61. The Moon Hides the Egret
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Shang Xinuan couldn't see Li Xiran's expression, but she could hear the grievance in his voice.
A usually mature and composed leader, he was unusually aggrieved and lonely.
Like a child who has been bullied outside, upon seeing a trusted lover, he lets down his guard and hides in his own safe haven.
In Sweden, as the night deepens, the snow intensifies.
Shang Xinuan followed Li Xiran to the top-floor business suite, where the heating was on full blast.
On the coffee table in the living room, there was a bunch of bright red roses.
"You came seeking comfort, and even brought me a gift?" Besides, roses are not a winter flower.
Li Xiran wrapped his arms around Shang Xi after she warmed up, his gentle, deep voice lingering in her ear, "It's my pleasure."
Li Xiran had become accustomed to dealing with the young lady without feeling tired or overwhelmed by the tediousness.
A romantic sense of ritual can always be found in the smallest details.
Shang Xinuan turned around and hugged Li Xiran's neck, her eyes filled with tears. "I missed you so much."
Even though they were only separated for a day, the longing was enough to envelop the entire Nordic region.
“Me too.” Li Xiran clenched his arms, wishing he could fill Shang Xinuan’s entire life into his own.
-
After Shang Xinuan finished washing up, she came out to find Li Xiran already lying in bed, typing away on his computer.
"Are you still busy?" she asked.
Li Xiran touched the tip of his nose, closed the laptop, and naturally pulled Shang Xinuan into his arms.
"Let's look at the project proposal for a while." When he saw Shang Xinuan again, he relaxed completely. The contract, which was originally difficult to assess, went a little more smoothly.
"Won't your coming to see me affect the company?" She nestled against Li Xiran's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.
"Of course I came after finishing my work," he answered truthfully.
It was only after Chen Shaoyi's death that the Lai family officially purged its internal structure.
However, there will always be some dissidents who try to obstruct it.
This was not a problem for Li Xiran; it was just that a person who was indulging in a life of pleasure couldn't help but want to be a foolish ruler who neglected his duties.
"If Chairman Li keeps acting like this, I'll eventually be branded a seductive concubine who bewitches the emperor," Shang Xinuan said, stroking his soft stubble, half-jokingly.
“The Li family will never forget the help you gave, Miss. You are my savior.” Li Xiran said solemnly, “Even if I gave you the entire Li family, it would not be enough to express my gratitude to you.”
"You only feel gratitude towards me?" She raised an eyebrow.
Li Xiran: "My feelings for you are naturally love, but also admiration and adoration."
In his mind, the young lady possessed almost all the best qualities.
"You're so good at sweet-talking people."
"I swear to God, my love for you is more genuine than diamonds."
Seeing Shang Xinuan's amused smile, Li Xiran then buried her head in Shang Xinuan's hair in a coquettish manner.
"Li Xiran, how old are you? How childish are you?"
"No matter how old he is, he still belongs to the young lady."
With just a few words, he could easily make Shang Xinuan laugh.
"I almost forgot, Ranran came here for a hug and some comfort." She spoke in a sweet and gentle voice, as if coaxing a child.
"My wife finally remembered."
Shang Xinuan reached out and turned off the main light in the bedroom, then hugged Li Xiran and said, "Then I'll tell you a fairy tale to lull you to sleep?"
"Okay, this is the first time someone has told me a fairy tale." The man, who was reserved and dignified during the day, had a touch of immaturity amidst his unseriousness.
The dim yellow wall lamps cast a gentle glow over the entire room.
Shang Xinuan patted his back as she spoke:
"Once upon a time, there was a king who had three beautiful and lovely daughters. The three little princesses also possessed a magical power: when they shed sad tears, the tears would turn into priceless jewels."
"One day, the king decided to choose husbands for his three princesses and select the one who loved his daughter the most to inherit the throne."
"The eldest princess married a knight, who used her tears to recruit soldiers, conquer cities and territories, and then gave the castles he acquired to the princess. The second princess married a wealthy man, who used her tears to expand his business, and then gave all his wealth to the princess."
"The little princess chose to marry a shepherd, who then took her around the world, and they eventually settled in a secluded paradise. Although they lived a simple life, their little garden was filled with laughter and the fragrance of flowers every day."
"Later, when the king was critically ill, he summoned his three princesses and their husbands back to the palace. The king noticed that his eldest and second daughters were dressed in splendid clothes, but his youngest daughter was very plain. He asked the shepherd why he didn't use the princesses' tears to exchange for wealth, and the shepherd replied that the greatest wealth was only when the princesses were happy."
"So the king passed the throne to his third daughter and the shepherd. But he still couldn't understand why he had chosen the shepherd from among all the famous young men in the city. His daughter told him that only the shepherd said he would rather live a life of poverty than let her shed a tear of sadness."
"Finally, on the night the shepherd ascended the throne as king, the little princess lay beside him and whispered in his ear..." Shang Xinuan then turned over and whispered in Li Xiran's ear.
"Okay, honey, you can be rough now, ￥%……&* I cried."
The air in the room suddenly tightened, and Li Xiran paused as he was playing with her hair.
In the dim light, I opened my eyes.
"Shang Xinuan." His Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly, finally echoing the heavy snow of the night. "You really are forgetful."
After being tormented several times, Shang Xinuan's knees went weak, and she begged for mercy, half-choking back tears, "Husband, I know I was wrong, I will never dare to do it again."
She had a habit of provoking Li Xiran's anger first, and she never changed her ways despite repeated attempts to correct her.
But as soon as she cries, Li Xiran immediately becomes gentle and tender.
Li Xiran gripped her slender waist, his movements creating waves as he issued a pale warning, "If you don't learn your lesson, next time it won't be as simple as just making you cry..."
The night after the downpour had just stopped.
Shang Xinuan was already feeling dizzy in the shower and was cleaned up by Li Xiran, who carried her in a princess-like manner.
Sinking back into the warm bed, she couldn't even lift her arms, only nestled softly in Li Xiran's arms.
Before drifting off into a deep sleep, she heard Li Xiran's hoarse yet gentle voice whisper in her ear, "I am neither a knight nor a wealthy merchant, and I will not exchange your tears of sorrow for jewels. Nor am I a shepherd; your happiness is enough for me."
"I want my princess to live in an exquisite castle, possess countless treasures, and also have happiness."
Shang Xinuan, who was already dozing off, opened her eyes upon hearing this.
She leaned close to his lips and planted a lingering, deep kiss.
-
Shang Xinuan finished her work in Sweden, and it was Chinese New Year again.
This was also the second Spring Festival that she and Li Xiran had spent abroad, a Spring Festival that belonged only to each other.
Fortunately, in four more months, Shang Xinuan will be able to complete her studies at Cambridge and officially graduate.
During this time, Li Xiran accompanied her to visit two more cities.
Just as they were about to head to their last English town, Shang Xinuan suddenly experienced chest pain.
Late at night, Li Xiran took her to the hospital.
The following day, they learned that there was a nodule shadow in her breast, raising suspicion of cancer.
The man holding the medical report stood in the hospital corridor, feeling a suffocating helplessness for the first time.
Back in the ward, Shang Xinuan was still completely unaware of everything. She asked eagerly, "What did the doctor say? When can I be discharged? Will it affect our trip?"
Li Xiran's face was full of smiles, and his tone was even more relaxed, as if he were talking to her about something unimportant, "The doctor said you are very healthy and can be discharged at any time. But lately you have been saying that you are dizzy, so I was thinking of doing another screening test."
"How about it?" he added, "It won't take long."
Their schedule was set for the day after tomorrow, and Shang Xinuan pursed her lips and agreed, "Since we're here, let's get checked out."
While waiting for the test results, Li Xiran held Shang Xinuan and sat on the hospital bed watching short videos.
"Why is your heart beating so fast? Should you get a checkup?" Shang Xinuan teased.
Li Xiran's expression remained unchanged, but his hand, which was supporting him on the edge of the bed, was trembling slightly. "I'm clearly angry because of the handsome guys that keep popping up on your phone."
Shang Xin smiled, her eyes crinkling, and turned back to poke his cheek with her finger, saying, "My Chairman Li, no one in the world can compare."
At this moment, the nurse came and said that the report had been completed.
Li Xiran slowly got up and tucked the blanket around her without rushing. "Then you can continue playing. I'm going to see the doctor."
"good."
"Stop looking at other handsome guys, or you'll really have to send me for a checkup."
On the way home, Shang Xinuan sat in the passenger seat, holding a bunch of Western medicines in her arms. "How can I still have breast nodules?"
"This pile of medicine is going to make my life miserable!"
Li Xiran looked at her with a relaxed smile in his eyes, "If an illness can be cured with medicine, then the young lady won't suffer."
"My European trip is ruined!"
"I promise I'll make it up to you sooner or later."
When they got home, Li Xiran first boiled water for her, watched her take all her medicine, and then put her to bed.
He then strolled into the study with the medical record in his hand, recalling the doctor's words.
"Don't worry, Mr. Li, early-stage benign nodules can be completely cured with medication. Going forward, just pay attention to the patient's mood and routine, try to keep her relaxed and happy, and remember to have regular checkups."
Li Xiran carefully folded each medical record and then included it in his important work documents.
Then, his eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face.
After an unknown amount of time, Shang Xin woke up thirsty.
As I passed by the study, I heard soft sobbing coming from inside.
Curious, she pushed open the door and saw Li Xiran looking so fragile, as if he were about to break.
"What's wrong? What happened?" She rushed over and hugged Li Xiran's head. Whether it was her imagination or not, overnight, white hairs had appeared at Li Xiran's temples.
"Nuan Nuan, it's my fault for not taking good care of you." The person he cherishes most is someone whose single tear is enough to make him lose his composure for an entire day.
Still unaware of what had happened, Shang Xinuan assumed that Li Xiran was still upset about her sudden hospitalization. "You've been so good to me, accompanying me in my studies and traveling with me. Whatever I want, it's always there for me the next day. You've really taken good care of me."
Li Xiran choked up, "Miss, this is not enough. I still feel indebted to you."
He loves her.
Even if the whole world thinks he has been good enough to her, he still can't help but feel that he owes her too much at certain moments.
Later, he accompanied her on a trip to Lijiang.
I saw a couplet at an inn that read:
"Love should always make you feel indebted."
-
After Shang Xinuan fully recovered, it was just before her graduation ceremony.
The Shang family put aside their work for a week to come and attend the ceremony.
Just as he was about to depart that day, Li Xiran received a call from central London, requiring him to attend a meeting.
Even though Shang Xin was feeling down, she still comforted him, saying that work was the most important thing.
Watching Li Xiran helplessly get into the car and drive in the opposite direction from her, Shang Xinuan turned away and wiped away her tears.
He then looked at his family members with feigned ease and said, "He's never been like this before; it must be very urgent today."
Shang Zun put his arm around Shang Xinuan's shoulder. "It's alright, my darling. We won't blame him."
The group then headed toward Cambridge.
The school is fully open today for the graduation ceremony.
The exquisite British-style campus is shaded by green trees and surrounded by fountains and flower fields.
The graduates, all dressed in black academic gowns, lined up in a single file to go on stage and shake hands with the dean to say goodbye.
As Shang Xinu stepped down from the stage and walked out of the ceremony hall, she saw Li Xiran in a dark suit, holding a magnolia flower, standing in the bright sunlight.
She then realized that in the height of summer, July, the magnolia's blooming season had long passed.
Li Xiran made an excuse to leave, clearly to prepare a surprise for her.
Shang Xinuan's eyes were red. If the previous second was about the reluctance to leave her student life, then the next second was about being moved by the thought that Li Xiran would always be with her in the future.
But just as she accepted the flowers, Li Xiran suddenly knelt down on one knee. He produced a diamond ring from his palm, held it high, and looked up at her.
His hands were still trembling.
"Shang Xinuan, are you willing to marry me and give me the opportunity to take care of you for the rest of my life?" His voice was filled with utmost sincerity.
Looking at her family standing to one side, Shang Xinuan firmly extended her left hand towards Li Xiran, "I do, I am very willing."
As early as the spring of her eighteenth year, when she first saw Li Xiran.
That chaotic year of the college entrance exam blossomed like a magnolia garden after the first rain, filling the garden with youthful exuberance.
Her calm and silent heart was stirred by the three words "Li Xiran".
He is like the moon in the wilderness, even when it falls during a torrential rainy season. But once the spring breeze blows, he will be printed into the richly colored anthology of life.
After that, I thought of Li Xiran again.
It's about early spring, about first love.
But from this moment on...
Li Xiran is the rest of her life.
[End of text]
A note from the author:
The story of Lao Li and Nuan Nuan has come to an end, but their tale continues...
Starting tomorrow, I'll be updating the side stories. You can leave your suggestions for what kind of story you'd like to see in the comments section, including stories about other side couples.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-06-22 23:40:23 and 2023-06-23 23:41:02!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 30672006 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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