Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 124

“Lanlan…” Auntie interrupted my heartless words reproachfully, “Don’t be so cruel to people, especially those who love you. When you’re young, you’re always so willful in your relationships, not knowing how to cherish what you have, and only regretting it when you lose it. I was young once too…”

“Auntie, I know how to cherish,” I said. “I really do.” But what I cherish is not the man outside the door who is nominally my husband, but the man in another distant world who is willing to give up everything for me.

"Fine, do as you please," the aunt said helplessly, and walked out of the room without even closing the door properly.

Sigh... I sighed. Auntie, you don't understand. If I weren't heartless, I would only be giving him false hope. Why bother?

I sat up and slowly walked to the window. As soon as I opened the glass, a blast of cold air hit me, and I couldn't help but shiver. I quickly closed the window. It's so cold outside! When he was hugging me just now, I could clearly feel that he wasn't wearing much. Will tomorrow's morning paper have a story about a frozen male corpse found on some street?

Making this joke of myself, I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. Two hours later, I still couldn't fall asleep.

I scratched my head, utterly helpless. I couldn't just let him freeze to death at the door. I don't know why, but I was absolutely certain he was still at my doorstep, and probably hadn't even moved an inch.

"Xu Lie, you're ruthless!" I muttered to myself in frustration. I had no choice but to change into a turtleneck sweater and jeans, grope my way out of the room, and then slowly descend the stairs.

I truly feel sorry for those people on the continent of Ishu who fear me like a venomous snake and revere me like a god. They have no idea, and I myself don't know, that the way to deal with me is so simple. As long as they use time as a bargaining chip, wear me down and out me, competing in cruelty and patience, I will be utterly defeated.

The door creaked open with a piercing sound, like a hysterical wail in the still night. It was an old house. My hand was still on the handle to prevent the door from closing automatically, and then I carefully felt my way out through the slightly ajar door.

A cold wind swept over me, and I, wearing only a turtleneck sweater, hunched my shoulders in the cold. I was about to walk downstairs when a hoarse male voice snapped, "Don't move!"

I froze, and before I could even take a step, I heard him dragging his heavy, labored steps toward me. As I pondered how to get rid of him, he was already standing right in front of me, exuding a chilling aura.

Even his breath was icy cold. He seemed to have lost the force he had shown when he said "Don't move." His hoarse voice trembled and he spoke incoherently, "Why are you... dressed so lightly... coming out..."

My lips twitched. Didn't he even know who forced him to do this? Then I scoffed. What was there to argue about? I leaned against the cold door, slowly backed away, opened the door, and said, "Come in."

"Galan..." From the moment we met, he kept calling my name, "Galan, I'm sorry." He kept saying sorry. But most of the time, I remained silent, speechless! What was I supposed to say?

"Come in." I sighed and said helplessly, "What happened back then wasn't entirely your fault. I also bear some responsibility, so please stop calling me like the sky is falling."

"then?"

I was taken aback, shrank back into my increasingly cold body, and said impatiently, "Are you going to come in or not?"

"Yes!" This time the answer was quick and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. What a gamble! How infuriating!

Although the fire in the living room had long been extinguished, it was still much warmer than outside in the biting wind. I heard him let out a soft sigh. I imagine the sudden warmth on his cold body caused a sharp yet pleasant pain?

"You can choose any place to rest: the living room, the guest room, or Yufei's room."

"Your room," he answered simply.

I was so angry that I couldn't speak for a moment, then I sneered, "Xu Lie, you might as well go back to standing outside."

“I can sleep on the floor,” he said more and more readily.

"Go sleep on the floor outside your door!" I said coldly, groping my way towards the stairs.

A pair of hands, still icy on the surface but warming inside, caught me just in time, and the voice, warmed by the room's temperature, became even smoother: "I'll sleep on the floor outside your door."

"..."

I think that night I finally witnessed what a gentlemanly rogue is.

"That bastard was indeed waiting for Lanlan to call him in. He's so cunning."

"Hehe! Yes! Lanlan is still soft-hearted after all."

"Of course! Even if it were a stranger, Lanlan wouldn't let him freeze to death outside."

“If it were a stranger, Lanlan would have called him in long ago. It's because it's Xu Lie that we have to wait until the middle of the night…”

"cut!"

"Gachi, don't be so skeptical. Have you seen Lanlan's emotions fluctuate this much in the past six months?"

"He hurt Lanlan so deeply back then, it would be abnormal if he didn't have any emotional reaction!"

"That's why I say, without love, where does hate come from..."

Still on the stairs, I was furious, but I remained outwardly calm: "Auntie, brother, aren't you asleep yet?"

"Sleep...sleep...I'll go to sleep right away." The older brother quickly chuckled awkwardly, "Lanlan, Merry Christmas!"

I nodded: "Merry Christmas." Merry my foot!

The sounds of footsteps and doors closing filled the small villa with silence once more, leaving only the sounds of Xu Lie and my breathing.

I was about to enter the room, and before I could even take a step out, I heard Xu Lie suddenly call out, "Wait a minute."

I stood there, slightly taken aback, when I heard him cough awkwardly and say, "My bedding is in front of me..."

My lips twitched even more. This aunt! This brother! I had no choice but to give up my slippers and walk barefoot across his bed into the room.

A pair of hands carefully came around from behind and hugged me. Xu Lie's body was indeed different from mine. Although he had been standing in the cold night for five hours, the warmth made him feel hot again.

“Galan, forgive me…” Xu Lie said in a hoarse voice, “I have always wanted to beg for your forgiveness in person. Galan, please give me one more time…”

"Okay," I said calmly. "I forgive you." Slowly pulling away from his trembling embrace, I tried to find an angle to speak to him face to face and said, "You can leave tomorrow."

“Garan…”

"I can forgive you. But that's all I can do. Xu Lie, we can't go back."

"Why can't we go back? I won't hurt you again!"

“Xu Lie…”