"Any news?" he asked coldly, having already walked in.
He... had lost weight. She felt a pang of heartache. Even his cheeks were slightly sunken, making his handsome features appear even more cold and resolute.
Xia Lan stared at him in surprise. Could this be... her future son-in-law?!
Chapter 78 of "The Smiling Flower": Only to Suffer Setbacks
As she walked past him, she felt like she could barely breathe.
Somewhat strangely, he actually stopped and stood there motionless, his eyes casually scanning the large painting on the wall.
She dared not walk too fast, afraid of appearing flustered. Fortunately, the composed Xia Lan supported her, and she managed to suppress her increasingly rapid heartbeat as they brushed past each other. The two maids who had followed her were less discerning; they stared at him for a long time, forgetting to follow their mistress, and even blushed and giggled foolishly.
She held her breath and walked quite a distance down the street, making sure she was out of his sight before letting out a heavy sigh.
Is he still in Chengdu?
The two maids caught up, still looking excited. Xia Lan gently scolded them, but secretly glanced at Xiao Yuan.
"Madam!" the maid indignantly retorted, "Have you ever seen such a handsome man? Anyone would want to take a second look, wouldn't they?"
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes. Hearing other girls praising him like that, he felt a little sour, but also a little sweet.
Back at the Xia family home, she had no appetite and simply lay down on the bed without making a sound. Xia Lan, being sensible, didn't let anyone disturb her.
When they actually met... she felt completely lost. Thinking of him was easy, but actually facing him was incredibly difficult! She didn't know what to do, and gave a bitter smile. Perhaps it was just a pointless encounter; she was overthinking things.
There was a knock at the door; it was the maid bringing dinner. Facing the wall, she dismissively told them to leave. Her mind was in turmoil; suddenly, everything seemed irritating. She wanted him to find her, yet feared him finding her. She missed him, yet felt a pang of resentment. She felt sorry for him, yet also resented him. She felt she was wrong, yet also felt he was wrong…
After a brief moment of quiet, someone else pushed the door open and came in.
She was a little annoyed, buried her face in the pillow, and childishly punched the pile of blankets next to her, "Get out, get out! I don't want to eat!"
For the first time in many days, she couldn't control her emotions... Originally, she thought she would never feel so troubled again. Hadn't she come to terms with it and decided to live the rest of her life alone? Just an unintentional encounter had thrown her resolve into chaos.
Her hair stung as it was roughly pulled up. She instinctively covered the back of her head, but before she could get angry, her face burned as her mask was violently ripped off.
She angrily struck out with her palm, but it was easily deflected... Then she saw his eyes.
She was stunned.
She had never seen such a troubled look in his eyes. He frowned slightly, staring at her coldly, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. The grip on her hair loosened, and she sat up straight.
No one spoke.
After a brief standoff, he abruptly turned and slammed the door shut as he left. She stared blankly at the wide-open door and the empty courtyard outside.
Suddenly she jumped off the bed, and in the chaos, all she could think of was escaping.
Why run away? I don't know...
She was in complete chaos.
She hurriedly grabbed her small personal bundle, not even bothering to say goodbye to Xia Lan, and rushed towards the side door. Ignoring the horrified looks on the servants' faces by the door, she opened it and ran, only to bump into someone blocking her way. She looked up and glared—it was him again! Hadn't he left?!
His face was cold and fierce. Before she could make any further move, he pulled her into a tight embrace, so tight that her shoulders and back ached. But... she noticed that his heart was beating very fast, and his body was trembling slightly.
Forget the struggle, forget everything... She was bewitched by his heartbeat, his trembling; she longed for his embrace! She missed him!
He seemed embarrassed that she had noticed his unusual behavior, and he pushed her away angrily. This feeling of love mixed with hate, pity mixed with resentment… she understood it all too well—wasn't she the same?
A sly glint flashed in his eyes. She slumped to the ground, the force of his push causing her to fall. Just as she was about to collapse, he leaped up in a rage, catching her and yelling cursingly, "Watch out!"
Xia Lan received the news and rushed over with her husband. When she saw Yi Chunjun looking furious, she knew what was going on.
No matter how fierce the man's expression was, his eyes betrayed him! The way he looked at the young lady, the concern he tried so hard to hide… In his struggle with her, he was bound to lose. She didn't even want to ask what had happened between them anymore; even the biggest problems between them were just petty squabbles between a young couple! As long as they still loved each other, what could possibly be a big deal?
"Let go of Miss, this will harm the baby," Xia Lan said bluntly, deliberately with a cold face.
"Enough with the nonsense!" Yi Chunjun completely ignored him. "I'm taking her away, and I'll settle the score with you later!"
The thought of how he had searched for her for so many months until he was almost sick to death, only to find that they had hidden her right under his nose, filled him with hatred!
Xia Lan secretly gave Xiao Yuan a wink; outsiders see things more clearly in this kind of situation. Don't be fooled by the son-in-law's domineering and arrogant demeanor; he'll only end up getting the short end of the stick.
Xiao Yuan understood immediately. He deliberately turned pale, clutched his stomach, and groaned softly, then deliberately let his body drop downwards.
"What's wrong?!" Yi Chunjun looked flustered and hugged her tightly.
"What's wrong? Did you have a miscarriage? Hurry up and take her home!" Xia Lan rolled her eyes.
Yi Chunjun gritted his teeth, but could only follow the direction she pointed and carry Xiaoyuan back to the room.
Xia Guoan watched silently, then sighed softly. "Young master, good luck to you." He knew his own wife well, and the young lady... seemed to be someone who was exhausting for him. With the old woman, the young girl, and the child in the young lady's belly—wouldn't the young master be skinned alive?
I'm sorry, son-in-law. Although we're both men, he has to stand on the side of his master and wife, otherwise he'll definitely be the next one to suffer.
Chapter 79 of "The Smiling Flower": First, you should coax him.
Xia Lan, beaming with joy, ordered the busy servants around, making the already bustling backyard even busier.
Xiao Yuan sat in a chair covered with thick cushions, basking in the sun while watching the servants running in and out to tidy up Xiao Ji's house. Xiao Ji sat beside her, happily recounting her experiences over the past few days, while Xiao Yuan listened silently without replying.