Perhaps it was because he had suppressed his emotions for too long and needed to talk, or perhaps it was because Song Qiao was too aloof and indifferent to worldly affairs. Hu Xu's unspeakable feelings were now inexplicably expressed in front of her.
He told her in detail how Hu Xu met Xu Jiang, how he worked as a helper in her bookstore, how she helped him, how he fell in love with her, and how he was rejected by her. Only then did the depression in his heart ease a little.
In the end, he said with self-mockery and self-abandonment: "I am not worthy of her. She deserves someone better."
Song Qiao blinked his eyes, which were dry from the firelight, and after a long while he said, "You have your good points, but you are the wrong person and the wrong timing."
Hearing her comforting him, Hu Xu was surprised and grateful, and the frustration of being rejected was greatly reduced. "Thank you for your comfort."
Song Qiao slowly exhaled, stirred the nearly burnt firewood in the basin and said, "It's getting late, you should go back."
Hu Xu then realized that it was getting dark. He stood up awkwardly and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you for so long. I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble. I'll be back soon."
Song Qiao nodded, but showed no intention of seeing him off.
Hu Xu bowed to her and left in a hurry, leaving a trail of footprints on the freshly filled snow.
The light in the brazier gradually dimmed, and Song Qiao heard a knock on the door from the opposite side, followed by a burst of inquiries. After a while, the door was locked, and there was no sound inside or outside.
Song Qiao sat there for a long while, until the surroundings became completely cold and he shivered, then he stood up and locked the door.
She walked to the steps, looked at the footprints on the snow, and then stepped on them one by one.
—————Good Neighbor Dividing Line——————
After being caught in the snow that day, Song Qiao's bowl of ginger tea and a pot of fire could not withstand the cold, and Hu Xu fell ill and was sick for several days.
He used recuperation as an excuse to avoid seeing outsiders, and stayed in his study all day reading, filling his empty heart with the works of sages.
Seeing that the scientific examination was approaching, he could not slack off.
During this period, Yuan Zuzhi sent people to visit several times.
Hu Xu was grateful for her love and care, so after his condition improved, he prepared a small gift and brought the poems and inscriptions he had written in the past few days. With his mother's repeated instructions, he went to her house to seek advice.
After going out, he couldn't help but look towards Song Qiao's house. Seeing that the door was locked, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
That day, I poured out all my complaints to her like a demon. Thinking back on it now, I can't help but feel embarrassed. It's better not to meet her.
But just as he went out to the street and before passing the gate, he saw Song Qiao coming towards him carrying a bamboo basket.
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward with a somewhat irritated face and greeted her, "Song Qiao, you're back?"
Song Qiao was in a trance, with a blank look in his eyes, as if he hadn't heard or seen anything, and he tiptoed past him.
Hu Xu turned around in surprise and saw that her backpack was full of flowers and her steps were a little unsteady. He felt something was wrong and chased after her to stop her.
"Song Qiao, what's wrong with you?"
Song Qiao almost bumped into him, then came back to his senses and looked at him in surprise, "Hu Xu?"
Then she glanced at his face and asked, "Are you well?"
Hu Xu nodded and asked, "What happened to you just now? You couldn't hear me even when I called you."
"I was distracted for a moment." Song Qiao didn't know what he was thinking about. He frowned for a moment, and then his usual cold look returned to his face.
"Were you delivering flowers? Did you run into any trouble?" Hu Xu glanced into her backpack. "Why did you come back before you finished delivering them?"
And there are still so many left.
"Nothing." Song Qiao shook the basket on his back and said calmly, "The buyer is busy today, I'll deliver it another day."
This didn't sound true, but Hu Xu didn't dare to ask any further questions.
He examined it for a moment and then said, "Uncle Song is not here. If you encounter any trouble and need help, you can come to me. As long as I can do it, I will do my best."
Song Qiao's eyes showed a hint of warmth, and he thanked her, "It's nothing serious. Thank you for your concern."
Seeing that she was still unwilling to reveal it, Hu Xu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, then said goodbye: "I have to go visit my teacher's house, so I'll go first. See you later."
See you later.
Song Qiao's heart moved slightly, and he nodded and said, "See you later."
She watched Hu Xu go away until his figure disappeared at the end of the long street, then she walked home.
After opening the door and entering the courtyard, Song Qiao took off the backpack and looked at the basket full of green orchids. Thinking about the man he met in front of Luo Shangshu's mansion today, his heart was in turmoil.
She picked out the orchids one by one and placed them where they could see the sunlight, watching them stretch out their branches and leaves, and their restless spirit gradually dissipate.
She breathed a sigh of relief and secretly decided that she would not have to go to the Luo Mansion again.
——————Gift-giving·Song Qiao——————
Yuan Zuzhi's carriage took Hu Xu to the alley entrance.
Hu Xu got out of the car, bowed to the people in the car, and watched them leave before walking into the alley.
He went to Yuan's house today and was taken by Yuan Zuzhi to Du Hui's house for a banquet.
At the banquet, he met a young talent, debated with him, and finally defeated him.
This man's name is Zeng Zhui, a native of Shu, and a rare talent among the scholars of today.
This defeat gave Hu Xu a huge boost of confidence, making him more confident about the upcoming competition. It also cleared away the sadness he had been pent up for days, bringing him a lot of joy.
But when he was happy, someone else would be unhappy. Thinking of Zeng Zhuimao's depressed look, Hu Xu couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.
This person is straightforward and gets angry when you say something sarcastic, which is also interesting.
He arrived at the door of his home and his eyes inadvertently swept across to the door opposite. Seeing that the door was half-open, he thought of Song Qiao's dazed look when they met on the street earlier, and his feet involuntarily walked towards that side.
I walked to the door and wanted to knock and ask, but I couldn't find an excuse.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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