Chapter 40 Love at First Sight [VIP]
Chapter Summary: A Second Kiss
Xu Luchuan's forehead warmth spread to his lower abdomen, and Liu Shiyu stood motionless, embraced by him.
Seeing this, Xu Luchuan then asked, "Do you know how long I've been waiting? Ever since I returned from Yongzhou, I've been waiting... Why haven't you come to see me? Not even a single word from you?"
Xu Luchuan kept asking questions, but Liu Shiyu did not respond.
He looked up in surprise as he moved away from her side, only to see Liu Shiyu slowly lower her eyes and meet his gaze.
Xu Luchuan gazed silently into those tender, watery eyes, but Liu Shiyu suddenly reached out and cupped his face in her hands.
At this moment of intense emotion, it wasn't just their lips that were pressed together; it was their two restless hearts.
Liu Shiyu kissed him.
Xu Luchuan should have instinctively pushed her away. But as if guided by fate, he suddenly heard several calls hidden deep in his memory.
"Brother Luchuan, can I come watch you play polo?"
"Can I... be your friend?"
In that instant, he succumbed. So she had always been there.
Those resentments erased all his happiness and his most beautiful memories. He was like rain trapped under dark clouds, drizzling incessantly, never seeing the sun.
But who took him to see the real sun?
Xu Luchuan closed his eyes, and Liu Shiyu did the same. They remained silent, yet the atmosphere was undeniably ambiguous.
A few clear tears unconsciously rolled down Liu Shiyu's cheeks. Since the late Empress's passing, whether in joy or sorrow, she hadn't shed tears like this in a long time. When the late Emperor was alive, she was a noble and self-possessed legitimate princess. After the late Emperor's death, she was a valiant and unyielding eldest princess.
She will always be like a fragile treasure, coldly displayed before the world.
She was unhappy; she wanted to be happy. It was Xu Luchuan who brought her happiness.
Suddenly opening his eyes, he pulled her down onto the couch, and Liu Shiyu leaned against him with a smile, saying, "Welcome home, Xu Luchuan. Whether you're from Liyang or Yongzhou, I sincerely welcome you home."
Liu Shiyu's belated welcome stunned Xu Luchuan.
He couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes; he feared it was just like all the beautiful dreams he had before, and would vanish in an instant.
A year after his return, Liu Shiyu was the first person to personally welcome him. Liu Shiyu was like a breeze, blowing across Jiangnan, across the willow banks, bringing warmth and gentleness into his heart. Yet, his hand, hovering in mid-air, still hesitated to land on Liu Shiyu's back.
Can I hug her? Can I... hug her...?
Xu Luchuan was filled with anxiety.
Liu Shiyu didn't notice his hesitation. She simply placed her palm gently on his shoulder and whispered, "Xu Luchuan... I've actually always wanted to ask..."
Once again, she hesitated, wanting to say something but then stopping herself. Liu Shiyu simply closed her eyes.
This time, she had to be brave no matter what. Even if she was resolutely pushed away, she would go without hesitation. Perhaps this was his last chance for redemption before he left her.
"Are you doing well in Liyang?"
"Back then, after I woke up, I went to plead with His Majesty. But nothing changed... I know I have no right to ask you, but I still want to apologize to you, if it weren't for me."
Xu Luchuan's resentment vanished instantly. He immediately pulled her into a tight embrace, interrupting Liu Shiyu before she could finish speaking.
"It's all in the past."
"This matter has nothing to do with you. If we're talking about right and wrong, I was in the wrong first. I'm the one who should apologize."
Although Xu Luchuan didn't answer Liu Shiyu's question, she truly felt his tenderness. Liu Shiyu silently opened her eyes; the ending she had envisioned hadn't unfolded as expected. It seemed she still didn't understand him enough.
But Liu Shiyu just smiled and said nothing more. She relaxed and leaned all her strength on Xu Luchuan. Xu Luchuan gently lifted her up, and she no longer resisted.
The two reconciled without a word, and leaned against each other silently.
Even the evening breeze in the courtyard couldn't compare to his gentleness.
Liu Shiyu clearly had more to say and more to ask, but she hesitated.
Xu Luchuan noticed her preoccupation, so he rubbed her shoulder and asked, "You seem to... have something you want to tell me?"
Liu Shiyu nestled against his chest and shook her head. She wanted this moment to linger, even just a little longer. Xu Luchuan held her tightly, his arms still around her, and said, "Since you don't want to talk, then let me speak first."
Liu Shiyu remained silent, which Xu Luchuan took as tacit agreement.
"Today, I went to Qingyun Temple to see someone..."
But when Liu Shiyu heard his words, she quickly reached out and placed her hand on his lips, whispering, "Don't say anything, I don't want to hear it."
Xu Luchuan gently took her hand and moved it away from his face, asking in confusion, "Why?"
Liu Shiyu rose and sat on the edge of the couch, no longer looking at him. She simply said to herself, "I know we agreed that if our parents forced us to, we would either go our separate ways and not interfere with each other. But what about Xu Luchuan?"
Liu Shiyu turned her head. Xu Luchuan sat behind her, quietly waiting for her to finish speaking. "I don't want to be separated from you, I don't want you to leave. I know I'm being selfish, but I really..."
Before Liu Shiyu could express her feelings, Xu Luchuan cupped her face in his hands, just as Liu Shiyu had cupped him earlier.
Liu Shiyu looked at her helplessly.
Xu Luchuan knew what she wanted to say, but he spoke first: "Liu Shiyu, I like you."
A passionate kiss followed. Liu Shiyu's heart was gently stirred, and in her dreams, she searched for blooming flowers in the mountains and fields once shrouded in mist.
But suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes and fell uncontrollably.
Xu Luchuan opened his eyes and stepped back, looking at Liu Shiyu who was crying her eyes out. He suddenly felt a little lost: "Don't cry, I didn't kiss you on purpose. Wasn't it you who started it first... or was I too abrupt? Anyway, don't cry."
Although Liu Shiyu was overjoyed and cried tears of joy, she simply couldn't control herself.
Completely forgetting her status as the Princess, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Xu Luchuan's neck, demanding, "If you like me, why did you go on a blind date! If you like me, why did you go to see that most noble lady in Jinling! Do you know how scared I was?"
"How did you know I went to see Liu Qinglan?" Xu Luchuan asked, puzzled, but he still reached out to wipe away the tears from Liu Shiyu's eyes. "Who told you I went on a blind date?"
Looking at Xu Luchuan's expression, Liu Shiyu sensed there was more to the story. So she replied truthfully, "I went to the Court of Justice to see you this afternoon, but you weren't there. Shen Ruoshi told me all this."
Upon hearing Shen Ruoshi's name, Xu Luchuan immediately clenched his fists and cursed inwardly at this good-for-nothing who was more likely to ruin things than accomplish anything.
Liu Shiyu reached out and touched Xu Luchuan, saying, "Xiao Lü. So, you're not going on a blind date?"
“No.” Xu Luchuan shook his head. “I went to refuse the marriage proposal. My father wants me to marry her, but the only person I want to marry is you.”
"After Yongzhou, I finally understood my feelings. It was a feeling I had never had before. So I've thought it through, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Liu Shiyu, are you willing?"
Xu Luchuan's firm words left Liu Shiyu speechless.
She didn't know how to respond to his deep affection; she couldn't even bring herself to make a promise. But Xu Luchuan seemed to have already understood everything. He took Liu Shiyu's hand and said, "I understand. You don't need to rush to give me an answer. I just wanted to tell you my thoughts."
Liu Shiyu met his gaze and timidly spoke, "What if I can never give you a proper promise? You shouldn't keep waiting for me like this..."
“But I’m willing.” Xu Luchuan interrupted Liu Shiyu again. “No matter how long it takes. A year, two years, or a lifetime. I can wait, as long as we’re together. As long as I can always see you.”
Now that things have come to this, Liu Shiyu should not be cowardly anymore.
She embraced him, gently nuzzling his ear twice, and said with unwavering determination, "Xu Luchuan, not just in this life, but in the next life, and the life after that. I am willing to spend it all with you."
"Give me another year, just one more year."
“Once Liu Zhizhou is able to take over everything, I will no longer be the regent princess of Shaoyuan, but just myself. Then we will stand together openly and honestly.”
"Okay. I'll do whatever you say." With their hearts in sync, their fates became intertwined. Neither would back down even an inch.
Xu Luchuan felt incredibly safe holding Liu Shiyu, who nestled in his arms, smiling silently. When she stood up again, Liu Shiyu's eyes were still smiling as she reached out and traced the features of the man before her again and again. She wanted to remember every inch of him.
Seeing this, Xu Luchuan gently touched her forehead and joked, "Aren't we being a little too forward? We've only just confessed our feelings today, and we've already been this intimate twice."
Liu Shiyu recalled the kiss she had secretly given him the night before he returned to Yongzhou, and smiled maliciously: "No, it was three times."
"Three times?" Xu Luchuan asked in confusion. "Now that you mention it, I do remember. When I was unconscious in Shou County, I had a very strange dream. I dreamt that I encountered a wild bear at the foot of Yinshi Mountain, so I immediately pretended to be dead to save my life. But the bear sniffed me for a long time, and in the end, it only kissed me and let me go."
"Liu Shiyu, could it be that you took advantage of me?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Shiyu pushed Xu Luchuan away and angrily rebuked him, "Wild bear! Wild bear! Xu Luchuan, you're the wild bear!"
After saying that, Liu Shiyu stood up angrily and ignored him.
"Hiss!" Xu Luchuan was pushed by her and pretended to be pitiful as his old wounds flared up again.
His tactic clearly worked, as Liu Shiyu quickly stepped forward and softly asked, "Are you alright? Xiao Lü, I didn't mean to. Should we get a doctor to take a look at you? Xiao Lü, don't scare me like that. I can't live without you."
Xu Luchuan was delighted to hear this. He immediately got up and walked towards the Xiaoyuezhai gate. Just as he stepped through the door, he turned back and said, "The future consort is starving. I wonder if Your Highness, may we have him eat?"
Liu Shiyu squinted at his smug look, and finally couldn't help but grit her teeth and complain:
"Xu Luchuan, you scoundrel!"
[Author's Note]
Sorry everyone, it's been so long since the last update.
The last three times have been a complete mess. Other family members have all tested positive and need care. This has affected my mood and overall well-being. Therefore, I haven't had much time to write, and I hope everyone can understand. Thank you so much. I also hope everyone takes precautions.
This is a short story, and it will probably be nearing its end after one more plot point (there will be an extra chapter).
Thank you all so much for your continued support! Wishing you all a happy life. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 19:45:50 on December 13, 2022 and 17:45:56 on December 16, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: mothorchid 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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