Chapter 59 Revealing One's Feelings
Lu Yusheng, who was summoned for questioning, was initially puzzled, but when he saw Hua Manlou standing calmly and gently beside him, he figured that Lu Xiaofeng probably didn't have any more suspicions about his identity.
After relaxing a bit, when asked about her parents again, she no longer felt the guilt she had when she first met Lu Xiaofeng, since she was already quite familiar with him.
“It’s like this—” she confessed.
"I should be dead in my parents' eyes."
With such a living person standing right in front of him, Lu Xiaofeng certainly wouldn't believe her. So, the reverse logic is... her parents are dead?
His smile vanished, and he hesitated for a moment, unsure how to begin.
Hua Manlou lowered his head. Being as considerate as he was, he certainly wouldn't feel any disgust towards Lu Yusheng because of his experience of losing his parents. On the contrary, he felt the same pain as Lu Yusheng.
After a long silence, he finally said, "Miss Lu, please accept my condolences."
"I was just joking." Although what I said was true.
Lu Yusheng noticed that both of them were like this, and he didn't know what the problem was. Could it be that her lame jokes weren't funny?
He quickly explained, "I just ran away so far that I never saw them again, but I swear my parents and I are really alive and well."
Lu Xiaofeng looked at her a few times with some doubt, and only believed her a little after confirming that there was not much grief in her eyes except for a little regret.
So she's not engaged yet? That makes sense. At twenty years old, if she hadn't left home and had no parents to take care of her, she probably wouldn't be waiting to get married until now.
After thinking for a moment, he glanced in the direction of Hua Manlou again, sighed, and finally asked directly, "Are you pregnant...?"
Upon hearing those words, Lu Yusheng instinctively sensed something was amiss, but before his brain could process the reason, he could only listen as Lu Yusheng continued, "...Huan Hua Man..."
"stop!"
Ignoring whether the two people inside the house not far away would be disturbed by his suddenly raised voice, Lu Yusheng immediately interrupted him before he could finish speaking.
"I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do."
She awkwardly changed the subject, trying to find an excuse to escape this awkward situation.
Lu Xiaofeng, however, didn't take it to heart and smiled, saying, "What's the rush? Let me finish asking before you leave."
Lu Yusheng, who could already expand on those few words into a whole sentence, wouldn't give him a chance to finish, and had to interrupt again: "No way, it's raining and I still have blankets that haven't been aired out..."
He was momentarily speechless after realizing that his voice was trembling involuntarily.
"What exactly are you planning to do?" Lu Xiaofeng asked with amusement.
She lowered her head in frustration, swallowing back the threatening words.
Even so, they could offer no further rebuttal.
Although Lu Yusheng's love life had been blank for the past twenty years, he also knew that if he directly denied Lu Xiaofeng's question in the presence of Hua Manlou, he would probably never have the chance to be with him again.
Ultimately, the vague feeling of affection in her heart prevailed.
So even though she couldn't be sure of her own feelings, she still couldn't bring herself to say even the simplest "I don't like you" at that moment.
Why would they suddenly ask her such a question? Did they sense her feelings and want to give her a warning, or... were they preparing to politely refuse her outright?
Hua Manlou's hands, hidden under his sleeves, clenched into fists again in tension. He hadn't expected that Lu Xiaofeng's probing meant asking a direct question in front of both of them.
Although he didn't entirely support this impulsive behavior, he could only wait for a response.
To the surprise of both of them, Lu Yusheng remained silent for a long time without saying a word, and finally...
...She ran away.
Realizing that the familiar scent had faded away, Hua Manlou muttered to himself in a daze, "She's gone?"
Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "Mm."
But seeing that the latter's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant upon hearing this, he couldn't help but sigh and remind her, "I don't think Miss Lu's expression means she's denying it..."
Hua Manlou is not a person who doubts himself, but when faced with this situation for the first time, he couldn't help but become timid and hesitant.
Although his expression gradually returned to normal after hearing this, it still carried a hint of melancholy.
The way the two acted made Lu Xiaofeng, an onlooker, anxiously wait.
They're as foolish as idiots and as stupid as eggs.
It was clear that Lu Xiaofeng was not the only one who realized this; Sikong Zhaixing and Feng Qingyang also heard the commotion.
Perhaps influenced by his own tumultuous past love life, Feng Qingyang was not interested in the sweet nothings between these young men and women.
Sikong Zhaixing's hand movements stopped awkwardly for a long time.
Could it be that Xiaolu really...?
He stared intently at the screen, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. He remained silent for a long while before finally snapping back to reality at Feng Qingyang's call beside him, then resumed the game as if nothing had happened.
"It's better to be proactive when pursuing a girl."
As Lu Xiaofeng led Hua Manlou towards the outside, he gave him some advice, saying, "I'm going to Wudang tomorrow for an appointment. The journey is long, and if there's any trouble waiting for me there, it will take at least half a month to get there and back. While I'm away, I hope you can take some action on your own."
After saying that, he looked at his silent friend again, but instead of waiting for his reply, he said, "Xiaolu is a good girl. I think she is not indifferent to you, but perhaps she still has some concerns... If you are confident that you treat her better than anyone else in the world, then find a way to put her doubts aside."
Upon hearing this, Hua Manlou finally revealed his usual warm smile: "I will give her everything I can."
That makes sense, Lu Xiaofeng nodded inwardly.
It was worth all the painstaking advice he gave like a mother hen; hopefully, their relationship will have improved by the time he returns.
—In the dead of night, a figure in white slowly pushed open the door and stepped out of the corridor.
When they reached the first few rooms around the corner, they stopped abruptly and hesitated for a long time before slowly knocking on the door.
"Miss Lu, can we talk?"
Hua Manlou's gentle voice rang out in the darkness. Lu Yusheng, who hadn't been asleep, immediately sat up upon hearing the voice.
She didn't answer their questions directly during the day, and seeing their usual reactions at dinner, she thought she had successfully gotten away with it. Little did she know that this would happen again that night.
Lu Yusheng covered his face in anguish, wondering what to say.
What if she said she liked him, but he didn't like her back? That would be so embarrassing. Besides, she wasn't sure if her feelings for Hua Manlou were deep enough to be considered love.
If you casually say something like that and then change your mind, wouldn't you be the biggest scumbag ever?
Hearing no footsteps outside the door, Lu Yusheng knew he must still be waiting outside, and the other person did not knock on the door again to urge her for a reply.
The two remained locked in a stalemate across the door.
Unbeknownst to her, Hua Manlou had taken her silence as a sign of rejection, and he was the type of person who least wanted to put others in a difficult position…
Just as the person outside the door was feeling somewhat ashamed of his impulsiveness and was preparing to temporarily abandon the plan and consider it further, the tightly closed door was finally opened from the inside.
Even though he had vaguely heard footsteps and was somewhat prepared, he still couldn't help but smile.
Judging from his expression, Lu Yusheng didn't think he was there to refuse someone. An almost impossible thought flashed through his mind.
The thought had barely formed when she forcibly suppressed it upon seeing the other person's gentle face.
After calming her thoughts, she looked around at the tightly closed doors, afraid that chatting would wake up others, and also worried that the experience of a man and a woman alone in a room would affect the reputation of Hua Manlou.
So instead of inviting the other person in, she suggested, "Shall we go for a walk outside?"
Her second thought coincided with Hua Manlou's concerns... Of course, it wasn't that she was afraid of damaging his reputation; in any case, she readily agreed.
When the two finally walked along the stream together after passing through countless bushes, Hua Manlou, who was the one invited, took the initiative to start a conversation: "Miss Lu seems to have improved a lot in terms of health?"
Although the journey is not particularly fast, an average person would inevitably show signs of fatigue by this point.
Lu Yusheng led the team at a steady pace throughout, his breathing was very calm, giving the impression that he was not exerting any effort at all.
Unexpectedly, the first thing the other person said was this. Feeling smug before the awkwardness of being alone, Lu Yusheng didn't think much and responded with a smile.
The silence that had surrounded the two of them dissipated somewhat.
"I'm glad you're still willing to come out with me," he said with a smile.
Lu Yusheng felt a little nervous hearing his voice, and then heard him say, "Don't take what Lu Xiaofeng said during the day to heart."
When she heard "don't take it to heart," she unconsciously started analyzing it again, wondering what it really meant... Their sudden attack during the day had really made her a little paranoid.
Hua Manlou was unsure of her thoughts and felt too embarrassed to ask her so directly if she liked him.
Based on her reaction of not refusing, it is possible that she had concerns, as Lu Xiaofeng said.
"I know... saying some things directly might put you under a lot of pressure."
He paused after speaking, feeling that even if he couldn't say it aloud for the time being, he still had to convey his emotions to the other person.
He extended his hand, which had been loosely clenched, and turned it downwards, gesturing for Lu Yusheng to take the item. Only after sensing that she complied did he open his palm.
A jade pendant landed in her palm at just the right height, avoiding any physical contact and preventing it from hurting her hand.
"I hope you understand my feelings." Then, as if afraid of being rejected, she added, "Don't rush, just think it over and get back to me."
Lu Yusheng gripped the jade pendant tightly in her palm. Whether it was due to excessive nervousness or worry that she wasn't holding it securely enough, she repeatedly opened and closed the smooth jade pendant in her palm before finally replying, "Okay."
This time, she didn't analyze it from multiple angles; even someone who's clueless about relationships could understand the current situation.
Hua Manlou's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, seemed to settle down, but then he heard her sigh casually in front of him: "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight."
As a person entirely from ancient times, Hua Manlou naturally couldn't fathom the hidden meaning in those words. He simply smiled and replied, "Yes..."
"Unfortunately, I can't see it."
Perhaps the closer you get, the more you shrink back.
He never considered his eyesight a defect, but he suddenly realized that there might be many more landscapes they would not be able to enjoy together in the future, which inevitably caused some regret.
Lu Yusheng, who was originally blaming himself for his slip of the tongue, couldn't help but look at him curiously again: "Then why did you answer 'yes'?"
Hua Manlou smiled and looked down in her direction: "Because I can feel it."
Then he patiently explained to her the scene in his mind: "Here you can hear the chirping of insects in the distance, the sound of the stream is very gentle, and there is the occasional fragrance of wildflowers along the way. If there were a not-too-dark moonlight to illuminate all of this, it would indeed be very beautiful."
As she spoke, she stretched out her palm to feel the flow of air and the gentle breeze: "Look, even the wind is gentle."
Unbeknownst to him, that last simple reply had already caused Lu Yusheng's cheeks to flush crimson.
On the other side.
Although each private room was lined with soundproofing material, the remaining few, who were masters of internal energy, could still clearly hear the sounds coming from the other side.
Feng Qingyang turned over, not caring about their entanglement, while Sikong Zhaixing next door tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
He looked up at the dark blue roof.
The original dark blue background on the ceiling has been covered with paper stars, folded by hand, which Lu Yusheng has added as a joke about his name.
"If you can't sleep, just go up and pick one."
This is what she said as she carried the electric drill and nailed the string of stars onto the roof.
Later, out of curiosity, Sikong Zhaixing also took down a few, only to find alarming statements like "insomnia can cause sudden death" written inside.
Although the interior wasn't particularly beautiful, he really liked this little "starry sky," and sometimes he would deliberately stretch out his hand to touch it.
Looking up at the scene above him at this moment, he wondered if he could find someone like Lu Yusheng again, someone who could play with him, take care of his feelings, and look at him with admiration.
Will he ever meet someone he cares about again, someone he can't bear to leave?
He sat up, his mind unsettled.
From a game theory perspective, this shouldn't be his turn... but perhaps it's worth having a third party analyze the situation outside of his turn.
Hearing the knock on the door, Lu Xiaofeng, who had finally fallen asleep after the two left, couldn't help but frown: "You're back so quickly?"
However, when he opened the door, he didn't see either of the two people he had imagined returning home. Instead, Sikong Zhaixing's face, disguised as a young nobleman, appeared before him.
In the dead of night, without even saying a word, just seeing the other person's conflicted and hesitant expression, he had an outrageous guess: "You wouldn't also...?"
Lu Xiaofeng was so surprised he couldn't finish speaking; he had truly never discovered this before.
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