princesa xiangsi - Capítulo 55
"Why?" she stared at him in disbelief.
He gave a cold laugh, "This whole thing has been full of flaws from the start, and I've never quite understood it. Until you came back, and you were injured like this..."
She stared at him wide-eyed, listening blankly as he spoke.
"Juyuan probably doesn't know that although Heart-Severing Shock is a unique skill of the Han family in Hebei and many people in the martial arts world can use it, only my master, her and I can achieve the effect of severing the heart without killing the person. Even Yi Chunjun and Uncle Lan can't do it. Their internal energy is too strong and fierce. Only our internal energy is gentle and resilient, which can achieve this effect."
She almost jumped for joy and couldn't help but chuckle. Even the most perfect lie is still a lie, and there will always be unexpected flaws.
Looking at her smiling face, he also faintly raised the corners of his mouth, but... he couldn't smile.
Whatever the truth may be, it is cruel to him.
Chapter 51 of "The Smiling Flower": Sympathy for Each Other
The mourning hall wasn't dark; rows of plain candles flickered and burned, and although the light was bright, the atmosphere was still desolate and bleak, making the whole hall seem empty and gloomy.
The maidservant, carrying a cold meal, shook her head as she came out. She looked up and saw Li Yuan'er standing silently under the willow tree in the courtyard.
"Miss Xiaoyuan." She curtsied politely.
"Isn't he going to eat?" Xiao Yuan looked at Pei Junwu, who was kneeling on the hemp mat by the spirit tablet. He had been kneeling there like a stone statue.
"Ever since..." the maid paused cautiously, "Young Master has been looking for Miss and Miss Xiaoyuan, and now he's keeping vigil for the First and Second Masters. He hasn't eaten or slept for several days."
Xiao Yuan sighed softly. Wasn't he the one who was hurt the most in this whole affair? He lost his father and uncle, he lost his home, and the mastermind behind the whole conspiracy was none other than his fiancée and junior sister whom he had cherished for ten years! She understood his feelings. It was as if he had lost everything overnight. He began to doubt everyone around him, unsure whether they were friend or foe.
"Go get a bowl of hot porridge and some side dishes. I'll wait for you here," she instructed.
The maid nodded and left.
She looked at him in the mourning hall in the night, his straight back, his indifferent expression... his feigned strength pierced her heart.
He stirred slightly as she gently walked in carrying the tray. As she drew closer, he reached out and took it, casually placing it on the ground. His tone was somewhat reproachful: "You're not well, don't do this kind of thing."
"No, I want you to eat." She sat down next to him, looking at him stubbornly.
A hint of tenderness flashed in his cold eyes. "I'm not hungry."
She pursed her lips, stubbornly picked up the bowl, scooped a spoonful, and put it to his lips. "Eat!"
He paused, gave a slight wry smile, and swallowed. He frowned, shook his head, and refused a second spoonful.
Xiao Yuan pouted and glared at him. He smiled and said calmly, "It's hot."
A little embarrassed, she withdrew her hand and gently blew on the porridge in the spoon. He watched her silently, a warmth spreading through his heart. He hadn't expected that she would be the one keeping him company on this lonely and unbearable night!
She used to be like a prickly little hedgehog, always trying to get close to him with bad intentions and hurt him, and he knew it all... But now, she touches his heart and soul even more than before.
He took the bowl, not wanting her to hold something so hot. She looked at him anxiously again, and he nodded with a slight smile, swallowing the porridge that tasted like dirt.
"Take a nap." She fluttered her long eyelashes and frowned affectionately.
He looked at her.
She stretched out her hands to him, letting him rest his head on her lap. Her hands patted his back tenderly, and his heart softened; he impulsively grabbed her hands.
"Xiao Yuan..." he called her name wistfully.
"Go to sleep..." she murmured gently.
Over the past decade, whenever she has been overwhelmed by the loneliness of losing loved ones and everything, she has longed for someone to hold her in their arms, to lean on as she tosses and turns, and to gently lull her to sleep, just like her mother used to do...
She knew all too well the taste of loneliness.
He raised his hand and gently stroked her beautiful cheek, resting his head on her lap as he looked up at her. What he saw was not a beautiful young woman, but a girl who truly pitied him.
"Why are you so good to me?" He looked into her eyes.
“Because I have also lost loved ones and lost my home.” She placed her hand over his.
He shuddered.
“Xiao Yuan…” He pulled his hand back and wrapped it around her slender waist, turning his face away, not wanting her to see his vulnerability.
She stroked his soft, black hair. In the dim candlelight, in her soft embrace, he was no longer the dashing young swordsman Pei, but a lonely man who had lost everything.
He fell into a deep sleep under her comforting touch, and she was surprised to find that his eyes were glistening with tears. She couldn't help but gently wipe them away; they were indeed tears.
When a figure entered the mourning hall, she didn't even look at him, but gently put her finger to her lips and made a "shh" gesture.
Chapter 52 of "The Smiling Flower": Returning the Golden Whistle
Before she could even lower her finger after a soft shush, a surge of intense internal energy rushed towards her, the icy chill making her shiver uncontrollably. The candles in the mourning hall were instantly extinguished by the wind emanating from his internal force.
Then she saw his silhouette against the moonlight.
He came… Her heart was in turmoil. Was it sweet or bitter? Was it love or resentment? She couldn't tell what she felt for a moment.
Unable to see his expression clearly, she stared blankly. She knew that the moonlight must have allowed him to see every subtle detail of her expression, so she tried her best to appear calm and resolute.
Startled by the surge of internal energy, Pei Junwu's first reaction was to pull her into his arms and shield her completely with his own body.