Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 98

Chapter Fourteen Once

Xu Lie closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. No matter how hard he tried, those vivid, lifeless eyes remained before him, that choked, resentful voice still echoed in his ears. Xu Lie smiled blankly, silently, yet the pain made his whole body tremble. What was he thinking of? He was thinking of the beautiful, sweet past, now just a dream… a past he could never return to…

After entering May, the company suddenly became unusually busy. Xu Lie and Jia Lan spent most of their time not in the bedroom, but in the study with several shelves of profound books and laptops and desktop computers.

Xu Lie stared intently at his laptop, his long, slender fingers typing rapidly, the screen displaying various comparative graphs. To his left was a newly added desk from a few days ago, upon which sat a brand-new, deep blue LCD computer, its appearance both elegant and sophisticated. "Xu Lie, will you be back on time tomorrow?" A small head peeked out from behind the desktop computer, slightly curly hair falling onto the keyboard, white against black.

"Hmm..." Xu Lie responded to her casually.

"If only you could come home this early every day!" Galan tilted her head and pouted. "Mom and Dad sent Grandpa back to the countryside, and I'm so bored at home alone." Most importantly, she was afraid, but she was too embarrassed to say it.

Xu Lie stopped what he was doing and looked at her: "Isn't Sister Huan at home?"

"Oh..." She lowered her head slightly in disappointment, looking aggrieved yet obedient.

Xu Lie was amused by her and felt sorry for her after neglecting her these past few days, so he beckoned her over.

Galan immediately ran over with a beaming smile and sat on his lap, her slender arms wrapping around his neck. Galan's eyes crinkled when she smiled, and her cheeks had shallow dimples, as delicate and warm as sunlight scattered on the surface of water.

Xu Lie couldn't resist kissing her small dimple: "Do you want me to come back soon?"

Galan's dark eyes shone brightly, sparkling with expectation, but then dimmed in an instant: "I know you're very busy..."

Her rosy cheeks, pale pink, slightly parted lips, glistening earlobes, faint fragrance, and the bluish veins beneath her translucent skin and her fair collarbone... were all around Xu Lie...

He suddenly felt a strange sense of satisfaction, and slowly leaned closer to her small ear. His slightly deep voice seemed to possess a magical power, adding a touch of allure to her eyes and brows: "How about... we find a few people to keep you company..."

Because he was so close, Galan's breathing became a little rapid. She blinked her slightly misty eyes and asked, "Who are you looking for? Xiaojie and Xiangkun are together... What about Yingying..."

“It wasn’t them…” Xu Lie smiled at his confused wife, “It was something we created ourselves…something that belongs only to us…”

"Made by himself?" Galan's chaotic mind didn't react for a moment. "A robot? Xu Tian could..."

All the words that followed vanished in Xu Lie's angry kiss. He kissed her lips until they were swollen, looked into her hazy, lustful eyes, and casually unbuttoned her nightgown, spreading his kisses to her neck, collarbone, and chest...

"It's rare for me to want to say a few tender words..." Xu Lie said breathlessly, as he undressed and pulled the naked woman sitting on his lap tightly into his arms. His burning embrace felt like it was melting the two of them, and his scalding kisses rained down on her entire body. "You really are... the most unromantic wife..."

"I..." Galan raised her flushed face, wanting to argue, but he silenced her with a kiss. Her soft body tilted and fell onto the soft blanket in the study. The emptiness and coolness had not yet touched her body before it was covered by his hot and strong body.

"Lie..." The woman beneath him hugged him shyly, her eyes filled with his image, "I love you so much... I love you more and more..."

My heart felt as if it had been brushed with sweet but not cloying honey; happiness seeped into my very being.

Xu Lie kissed every inch of her skin with fascination and tireless passion before thrusting into her. The feeling of soft, tight fullness wasn't just physical; it was also a long-suppressed longing in his heart.

At that moment, he thought he would never let go of the woman beneath him. She was his wife, the one he loved most... Just thinking about it made him smile with a joyful satisfaction... It was a feeling of happiness that couldn't be expressed in words, a sense of belonging that symbolized home.

Afterwards, he carefully carried her, who had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion, back to the bedroom. He lovingly changed her into pajamas, covered her with a blanket, and smoothed her hair. Even though he was also exhausted, and even though he knew there was still so much work to be done, Xu Lie sat by the bed, gazing longingly at her sleeping face. Then, smiling, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Silly girl… what belongs to us is our child… It seems I have to work hard myself…"

We promised not to let go, so why are my fingers empty now, as if I'm destined to walk to the end with loneliness?

Xu Lie opened his empty hand, staring at his bare palm. He couldn't be sure if he had said those words. Had he really said such heartless things at the airport?

"Plop—" A hot tear fell into the palm of his hand, and then gradually lost all its warmth in the cold air.

Who said: When a man cries, it's because he truly loves; when a woman cries, it's because she has truly given up.

Did Galan, who once left the airport, who once lost her child, who once could no longer see the world, also cry? Did she give up her love for him in silent, heart-wrenching sobs?

Was it love that caused him pain, or did he only realize the depth of his love after experiencing pain? He, who once didn't know how to cherish the person before him, who didn't know how to express his love, who never apologized for hurting others, vanished like smoke into the cold alleys of Lausanne, Switzerland. But will those deep scars etched between them ever fade away so easily?

In the face of unpredictable reunions, we always assume we will meet again, that we will have the chance to say sorry, but we never think that every wave goodbye could be a final farewell, and every sigh could be the last sigh in this world.

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Chapter Fifteen: Forced Kiss

Chapter Fifteen: Forced Kiss

Xu Lie knew that Galan was still soft-hearted; she had ultimately let him into the house. Although her expression remained cold, although she only agreed to stay one night, and although it might just be out of pity for an ordinary person, for Xu Lie, who was on the verge of despair, Galan's appearance at that moment was nothing short of a lifeline in his drowning state.

However, Xu Lie never expected that he, who rarely fell ill, would be defeated by a cold night. Perhaps it was because he had finally found the person he had been longing for and relaxed all of a sudden, or perhaps the months of longing, anxiety, and regret had pushed his body and mind to their limits, or perhaps he subconsciously felt that if he fell ill, Jialan would no longer be able to be so cold and heartless towards him.

With this mindset, Xu Lie indeed fell ill, developing a high fever of 39 degrees Celsius. In his delirium, he seemed to return to Shanghuai six months prior—to those beautiful times when they were still inseparable and in love. However, he also knew very well that when he woke up and discovered it was all just a dream, the desolation would be far more chilling and piercing than before he entered the dream.

After three days of IV drips in the hospital, Xu Lie was discharged looking noticeably thinner, and his complexion had changed from a healthy honey color to pale.

The sky was barely light, not even showing the first hint of dawn. Xu Lie didn't turn on the light, but stared blankly at his haggard reflection in the mirror, forcing a bitter smile. If it were before, he would never have believed he would one day stubbornly cling to someone; if it were before, he would never have agreed to such reckless abandon for love.

However, that was all in the past. Now, for the sake of Galan and to find his lost wife, Xu Lie would not hesitate to trample his pride and self-respect underfoot.

Love caused heartache, heartache stirred guilt, and guilt deepened the love in his heart inch by inch. Therefore, Xu Lie knew very well that he had not become weak or humble, but rather he had followed the choice of his heart.

Wanting to see her, wanting to hear her voice, wanting to hold her in his arms, Xu Lie, unable to suppress the various desires in his heart, finally couldn't help but quietly open the door and enter Jialan's room.

The room was dimly lit, with the curtains half-open. It was obvious that Jiaqi loved Jialan very much. Although he couldn't see it, the room was still decorated warmly and beautifully, with colors that Jialan used to like.

Ah, the ancient Garan… Xu Lie felt a pang of sadness at this thought. He gently pulled the soft, fluffy blanket aside, sat down on the edge of the bed, and stared intently at the sleeping face with his deep eyes.

Her slightly wavy hair was scattered on the pillow, a few strands still clinging to her cheek. Her lips were thin, yet beautifully shaped; even without pouting, they seemed slightly upturned, like two halves of a cherry blossom petal perfectly joined together. Xu Lie thought of her eyes; though her double eyelids weren't deep, they were captivating. Perhaps it was because most people's eyes weren't pure black, but hers were thoroughly black, like a deep spring that could draw people in.

Just as he was engrossed in watching, even forgetting himself and leaning over to kiss those slightly parted lips, the person on the bed suddenly moved. Her delicate, slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, her small hands rubbed her forehead, and her face showed a weary, weathered look as she struggled to get out of bed.

Xu Lie quickly supported her, his palm touching the soft skin of her back. He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, and a long-lost burning sensation rose in his lower abdomen, which he quickly suppressed.

Galan offered no resistance as he helped her up, and even grabbed his arm with her own, asking in a hoarse voice, "Yihan, what time is it?"

Xu Lie felt a sudden jolt in his heart, as if an ice pick had pierced his chest, or as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.