In Chapter 68, just as Pipa was lost in thought, a kiss landed on her.
"alright."
As Pipa spoke, she was about to withdraw her hand, but Shen Yun gently pressed it down.
The boy was secretly startled and instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but couldn't break free. He couldn't help but call out, half puzzled and half surprised, "Chen Yun?"
The latter's eyes were deep and dark, like the surface of a black lake shrouded in night mist.
Upon hearing her name, Shen Yun seemed to pause for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I startled you," he said, but did not immediately let go of the boy's hand.
Pipa became increasingly puzzled. Shen Yun had shaken her hand half-jokingly before, but this was the first time she had acted so out of sorts.
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Pipa asked hesitantly.
Shen Yun was familiar with the other party's tone; it sounded more like a businesslike inquiry than genuine concern.
He suddenly felt a sense of weariness, a feeling somewhat similar to, yet entirely different from, the weariness he felt towards his father during the day.
There was less anger and more resentment.
"...Why?"
"What?"
Pipa looked at Chen Yun with a puzzled expression.
He noticed that the other person was staring intently at him, and there seemed to be a faint hint of crimson in the depths of those dark eyes.
"To you, as long as it's not Li Xiao, it doesn't matter whether it's me or someone else, right?"
—Strange, this kind of deep charm is too strange.
besides……
"Why bring up Young Master Li out of the blue?" Pipa couldn't help but frown.
Although he had known about the relationship between Li Xiao and Shen Yun for a long time, he never mentioned Li Xiao to Shen Yun, and vice versa.
And so much time has passed, so much so that even the loquat itself is almost... almost forgetting.
"Because you've always kept it in mind."
Shen Yun suddenly regained his calm and composed tone. His voice revealed no particular emotion, yet it was utterly irrefutable. He stared at Pipa's slightly pale face and then slowly smiled.
“That cat is named Tangyuan, right?” She paused and then added, “It has beautiful green eyes, just like that naive and foolish fellow.”
"..."
"Wasn't that the one-year anniversary? Exactly one year since the fire at the Princess's residence. Do you perhaps think his ghost has come back to haunt you—"
"Enough!"
As far as he could remember, this was the first time Pipa had spoken so loudly in front of Shen Yun, which almost startled him.
After a long while, Pipa lowered her voice again and gently called Chenyun's name.
“Chen Yun, I don’t know why you suddenly brought him up. Li Xiao… he used to be very good to me. I know he might have offended you with his words before, but he didn’t mean it. Besides, the dead should be respected. Even if it’s just for the sake of your family relationship…”
So what exactly do you like about him?
A sudden question from Shen Yun silenced Pipa.
The room was completely silent, but this time no one tried to break the awkward atmosphere.
Suddenly, Shen Yun silently got out of bed, put on his clothes, and began to dress without saying a word, his hair still wet.
Pipa was a beat slow to remember to help the other person get dressed, but Shen Yun gently stopped her.
It wasn't until Shen Yun stood up and walked towards the door that Pi Pa remembered to chase after her and ask where she had gone.
Shen Yun suddenly stopped and turned around to glare at the young man.
He was born with a cold and aloof face that kept strangers at bay; when he was expressionless, he seemed to be keeping people at arm's length.
Is this kind of thing important to you?
Shen Yun said with a half-smile, it was unclear whether she was laughing at the other person or at herself: "By the way, it's not entirely unrelated. After all, until Lu Qingyao makes the final decision, I will still be your biggest customer."
As she spoke, Shen Yun suddenly took two steps back, instantly eliminating the already short distance between them. Then, before Pi Pa could react, she abruptly lowered her head and brought her face close to the boy's.
The latter gasped for breath, wanting to retreat, but her face was suddenly cupped in his hands.
The moment my head was forced to lift, a slightly cool touch slid down my neck.
—It seems to be hair that is not completely dry.
Just as Pipa was lost in thought, a kiss landed on his lips. It was cold and moist, carrying the familiar scent of plum blossoms.
Pipa's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stared incredulously at the pair of eyes so close to his.
It seemed like they were trying to find an answer inside, but there was nothing there, only bottomless darkness and confusion.
Maybe……
A thought flashed through Pipa's mind: perhaps even Shen Yun herself didn't understand what she was doing.
He instinctively clung to the person in front of him, like a drowning person desperately grabbing at anything they could.
Even if the final outcome is to embrace each other and sink to the bottom of the water, I would not hesitate.
But loquat is not actually wood.
Even if he's called a blockhead and called a slowpoke countless times, he's still a real, living person.
He can't be anyone's lifeline.
The moment he felt his clothes being pulled up to his upper abdomen, his stiff body suddenly snapped back to reality, and the boy almost instinctively took a bite.
The smell of blood mingled with the strong fragrance of plum blossoms, spreading between her lips and teeth. At the same time, Pipa felt the person on top of her suddenly stop moving, the heavy pressure receding and then disappearing.
Pipa calmed her breathing slightly, then propped herself up on the wooden table that was digging into her lower back and slowly sat up.
As he lowered his head to wipe the blood-stained saliva from the corner of his mouth, he seemed to hear a faint "I'm sorry." This was followed by the soft sound of the door closing.
When I looked up again, Shen Yun had already disappeared.
All that remained was the patter of rain outside the window and the chairs and stools that had been overturned during the earlier scuffle.
Pipa silently bent down and lifted the chairs and stools off the ground one by one, straightening them.
As I passed the screen, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a red hair ribbon hanging on it.
—It is the lingering charm that falls.
Recalling the scene of the other person appearing at the door soaking wet, Pipa almost subconsciously glanced out the rainy window.
—I hope Shen Yun will be alright.
The thought flashed through Pipa's mind, and he immediately laughed self-deprecatingly. What was he thinking? He was Shen Yun... But how could Shen Yun do something like that to him?
The door creaked open from the outside.
Pipa subconsciously turned her head to look in the direction of the sound, only to see Cuizhu holding Tangyuan (glutinous rice balls).
The little girl was all smiles, with obvious signs of rain on her body, and her hair and clothes were a little messy, as if she had just run in the rain.
"Look at this restless little guy, running outside even in the rain. If we hadn't run into him—"
Cui Zhu's lively and clear voice came to an abrupt halt as she noticed something was wrong with her young master.
Whether it was the blood-stained lips, the red marks on her neck, or the stiff smile on the other person's lips, Cuizhu felt a sense of panic and self-blame, leaving her feeling helpless.
What happened inside the house while she ran out to chase the cat?
Why does the young master seem... as if he's been bullied...?
—Could it be Lord Shen?
But...but...
Perhaps it was an unintentional exertion from Cuizhu that caused Tangyuan in her arms to let out a low whimper, and then struggle to escape from her embrace.
This time, Cuizhu had no interest in caring about cats anymore.
"Young master, you—"
She wanted to say something, but was gently interrupted by the boy.
"Cuizhu, close the door."
Cuizhu hurriedly closed the door, then heard the boy say, "Could you help me start a fire?"
“Yes, of course.” Cuizhu nodded repeatedly.
Although it wasn't the season for making fires for warmth, she immediately took out what she needed.
The fire hissed and leaped up, its orange-red flames dancing.
Cui Zhu looked somewhat uneasily at the boy who was staring intently at the firelight, and rubbed her hands together as she asked, "Um... young master, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Pipa thought for a moment, then shook her head: "No, you should go back inside and change your clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Cuizhu wanted to say something more, but Pipa glanced at her.
That look left no room for refusal.
"Then...then I'll go back first. If anything happens, please call me immediately." Cuizhu repeatedly reminded him, still worried, before finally carefully leaving and gently closing the door behind her.
The room grew dark again, which only made the firelight in front of them appear warm and dazzling.
Pipa wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, but still felt cold.
I couldn't help but move closer to the flame, the burning heat hitting my cheeks, as if it could evaporate the memories along with the moisture.
Staring at the firelight for a long time makes my eyes sore and blurry after blinking a couple of times.
Pipa couldn't help but reach out, the orange-red flames licking his fingertips, reminding him of the feeling of being stung by a hanged ghost in his childhood.
—Ouch, that really hurts.
Ironically, that boy, who couldn't bear any hardship, died in that fire.
Along with the promise made, it was burned to ashes.
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