Chapter 21 Waiting for her return...
After several days of rest, Shang Xu's sprained ankle was completely healed. As they spent more time together, their relationship improved slightly. Although they weren't exactly close, they weren't so distant either.
As dusk settled, Shang Xu, as usual, came to the eaves outside the door to greet that familiar figure. He stood straight, no less so than the upright pillar beside him, his dark eyes fixed on the road not far away, like a stone gazing at its beloved wife. The sky was getting darker, and the snow was falling, making the road in the distance hazy. He frowned, and only when his eyes were dry did he dare to blink, afraid that he would miss her if he didn't take the time to do so.
The sky darkened completely, and the light snow turned into heavy snow. Shang Xu waited for a long time, his limbs stiffened by the cold wind, but he still didn't see the person he longed for. As time passed, the expectation in his eyes gradually dimmed.
Snowflakes fluttered in the dark night. Shang Xu stared blankly at the path she had come from, feeling an indescribable sorrow in his heart. He moved his stiff fingers and felt a chill run through his body, but the cold was nothing compared to the coldness in his heart. Was she not coming?
Has she forgotten that he was waiting for her?
The door behind him creaked open, and Qingzhu poked his head out. A sudden gust of cold wind made him shiver. He blew warm air into his palms and kept tucking himself deeper into his clothes, but it didn't relieve the chill at all. He rubbed his hands together, bowed, and walked to Shang Xu's side. He glanced at him and said dismissively, "Young Master, I don't think His Highness will come. It's so cold outside, let's go inside."
It was snowing outside, and the cold wind kept blowing against him. There was nothing to shelter him from the cold, and he was shivering. To make matters worse, Shang Xu ignored him, which made him even more irritable.
Confirming that Shang Xu wouldn't notice, he looked at him with disdain, sneering inwardly. If it weren't for his status, he would have already laughed at him. When he was offering advice, Shang Xu looked down on him; now that he wasn't coming, let's see what he does.
Seeing his frustration, Qingzhu finally felt relieved after being scolded earlier. However, he quickly realized that his plan to drug and climb into Yan Yi's bed had not yet been implemented. If Yan Yi didn't come, he would have no chance. His smile immediately vanished.
Qingzhu panicked. No, he had to turn things around. He didn't want to be a servant for the rest of his life. Thinking of this, he was even more anxious than Shang Xu. He didn't care about laughing at him anymore and quickly came up with a solution for him.
He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth. Suddenly, his eyes darted around, and he quickly moved closer to Shang Xu. "Young Master, do you think His Highness might have been delayed by something?"
"Young master, let's go find His Highness."
Shang Xu was lost in thought, gazing at the falling snow outside, feeling melancholy. Hearing his words, it was as if a switch had been flipped. He slowly raised his head, glanced at him, and then lowered his eyes, seemingly considering the feasibility of his words.
After a moment, he looked up at him again, his eyes filled with conflict, "Will this be bad?"
There must be a reason why she didn't come. Shang Xu was afraid that his sudden appearance would upset her, but he also really wanted to know why she didn't come.
Seeing that his attitude was softening, Qingzhu immediately tried her best to persuade him, "Young Master is also concerned about His Highness."
"Perhaps His Highness will also be pleased to see the young master."
Qingzhu spoke her last sentence with great uncertainty, her eyes darting away as she avoided his gaze. Recently, Yan Yi had been coming frequently, but no one could discern her true intentions.
After listening to his words, Shang Xu fell into deep thought. Whether to go or not, the two thoughts kept tug at his mind. In the end, curiosity won out. He took a deep breath and decided to go and see.
It was getting late, and the snow made the already difficult road even more challenging. The wind and snow were fierce, and the cold wind kept whipping at people's faces, making them feel both cold and painful.
Fine snowflakes, mixed with the wind, inadvertently fell onto his clothes. Some clung to them, piling up into small mounds, while others melted quickly, leaving puddles. Shang Xu carried a lantern in one hand and held an umbrella in the other, braving the wind and snow. His limbs were frozen stiff, yet he continued resolutely, leaving footprints of varying depths in the snow, which were quickly covered by the falling snow.
He took each step with extreme caution, but still slipped and fell to his knees with a thud. He tried to cry out, but the excruciating pain in his knees prevented him from making a sound. After the pain subsided, he couldn't help but gasp.
"hiss-"
Shang Xu's eyes reddened, tears welling up in his eyes from the pain. He sat helplessly in the snow, his lantern falling to the ground and his umbrella tilting to one side. Without any shelter, the wind and snow fell all over him, his clothes quickly becoming soaked, and his black hair, mixed with white snow, was blown into disarray by the wind.
Feeling cold and aching all over, he suddenly wondered what the point of his actions was. Perhaps she had simply forgotten their promise. A single tear rolled down his cheek, tracing a path across his pale, frostbitten face, and fell silently into the snow.
After a while, Shang Xu calmed down. Ignoring his aching knees, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and picked up the lantern that had fallen to the ground. He checked it carefully and thankfully it wasn't broken.
After the initial pain subsided, his knee didn't hurt as much anymore; it must have just been a minor scrape. He bit his lip, endured the pain, walked to the umbrella, bent down, and picked it up.
Standing there, he felt lost. The lantern and umbrella were back in his hands, and apart from being disheveled, he was almost exactly the same as when he arrived. But he didn't know whether he should go find her.
Fearing the outcome wouldn't be what he wanted, fearing his desires would be dashed, and even more afraid of getting hurt, he had always been a timid and cowardly person. But when it came to winning her affections, he finally mustered the courage, but now it seemed his courage had run out.
Shang Xu raised his eyes, looking at the dark night sky and the falling snow. After a long silence, he finally made up his mind. He had been timid and cowardly for more than ten years, and he had to be brave for himself this time.
His fingers were stiff with cold, but he still gripped the umbrella tightly, brushed the snow off his body, and continued walking forward. His knee was injured, so he walked slower than when he came, but his steps were incredibly firm.
Finally, after braving the wind and snow, he arrived at the familiar corridor. Shang Xu closed his umbrella, his body stiff with cold. He moved his stiff fingers, clasped his hands together, and breathed warm air into his palms to warm his stiff fingers. Once his fingers could move, he carefully brushed the snow off his body, tidied his appearance, and after confirming that everything was in order, he walked toward her study.
My anxious heart sank even further when I saw the darkness in her study; she wasn't there.
Shang Xu stood there with his head down for a long time, until he was sure there would be no candlelight inside, before turning to leave. Compared to his firmness when he came, his steps were much heavier as he left.
Shang Xu picked up his umbrella, looking dejected, and was about to leave when an elderly voice called out to him from behind.
"Young Master Shang, Young Master Shang, please wait."
Shang Xu stopped what he was doing and turned around. An elderly middle-aged woman was walking towards him.
"Butler," he called softly, "what brings you here?"
The butler approached him with a kind smile, "Look at my brain, I got so busy that I forgot about the things His Highness had arranged. If I hadn't seen you, I wouldn't have remembered at all."
Upon hearing the words "Your Highness," Shang Xu's heart tightened, and his hand holding the lantern trembled slightly. He concealed his panic and tried his best to remain calm, asking, "What is it?"
"Her Highness went out today and doesn't know when she will return. She asked me to tell you that she will not be having dinner at your place today."
Knowing he was in the wrong, the butler asked, "Young Master Shang won't blame me, will he?"
Shang Xu's eyes, which had been dim the whole way, lit up the moment he heard her words. So she hadn't forgotten that he was waiting for her. He felt less cold now. He shook his head and asked anxiously, "Did Your Highness say when you would be back?"
The butler glanced out into the corridor, hesitated for a moment, and said uncertainly, "They should be back soon."
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Shang Xu gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you, housekeeper."
The butler watched his departing figure with a smile before wiping the cold sweat from her brow. If His Highness found out that she had messed up the task she had been given, he would definitely punish her. Now she could only pray that His Highness would not find out.
——
After Shang Xu left, he did not go straight back to the villa. After thinking for a while, he decided to wait for her to return at the gate of the mansion.
This decision was rash, but it was what he wanted to do most right now. On this snowy night, after braving the wind and snow to find her, he longed to see her one last time. He turned around, carrying his lantern, and walked towards the gate of the mansion.
Compared to the hardships of coming here, getting to the gate from here will be much easier; just walk along the corridor without having to brave the wind and snow.
Outside the corridor, the wind and snow howled, but under the corridor, it was unusually quiet. Only the soft sound of his footsteps could be heard. As Shang Xu walked through it, he seemed to be infected by the quiet, and his anxious heart also calmed down.
Shang Xu quickly arrived at the mansion gate, but the vermilion gate was tightly closed. He couldn't help but feel disappointed for a moment; she hadn't returned yet.
He asked the gatekeeper to open the gate, and stood alone under it, holding an umbrella. The lantern in his hand emitted a dim yellow light, illuminating the dark entrance so that it could be seen from afar. The wind and snow outside were still heavy. He stared at it in a daze, but the restlessness he felt when he arrived was gone. Accompanied by the wind and snow, he became extremely calm.
He waited for a long time, and just when he thought she wouldn't come back tonight, the clatter of hooves came from the indistinct road in the distance. To him, who was waiting, that was the most beautiful music of the night.
As the sound drew closer, his calm heart began to pound loudly.
A note from the author:
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