Chapter 168 He used one year to bind you for nine years. No matter how deep the debt of love is, it should be repaid.

Rong Ruolan wanted to speak several times, but when the words came to her lips, she felt something was wrong.

At first, she wanted to act calm and asked him with a smile: "What's going on between you and me?"

But when the words came to her lips, she couldn't even convince herself. It was clear that something had already happened between them since that night in the carriage.

So she wanted to change the sentence: "If you want to talk about what happened that night, I have forgotten it, and you should forget it too." Then she turned and left.

Yet, these past few days, she'd been clearly consumed by anxiety. That night, Liu Xianling left without a single word, leaving her feeling both relieved and disheartened. Since then, he'd frequently appeared at the academy due to matters concerning the Su residence. Though she studiously avoided his gaze, a sense of anticipation welled up within her that surprised even herself.

So, she was so contradictory and indecisive that she didn't even say a word.

Of course, Liu Xianling noticed the hesitation and embarrassment on her face.

In his heart, she has always been the confident and outspoken Second Miss Rong from Rong Family Academy, not the Second Lady of the Du Family who thinks about everything over and over again, knows when to advance and retreat, and suppresses herself.

He sighed softly, his eyes still fixed on her, not moving away at all: "I only ask you one question."

"How have you been doing in the past ten years since you married into the Du family?"

Rong Ruolan never expected that Liu Xianling's first words would cost her life.

She really wanted to say that she had a good life, especially the year she had been with her husband.

Their days together were just like the ones she had read in the Book of Songs when she was young: "The woman crows at the cockcrow, the man crows at dawn. The man rises and watches the night, and the stars are shining."

He was reluctant to get up, so he held her in his arms and looked out the window, at the faintly visible stars before dawn.

However, such ordinary and beautiful days were too short, so that in the next nine years, all she had were memories.

Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, and with a smile on her lips, she finally opened her mouth and said, "We will be together in life and death, without regrets."

She didn't say this to him, she said it to herself.

Liu Xianling's face darkened instantly, and his voice became cold: "Rong Ruolan, you're not answering the question!"

He stretched out his hands, cupped her cheeks, and forced her to look into his eyes.

"I don't need you to tell me how you and him are in love. Even if your love for him is as deep as the ocean, he tied you down for nine years in just one year. No matter how deep the debt of love is, it's time to pay it back!"

"Rong Ruolan," his eyes were red, as if he was angry, but also seemed to be distressed. Even his hand that touched her cheek was shaking: "If you don't know how to answer, then I will answer for you!"

"You're not living a good life at all. You're trapped by the title of Second Madam of the Du family, and your hands and feet are bound by your dead husband. Now you're just a walking corpse in Rong Ruolan's body!"

"If I had known this would happen, I should have disregarded everything and begged my teacher and his wife to give you to me! Even if I have nothing, even if I am shameless, it is still better than letting you waste ten years of your life!"

Ten years ago, penniless, he relied on money given by his teacher and his wife to travel to Beijing to take the Spring Imperial Examination. Rong Ruolan never knew that the results of the Spring Imperial Examination coincided with her arrival by boat. Back then, he dared not entertain any false thoughts, nor was he worthy of them. Because of a mention by his teacher's wife, he had etched the date of her wedding in his mind.

He calculated the date, and she should arrive in Beijing around the time the results were announced. While other candidates waited at the Imperial Examination Hall, he stayed at the dock until he saw the Du family arrive with drums and gongs, welcoming her, dressed in a bright red wedding dress, into the wedding sedan.

At that time, he didn't dare to think about anything else, he just wanted to see her off and bless her.

Later, he passed the imperial examination and served two terms as a county magistrate in Jiangxi. As he had no connections or factions, he could only let things take their course. After six years, he made some achievements and took the initiative to submit a petition, saying that even if he did not get promoted, he wanted to return to Zhejiang.

It can be said that his dream came true. He became the county magistrate of Yongjia, which is close to Yueqing. From then on, he had the opportunity to return to the academy often to visit his teacher and his wife. He also bought a small house in Yueqing to comfort his parents who were in the afterlife. They finally had a home in Yueqing.

I thought that Ruolan would have had many children in these six years, but I never expected to hear that she had been a widow for many years.

He was shocked at first, then filled with regret. He regretted that because of his own feeling of "unworthiness", he had not inquired about her since she entered the sedan chair. Finally, he decided that his three-year term as Yongjia County Magistrate was over and he could no longer be as indifferent as before. He decided to go to the capital to serve as an official.

But unexpectedly, in this last year, she returned to Yueqing first.

This is the opportunity God has given him, he can't miss it!

At this time, Rong Ruolan was already in tears. She didn't know how to respond to Liu Xianling's strong affection.

He kept saying "pay off the debt of love" on the one hand and "the walking corpse" on the other.

The shell that she had built for her heart over the years had already been shattered!

But her remaining rationality made her shake her head. She said with a determined heart, "Liu Xianling, are you trying to force me? I don't have you in my heart, not at all!"

Having been an official for many years, he had already understood people's hearts. Seeing her turn away, he responded coldly.

He did not fall into her trap, but asked with a firm mind: "Did you ask your heart when you said this?"

"If you've forgotten how you responded that night, let's do it again!"

After saying that, Liu Xianling picked her up horizontally, kicked open the small door facing west, and entered the bedroom on the west side.

His action was so sudden that she forgot to shout. By the time she reacted, the door had closed behind him and he lowered his head to cover her lips.

He easily opened her lips and then used his tongue to explore. How could she escape his passion? In a short time, he touched her warm and soft.

There seemed to be a kind of inseparable poison in his mouth. Once it entered her mouth, her tongue would uncontrollably entangle and chase him.

Fortunately, her hand was still under her control, so she put her hand on his chest, trying to push him away.

He had one arm around her back and the other around her waist, so he couldn't find the space to block her hand. He let her press against his chest, but he didn't stop, kissing her as he walked towards the bed.

The house was taken care of regularly, and the couch was cleaned spotlessly. However, because he did not live in this house, there was only a mat on the couch, but no cotton underneath.

He was afraid that the bed was too hard and would make her uncomfortable, so he knelt on one leg on the bed and gently put her down.

Because of the weightlessness, her arms involuntarily wrapped around his neck, but he froze because of her action.

Suddenly, he gave up the pursuit of lips and tongue, and Rong Ruolan was able to breathe deeply. As her chest rose and fell, she heard his low laugh in her ear: "You see, your heart is not like your mouth. It can't lie."

There were no lights on in the house, only mottled moonlight coming in through the window.

Only then did Rong Ruolan realize that she had never let go of her arms since she had put them around him.