Chapter 23
"Who are you waiting for?" The man's tone was somewhat wry.
As he asked, he tried to pull the girl away from his embrace. She was delicate and he dared not use too much force, for fear of hurting her.
Shen Qingnian was only pretending to be drunk. After realizing Song Xuan's intentions, she hugged him even tighter, and their bodies were almost touching.
Xiazi, who had been guarding the side, had already retreated to the side cautiously to prevent others from disturbing them, which was also a way of keeping watch for the two of them.
The scent of wine mingled with jasmine emanating from the girl enveloped Song Xuan, and the soft touch in his arms stirred up hazy memories of that day in the dilapidated temple...
Song Xuan was momentarily stunned, but the next moment, he heard the girl's slightly disappointed murmur: "Of course, of course... I'm waiting for the person I want to wait for. I met him here, but he doesn't love me. He also has... a childhood sweetheart..."
As she finished speaking, the girl's voice noticeably lowered, and the disappointment in her tone was heartbreaking.
Shen Qingnian would never normally say such a thing, and even her interactions with Song Xuan were always very distant and polite.
Song Xuan's heart was pounding, and the gentle expression on his face turned into a hint of joy. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he still firmly removed Shen Qingnian's hands from his neck.
He held the girl's shoulders; her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were misty, making her look confused yet adorable.
Song Xuan said slowly and deliberately, "I do not like Lin Yue'er."
Perhaps when Lin Yue'er first returned to the capital, he was reluctant to give her grandfather a chance to get along, but after this period of time, he no longer considered her.
Lin Yue'er was not the person he desired.
Shen Qingnian got the answer she wanted. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pretended not to understand.
She's drunk right now, so she can't understand what I'm saying. And she won't remember anything when she sobers up.
After Song Xuan finished speaking, he saw that Shen Qingnian did not react, so he understood that she was drunk and could not listen to what others were saying.
After shaking his head with a slight chuckle, he helped Shen Qingnian back to sit on the stone bench, while he stood in front of her to prevent her from falling. Although the two were quite close, they did not touch each other at all.
Even when the man's affection was fully revealed, he adhered to gentlemanly etiquette and tried to keep his distance.
"Wait here, I'll have Xiazi go and fetch your maid," Song Xuan said gently, patiently, even though he knew the other was drunk and couldn't hear him.
The girl sitting on the stone bench blinked, as if she understood that he was leaving, and reached out to grab the hem of his clothes.
The girl's skin was very fair, and her fingers were also white and tender, which was very beautiful. However, Song Xuan noticed that her slender fingertips were wrapped in a layer of gauze, as if she had been injured.
Song Xuan frowned slightly as he looked at the girl's slightly flushed cheeks. Beneath her watery eyes were faint dark circles, indicating that she hadn't slept well recently.
"Why are your fingertips wrapped in gauze? Have you encountered something recently?" Song Xuan couldn't help but ask.
Shen Qingnian looked at her bandaged fingernails and smiled: "Today is his birthday... so I'm naturally making preparations for his birthday."
After saying that, she stood up unsteadily and lunged forward, which Song Xuan caught with lightning speed.
Nestled against the man's warm and broad shoulder, Shen Qingnian gently nuzzled him, murmuring, "I put so much thought into preparing this for him..."
After saying this, Shen Qingnian nestled in Song Xuan's arms and fell asleep.
Song Xuan froze again. After a moment, once he was sure the girl was really asleep, he picked her up and carried her in his arms.
When Xiaxia saw Song Xuan carrying Shen Qingnian over, she was so frightened that she didn't dare to lift her head.
"Your Highness," Xiazi said in a panic.
Song Xuan ignored Xia Xiazi's panic and sternly instructed, "Go and call Miss Shen's maid. Remember to keep her away from people and don't tarnish Miss Shen's reputation."
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