Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 2

From the moment I first saw that handsome, charismatic senior when I entered university, I fell for him. But his brilliance was so dazzling; he was always surrounded by men who admired him and girls who liked him. How could someone as ordinary as me possibly attract his attention?

Gradually, I grew to like this secret crush, secretly observing him from the shadows—a bittersweet feeling. Until, a beautiful, delicate girl with flowing hair appeared beside him, a girl who had always been indifferent to girls—Meng Xue'er. Xu Lie's gaze towards her was always so gentle, so full of happiness. All the sweetness turned to bitterness. They became the happiest couple on campus, leaving countless boys and girls heartbroken, yet no one noticed me, secretly weeping in a corner. Ah—

But then, things took a sudden turn. My grandfather took me to visit his best comrade-in-arms from back then, and in that incredibly luxurious mansion, I actually saw Xu Lie. It turned out that his grandfather was my grandfather's closest comrade-in-arms back then.

Not only that, back then, both my grandfather and Xu Lie's grandfather fell in love with a dancer in the army, but in the end, that woman chose my grandfather and became my grandmother. So, when Xu Lie's grandfather first saw me, he proposed that I become his granddaughter-in-law.

At the time, neither Xu Lie nor I paid any attention to his words; at most, I just blushed and daydreamed. However, a month later, Xu Lie's father actually came to me, saying that Xu Lie's grandfather had cancer and was terminally ill, with only two or three years left to live. He really hoped that his grandson could marry me and let him hold his great-grandson.

This kind of plot, so over-the-top in TV dramas and novels, actually happened to me. My heart was filled with a mix of elation and sorrow—joy at being able to marry Xu Lie, and sorrow that Grandpa Xu only had two or three years to live. I told myself: No! This isn't me stealing someone else's love; I'm just fulfilling the wish of a dying old man. Besides, Grandpa Xu has been so good to me, even more so than my own grandfather. How could I ignore his dying wish?

I heard that Xu Lie had a huge fight with his family over this wedding, and was even confined to his home. Meng Xueer and her friends all came to scold me, and even my friends advised me not to steal someone else's love. So, as the wedding date drew closer, my conscience became increasingly uneasy. I went to Xu Lie's father and told him that Xu Lie had someone else he loved, and that I could play along. His father hesitated for a long time before saying, "Lanlan, tell me honestly, do you love my son?"

Love! How could I not love him?! I loved him for two whole years! But I shook my head with difficulty and said, "I don't love him!"

His father looked at me suspiciously, but finally sighed and said, "Then you should tell him the truth. At least your wedding will still take place, and you will have to move into our house to fulfill my father's last wish."

I was both saddened and delighted to meet Xu Lie at the coffee shop, but before I could even speak, he said to me with an icy expression, "Xue'er and I have broken up. As you wished?"

Then, as if possessed, he dragged me to the marriage registration office to sign the papers, and finally said fiercely, "Lin Jialan, I can marry you, but for the rest of your life, don't expect me to love you!"

The words that were on the tip of my tongue could no longer be uttered. I struggled to hold back the tears that were about to spill, and rushed out. At the crossroads where I secretly watched Xu Lie every day, I saw the blinding lights, and then heard a terrified scream. My body was shielded and thrown out, but my whole body still ached terribly. Thick blood kept flowing out of my body, and my mind gradually became hazy.

The person who had protected me struggled to pull me towards the hospital, repeatedly saying, "Lanlan, nothing... will happen..."

Yufei—! Is that my best friend, Nie Yufei? As I realized this, the body that was holding me slowly went limp, and blood, even more gruesome than mine, flowed all over the ground. We both collapsed in front of a dark shop, unconscious.

"Hey, how are you?" Xu Lie's slightly hoarse voice interrupted my thoughts.

I suddenly looked up and asked, "How long...how long have I been unconscious?"

Xu Lie trembled, his eyes filled with uncontrollable regret and remorse, and whispered, "Two years."

"What?!" I jumped up abruptly, only to feel a wave of dizziness and my muscles stiffen. Xu Lie hurriedly bent down to support me. I bit my lower lip and asked, "Grandpa, is something wrong?"

"No." Xu Lie tried to control his voice, helped me lie down, and said, "I'll go call the doctor."

I quickly grabbed his sleeve, then hesitated for a moment before hastily pulling it back. We were both quite embarrassed.

I took a deep breath and asked anxiously, "Where's Yufei? Is Yufei alright?"

Xu Lie sighed, his face and voice sinking to the bottom: "Yufei, like you, has fallen into a coma and has not yet woken up."

I slumped back onto the bed with a thud, waved my hand, and said, "You can go now."

Just before he left, I heard a barely audible murmur. He said, "I'm sorry."

I covered my eyes with my arm, forced a smile, my muscles were a little stiff, but that didn't stop my smile from being sad, bitter and self-deprecating, as tears quietly slid down my cheeks.

I spent two years in a daze trying to erase and give up on this two-year love affair.

Suddenly, I lowered my hand and stared in astonishment at the amethyst chain on my wrist, wondering, "I didn't have it before I fainted. Who gave it to me?"

The doctor gave me a thorough examination and, under the anxious gazes of my parents and Xu Lie's parents, finally smiled and said, "It's alright! Actually, when she woke up last time, all her physiological functions had already recovered. She can be discharged today, but I suggest she stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation."

"My dear in-laws! I think we should let Lanlan come to our house!" Xu Lie's mother grabbed her husband's arm earnestly and pleaded, "Now everyone knows that Lanlan is my Xu family's daughter-in-law. Besides, her grandfather has always longed to meet Lanlan."

"Lanlan, what do you say?"

I hesitated for a while, genuinely worried about Grandpa Xu. Although the wedding hadn't taken place, Xu Lie and I had already registered our marriage, so nominally he was still my husband. Perhaps… did I still harbor some hope? My face flushed, and I nodded, saying, “I want to go see Yufei first before I go.”

Xu's mother looked at me with gratitude, tears welling up in her eyes, while Xu's father also looked delighted. I, however, couldn't see Xu Lie's expression.

After hesitating for a moment, Dad and Mom finally nodded and said, "Alright then." Then, Dad turned his stern gaze to Xu Lie and said coldly, "If you hurt my precious daughter again, I will never let you off the hook."

Xu Lie nodded silently, his whole being seemingly devoid of life, as if his soul had been ripped out.

"Lie, why aren't you taking Lanlan to Yufei's ward?!" Xu's father shoved Xu Lie hard.

"Me—?!" Xu Lie suddenly raised his head.

"Who else could it be but you?!"

"No! No need!" I struggled to get up in a panic, "I can do it myself..." but because I had slept for too long, I was too weak to move.

Xu Lie glared at me and muttered under his breath, "Stupid woman." Reluctantly, he walked over, slipped his hands under my knees and the back of my neck, and easily lifted me up.

The scent of soap on his clothes and the fluctuating masculine aroma emanating from him made me feel momentarily dazed. I glanced up and saw the ambiguous look in our parents' eyes. My face flushed, and I hurriedly buried my face in his chest, my heart pounding.

"Didn't I stop loving him?" I asked myself. Why did I still feel so safe and comfortable, yet my heart was pounding, when he held me in his arms?

When I saw Yufei unconscious, I almost burst into tears. His once slightly chubby face had become thinner, and his body had transformed from round to slender, making him many times more handsome than before. But how I wished that Yufei, who, though not handsome or cool, would buy me medicine, copy my notes, and shamelessly steal my food, could come back.

His mother didn't blame me; she just shook her head, her eyes red, and walked out of the ward with Xu Lie, leaving Yufei and me alone.

“Yufei…” I gripped his thin, bony hand tightly, tears falling onto the pristine white sheets. Suddenly, I abruptly raised my head, looking solemnly at him as he lay unconscious, and said in a hoarse voice, “Yufei, I, Lin Jialan, promise you, no matter what it takes, I will cure you!”

After saying that, she felt a little less stifled, but even more sorrowful.

"Have you cried enough?" Xu Lie's impatient voice came from behind me, but I could hear the worry and apology he was deliberately hiding. Having secretly observed him for two years, I wouldn't say I understand his personality completely, but I'm certain I know seven or eight parts of it. He's a typical domineering person who's tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he's never willing to express himself frankly.

He walked over to me, picked me up, and paused when he saw the tears on my face. Then, he frowned and wiped them haphazardly with his fingertips, saying, "Women are such a hassle?"

What about Meng Xue'er? I wanted to ask, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I tugged at his sleeve, glanced down at Yu Fei, and suddenly realized that Yu Fei also had a crystal necklace like mine, except mine was purple and his was white.

"Xu Lie—" I handed him my wrist, which had become extremely thin due to two years of coma, and asked, "Do you know who gave you this crystal bracelet?"

Xu Lie shook his head and said, "How could I possibly know? It seems like it's been around for a long time."