feelings, he said it’s okay to follow my own path. No matter what anyone else says."

Lily nodded, her smile growing a little wistful. "Your father sounds like a wise man." If only her parents had a little bit of that wisdom.

Cai’s eyes flickered with a brief but fond look. "Yeah, he is. He’s been through a lot. He taught me that life’s too short to overthink everything. You’ve just got to act sometimes. Let your heart lead." She gave a bitter smile then but even lost in her own thought, she failed to notice the enigmatic gaze that Cai sent her way.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, both lost in their thoughts, watching as the snowflakes lazily drifted down from the sky. It was the kind of silence that felt heavy, not awkward, but filled with unspoken questions and feelings.

After a moment, Lily glanced at Cai out of the corner of her eye, then shifted her gaze down to her hands, fidgeting slightly. She hesitated before speaking again, her voice quieter this time. "Do you... ever think about Jasmine?"

Cai tensed beside her, his body stiffening at the mention of that name. For a moment, he didn’t respond, and Lily regretted bringing it up. This was only the second time she had mentioned Jasmine since they’d been here, and the first time—well, it had been in those accusations that she wasn’t eager to revisit.

"Hmm," Cai finally said, his tone careful, guarded. "I think of Jasmine. Just... not often."

He turned to face her fully now, his expression unreadable. Lily couldn’t meet his gaze, not at first. Instead, she looked back out at the snow, her fingers twisting together.

Without waiting for a response, she turned to leave, the weight of her words suddenly feeling too heavy to bear. But before she could take more than a step, Cai caught her wrist, pulling her gently back toward him. The sudden motion threw her off balance, and she stumbled, falling against him. For a brief moment, she felt the warmth of his chest beneath her palms, his breath steady and close. Then, just as quickly, he let go, stepping back to give her space.

"Lily," Cai’s voice was soft but firm, his gaze steady on hers. "Jasmine is not a taboo topic, okay? You don’t have to feel guilty for bringing her up. If you want to talk about your sister or think of her, there’s no reason you shouldn’t. We do have her in common. In fact, she is the reason we know each other."

Lily swallowed hard, her eyes darting away. She couldn’t quite meet his gaze, not with the raw emotion that lingered in the air between them. "I just... I didn’t want to make it harder for you. I know how much you cared for her."

Cai let out a slow breath, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the window. "Yes, it’s painful when I think about how young she was when her life was cut short. It’s always going to hurt, remembering that. But you’re right—I did love her, Lily. I loved her with the intensity of a teenage boy, the kind of love that burns bright and fast." His lips twitched in a faint smile. "But I’m not still pining for her, or trapped in some place where I can’t talk about her. It’s been years... I’ve had time to come to terms with it."

"I know... your parents can still not talk about her. I spoke to them recently and they were quite uncomfortable about it still. It is also one of the reasons why I never brought up Jasmine with you, in case you were uncomfortable too."

Lily looked up at him in shock, "You spoke to my parents? When? I thought you were out of contact with them after Jasmine.."

"I invited them to Petrovia.... The research centre that I established there. I named the children’s ward after Jasmine. I invited them to inaugrate the place. It felt right, you know? To honor her memory in a way that would help others. I thought it might bring some peace to them, to know that Jasmine’s name was living on in something so important." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. I had planned to invite you too, Lily, but..."

As he sent a glance her way, she realized two things. One, she’d asked him to not contact her again. And secondly, he was probably the reason her parents had been in Petrovia.