In the silent night, only one sound remained: a faint tremor that completely overturned the girl's aloofness.
She curled up close to the person who could bring her peace, her knees gently resting on Lu Shizhen's legs.
It was as if she had shed all her pretenses, revealing only her vulnerable and tender side.
As if something cracked and made a breaking sound, Lu Shizhen felt a sharp pain in her chest.
That heart, which was originally intact and had survived bungee jumping, diving, skiing, and mountaineering, collapsed with a bang.
She seemed to see someone longing for her.
As the main system stipulates, all unpredictable events have a traceable pattern.
If Xu Shiyue's almost obsessive possessiveness towards me is interpreted as "she hates me," then why does she tremble slightly in her subconscious after falling asleep?
The questions of the past became even more unsolvable, but that did not prevent Lu Shizhen from getting the answers.
She is cared for.
Not through hatred.
Instead, it is being loved.
Lu Shizhen didn't know whether she should attribute Xu Shiyue's almost obsessive possessiveness to love.
But there are many kinds of love.
Family, friendship, and...
love.
Lu Shizhen's eyes trembled slightly, as if something she dared not touch stirred within them.
She was held tightly in Xu Shiyue's arms, and slowly, like a child who had just learned to walk, she carefully placed her own arms on Xu Shiyue's body.
Then, somewhat awkwardly, she pulled the person who was getting closer into her arms.
It was as if something had been lost and then regained.
Anything is fine, it doesn't matter if it's not love.
As long as it's different from the "hatred" that everyone knows in the original text, it's fine.
Lu Shizhen knew better than anyone that the reason she pinned the man down on the table at the food stall that day was not just because he humiliated Xu Shiyue.
There's also the venting from that person about Xu Shiyue "crushing his bones and turning them to ashes" on his behalf.
That was the first time Lu Shizhen realized that people could really lose control because of a simple message from someone else.
Over the years, Lu Shizhen has traveled to many places and experienced different local customs and cultures.
The campfire in the grassy field roared in the star-studded night. She was dressed in local ethnic clothing and sang songs around the campfire with the locals. The moon reflected in the wine bowl took on the shape of "her".
There are many more examples like this.
Whether experiencing a thrilling or heartwarming moment, Lu Shizhen would always think of "her" at some point.
Then he shook his head and laughed at his own wild thoughts in the wind blowing in his face.
They've only known each other for six months, but it feels like they've lived a lifetime together.
But Lu Shizhen felt something was missing from her new life.
The name "Xu Shiyue" was thus transformed by Lu Shizhen into a simple substitute, becoming the most obscure and unspeakable word buried deep in her heart.
Qiuqiu doesn't know.
She never spoke of it to anyone except the moon.
She never imagined she would ever see Xu Shiyue again in this lifetime.
Even the dead ashes that haven't been completely extinguished can often be reignited with just a spark.
The unspoken connection transformed into the power of embraces, gradually drawing the long-separated lovers closer together.
Lu Shizhen kept her secret and held Xu Shiyue in her arms.
She missed Xu Shiyue just as Xu Shiyue missed herself.
It's just nostalgia.
It ends in remembrance.
The morning sunlight, clear and bright, carries a fresh and new feel, bathing the whole world in its radiant glow.
The osmanthus branches swayed in the breeze, their emerald green leaves layered together, piled up and swaying, full of vitality.
Lu Shizhen hadn't slept this well in a long time.
A gentle light softly enveloped the hazy world of dreams, and a faint fragrance lingered around me.
This refreshing feeling at the start of a new day gives one an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
The girl's thick eyelashes trembled slightly in the light, and then she slowly opened them.
Lu Shizhen shifted her body lazily, and suddenly realized that her hand was resting on something.
When he looked up again, he saw Xu Shiyue lying next to him, looking at him calmly.
The windowpane broke down the sunlight into a bright, illusory layer, which enveloped Xu Shiyue from behind.
The soft pillow cradled her pale face, its slight pressure adding a touch of softness to the cool indifference between her brows and eyes.
Actually, this person's hair wasn't always so meticulously styled. The long, black hair fell down from behind the ears, hanging loosely on the sides of the face and neck, like a paintbrush sketching and outlining, subtly revealing the person's fair and smooth skin.
She seemed to have just woken up, her languid, disordered charm full of allure.
"Good morning." Xu Shiyue gently rubbed her face against her hair, a slight smile playing on her lips, and greeted him.
Lu Shizhen swallowed nervously for some reason and even stammered, "Good morning, Miss Xu..."
As if she had heard something she didn't want to hear, Xu Shiyue's smiling eyes changed slightly.
The gentle spring breeze stirred the still sunlight, causing several sparrows perched on the osmanthus branches to flutter their wings and fly away.
Before Lu Shizhen could react, she saw Xu Shiyue's hand reach out to her, her slender fingers landing precisely on her collar, yet not quite brushing against her neck.
Despite the slight coolness, Lu Shizhen felt as if a small patch of skin had been burned, and even her usually calm heartbeat suddenly changed rhythm.
"You sleep in such a bad position, your clothes are all wrinkled." Xu Shiyue said calmly, her fingers patiently straightening Lu Shizhen's uneven collar.
For some reason, Lu Shizhen really didn't want to leave Xu Shiyue with such an impression, so she struggled to explain, "I'm not, it's actually just like this..."
Before Lu Shizhen could finish speaking, the person in her line of sight began to move slowly.
Her long, black, disheveled hair cascaded down with her movements, with a few loose strands hanging over her shoulders.
The sunlight was much brighter than the moonlight, flowing freely across the silk and outlining the woman's beautiful figure without reservation, as if the entire bright spring sunshine had been draped over her body.
The loose collar, piled high with fabric, was bathed in sunlight, which, as he rose, spilled onto the hidden snow-capped peaks beneath his collarbone.
The snow-white, undulating landscape is a sight that cannot be seen by humans.
Lu Shizhen stared intently, her hand, which had been resting on Xu Shiyue's waist, remaining suspended for quite some time before finally letting go.
No one can draw the human body perfectly from the start; a solid foundation can only be built through constant copying.
Lu Shizhen has copied hundreds, if not thousands, of human figures over the years. Logically, she should have become indifferent to them by now, but why...?
As Lu Shizhen was thinking this, a pair of long legs stepped into her line of sight.
Xu Shiyue came out of her walk-in closet. Instead of changing her clothes, she took out a dress that didn't quite suit her style: "I just bought this dress last week. Come downstairs after you put it on."
The clothes hangers collided with a crisp sound. Xu Shiyue placed the clothes in her hands next to Lu Shizhen and then turned and left the room.
Perhaps because of the kiss last night, Lu Shizhen was slightly surprised that Xu Shiyue hadn't done anything to her.
The bright sunlight swept away the darkness of the night, like a line separating last night from this morning.
Lu Shizhen touched the slightly cool fabric of the clothes beside her and smelled Xu Shiyue's faint fragrance.
Everything seemed to have returned to the way it was before; Xu Shiyue was still the same Xu Shiyue.
Last night's violence, paranoia, and even morbidity felt like a turbulent dream.
Lu Shizhen was unaware of this.
She herself already possessed the unique flavor of Xu Shiyue.
It was personally contaminated by Xu Shiyue.
Lu Shizhen has been used to rough clothes for years and hasn't worn such expensive and high-end clothes in a long time. Without anyone's help, she's really a bit rusty.
Just as she awkwardly finished putting on her skirt, there was a knock on the door.
Lu Shizhen was very familiar with the knocking sound. Then, the person she hadn't seen for five years appeared in front of her: "Hello, Miss Sixteen. Miss Xu asked me to come up and see if you've changed your clothes. Breakfast is ready. If you've changed, you can come down with me for breakfast."
For a moment, Lu Shizhen felt as if she had been transported to another world.
Not only Yuanzi, but everyone she left in this family was treated very well by Xu Shiyue.
She still remembered when she first transmigrated to this world, Aunt Sun spoke to her as if they were old friends.
Now it seems like the awkwardness of the past has been made up for. Aunt Sun stood at the door, dignified, and her words conveyed the distance of a stern housekeeper.
Lu Shizhen was somewhat surprised that Xu Shiyue hadn't told Aunt Sun that she was "Lu Shizhen." But then she thought that perhaps even Xu Shiyue herself wasn't sure.
Aunt Sun's arrival seemed to confirm something from the side, which made Lu Shizhen feel a little relieved.
She nodded and said politely, like a guest, "Okay, please lead the way."
Lu Shizhen still remembered Qiuqiu's instructions and warnings to her. She pretended that she did not know anything about this family and followed Aunt Sun downstairs.
Compared to the rough outline under the moonlight last night, the layout of the villa is much clearer under the sunlight.
This further confirms the meaning of the phrase "everything is as it was".
The layout of the house is exactly as it was before I left, even the handrails I installed for Xu Shiyue are still there.
Bunches of bright red roses were arranged in vases, their rich fragrance filling the air under the sunlight, and dew still clung to the fresh petals.
Lu Shizhen was lost in thought and tried her best to remain a stranger and follow Aunt Sun.
But as she followed, she discovered that Aunt Sun was leading her around the restaurant.
Lu Shizhen was somewhat surprised.
Aunt Sun seemed to have noticed the guest's strange behavior as well, and turned around to say, "Over here, Miss Sixteen."
Lu Shizhen realized she had almost given herself away, and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Oh, this place is so big, it's making my head spin."
Aunt Sun nodded slightly upon hearing this, and without saying another word, led Lu Shizhen through the back door of the villa.
The shuttle bus seemed to have been replaced; the body looked somewhat new, and the wind it generated was gentler and softer than in autumn.
The tender green shoots, lying monotonously on the ground, slowly turned red on the line connecting the sky.
The rose garden that Lu Shizhen had only briefly imagined before arriving was now covered in blooming roses.
The vibrant, intense red rippled and surged in the spring breeze, and indistinctly, a figure could be seen sitting in the center of the sea of flowers.
The stacked white skirt, printed with indigo floral patterns, swayed amidst the piled red, exquisite and beautiful, like a medieval oil painting.
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment, feeling that this place looked somewhat familiar.
The next second, my heartbeat went off track.
Xu Shiyue was waiting for her at the place where they first met.
Lu Shizhen knew that Xu Shiyue wouldn't know about this, which is why such a coincidence was so heart-pounding.
It's as if the hands of a clock, which are constantly turning forward, have been turned back to their starting point, and the uncontrollable forces of fate have also found an opportunity to take advantage of it.
The car stopped at the edge of the field, and Aunt Sun left with the driver, leaving only Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue in the area.
Under the blazing sunlight, Xu Shiyue's gaze toward Lu Shizhen was particularly noticeable.
Roses covered the entire field; the world felt both empty and crowded.
Lu Shizhen walked over somewhat nervously, and as if to ease her unease, said, "Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry, I've never worn clothes like this before, so I'm not very good at putting them on..."
Perhaps because she had wasted some time, Lu Shizhen's words lacked confidence, and her voice grew softer and softer.
Xu Shiyue sat in the chair, her gaze on Lu Shizhen as she approached filled with a smile, and said in an ambiguous tone, "I can tell."
This comment made Lu Shizhen feel somewhat embarrassed.
Before she could react, she was pulled back by a force.
Without a word, Xu Shiyue grabbed Lu Shizhen, who was about to walk past her, her palm as cool and strong as the night before.
A breeze carrying the scent of roses blew in, perfectly directing Xu Shiyue's delicate fragrance into Lu Shizhen's nostrils.
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment, her dull gaze fixed on Xu Shiyue as she stood up in her line of sight.
I don't understand why, yet I seem to have realized something.
Like a cunning invader, Xu Shiyue once again shrouded Lu Shizhen in her shadow, continuing what she hadn't finished saying earlier: "You really don't suit clothes like this."
The sound of fabric rubbing against Lu Shizhen's ear, and a cool breeze brushed against her neck.
With a flick of her fingers, Xu Shiyue easily unbuttoned the buttons under her collar.
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