Chapter 12-012 Tempting to touch
Two weeks ago.
Amidst the sound of rain, Chen Rong's voice inside the carriage was exceptionally clear.
“Last year, when we were traveling south of the Yangtze River together, we were attacked. You were seriously injured and fell into the river and disappeared for a month. Later, when I found you, there was a woman next to you. That was her.”
"When I found you, you were blind. It turned out that she had rescued you from the river, but you accidentally scratched her face."
"At that time, we happened to have an inside man who leaked the information. The incident happened suddenly. On the night we were urgently evacuating to catch up with the disaster relief grain, the inn caught fire."
"She thought you were still in the inn because you were blind, and when she rushed into the fire to find you, she burned her face, making the scars on her face even deeper."
"Later, the beauty cream you asked me to send to her never made it to her. After you and I left Bianzhou City, she also left, and we couldn't find her."
"I never imagined she was Lord Su's granddaughter!"
Shen Rongshi suddenly said, "It's a good thing that Lord Su is no longer here. Otherwise, if he knew that his beautiful granddaughter's face was scarred because of you, and you had completely forgotten about it, he would be so angry that he would flip the coffin lid off."
"You really don't remember?"
The words of the calm man intertwined with the voice of the charming woman before him.
He swirled the wine glass in his hand and asked softly, "Does your face still hurt?"
Lin Wan was taken aback by the sudden question. She looked around, but there was no one else there. "Huh? Are you asking me?"
Xie Huaiyuan looked at her quietly.
It went on for so long that Lin Wan thought he was ignoring her again.
"Are you asking me?" Lin Wan was secretly delighted. "It doesn't hurt anymore, it's just that I look a bit ugly. You know, I used to be the prettiest among all my sisters. Now, sigh, I've become ugly."
After a moment, he mumbled a low reply: "Not ugly."
"What?" Lin Wan didn't hear what he mumbled. She leaned closer and got so close that she could almost see his long, dark eyelashes. His handsome face was right in front of her, almost within reach.
The aroma of alcohol wafted over, and Lin Wan's nose twitched slightly: "Are you drunk?"
Xie Huaiyuan lowered his head and remained silent, staring at the wine cup in his hand.
Lin Wan's eyes sparkled. This wine was truly a wonderful thing. After drinking it, he didn't seem so aloof anymore. She smiled and asked, "Why are you drinking here all by yourself in broad daylight?"
Her gaze fell on his red, wine-stained lips, which seemed very soft... Her fingertips twitched, wanting to touch them.
Lin Wan moved closer, so close that she could almost smell the familiar cool fragrance amidst the aroma of the wine, tempting her to try it too.
Are you going to sit here?
A cold voice rang out.
...
Lin Wan had no choice but to move away and return to the spot where she had initially sat.
I'm puzzled, is this person not drunk?
Ugh, still so cold and aloof.
Lin Wan grumbled and made small movements, but they didn't escape his notice. He slightly tugged at his lips, as if he were smiling.
"Are your eyes better?"
"Um."
"very nice."
Lin Wan smiled happily, the bright sunlight shining on her face, dazzling him.
"It's so good to see you again, and so good to see you safe and sound." Lin Wan smiled sweetly and said coquettishly, "Let's get to know each other again. My name is Lin Wan. Next time we meet, you won't say you don't recognize me again, will you?"
This time, the sun was blazing overhead, and the bright sunlight shone on her face, but he could see her clearly without the slightest blur. Her beauty was so radiant and vividly reflected in his eyes.
A moment later, a servant hurried up to the second floor. When he was about to approach, he was surprised to see Xie Huaiyuan sitting at a table with a woman, seemingly chatting happily. His steps faltered.
He put down his wine glass and glanced at the servant standing to one side.
"What is it?"
The attendant, Green Bamboo, stepped forward under the gaze of the prince and said in a small step: "Reporting to the prince, the matter has been completed."
"Okay, go ahead."
Upon receiving the order, Green Bamboo strode away swiftly, not daring to linger for even a moment.
Lin Wan burst out laughing at this.
"You haven't told your name yet. Are you going to turn around and run away again like last year?"
"Xie Huaiyuan."
"So you're the peerless handsome prince, Liangyu Lang." As expected, Lin Wan wasn't surprised. She raised her eyes slightly and looked at him mischievously: "Then the name Lu Liangyu was just a lie?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, when I travel, I use my mother's surname, and Liangyu is my courtesy name."
After many days, Lin Wan finally received his reply in person. Her radiant smile was undisguised, like a beautiful rose blooming before her eyes, dazzlingly bright: "Alright then, I'll take it as you mean it."
Suddenly, a strong wind blew outside the window, and dark clouds covered the sky, indicating that it was going to rain.
Xie Huaiyuan glanced at the sky, but didn't linger. He got up to leave.
In late spring, the rain came fiercely, and in the blink of an eye, the world was shrouded in a misty rain curtain.
"Why has it been raining ever since I met you?" Lin Wan looked at the streets soaked by the heavy rain, with pedestrians hurrying past.
The carriage stopped not far from the teahouse. Shiliu spotted Lin Wan taking shelter from the rain at the teahouse entrance, so she took out an umbrella, opened it, and went over.
Shi Liu thoughtfully shielded Lin Wan from the rain with an umbrella, intending to help her onto the carriage.
Lin Wan stopped and looked back through the rain curtain. She saw that the man was still standing at the entrance of the teahouse. Amidst the comings and goings of people, he was the only one there. Even the servant from before was nowhere to be seen. He was not with her, nor did he have an umbrella.
An inexplicable worry settled in his heart; his brows furrowed slightly, and he sighed helplessly.
Lin Wan snatched the umbrella from Shi Liu's hand, rushed into the rain again, and ran towards him.
Xie Huaiyuan moved slightly, but before he could step into the rain, Lin Wan, who had returned, stuffed an umbrella into his hand.
"You've just had some wine, don't get caught in the rain, lest you catch a cold." She turned around, lifted her skirt, and ran into the rain, then slipped into the carriage opposite.
drive--
The carriage moved forward.
"Remember to return the umbrella to me next time we meet."
After Lin Wan finished speaking and lowered the curtain, she was still unable to calm down for a long time. Her heart was pounding, and her clothes were slightly wet from the rain, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. It's so good to be in the capital!
Xie Huaiyuan stood at the entrance of the teahouse, silently looking at the umbrella in his hand for a few moments.
Green Bamboo, who arrived a step later, held up an open umbrella and witnessed what had just happened. For a moment, she didn't know whether to go forward or retreat.
Xie Huaiyuan stepped into the rain curtain, his umbrella still closed, and got into the carriage: "Back to the manor."
-
After the rain stopped, overnight, the pear blossoms by the lake in Sufu bloomed. The elegant pear blossoms clustered on the branches, making them exceptionally dazzling.
Lin Wan stood under the pear tree branch, facing the warm sun, gazing at the pear blossoms all over the tree, and smiled slightly: "Grandmother, these pear blossoms are so beautiful!"
In the tranquil lakeside pavilion behind her, the old lady smiled and said, "Yes, I've seen it for so many years, and I still think it's beautiful."
“I remember my mother mentioning that she looked forward to the pear blossoms in the mansion every year so that she could make pear blossom wine.”
Have you ever tried pear blossom wine?
Lin Wan lowered her eyes and chuckled, casually brushing aside the branches blocking her way with her fingertips: "No, my aunt was having severe morning sickness at the time and said the pear blossoms were too pungent, so she cut down all the pear trees in the house."
Upon hearing this, the old lady's smile faded.
After her mother insisted on marrying far away, news from her became less and less frequent each year. She never imagined that her beloved and cared-for daughter couldn't even get the pear blossom wine she wanted, leaving her feeling empty inside.
Lin Wan plucked a pear blossom, her hair ornament swaying gently as she approached. "Grandmother, do you know how to make pear blossom wine?"
The old lady coughed softly a few times, took the tea poured by Lin Wan, took a sip, and slowly said, "Would you like to try some pear blossom wine?"
A warm breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, and Lin Wan smiled gently: "Hmm, I want to try the pear blossom wine that my mother has been longing for, and see if it's really that good."
The old lady had just agreed when she caught sight of Su Xuanhuai leading someone along the path by the lake.
Su Xuanhuai: "Grandmother is indeed here. I was just looking for her in the courtyard."
Following behind him was an acquaintance; Lin Wan recognized him at a glance as Hua Yisheng, whom she had met last year.
Hua Yisheng: "I have just arrived in the capital and happened to meet the young master who mentioned that your health has not recovered since your serious illness before the New Year, so I came to take a look."
The old lady said, "So it's the young master. He's very thoughtful."
Su Xuanhuai, who was standing nearby, snorted lightly: "I have been indebted to the young master this time, and I will definitely repay him next time."
Lin Wan didn't expect that although Hua Yisheng didn't reveal that they had met before, after taking the old lady's pulse, he said in an annoyed tone, "Young lady, the scars on your face can still be treated. If you are willing to listen to my advice, you will definitely regain your beautiful appearance in less than a month."
Upon seeing Zhang Mama bring over the ingredients for picking pear blossoms to make pear blossom wine, she said, "However, during the treatment, it's best to abstain from alcohol."
The old lady said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Dr. Hua."
Lin Wan didn't care about these things, after all, she had gotten used to it. However, of all times, after meeting Xie Huaiyuan, the rare Hua Yisheng actually came to her door. Could it be that he instructed her to do so?
Thinking of this, Lin Wan's heart suddenly stirred, and she inexplicably wanted to thank him in person.
The renowned physician Hua would visit the old lady's residence every few days, and her health improved day by day. The scars on Lin Wan's face also gradually faded.
When he removed the ointment from her face for the last time, Hua Yisheng left behind a bottle of Rejuvenating Beauty Cream. Before leaving, after Lin Wan repeatedly tested him, Hua Yisheng finally relented: "If this scar from last year still can't be healed by now, wouldn't that ruin my reputation?"
It really was him!
-
The rain continued to fall incessantly, and Lin Wan, standing at the entrance of the rouge shop, helplessly gazed at the dark clouds filling the sky.
Pomegranate: "If I had known it would rain today, I should have taken a carriage. What should I do now?"
At this moment, a magnificent carriage slowly stopped in front of the rouge shop, and the attendant driving the carriage came over with an umbrella to invite her to get in.
It wasn't until Lin Wan heard the servant speak that she realized who the distinguished person in the carriage was.
She truly never expected to see Xie Huaiyuan here, and Shiliu was so surprised that she couldn't speak.
Lin Wan: "Thank you, Your Highness."
The carriage was very spacious. On the desk were several documents, a zither, and an exquisite brocade box. Xie Huaiyuan sat upright on one side of the desk, quietly watching her.
Today, he is dressed in a scarlet official robe, his face as beautiful as jade, no wonder he is said to be exceptionally beautiful.
Lin Wan was so captivated by his handsome face that she forgot to ask the question she was about to ask.
"Do you still have the beauty cream?" Xie Huaiyuan seemed to know what she wanted to ask and slowly said, "If you still need it, you can send someone to find Hua Yisheng directly. He will be staying in the capital for some time."
"It really was you, Your Highness, who sent Physician Hua!" Lin Wan's suppressed feelings, which had been growing wildly for more than half a year, surged up again in an instant. "So you still remember."
Xie Huaiyuan took a teacup, poured tea, placed it on the desk in front of her, and pushed the exquisite brocade box: "I should have thanked you long ago, but I have delayed until now. This is the generous reward I promised you back then."
A hefty reward?
Lin Wan opened the brocade box with trembling hands and saw it filled with stacks of silver notes. But why was it like this? She hadn't saved him for these things that day.
Although it is wrong to stand by and watch someone die, ... all those days spent searching for doctors and preparing medicine for him, and taking care of him with humility, were not for these reasons.
She suppressed her heart palpitations, closed the brocade box, and suddenly felt a pang of hatred for him.
His ability to erase the past with money makes her tossing and turning over him seem utterly ridiculous.
Lin Wan drank the hot tea, her eyes seemingly misting over as she stared intently into his deep gaze: "I saved you that day not for money... That month, I simply..."
Xie Huaiyuan was already used to such gazes from her, his eyes overflowing with undisguised admiration. She wasn't the only one like her in the capital. He interrupted her, saying bluntly yet distantly, "I have no way to repay the kindness of saving someone. If you ever need anything in the future, I will definitely help you if I can."
What about the others?
Is that all?
Upon realizing this, Lin Wan was almost in a daze.
Do you like it?
It is liking.
Should we give up?
Her chaotic heartbeats betrayed her feelings; she couldn't give up. Even just thinking about him, doing nothing but quietly staying by his side, the joy in her heart was impossible to hide.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com