At the dinner table, Shen Qinghe chatted with Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong from time to time, but his eyes were always on Meng Zhao. Seeing that she showed no joy when she saw him and was indifferent, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Seeing that Meng Zhao's bowl of porridge was empty, he quickly reached out and said, "Shall I get you another bowl?"
Meng Zhao handed over the bowl: "Just one more spoonful, I can't eat too much in the morning."
Shen Qinghe nodded, ladled out the porridge, and placed it back in front of her. Watching her profile as she lowered her head to drink the porridge, a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
After having breakfast, Meng Zhao went straight back to his study, with Shen Qinghe following closely behind, gently closing the door behind him.
When only the two of them remained in the room, Shen Qinghe froze at the doorway. During his time in the capital, he often felt disoriented, as if the events in Huai'an were too beautiful to be real. He worried that he might be deluding himself because of his deep-seated obsessions. In particular, the contrast between Meng Zhao's calm demeanor at the dinner table and his own unsettled state of mind made him even more uneasy.
Meng Zhao walked to the desk, turned around and saw him still standing at the door, and couldn't help but frown. "What are you standing there for? Come here." After saying that, she stretched out her hands towards him, as if to hug him.
Shen Qinghe snapped out of his daze and rushed forward. Holding Meng Zhao in his arms, feeling her real body temperature and breath, he realized it wasn't a dream.
Feeling his embrace, Meng Zhao's lips curled slightly, her fingertips gently stroking the light gauze robe on his body: "Who chose this material for you?" Her tone was tinged with curiosity.
Shen Qinghe tensed up, carefully wrapping his arms around her waist, his face slightly flushed as if his secret thoughts had been exposed: "Qingyu chose it, saying it's the most fashionable fabric in the capital right now, and many people wear it."
Meng Zhao hadn't been in the capital for two months, so she naturally hadn't seen anyone else wear it. But seeing him wear the fabric so elegantly and refinedly, she thought that even if she saw others wear it in the future, they probably wouldn't be able to stand out. So she nodded in satisfaction: "Yes, it looks good."
Hearing her praise, Shen Qing unconsciously tightened his arms, pulling her closer to his embrace. Meng Zhao chuckled and lightly punched him, saying, "Gently." He then loosened his grip slightly, but his hands remained firmly on her waist, as if afraid she would run away.
"Is your injury any better?" Meng Zhao gently touched the spot where he had been injured. "And how's the case going?"
Shen Qinghe grabbed her mischievous fingers. "The injury has healed. As for the case, the evidence is conclusive. Although there are still some stubborn old men in the court who are putting up a last-ditch resistance, His Majesty will not give in to them."
After a long separation, Shen Qinghe didn't want to say anything that would spoil the mood. He gazed deeply at Meng Zhao, his Adam's apple bobbing, "Ah Zhao."
"What's wrong?" Meng Zhao looked up and met his burning gaze.
Shen Qinghe held Meng Zhao tightly in his arms, his voice muffled as he buried it in her neck: "I missed you so much."
No matter how busy he was during this period, Meng Zhao's image would appear in his mind from time to time. Every night before going to sleep, besides thinking about the case, all he could think about was missing her. He wished he could fly to Huainan and bring her back as soon as possible.
Sensing his affection, Meng Zhao's heart softened, and she gently stroked his back, softly saying, "I miss you too."
These four simple words made Shen Qing's heart race. He tightened his arms and lifted Meng Zhao by the waist, carrying her onto the desk. A booklet on the desk was knocked to the ground with a soft sound.
"Slow down, don't let anyone hear the noise." Meng Zhao hurriedly pushed his shoulder. His family was always casual, and his parents could come over at any time.
Shen Qinghe only wanted to kiss him at that moment, and hurriedly said, "I've closed the door, no one will come in."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao suddenly remembered something, pushed the person away, frowned, and asked, "Are you sure you closed the door properly?"
Shen Qinghe hadn't thought of it at first, but when he saw Meng Zhao's strange expression, he realized something was wrong. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes darted around for a moment. Meng Zhao naturally didn't miss the change in his eyes and continued to ask, "Or let me ask you more clearly, on the day you left Huainan, did you deliberately not close the door properly?"
Shen Qinghe's heart tightened, and his voice changed: "What did Xiao Youzhi say to you?"
Meng Zhao sighed softly and reached out to stroke his cheek: "He didn't say anything, I figured it out myself." She looked into his eyes, her tone gradually becoming serious, "But I remember telling you that our relationship shouldn't be known to others."
Shen Qing noticed the displeasure on Meng Zhao's face and panicked. "I'm sorry, Zhao, I was wrong. I was so jealous. I was so jealous that I went crazy just thinking about how I was about to leave while he could stay by your side."
Seeing his expression, Meng Zhao said coldly, "You always admit your mistakes quickly, but you ignore my words and continue to do things your own way."
"I swear this is the last time, please forgive me this time, okay? I promise I'll never do it again," Shen Qinghe said hurriedly.
Meng Zhao sighed softly, "I can pretend this never happened and won't bring it up again, but I hope you understand that I'm not forgiving you. I'm just too lazy to argue and get angry with you over something like this."
Living in ancient times, Meng Zhao never expected to find someone who perfectly suited her on the first try. Life is full of all sorts of things, big and small, and she was willing to be tolerant, but she had to say what needed to be said beforehand.
Although her voice remained gentle, without a hint of blame, Shen Qinghe felt even worse than if she had been scolded or even beaten.
Seeing his expression, Meng Zhao's cold demeanor softened slightly. "What's the panic? Since I've chosen you, I won't waver easily. My affection for you is enough to tolerate your occasional little quirks. Let's put this matter behind us today. I don't want to waste time on unnecessary arguments."
Shen Qinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He gradually realized that his own joys and sorrows were now affected by Meng Zhao. When she was happy, he was happy too; when she looked unwell, he felt like he was in an ice cellar. He understood how dangerous it was to have his whole heart tied to someone else. If it were anyone else, they might have already become alert and withdrawn, but he was willing to do so, even enjoying it.
As Shen Qinghe gazed at Meng Zhao, a near-devout obsession suddenly welled up in his heart. He was willing to be the kite in her hands, to be pulled up and down by her. As long as she gently reeled in the line, he would fall into her palm without hesitation.
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