Chapter 41 Parting is inevitable...
Their relationship returned to what it was before, but there were still some differences compared to before. They couldn't quite put their finger on what those differences were, like a light spring rain that nourishes things silently.
Days passed by like this, and before we knew it, another half month had gone by.
In the past two weeks, Yan Yize has been visiting the villa more frequently. At first, she would come for dinner, but now she comes whenever she has free time. She has become quite familiar with every plant and tree in the villa.
Yan Yize didn't notice that she was looking at Shang Xu more often than usual, nor did he notice that her gaze lingered on him for longer and longer periods of time, nor did he notice the strange emotions surging in her eyes when she looked at him.
Night had fallen, and it was time to leave again, but Yan Yize did not get up. She sat up straight, her eyes fixed on him, scrutinizing him without any attempt at concealment. "Shang Xu."
She pursed her lips, as if there was something she found difficult to say.
Shang Xu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately sensed something bad was about to happen. He couldn't help but tense up, his fingers clenching and unclenching unconsciously as he gripped his sleeve. After gathering his emotions, he finally spoke, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Yan Yize didn't speak, but stared at him directly for a long time, so long that Shang Xu had thought of all the bad things. It felt as if a huge stone was pressing down on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe, and he was on the verge of collapse.
She spoke, "Shang Xu, I need to leave for a while."
Yan Yize received news last night that the matter she had been investigating had yielded results. This matter concerned her father and whether she could eliminate the real culprit who had framed her father.
Therefore, she had to go to Liuzhou in person to obtain conclusive evidence and seek justice for her father who had died unjustly.
After hearing what she said, Shang Xu's heart tightened, and he briefly lost his ability to think. His mind went blank, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
He lowered his eyes, remained silent for a long time, concealing the emotions in his eyes and suppressing his inner unease, before asking nervously, "How long will Your Highness be gone?"
Shang Xu wasn't afraid of her leaving, but rather of the changes that would come with her departure. During this time, she had been too good to him, so good that he didn't want to leave. If he could, he hoped it would continue forever.
But Shang Xu also knew that he had no right to interfere in her life or her decisions. He seemed to have no other choice but to accept it. For a time, feelings of loss, depression, fear and other emotions filled his heart.
Yan Yize kept watching him, and seeing that he had no other emotions except for a long silence, she couldn't help but feel a little depressed, like a gloomy sky about to bring a storm. A thought urgently appeared in her mind: she wanted to see other emotions on his face that had been aroused by her.
"At least a month, at most..." She didn't finish her sentence, but both of them understood that it was uncertain how long it would take.
Yan Yize's eyes darkened as he stared at him. "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"
Yan Yize didn't know what she wanted to hear, but one thing she was sure of was that she hoped he would feel something about her leaving, instead of the fact that he couldn't even stir up a ripple on his face.
Shang Xu fell silent again, his eyes lowered, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. After a long while, he nodded gently, "Yes."
Yan Yize's heavy heart suddenly felt lighter. She looked at him with an expectation she hadn't realized she had, and said, "Yes, go ahead."
Shang Xu raised his eyes and met her gaze. He saw his own reflection in her eyes, and hers reflected in his. They were so intimate, like inseparable lovers, but he knew in his heart that they were not.
He suppressed the bitterness in his heart and tried to speak as if nothing was wrong, "When will Your Highness leave?"
Yan Yize felt a lump in her throat; this was not what she wanted to hear.
"First thing tomorrow morning."
"So fast?" Shang Xu unconsciously raised his voice and frowned. It was so fast that he didn't have time to prepare anything for her. It was impossible not to feel disappointed.
His sudden increase in volume immediately soothed Yan Yize's irritation, and she explained, "It happened so suddenly, I just found out myself."
Shang Xu concealed his disappointment, nodded to indicate that he understood, paused for a moment, and then said, "I would like to see Your Highness off tomorrow morning, is that alright?"
All his emotions vanished completely after he finished speaking. Yan Yize raised his lips and nodded, "Okay."
——
The next day, Shang Xu got up just as dawn was breaking. The faint bluish-black under his eyes indicated that he hadn't slept well the night before.
When he arrived at the gate of the mansion alone, the carriage was already prepared.
Shang Xu stood in front of the stone lion, staring blankly at the carriage, lost in thought. As dawn broke, he heard a noise behind him and belatedly turned around. It was Yan Yize.
Upon seeing him, Yan Yize quickly stepped forward. Noticing his thin clothing, she reached out and touched the back of his hand, finding it indeed cold. Yan Yize immediately took off her fur coat and draped it over him, her eyes showing disapproval, "Although it's already spring, it's still cold in the morning."
The fur coat, still warm from her body, enveloped him, and only then did Shang Xu belatedly realize he was cold. He moved his stiff fingers, lowered his head, and, like a child who had done something wrong, argued for himself, "I wasn't cold when I came out."
Yan Yize was amused by his words, "You weren't cold when you came out, are you cold now?"
Shang Xu blushed and pursed his lips shyly.
He didn't answer, and Yan Yize didn't take it to heart. She reached out and carefully straightened his clothes, then withdrew her hand with satisfaction after a moment.
Looking at her masterpiece, she suddenly became serious and said, "Take care of yourself while I'm gone."
A sense of melancholy about parting enveloped Shang Xu's heart. He nodded, looked at her, and his eyes held the same earnestness as hers. "Your Highness, please take good care of yourself while you are away."
He pursed his lips, turned his face away, and added in a very low voice, "I'm waiting for Your Highness to return."
Yan Yize paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and nodded, replying, "Okay."
They talked for a while longer, and as it grew brighter, they both knew it was time for her to leave, so they stopped talking at the same time.
"I have to go now."
"Um."
Shang Xu watched her board the carriage, a wave of reluctance washing over him. He silently clenched his fist, and under his gaze, the carriage wheels began to rumble.
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a familiar face. Yan Yize gave him a deep look, his eyes unfathomable. "Go back."
"Okay." Shang Xu responded obediently, nodding but not moving.
This was the first time Yan Yize had seen him so rebellious, and he couldn't help but smile helplessly.
The carriage's shadow receded into the distance until it was completely out of sight. Shang Xu moved his legs, which had gone numb from standing for too long, and silently prayed in his heart that His Highness would return safely.
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