Zhao Pei soaked in the tub for two hours until the cold blue light appeared outside the window. She shivered in the cold water, and although the effect of the drug had worn off, she was reluctant to come out. Ruhua stood by her side and tried to persuade her, but she remained motionless, as if she had lost her soul.
"Miss, why are you doing this?" "Miss! You'll get sick!" "Miss! If you don't come out, I'll go call the young lady!" "Miss... please be kind and come out and talk about it first, there's no need to make yourself suffer, right?" "Miss... do you need me to ask the prince to come?" After two hours, even Ruhua, who loves to talk, was already dry-mouthed, but Zhaopei, whose face was pale and bloodless, didn't move. Ruhua finally realized an idiom, called "playing the lute to a cow".
She thought that the young lady must have suffered some kind of blow.
Zhao Pei gradually regained some strength and said calmly, "Ruhua, you go out first. I want to be alone for a while." Ruhua was still thirsty and finally decided to take a rest. She reluctantly responded and quietly retreated.
She slowly leaned against the edge of the tub, and scenes passed by her eyes. The man's cold eyes and words like ice blades made her feel an endless chill in her heart. That kind of heart-breaking and desperate coldness froze her.
The door creaked open, Zhao Pei closed her eyes impatiently and complained in a deep voice: "Ruhua, I told you I want to be alone. Stop bothering me." The man slowly approached and stood behind her without saying a word. Zhao Pei was about to look back when the man grabbed her from the bathtub. He took the brocade on the screen and wrapped her up, then put her directly on the couch.
When her body hit the couch, Zhao Pei suddenly realized that the person coming was not Ruhua but Xiao Yi. Zhao Pei was stunned and immediately broke free from his arms. In the dim light, she tried to see Xiao Yi's expression, but finally gave up.
He didn't mind, and covered her with a blanket with a little complaint: "What if you have a fever?"
Turning her head away calmly, she said without a trace of emotion: "I am a lowly concubine, and I deserve the punishment for my crime. I am not worthy of your concern, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yi sat down beside the couch, staring at her pale face thoughtfully, and said slowly: "I have found the best doctor to treat He Hui's injuries. As for Xia Qingyao, I will leave her to you to deal with."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Pei turned around and looked at him with a complicated expression: "What did you say?"
"I was angry and confused at that time, and I wrongly blamed you. I'm sorry." Xiao Yi said sincerely, with a gleam in his eyes.
Zhao Pei couldn't wrap her mind around it and didn't expect his temperament to change so quickly.
"Are you apologizing?" Zhao Pei asked cautiously.
Xiao Yi raised a smile and nodded gently: "Yes. This matter is all because I was not calm enough. I almost fell for Xia Qingyao's crude trick. I'm sorry, I made you feel wronged. I take back what I said at that time."
Zhao Pei listened to every word very carefully and quietly.
She stared at Xiao Yi's eyes, which were like bright stars in the night, and suddenly she had the urge to laugh out loud. You know, spilled water can't be undone... But in the end, she didn't choose that outcome, and laughed softly and asked, "Why did you suddenly change your personality? I thought someone as proud as Qi Fu would never say the word "sorry". No, three words."
His eyes were suddenly filled with smiles, even if she had forgiven him. He could not help but reach out and gently embrace Zhao Pei in his arms. Zhao Pei did not disobey, but leaned obediently in his arms, but her heart was still cold.
"During the second watch, Hanzhen suddenly ran to the study to find me." After hugging for a long time, he finally slowly began to narrate, "She told me a lot. She said: 'If Daddy continues to hurt Mom's heart like this, Mom will go further and further away. At that time, no matter how Daddy tries to save the situation, it will be useless.'" After Xiao Yi finished speaking, he chuckled and said with a bit of disbelief and a bit of amusement: "Our Hanzhen doesn't look like a three-year-old child at all. A word awakened me from my dream, and I suddenly realized that I have been far away from you."
Zhao Pei remained silent, but she was full of doubts. This child knew her so well, and even understood her heart better than Ruhua, who had grown up with her. Could such thoughts, such feelings, and such words belong to a three-year-old child...
"Pei Pei." Xiao Yi called out softly, just as tenderly as he had in countless nights before. "Can we start over from now on? This life is still long, and I don't want what Zhen'er said to come true. Oh, if it weren't for Zhen'er's words, I think I would have continued to make mistakes. Maybe I would have made a mistake right now."
Zhao Pei lowered her eyes and nodded gently, but her face was calm. She didn't know what Zhen'er had said to Xiao Yi, but that conversation had transformed him. This child... Strangely, Zhao Pei didn't get excited that she was a genius or a prodigy, but fell into deep worry.
Xiao Yi saw her carelessness and indifference and took it to heart. His eyes moved back and forth over her several times before he slowly spoke: "You once asked me if I liked you. I can answer you now." The first ray of sunlight at dawn shone on his cold face, bringing an unreal tenderness. His thin lips parted: "I love you."
Zhao Pei could no longer listen to his words calmly. Her heart was beating abnormally and her body could not help but tremble violently. Three parts of surprise, three parts of touching, two parts of indifference and two parts of bitterness merged into a long river flowing into her heart. Unspeakable joy and unspeakable pain, the continuous struggle and left and right were like two ropes that tied her up and would never let go.
She looked up at him blankly, somewhat unbelieving and hesitant, but his determined eyes revealed everything.
She thought she would remember that moment forever. Outside the window, the sky was bright and colorful. The warm golden sunlight shone between his eyebrows, making him look quiet and peaceful. His words were sonorous. His determination was as if nothing had happened four hours ago. It almost made her believe it.
But Zhao Pei couldn't face such a confession calmly. There were too many things between them, and even the last glimmer of hope was gradually shattered. His words that could be forgotten were deeply buried in her heart, taking root and could never be forgotten. Forgive her, she was just a petty little woman.
Zhao Pei could never do what he did.
She thought that he would always remember how her heart was surging at that moment. What kind of deep loneliness and sorrow was hidden under the dreamlike and happy appearance. She just wanted to hide herself, hide in a corner where no one could touch her. That way, she would not be hurt. (To be continued)