Chapter 36 She really likes Lin Xiao
Lin Xiao searched for a long time before finally finding the princess behind a rockery in the East Garden.
After running out, Shen Panyan felt both angry and sad when she thought of Mu Ying's words. She had never cared about Lin Xiao's identity, nor had she ever put on airs like a princess in front of them, the palace maids. Why did she say that?
What difference does status matter? Is she, as a princess, really happy?
From birth, she was used by the Empress as a tool to win favor. She was only at ease when her father was happy. As she grew up, she never let up, day and night. Later, she finally came to the royal villa, but she was always alone and no one ever accompanied her.
Only Lin Xiao, and only Lin Xiao, would care about her and treat her well.
Therefore, isn't it only natural that she treats him well?
Besides, Lin Xiao will be leaving in a few days. He won't stay by her side forever, and she might never see him again...
The more Shen Panyan thought about it, the sadder she became. Her nose stung, and tears streamed down her face, soaking her dress.
She decided that she would never speak to Mu Ying again.
Just then, a pure white embroidered handkerchief landed in front of her, and Lin Xiao's gentle voice reached her ears, "Princess, you must be bored staying in the royal villa lately, why don't you come out and play with me?"
Shen Panyan stared blankly, her eyes blurry with tears as she looked up, "Lin...Lin Xiao?"
"Your subordinate is here." Lin Xiao squatted down to meet her gaze, looking into her moist almond-shaped eyes, a tear still clinging to her cheek. He gently wiped it away for her. "Princess, don't be sad. Shall I take you out to play?"
Shen Panyan: "Go, where to?"
Her voice was still a little choked up.
“We’ll go to a nearby town, but…” Lin Xiao paused, his gaze falling on her cheek, a smile slowly spreading across his face, “Before we go to the town, Princess, you should wipe away your tears first.”
"Otherwise, if the princess, being of noble birth, were to be seen by the common people, wouldn't they think that Her Highness is a crybaby?"
Chen Panyan: "..."
Pfft—
She couldn't help but laugh through her tears.
"What little crybaby? I'm not a little crybaby, Lin Xiao, you're not allowed to talk nonsense..."
Shen Panyan reached out and took the handkerchief, wiping away the tears on her eyelashes.
"It was my mistake. Princess is not a crybaby. I was bold and spoke ill of you. Why doesn't Your Highness punish me to vent your anger?"
A hint of a smile flickered in Lin Xiao's eyes as he reached out and gently helped her up.
"What do you mean by venting your anger? You're not my punching bag," Shen Panyan muttered.
Lin Xiao lowered his brows, as if deep in thought, "But I'm happy to be the princess's punching bag."
He chuckled lightly, "The princess may treat me however she wishes, and I will never resist."
Shen Panyan: ......
Lin Xiao, when did Lin Xiao speak so recklessly...? Shen Panyan's cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, "You...you dare to do this, I, I am a princess!"
She turned around in a panic, trying to avoid his gaze, but because she had been squatting for too long, her legs went weak as soon as she moved, and she uncontrollably fell to the ground. Lin Xiao quickly caught her.
"Princess, be careful."
Shen Panyan couldn't stand steadily and had to cling to his body. She felt his strong and powerful arms, and a blush gradually crept up from her neck to her cheeks.
"Lin, Lin Xiao, my legs are numb, I feel like I can't walk..."
After a moment's thought, Lin Xiao bent down and picked her up in his arms. "It's alright, I can carry the princess all the way to the town."
He swept away her and landed on a branch not far away.
Shen Panyan gasped in surprise, wrapped her arms around his neck, and her face burned.
"What if, what if someone sees us?"
"My lightness skill is excellent; no one will see me."
"Lin Xiao, how could you hug me without my permission? How dare you be so bold now?" Her voice trailed off. "Aren't you afraid I'll punish you?"
At first, Lin Xiao was very respectful to her. Later, he became more silent and didn't talk much, but he was still very respectful to her. Today was the first time she had heard him treat her like this... like this... When she remembered that he said he would not resist no matter how she treated him, Shen Panyan blushed.
Lin Xiao's speed remained unchanged, and the cool breeze of early spring carried his voice, tinged with laughter.
"How does the princess intend to punish her subordinates?"
"I...I..."
After struggling for a long time, Shen Panyan still couldn't think of a way to punish him. In the end, she could only angrily spit out, "You, you've become more and more reckless just because you have a good temper."
Lin Xiao said in a low voice, "Yes, it's because the princess has such a good temper that I've become increasingly reckless."
"However, this is just my nature, as the princess already knows."
"Didn't Your Highness already learn quite a bit about me from Forty-Three last time?"
"You? How did you know?!" Shen Panyan looked up in alarm.
She remembered that Forty-Three's martial arts skills were inferior to Lin Xiao's. If Lin Xiao had hidden himself at that time, she wouldn't have been able to find him at all. Perhaps Lin Xiao had been hiding nearby watching them for a long time.
"You, you were eavesdropping on our conversation!" In an instant, Shen Panyan's face turned red and blood dripped from it.
Lin Xiao chuckled, "Princess, I didn't eavesdrop. The sound just entered my ear on its own. You can't blame me."
"You, so eloquent!!" Shen Panyan's face flushed red.
How come she never noticed before that Lin Xiao was such a good talker?
Lin Xiao: "I am merely stating the facts."
“If the princess wants to know about me, why ask Forty-Three? Why not ask me directly? He only knows rumors, which are not to be taken seriously.”
Shen Panyan turned her head away, not believing his words. "You're like a silent gourd. Do you think you'll tell me everything I ask? You're definitely lying to me."
Lin Xiao sighed helplessly, "When did I become a silent person? Princess, please ask whatever you wish to ask."
Seeing his rebuttal, Shen Panyan bit her lip, her voice tinged with grievance: "Then why didn't you answer me when I asked you last time if you were only being nice to me because of the mission? If you're not a silent type, then answer me now, right?"
Lin Xiao fell silent, and even the wind seemed to quiet down.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Shen Panyan's voice gradually lowered, her eyelashes trembled, and her almond-shaped eyes welled up with tears, "You see, when you encounter something you don't want to say, you just don't say it, and then you say it's not..."
Lin Xiao's voice suddenly rang out, "Does the princess care about this issue?"
Shen Panyan paused for a moment, her knuckles curled up, her eyebrows and eyes lowered, and she said in a low voice, "Mm."
"No one has ever liked me since I was little. I've always felt like I'm unlikable. Lin Xiao, you've been so good to me. I don't want... I don't want you to dislike me, just like everyone else, forced to stay by my side because of Father's orders..."
Lin Xiao pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, his deep voice, carried by the wind, entered her ears.
"The princess is lovable, and I... like her very much."
Do I really like myself?
Shen Panyan opened her almond-shaped eyes wide, suddenly raised her head, looked at him with shimmering eyes, and opened her mouth slightly, "You, are you telling the truth?"
Lin Xiao stopped his hurried movements and gently placed her on the ground.
"I would never lie to the princess." Lin Xiao sighed. He knew that if he didn't explain, the princess would probably keep overthinking things.
She was already in poor health.
He clenched his knuckles, pursed his lips, and his gaze, no longer hiding, became sincere and direct as he looked at her.
As if burned, Shen Panyan quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
Her lips trembled, "Then...then why didn't you say so before? I thought...I thought you hated me..."
Lin Xiao: "When I first met the princess, I thought she was a bit troublesome. Later, seeing her protect a disloyal maid without regard for her own safety, I thought she was foolish. But the more I spent with her, the more I realized that I was the fool. You were just deceived by the people around you. I didn't see the princess clearly and, like everyone else, I had a prejudice against you. But in fact, the princess is not like that."
He said gently, “Princess, you are sincere, brave, kind, and tolerant. In this world where everyone will do anything for their own benefit, you are of noble birth and do not need to care about the lives of others, but when faced with danger, you are still willing to muster the courage to protect those around you.” He paused, his gaze calm, and his voice suddenly became solemn, “Princess, your nature is pure and true, just like your title, like the bright moon, untouched by any dust. It is my fault.”
He lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Princess."
He apologized for not only misunderstanding the princess but also unintentionally hurting her.
Shen Panyan opened her almond-shaped eyes wide and stood there stunned.
She had never heard anyone praise her like that before, let alone express such deep and sincere feelings.
"Lin Xiao, I..." She twisted her handkerchief between her knuckles, her eyelashes trembling, "Actually, I... I'm not that good either..."
Lin Xiao looked up and said in a gentle voice, "Princess, when you taught me to read before, there was a sentence in the book that I still remember. That sentence is: Gold has flaws, and white jade has imperfections."
"Tell your subordinates that this means nothing is perfect."
"Since the princess knows that nothing in this world is perfect, why does she pursue perfection in herself?"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "After returning this time, the leader entrusted the task of protecting you to Forty-Three and told me not to come back. But if I leave like this, Princess, you will surely worry. I don't want you to worry, and besides, I haven't said goodbye to you yet... So, I've returned."
“Princess, I am protecting you not because of His Majesty’s orders, but because I want to protect you myself…” He said, his voice softening as if he were sighing.
Shen Panyan was deeply shaken.
The wind seemed to stop for a moment, and the whole world fell silent. Shen Panyan looked at him, his words echoing in her mind.
"I...I..."
Shen Panyan's almond-shaped eyes shimmered like autumn water, and her voice trembled.
This was the first time Lin Xiao had spoken so much. He was always reserved, and he would never have said a word if the princess hadn't been unhappy today. After saying this, he pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and dared not meet the princess's gaze.
Shen Panyan stammered "I" for a long time without getting a clear answer, and her voice became even more choked up. Lin Xiao thought that his answer had displeased the princess and was about to apologize in frustration when he suddenly felt a pair of slender arms encircle his waist and a soft, petite body pressed against him.
"Thank you, Lin Xiao, thank you..." Shen Panyan's voice choked with emotion.
The princess wasn't very strong, and Lin Xiao could easily break free, but for some reason, when she wrapped her arms around his waist, it was as if he was frozen in place. Every muscle in his body tensed up, and he couldn't move at all, completely frozen in place.
He had held princesses before, but never before had he felt so helpless.
My heart was pounding like a drum.
It took him a long time to react. “Princess…Princess, there’s no need for thanks. It is my greatest fortune to be able to serve by your side.”
Shen Panyan didn't speak again, her tears soaking his clothes.
Lin Xiao's embrace was so warm and comforting; she really, really loved Lin Xiao.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Yesterday I got 4 yuan! 4 yuan! What a windfall! The first time I've had 4 yuan in so many days! I'm so happy! It means my writing isn't so bad after all! [Please][Please][Please][Please]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
