Chapter 48 Please Choose Me

The Mid-Autumn Festival moon is like a round plate, hanging high in the sky.

At the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), a carriage bearing the insignia of the Marquis of Chengde's residence stopped in front of the mansion gate.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and the girl's smoky-colored skirt swayed gently in the night breeze.

Shen You, supported by Zi Teng, stepped off the carriage using a stool.

Stepping over the threshold, Steward Liu came out to greet her and said in a low voice, "Young Miss, not long after you left, the Duke came by."

"Chu Xiao?" Shen Youwei was slightly surprised and stopped in her tracks.

Steward Liu lowered his eyes and said, "Yes, the Duke... knows that you went to the lantern festival with the third young master of the Yao family."

"I understand," Shen You replied, her eyelashes drooping, her thoughts still unsettled.

She didn't say anything more, only gave a soft reply, and then walked around the corridor and went directly to Wen Gui Courtyard.

In the Wen Gui Courtyard, the four-season osmanthus trees are growing perfectly.

The bright candlelight illuminated the small yellow flowers on the branches, making them look lovely and delicate.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she was greeted by the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. Shen You took a deep breath, stopped, and stood in the courtyard, looking up at the osmanthus tree with clear eyes, lost in thought.

The moonlight is bright and clear, its gentle glow like a thin veil lightly draping the earth.

The girl's figure, tinged with the color of rosy clouds, stood gracefully beneath the osmanthus tree, her clothes fluttering gently in the wind, her figure slender yet supple.

After a moment, she said softly, "Prepare water for a bath."

"yes."

——

Fifteen minutes later, the door to the main room was opened.

Shen You wore a plain white loose inner garment, the ties of which were tied in a haphazard knot, concealing her graceful figure.

Her black hair was slightly damp at the ends, clinging to her body. The fabric was soaked through, revealing glimpses of her light pink undergarments and her delicate, snow-white breasts.

Wisteria and Green Ivy led the other servants inside, tidied up their things, and then left.

Shen You sat alone in front of the dressing table, wiping the ends of her hair with a handkerchief.

The window was slightly ajar, and the branches and leaves rustled in the night breeze.

A moment later, some noise seemed to be heard outside.

Shen You put down the handkerchief in her hand and listened attentively for a while.

In just a few breaths, the back window of the room was suddenly pushed open a crack.

Immediately afterward, a tall, dark figure swiftly and cleanly tumbled inside. Before Shen You could even cry out in surprise, the newcomer had already covered her lips with his hand.

He whispered, "Don't be afraid, it's me."

Shen You's eyes widened, and they were wet, whether from just taking a bath or from being frightened by him, it was hard to tell.

"you..."

The two were so close that they practically pinned her against the dressing table.

A large hand with calloused skin covered her lips, its slightly rough texture making Shen You feel a tickle on her cheek.

My heart was beating incredibly fast.

Chu Xiao looked down at her, his dark eyes reflecting an unfathomable and dangerous emotion.

The girl already smelled nice, but after her bath, the fragrance became even more pronounced, as if it enveloped her entire being.

Chu Xiao couldn't help but lean forward slightly, following his most direct and intense inner thoughts.

I wanted to bend down and hug her.

However, the next moment, a warm and soft resistance came against my shoulder.

"Chu Xiao, are you crazy?!"

"You actually climbed over the wall in the middle of the night?"

The girl's eyes widened as he gently covered her lips with his, and her words came out in a muffled voice.

Even the questioning lacked some of its intimidating power.

Chu Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he slowly lowered his hand, but he didn't take a step back. His tall frame leaned down.

I didn't dare to hug her right away.

But the sadness and disappointment in her voice were unmistakable, "Shen You, don't choose him, okay?"

Shen You frowned slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Chu Xiao lowered his head, his burning gaze fixed on her face, his voice hoarse, "I know you went to the Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Festival with Yao Yiqian."

Shen You paused for a moment, finally realizing what was happening.

In the previous times, when she met other men, Chu Xiao had thoroughly investigated them, but this time, he probably hadn't.

Otherwise, how could he not know that Yao Yiqian had a hidden illness and was planning to become a monk?

She pursed her lips and deliberately asked, "Didn't the Duke investigate Yao Yiqian?"

Chu Xiao's tall figure suddenly stiffened, and the veins on the back of his large hand, which was pressing against the dressing table behind her, bulged.

“I was wrong,” he said, looking at her earnestly, though the sadness and despair in his eyes were obvious. “I shouldn’t have investigated those people without your permission.”

"If you don't like it, I will never do it again."

“Chen You,” he clearly wanted to hold her, to crave her warmth and her fragrance, but he dared not make a move.

He was terrified of her resistance.

"Please give me another chance, okay?"

Shen You stared at him for a few moments.

The two were so close that they could almost hear each other's breath.

The man's cool breath fell on her cheek and the side of her neck.

Just like many days and nights that had occurred during those two years.

They were intimate at times, but in the end, all that awaited her was a divorce agreement.

Shen You felt a pang of sadness, and her whole body became much more alert.

She raised her hand and pushed him away, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes staring straight at him.

The voice was soft, yet clear: "Not good."

She said, "Chu Xiao, people don't fall into the same trap twice."

"I'm timid and don't want to gamble anymore."

Shen You sat on the round-backed chair, and the eye contact between the two of them became her looking up at him.

But after only a moment, Chu Xiao's tall figure slowly squatted down in front of her, kneeling on one knee.

Between the two of them, he was now looking up at her slightly.

The man's long, slender fingers twitched, and he finally couldn't resist gently taking her hand, which was resting on her knee. "Back in Qingxi, I was a bastard, I was headstrong."

I shouldn't have told you about divorce.

This is the thing he regrets most in his life.

"Shen You, I'm sorry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen You's eyes instantly turned red.

"Don't cry," Chu Xiao said, somewhat flustered.

He never flattered anyone.

Back in Qingxi, although he had already put her in his heart, he was still clueless and didn't know how to treat her well.

He presumptuously believed that being kind to her meant preventing her from taking risks with him.

Chu Xiao suddenly remembered that a few months ago, when he was drinking with Qi Jincheng in front of the steps of the Gande Hall, Qi Jincheng had asked him that question.

What was his response at the time?

He said he had no regrets.

Oh.

How could I not regret it?

At the beginning of his marriage to Shen You, he never actually thought about divorcing her.

Historically, divorced women have been treated harshly.

Even though the marriage was initially intended to conceal something from others, he never considered divorce.

However, Qingxi Town was not entirely safe. Later, the situation deteriorated, and Qi Wulin's men had found Qingxi, and his identity could be exposed at any time.

Once exposed, one can only imagine the calamity that Shen You, who was with him, would face.

At that time, he couldn't even decide his own life or death, so how could he dare to let her take the risk with him?

So he decided to divorce her, thinking he was doing it for her own good.

He thought that even if divorcing a woman was difficult, it was still better than losing his life while staying with him.

Looking back now, all of these things seem incredibly wrong.

Qi Jincheng's life wasn't much better than his back then, but he never thought of giving up on Ye Mingyu.

Thinking about all this, Chu Xiao felt as if his heart was being twisted with a wooden stick, the pain causing his internal organs to contort.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on Shen You's hand, afraid that she would shake him off or reject him.

"Chen You..." Chu Xiao paused for a moment, then looked up at her, "Please come back."

Shen You forcefully brushed his hand away. "This is bad."

Her heart clenched, and her voice was urgent and heavy, "If I were you, I would do the same thing, divorce you, and then come back to you. What would you think?"

“You only do what you think is right, but you never consider my feelings,” she said, both angry and aggrieved. “You didn’t even bother to explain to me.”

If he had explained the situation to her back then, and only divorced her if there was absolutely no other way, she wouldn't be in this state of mind now.

Why are you so sure I can't share your joys and sorrows?

“You never considered my feelings, and you never put me in the position of a wife. In the future you planned, I wasn’t even included.”

“I did have feelings for you before, but I’m not the kind of woman who loses herself for love. I have my own thoughts and will. Why do you think that as long as you turn back now and explain yourself, I will obediently nod and agree?”

"Chu Xiao, don't be so arrogant."

"I don't need you."

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her heart was pounding rapidly; she was clearly furious.

As he finished speaking, his lips even turned pale and trembled.

Chu Xiao gripped her hand tightly, his voice hoarse with heartache, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"I was too arrogant."

"But I never thought that you would agree to me after I explained a few things. You are someone I cherish very much."

His breathing was heavy and labored. The Duke of Zhenguo, who was ruthless in judging cases and merciless in killing enemies in front of outsiders, now had nothing but panic in his eyes.

“I spent my childhood training on the border, and later my family suffered a great change. The life and path I chose were all decisions I made myself, which led to my selfish and reckless decisions in Qingxi later.”

He knew from the beginning that she was intelligent, clear-headed, and open-minded, and he could also imagine that she would have such requirements for her husband, but he still thought he was being clever.

Chu Xiao was filled with regret. The words "I have no regrets" spoken in the Gan De Hall now felt like a boomerang, leaving him covered in bloody wounds.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek, which was slightly flushed from excitement, his fingertips lightly caressing it.

It was a comfort, a reassurance, and above all, regret.

“I was wrong, terribly wrong,” he stared at her, his dark eyes both bright and deep, like an abyss.

His tone was very solemn: "No matter what happens in the future, I will never hide anything from you, and I will never do anything against your will."

"I'll change everything you said, okay?"

His emotions were also fluctuating, and his heartache for her surged like a tidal wave.

Willingly lowering himself, he took her hand and stroked his face, even rubbing it against her palm like a large dog showing loyalty to its master. "Chen You, I don't ask you to forgive me immediately, I just hope you can give me a chance."

He would never give up on her, but he also could not go against her wishes or force her to do anything she didn't like.

The man's cheeks were warm, but his breath was hot, spraying little by little into her palm, as if trying to shake her resolve through her limbs.

Shen You finally spoke out all the words that had been weighing on her heart for years, and she was much calmer now.

She tried to move her hands, attempting to break free from his hold, but she couldn't budge an inch.

He could only coldly reply, "Too late."

"Chu Xiao, no one will stand still and wait for you forever."

"Besides, I don't like you anymore."

Chu Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed heavily, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and he gripped her hand even tighter.

"You like someone like Yao Yiqian?"

"What do you like about him? I can learn from him, I can become just like him, will you choose me?"