Chapter 104: Intoxicated, I hope I will never wake up
Shen Xingwan slowly raised her eyes, and the warm yellow light sprinkled on her jade-like face, reflecting a quiet and peaceful soft light.
Her eyes were gentle and she smiled gently. She put the book in her hand aside gently, her fingertips were a little lazy and carefree, as if she had just woken up from a nap.
Her voice was as soft as cotton, and she called softly, "You're back."
Such an ordinary sentence, coming out of her mouth, sounded so gentle and tender. Just like a young lady in an ordinary family's courtyard, waking up from a nap on a sunny spring afternoon, holding a half-rolled book in her hand, and whispering something casually when she sees her husband returning.
It is the most ordinary stability in the daily life of firewood, rice, oil and salt, and the most tempting illusion in the depths of tenderness.
Wei Zilin was stunned.
He stood at the temple gate, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
When he called out "Wanwan" just now, he was still feeling doubtful and uneasy.
I was afraid that she would look at me coldly, and I was also afraid that she would remain indifferent.
But she just looked up at him and smiled.
That smile was clear and familiar, as if he had returned to the past, when they first met by the lake and she turned around and smiled at him for the first time.
He stood there in a daze, the scene before him made his breathing stop.
Shen Xingwan stood up slowly, her gauze sleeves brushing gently over the edge of the couch, like the rippling waves on a lake under the moon.
She walked towards him slowly with gentle and calm steps, her eyes showing a soft ripple. When her eyes gently fell on his purple cheek, her eyes suddenly tightened, and she couldn't help but gasp, and her feet unconsciously quickened.
"Your face..."
She murmured in a low voice, her anxious tone full of heartache, as if she had momentarily forgotten their identities and situations, forgotten that he was the one who imprisoned her, and also forgotten that she should hate him to the core.
She slowly raised her hand, and her white fingertips trembled as she reached out for his cheek. Her movements were extremely slow and gentle, as if she was afraid of hurting him and also afraid of breaking the tenderness of the moment.
Wei Zilin's heart trembled, his eyes suddenly tightened, and he almost instinctively raised his hand and grasped her wrist.
He held it very tightly, his palms trembled slightly, his slender fingers were cold, and he vaguely revealed the panic and fear that he refused to admit.
He stared at her intently.
His eyes seemed to look into her heart, to find out whether there was a trace of true love hidden in her heart. Even if there was only a little bit, he was willing to believe it.
Shen Xingwan didn't break free.
She just looked at him quietly, her eyes sparkling with tears, as if she had a thousand words to say, but in the end she only lowered her eyes and sighed silently.
There was clearly heartache in her eyes.
That bit of pity, perhaps not love, still caused violent waves in Wei Zilin's heart.
His knuckles trembled for a moment, and finally he slowly relaxed his hand. With a slight movement of his palm, her hand fell on his bruised cheek.
Wei Zilin gently tilted his head and slowly placed his bruised face into her palm. Her palm was clearly cold, but he had never felt such a comfort.
He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, as exhausted as a tired bird returning to its nest.
Even if it was fake, he still wanted this moment.
Shen Xingwan's fingertips trembled.
She could feel his cheeks heating up.
He held her palm tightly and refused to let go, like a child awakened from a nightmare, clinging to the last bit of illusory warmth and refusing to let go.
The hall was unusually quiet, with only the sound of the gauze curtains fluttering and the flickering lights.
He lingered in her palm, not saying anything more, but his breathing slowed down and his eyelashes drooped, as if he just wanted to covet her tenderness and stay a little longer.
Shen Xingwan lowered her eyes and looked at him, with complicated emotions in her eyes. For a moment, she didn't know whether it was pity or hatred, longing or resentment.
She knew what he had done, knew that he was the enemy, the abyss she had to deal with at the moment.
But that look seemed so familiar, just like the boy who used to obey her in everything.
But the tenderness in the past was all an illusion, the fire that wiped out the Shen family had already burned her heart.
She and Wei Zilin are sworn enemies!
Wei Zilin pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly, his eyelashes drooping slightly, but a huge wave was surging in his heart.
He has always been good at observing people's words and expressions and is extremely sensitive. How could he not notice that Shen Xingwan was suddenly so tender?
But he didn't ask after all.
She was so gentle in my arms, as gentle as a sweet dream on a spring afternoon.
In the dream, she no longer responded with indifference, no longer resisted in silence, and no longer responded with sarcasm.
He seemed to see again the gentle and quiet her when he first met her, bright and gentle, calling him Zilin softly.
Shen Xingwan slightly broke free from his arms, gently held his hand, and led him to sit on the edge of the couch. The way she lowered her head and smiled were exactly the same as in his memory, so soft that one was reluctant to wake up from this beautiful dream.
He would rather indulge in it and never wake up again.
He didn't want to ask her why she changed so suddenly, nor did he want to question whether this warmth was real or fake.
He only thought that if one day he ascended to the supreme position and held the power of the world in his hands, then this dream would become a reality.
It doesn't matter even if her tenderness is all acted.
As long as she stayed by his side, as long as she smiled and held a cup of tea or a bowl of soup for him, he was the only one in her eyes.
It’s fake, so what?
Shen Xingwan ordered the palace maid to fetch the golden medicine for bruises and injuries. She took it herself, held the porcelain bottle, took a closer look under the lamp, and then looked at his bruised and swollen cheeks.
"Come here, I'll apply medicine for you." She whispered.
Wei Zilin turned around as he was told, his eyes and brows full of tenderness.
She dipped her fingertips into some ointment and carefully applied it to his affected area.
The plaster felt cool and stinging when it was first applied. He gasped with a hiss, shrank his body, and screamed in an exaggerated voice: "It hurts..."
Shen Xingwan couldn't help laughing, a smile appeared on the corner of his lips, and his tone was also a bit teasing, like coaxing a child: "If you can't even bear this little pain, how can you fight in the future?"
Her voice was soft and she was smiling. Her fingertips stroked his cheek like snow falling on plum branches, and she carefully rubbed the ointment for him.
The concern and patience in her eyes made Wei Zilin's heart soften.
He is most susceptible to her tricks.
His original high defense had melted away like ice and snow in the face of her concern and care. He was coaxed into submission by her and almost wanted to melt into her arms.
But this warmth did not last long.
Shen Xingwan paused suddenly, and the movements of his hands slowed down, and asked casually, "How did you get this injury?"
She spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if it was just a casual question.
Wei Zilin's whole body suddenly froze.
The smile on his face gradually faded, his expression grew colder, and a gloomy look filled his eyes.
Shen Xingwan was startled and had a bad feeling. She slowly raised her head, only to see that he was staring at her with a deep, scorching gaze.
His eyes moved down inch by inch, finally landing on her flat belly.
Shen Xingwan's heart beat suddenly, her face turned pale, her fingertips trembled slightly, and she lowered her head to avoid his sight.
Her silence was the worst response.
Wei Zilin's eyes darkened. After a while, he reached out his hand and held her in his arms again, almost hoarsely saying, "...I fell down. It was just an accident."
He looked down at her, reached out and held her face, forcing her to look up at him, and asked softly, "Do you feel bad for me?"
Shen Xingwan tried to calm down, nodded gently, and softened her voice: "Of course I feel bad."
Wei Zilin stared at her, "Why do you feel sorry for me?"
Her pupils trembled slightly, but soon calmed down. She lowered her head, looking very helpless, smiled sadly, and said softly: "Things have come to this, I have no way to retreat."
"The Wei Kingdom has already changed forever. From now on... my child and I will still need your care, so I will naturally feel sorry for you."
When she said this, her voice was not loud, but it was like a thin knife, slowly cutting open the softest part of his heart.
Wei Zilin was stunned.
He looked at her for a long, long time without saying a word, as if trying to read the truth from her face.
The Shen Xingwan who used to be so arrogant that she broke off the engagement in public, now begged for his pity in a soft voice.
But he couldn't be happy.
She was so calm when she said these words.
It was so calm that it didn't sound like a romantic conversation, but rather like a carefully calculated deal.
His Adam's apple rolled, and finally he just sighed deeply, hugged her tightly in his arms, and whispered in her ear:
"Wanwan... let's start over, okay?"
"I won't miss you this time."
He hugged her tighter, as if he wanted to rub her into his body, never to be separated again.
But the look in Shen Xingwan's eyes when she cast her gaze upon his shoulder was as calm as water, and full of coldness.
Her hands slowly tightened, her nails digging into her palms, as if she was using all her strength to suppress the emotions surging in her chest.
This entanglement is nothing but a silent struggle.
And they all pretended not to know tacitly.
Wei Zilin closed his eyes and hugged Shen Xingwan quietly, seeming to be immersed in this moment of tenderness.
His chin rested lightly on the top of her head, and his fingers caressed her hair lovingly, wanting to keep her in his arms forever.
It was rare for his heart to settle down.
Even though he knew that this tenderness might not be entirely genuine, as long as she didn't push him away, as long as she was willing to stay in his arms like this, he was willing to sink into it and accept it with relish.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside the palace door, like a sharp crack, tearing apart this illusory dream.
"Your Highness!"
A palace servant fell to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling with fear, "Your Highness, General Shen, General Shen..."
"shut up!!"
Wei Zilin suddenly shouted, his voice hoarse, trying his best to hide the panic and anger in his tone.
There was a shock in the hall.
Shen Xingwan's heart almost skipped a beat.
Her body, which was originally leaning in his arms, stiffened instantly. She opened her eyes wide, looked up at the palace door, then turned back to look at Wei Zilin.
"Wei Zilin," her voice trembled, "What happened to Shen Yunchao?"
Her voice was not loud, but the word "Wei Zilin" completely exposed the panic in her heart.
Wei Zilin slowly turned his head and looked at her. His fair little face was full of panic, and the emotions in her eyes surged like a tide, almost tearing her disguise apart.
His eyes flickered, as if he was hurt by something.
He didn't want to wake up from this dream.
Even though he knew she was pretending, he still wanted her to keep pretending!
He held her face in his hands, lowered his head and leaned close to her, his voice so soft that it almost disappeared into the dust: "Wanwan, don't listen to anything they say. Just look at me and trust me, okay?"
He gently stroked her soft cheek with his thumb, his movements extremely compassionate, as if he was soothing a frightened little animal.
Shen Xingwan's breathing quickened, and a breath rose to her chest, almost about to burst out, but she knew that now was not the time.
She didn't dare to ask too urgently, nor did she dare to show the slightest sign of wavering.
She could only suppress her fear, raised her eyes and nodded calmly.
She compromised and said, "Okay."
Wei Zilin let out a long breath.
He stroked the top of her head gently, "I'll be there soon."
After he finished speaking, he slowly stood up, and when he turned around his eyes were no longer gentle, but as gloomy as the night.
He turned around and strode out of the hall. His steps were steady but filled with an eagerness that was hard to conceal, like the thunder that was about to fall before a storm.
The palace door slammed shut with a clang, and all the palace servants fell to their knees, shaking like sieves.
Silence returned to the hall.
Shen Xingwan sat on the edge of the couch, his body almost stiff.
The sound of "General Shen" was like a thunder that still echoed in my ears.
She looked at the tightly closed palace door, her fingertips tightened quietly, and her palms were cold.
She knew that something was changing.
She didn't know what had happened to Shen Yunchao, but Wei Zilin's reaction was definitely not a false alarm.
He was afraid that she would know, he was afraid that her heart would no longer be with him, he was afraid that he could not control her.
And these fears just prove one thing:
He didn't have control of the situation.
She closed her eyes gently, trying her best to calm down, with a faint smile on the corner of her lips.
Then wouldn't her chances of taking his life increase?
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