Chapter 23 Like or Dislike...
Shang Xu was sent back by Yan Yize.
At the doorway, Yan Yize stopped walking, and Shang Xu, who was holding an umbrella and following beside her, also stopped naturally. He looked up at her with a pair of puzzled eyes.
She understood the meaning in his eyes, a smile playing on her lips, a fleeting glint of joy in her eyes. She couldn't resist raising her hand to pat his head, but as soon as she lifted it a fraction, she remembered the less-than-pleasant little incident from earlier, sighed inwardly, and reluctantly lowered her hand.
"Go in."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xu felt a pang of disappointment. He lowered his head dejectedly, looking listless, like a branch bent under the weight of a snowstorm. After a long silence, he couldn't help but look up at her and timidly invited, "Your Highness, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
"No, it's too late."
His invitation was unsurprisingly rejected.
Yan Yize glanced at him and spoke again, "It's cold, hurry up and go inside."
"Okay." Shang Xu nodded listlessly.
Under her gaze, Shang Xu walked into the courtyard with an umbrella. After pushing open the door, he couldn't help but turn back. That elegant figure was still standing there. His low mood vanished instantly, and he couldn't help but smile. So His Highness hadn't left yet.
He strode into the house, stood at the doorway, leaned against the doorframe, waved to her, indicating that he had arrived and that she should go back.
When Yan Yize saw his actions, she unconsciously curled the corners of her lips. She glanced at him again before turning around and leaving with her umbrella. The image of him smiling and waving at her lingered in her mind.
Seeing her leave, Shang Xu did not immediately return to the house. Instead, he stood there like a statue gazing at his wife, watching her departing figure with melancholy until she was completely out of sight. Only then did he reluctantly turn and go back into the house.
The door was closed, keeping the wind and snow out. The cold wind howled and kept pounding against the doors and windows, and the branches of trees in the yard snapped and crackled. Compared to the chaos outside, the house was peaceful and serene.
The candlelight flickered, elongating Shang Xu's shadow. He sat at the table, gazing absently at the Cymbidium goeringii placed there, recalling everything that had happened that night. A faint smile appeared in his eyes. She had taken the initiative to bring him back; did that mean their relationship had taken another step forward?
Thinking of this, the smile in his eyes deepened, and the desire to confide reached its peak at this moment. However, there was no one around to talk to. After some hesitation, he turned his gaze to the gladiolus, staring at its upright, sword-shaped leaves, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Gladiolus, do you think she would like me?"
After a moment's hesitation, he played a game that children often play, pointing to a leaf and saying, "I like it."
Pointing to another leaf, she said, "I don't like it."
"I like it, I don't like it, I like it..."
As night deepened, a large patch of wax had accumulated at the bottom of the candle. Shang Xu remained engrossed in counting the candle leaves. After a long while, his fingertips finally landed on the last leaf. He smiled and slowly uttered two words, "I like it."
Shang Xu lay on the table, his eyes sparkling, staring intently at Chun Jianlan, his face flushed with shyness. "Do you also think she might like me?"
"I will try my best."
Shang Xu wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep tonight. Yan Yize extinguished the candle, closed her eyes, and lay on the bed, but Shang Xu's face kept appearing before her eyes. Sometimes he was holding an umbrella and waiting at the door, and sometimes he was smiling and waving at her.
Unable to sleep, Yan Yize opened her eyes. It was pitch black, but Shang Xu's face became clearer and clearer in her mind, tormenting her and making it hard for her to fall asleep until the night watchman's drum sounded, at which point she finally drifted off to sleep.
——
The next day, Shang Xu sat by the window early in the morning, glancing up at the snow outside every now and then, and then asked Qingzhu, "What time is it?"
But each answer he received was unsatisfactory. He sighed almost imperceptibly, patiently continued reading, and endured the torment all day. As soon as it was time for a meal, he couldn't wait to go out of the house to welcome Yan Yize.
Shang Xu didn't have to wait long before her figure appeared at the end of the road. Upon seeing her, his anxiety, which had lasted all day, finally subsided. He breathed a sigh of relief, put on what he considered his most perfect smile, and greeted her arrival.
Upon seeing him, Yan Yize paused for a moment before regaining her composure. He had been the subject of her dreams all night, keeping her awake all night. She had thought things would be better by dawn, but unexpectedly, his image kept appearing before her eyes during the day, disturbing her peace.
"Your Highness, you've arrived."
"Hmm." Yan Yize took the opportunity to look him over. He was still the same person as before, without any change. Why did she think of him from time to time?
Yan Yize stared at his face, deep in thought. What was wrong? They had spent time together many times before, but none of them had ever made her feel so haunted as last night.
"Did you sleep well last night?" she asked abruptly.
It was a very simple question that Shang Xu could answer without thinking, but since it was her, he didn't want to give her a perfunctory answer. After thinking about it carefully, he finally replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I slept very well last night."
Yan Yize nodded. From his expression, it was clear that he wasn't lying. It turned out that she was the only one who hadn't slept well last night. In an instant, she felt an indescribable sense of unease, as if she were both uncomfortable and suffocated.
She arrived early, intending to find the answer, but after observing him for so long without finding it, and unable to ask directly, she had no choice but to give up.
"Let's go inside and have a meal."
"good."
Qingzhu was supposed to go with them, but he lagged behind, his eyes fixed on the two walking side by side, filled with resentment. He had made the suggestion last night, but Shang Xu had actually done it, and he was not happy at all.
His face darkened, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted to turn the tables, to become a superior person, and to make those who looked down on him pay the price. Qingzhu gritted his teeth, made his decision, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
A note from the author:
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