Chapter 57 Returning: "I know."
When Jiang Zhiyao woke up, she saw the unfamiliar yet familiar surroundings and sat on the bed in a daze for a while.
Then, somewhat annoyed, he slapped his head.
I was too out of it last night. Yan Zhenxi was probably interrogating someone. What was there to be afraid of? Why did I run out of the manor?
By now, Yan Zhenxi must have realized she was no longer at the manor. She hurriedly got out of bed, eager to return home as soon as possible.
Upon arriving at the mansion and seeing the tightly closed gate, Jiang Zhiyao hesitated for a moment before walking towards the small wooden gate.
As Jiang Zhiyao reached the door, her fingertips barely touching it, she heard Yan Zhenxi's slightly angry voice from inside: "Didn't I say that the bodyguard beside Madam should never be withdrawn?! Now go..."
The sound of the door opening interrupted what he was about to say. Before Yan Zhenxi could react, Jiang Zhiyao hugged him tightly.
"I'm back." She kissed Yan Zhenxi on the lips.
The people who were panicking and angry instantly fell silent.
After realizing what had happened, Yan Zhenxi hugged Jiang Zhiyao tightly, completely unlike his previous demeanor. His voice was a little hoarse: "...Where did you go?"
Jiang Zhiyao rushed in to comfort Yan Zhenxi after hearing his voice, so she didn't have any other thoughts when she kissed him.
But now, leaning on Yan Zhenxi's shoulder and seeing the several guards beside her, Jiang Zhiyao felt a little embarrassed. She tugged at Yan Zhenxi's sleeve and whispered, "Shall we go back to our room?"
After she finished speaking, Yan Zhenxi immediately took her hand and walked towards the dormitory, though his steps were slightly hurried.
At the same time, the guards seemed to realize something and quickly left.
As soon as they entered the bedroom, Yan Zhenxi picked up Jiang Zhiyao and carried her to the bed. After placing her on the bed, he looked at her and said, "Last night..."
“Last night…” At the same time, Jiang Zhiyao also spoke softly.
"Ayao, you go first."
Jiang Zhiyao recounted what she had seen yesterday, then took Yan Zhenxi's hand and said, "I'm sorry for making you worry. I wasn't fully awake last night, and when I saw it, I felt a little scared, so I left."
"No need to apologize," Yan Zhenxi said gently. "It was my fault. I should have informed Ayao first or looked for somewhere else."
Then Yan Zhenxi told Jiang Zhiyao everything that had happened the night before.
After hearing this, Jiang Zhiyao felt even more apologetic. Just as she was about to say something more, Yan Zhenxi spoke first and pulled her into his arms: "Ayao, were you very scared when you saw that?"
Jiang Zhiyao gripped Yan Zhenxi's collar and remained silent for a moment before saying, "...A little."
Discovering her partner wasn't beside her in the middle of the night already made her a little panicked, and seeing that bloody scene she had never seen before, it's normal for Jiang Zhiyao to be scared.
“But I’m not afraid now.” Jiang Zhiyao hugged Yan Zhenxi’s waist tightly and buried her head in his chest.
"Won't Ayao think I look scary like that? Won't she be afraid of me and hate me?" Yan Zhenxi asked softly.
"How could that be!" Jiang Zhiyao quickly looked up at him and said seriously, "I'm not afraid of you."
Yan Zhenxi stared intently at her for a long while before asking again, "Really not? Don't you think I'm a scary person?"
Jiang Zhiyao immediately replied, "No."
Unbeknownst to her, Yan Zhenxi's hand had already climbed onto her waist, his body drawing ever closer to hers, tightly encircling her in his arms until there was no gap between them, and they appeared inseparable.
Yan Zhenxi hugged her tightly again, as if he wanted to melt her into his bones and never be separated from her again.
Jiang Zhiyao felt that he was being held too tightly, but she didn't say anything. She just quietly let him hold her, silently wrapping her arms around his neck to comfort him.
Finally, Jiang Zhiyao seemed to remember something and gently pushed Yan Zhenxi away, noticing the slight bruising under his eyes.
Jiang Zhiyao touched his bloodshot eyes, which were red from exhaustion, with a touch of heartache: "You should rest now."
"Ayao, stay with me." Yan Zhenxi held onto Jiang Zhiyao's hand tightly.
"Okay." Faced with Yan Zhenxi now, Jiang Zhiyao naturally agreed to any request.
Jiang Zhiyao wasn't sleepy at first, but as she lay there, she gradually felt drowsy and fell asleep in Yan Zhenxi's arms.
The two didn't wake up until noon.
Knowing that Yan Zhenxi had woken up many servants early in the morning to search for her at the mansion, Jiang Zhiyao felt guilty. After lunch, she went to the accounting office and gave all the servants an extra month's salary.
After finishing, she took Yan Zhenxi back to the dormitory. From lunchtime to bedtime, Yan Zhenxi never left Jiang Zhiyao's side, as if Jiang Zhiyao would leave again if she left even a little bit.
Jiang Zhiyao didn't find it annoying, but rather felt even more heartache. She took the initiative to hug Yan Zhenxi and said, "I won't leave the manor so easily next time."
“There won’t be a next time.” Yan Zhenxi’s voice carried a hint of frustration with himself. “That wooden gate has been sealed off.”
It should have been sealed off the first time Ayao left.
Jiang Zhiyao tilted her head back and gave him a comforting kiss. He hugged her tightly and said in a slightly muffled voice, "Ayao, are you really not afraid of me?"
Jiang Zhiyao hadn't expected him to still be thinking about this. She pulled away from his embrace slightly, looked into his eyes, and said earnestly, "No, it won't happen."
I love you, I love you no matter what.
"Really?" Yan Zhenxi asked Jiang Zhiyao.
“Really,” Jiang Zhiyao affirmed again.
"Can you like me a little more, Yao?" Yan Zhenxi asked softly.
Without hesitation, Jiang Zhiyao replied, "Of course, I like you more every day than the day before."
"I'm not as gentle as I appear. I'm not as good as you think. All that good reputation I had before was an act. I'm not that magnanimous either. Do you still like me?"
Seeing Jiang Zhiyao's tolerant and gentle demeanor, Yan Zhenxi slowly and tentatively spoke, his gaze fixed on her.
Every time Jiang Zhiyao left the manor to visit her friends or even stayed overnight in the palace, he could only suppress his jealousy, smile and tell her to come back soon, then sit there watching her departing figure. In the evening, he would sit alone at the dinner table, waiting for her to return.
"I know."
Yan Zhenxi was stunned. He had imagined many possible answers from Jiang Zhiyao, but he had never thought of this one.
Seeing Yan Zhenxi's obviously stunned expression, Jiang Zhiyao couldn't help but laugh and said, "After spending so much time with you, how could I not know?"
"But what does it matter? No matter what you were thinking, whether it was for a good reputation or something else, you did do those things."
"Although you don't like me always going out of the manor, you've never stopped me or shown any bad feelings towards me."
"I may have initially liked you because of your looks, reputation, and so on, but I can't explain it now."
I just feel that I like you no matter what.
"A-Yao," Yan Zhenxi narrowed his eyes slightly, "So you know I don't want you to leave the manor all the time?"
"Then why do you always come home so late, and sometimes you don't even come home at night?"
Jiang Zhiyao gradually sensed a hint of danger in his tone, and she widened her eyes slightly: "Wait, this is not what I thought. Are you focusing on the wrong thing?"
"Hmph." Yan Zhenxi chuckled softly, the slightly accusatory murmur fading from her lips, "Bad A-Yao..."
Yan Zhenxi kissed her rather fiercely, staring intently at Jiang Zhiyao's tightly closed eyes and unsteady breathing as she clung to him.
Afraid that she would hear his heart pounding like a drum, Yan Zhenxi kissed her even harder.
How could someone make him so happy? Just a few words were enough to fill him with immense joy and his heart with love.
I love it so much!
Ayao.
Especially seeing Jiang Zhiyao's more natural and lively appearance in front of him, Yan Zhenxi felt that he loved her every moment.
He loved her quiet and reserved side, the way she showed joy, her lively side when she teased him, the way she looked when she was sad and in tears, and the way she looked when she was focused...
Yan Zhenxi couldn't even think of a reason why he didn't love her.
Even just thinking of her name in his heart makes him feel happy, and a smile appears in his eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
