When Xu Zhuohua and Xu Shinong emerged from the study with solemn expressions, dusk had already permeated the entire sky.
Under the porch, large red lanterns were already hanging high, their warm yellow light spreading out and making the bluestone slabs on the ground shine, as if scattered with tiny fragments of warmth.
But this warmth couldn't illuminate the heavy, unresolved secrets in their hearts.
Cheng Muyun sat in the armchair, his head bowed.
Xu Jixin glared at Cheng Muyun with resentment. No matter how high your rank or how powerful your army is, if you treat my sister badly, I'll beat you up.
The two almost got into a fight just now.
Cheng Muyun simply didn't respond; otherwise, if a fight broke out, given Cheng Muyun's years of training in the military camp, Xu Jixin wouldn't have gotten the better of him.
The two remained deadlocked, neither willing to give in, and neither even went to dinner when the housekeeper called them.
The north wind, carrying fine ice shards, howled mournfully from the eaves.
The moment the heavy cotton curtain was lifted, a biting chill rushed into the room like a ferocious beast.
Startled by the chill, Cheng Muyun looked up, but when he saw who it was, his blood seemed to boil instantly.
Xu Zhuohua revealed half of her pale chin. She lowered her head and stepped across the threshold. Her shoes made no sound as they stepped over the blue bricks. The cloisonné enamel hand warmer in her arms was still emitting a faint warmth.
She held the heater tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white from the force, as if it were her only support in this cold world.
"Zhuohua." Cheng Muyun's voice trembled involuntarily.
Xu Zhuohua's body suddenly stiffened, and her eyelashes trembled violently twice.
She slowly raised her head. The dim oil lamp swayed in the wind, casting Cheng Muyun's shadow on the mottled wall.
The shimmering light outlined his taut jawline, revealing a cold, hard edge. His once smiling peach blossom eyes were now filled with thick, inky longing, the emotions surging within them almost bursting out.
Xu Zhuohua suddenly felt a tightness in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears, "Cheng Muyun!"
The brazier slipped from Xu Zhuohua's trembling fingertips, and the crisp sound of the colored porcelain colliding with the blue bricks pierced the stagnant air.
The crimson embers scattered like shooting stars, sizzling as they burned the blue bricks, but she paid no heed and turned to throw herself into Cheng Muyun's arms.
Cheng Muyun instinctively opened his arms and held her trembling body tightly.
Xu Zhuohua's fingertips gripped the fabric at the back of his neck tightly, as if a drowning person were grasping at the last piece of driftwood.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, which smelled of cedar, and wrapped her arms tightly around Cheng Muyun's waist, as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances, fears, and longing that had been building up in her heart.
Cheng Muyun rested his chin on the top of her head, his palms stroking her trembling back again and again, his eyes gradually reddening.
He could clearly feel the intense heartbeat of the person in his arms, each beat striking his chest and gradually merging with his own pulse.
If longing had a voice, it would have already become a deafening roar.
If love were to have a concrete form, then the embrace between two people, where they almost meld each other into their very bones, would be the most majestic mountain and the most vast sea in the world, overcoming all obstacles and finally merging together in the universe.
Xu Shi Nong frowned, bent down to pick up the half-broken heater, and slowly shook her head.
Xu Jixin looked at the two embracing in surprise, "Dad, why have you been talking for so long?"
Xu Shinong patted the dust off the heater, carefully closed the lid, and asked, "Haven't you eaten yet? Let's eat first."
This was a secret between the two of them; Xu Shinong had promised Xu Zhuohua that she wouldn't tell anyone.
Xu Zhuohua held Cheng Muyun tightly, unwilling to let go, and inhaled deeply the cool sandalwood scent emanating from him, wishing she could meld Cheng Muyun into her own body.
Cheng Muyun was somewhat flattered. He raised his arm and gently patted Xu Zhuohua's shoulder. When he entered the room, he saw her slightly red eyes and tear-stained face, and his heart ached terribly.
"I miss you so much, Cheng Muyun."
Cheng Muyun smiled gently, his chest throbbing, and his voice came from above Xu Zhuohua's head, "I miss you too."
"I don't want to be separated from you," Xu Zhuohua said, feeling wronged.
"Sweetheart, no one can separate us."
Xu Jixin's furrowed brows could have trapped a fly, and he looked at the two of them with disgust. "Dad, let's go eat. Don't call them. I can't eat when I see them."
Xu Zhuohua peeked out from Cheng Muyun's warm embrace, her black hair disheveled over her shoulders, and the corners of her eyes still red.
Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she glared fiercely at Xu Jixin, raising her slender wrist as if to strike him: "Second brother, what nonsense are you spouting?"
The fingertips brushed against the air, creating a gust of wind, much like a kitten waving its paw, utterly devoid of any intimidation.
Xu Jixin looked at his sister's reddened eyes and upturned lips, his tense expression suddenly relaxed, and a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes.
"Okay, I guess I was just starving." The deliberately drawn-out tone held a hint of teasing. "Are you two eating?"
Xu Zhuohua then realized that her stomach was empty. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything from dawn till dusk. She subconsciously pressed her stomach, her eyelashes trembled, and she looked up at Cheng Muyun.
The warm yellow candlelight flowed in her eyes, her dark pupils like pearls immersed in the night, shimmering with tiny lights. The lingering crimson at the corners of her eyes resembled a sunset glow, a beauty that made one's heart tremble.
"Did you have meal?"
Cheng Muyun shook his head slightly and said gently, "No."
Hsu Shih-nung seemed a little impatient and didn't want to see the two of them being sweet anymore. The sweeter they were now, the more bitter it would be after they separated.
"Let's go then, let's go eat first."
The meal was simple: three dishes and a soup. Everyone ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, and no one spoke.
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