Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

He exuded a cold aura, seldom speaking or smiling, regardless of who he was dealing with.

Brielle had seen her fair share of 18 or 19-year-old lads, their laughter as fresh and pure as a spring breeze, their gazes as tender as a starry night sky.

But it wasn't until she met Max that she realized boys like him existed. He's graceful as a marble statue. Simply standing there, he could stir a garden into bloom. If Max hadn't brought her back to Beaconsfield College, she would've kept it all to herself, locked away as a secret in her heart.

But Max did bring her back, and just days before the centennial celebration, no less.

"Max, you probably don't remember, do you?"

Max didn't want to lie to her. He really didn't remember much.

The first time he came to Beaconsfield College, after reciting his piece, his mind was swamped with thoughts of Wall Street.

Numbers, algorithms, and investments-these words flooded his thoughts so much that he barely noticed who had offered him flowers.

He just vaguely recalled a pretty, serene-looking student.

Watching him struggle to remember brought a chuckle to Brielle's lips, and she laughed out loud. "Forget it, it's not important."

Life isn't always smooth sailing. If every fleeting glance were reciprocated, the world wouldn't be filled with so many tales of joy and sorrow, unions and partings. As she finished, her face was gently cradled in someone's hands. A kiss landed near her lips, and she heard him say, "Let this be a kiss from 19-year-old me." Brielle, feeling slightly uncomfortable, pushed him away, her lips curving into a reluctant smile.

flowers on stage,

felt the chasm between them.

soul had been dazzled, and that night she dreamt

said, 19-year-old Max had kissed her in that dream. It's a restrained and polite

strangely merged with

complex emotion brewed

this relationship, and at first, she felt timid to admit her

remember her face, much less

think that years later, Max would fall

the shock

suddenly took an interest in her, she felt

one lowly, as humble as a flower in the corner of a wall. Yet even that flower would yearn for a sliver of

en

mature and sensible than most. Knowing the impossibility of her feelings, she didn't hesitate to snuff

she wouldn't actively like someone who didn't like her back. Only if someone approached her

back to reality, Brielle looped her arm through his. "If we don't leave

nodded, following her into the bustling

dog vendor's eyes lit up upon seeing her. "Oh my!