Zhao Pei straightened her chest and met his deep, probing eyes with a faint smile on her face, little aware that her clothes on her back were already soaked and stuck to her body, making her feel very uncomfortable.
The silver candle burned high, the candle flame swayed faintly, and the light and shadows were reflected on the curtains, spreading a strong emotion, but it was unclear. His expression in the candlelight was bright and dark, and Zhao Pei turned her head and asked Man'er to take the wine glass and fill it for him personally.
The amber wine poured into the emerald green luminous cup immediately gave off a strong aroma. Zhao Pei waved her hand to send Man'er away, and with a smile she held up the wine glass and handed it to him: "How about we drink together?" She smiled sweetly, and was drunk even without drinking.
Xiao Yi also smiled, took the cup and put it down slowly, saying slowly: "Eat some food first. Drinking on an empty stomach is always bad for your health."
Zhao Pei's expression relaxed for some reason, and she nodded and said, "Okay." She took the jade chopsticks and took a few bites. "I haven't tasted these Lanling dishes for many years. They have the taste of my hometown. I really want to go back to my hometown to have a look."
"Then eat more." Xiao Yi responded casually. He had no interest in such foreplay.
"You have too much state affairs to deal with, and you work too hard. You should eat more." Zhao Pei said as she served him food, her face full of concern. His chest swelled slightly, and he laughed at himself, if this scene happened earlier, if it was like this then, how good it would be... He turned his head away from her, the atmosphere was a little awkward, there were only the two of them in the room, Zhao Pei occasionally spoke but stopped when he responded indifferently.
She looked at the drip clock and it was already late. After thinking for a moment, she raised the glass and handed it to him with a smile: "Have some wine, this wine tastes good."
"Oh? Really?" Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows when he heard that, and took the cup from her hand, but he accidentally noticed that her mouth was trembling slightly. There were many emotions in her eyes, but she was trying hard to control herself, which was quite funny.
He stared at the wine she gave him with a half-smile, and raised the corner of his lips: "It's really a good wine, with a clear color and a mellow taste. Such a good wine, won't Pepe drink it?" With a cold glance, Zhao Pei accepted it calmly and replied lightly: "Of course you drink it first, then Pepe can drink it. The rules cannot be broken." She smiled brightly, and her autumn eyes were flowing with a soul-stirring light. Xiao Yi raised his wine glass and smiled bitterly, his eyes fell on that face. Suddenly, he seemed to see her when she was still young, contented and happy, her clear eyes were full of spring, and her face was full of spring, enough to soak everyone's heart. But the glory is gone, they are all getting old, and the young and immature heart is stained with dust, broken, and can never go back to the past. Through those smiling eyes, all he saw was sadness and fatigue. There is no love, no hatred, it is so empty that it makes people feel heartbroken.
Xiao Yi had difficulty breathing, as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.
He did not expect that she would forgive him today, and he did not even think about today's banquet. Under her lingering affection, the red of Lycoris radiata was strange. She was waiting for him, forcing him!
He pulled the corners of his mouth, but he was powerless to show any smile. "How can I not drink the wine that Pepe poured?" He spoke each word with great pause, and he made each word very long and heavy. He lowered his eyes and looked at the sparkling light in the cup, like someone's tears, someone's mockery? Thinking of him... ... He won the world, but he couldn't win a woman's heart. He still lost to Xiao Tong... ... If I had known, I wouldn't have gambled.
Holding back the sweet taste in his throat, Xiao Yi slowly brought the wine glass to his lips and looked up at her. His deep eyes showed his unwilling self-mockery and indelible love. Since she wanted his life, he would give it to her... That's it. Even if it's just paying off the debt, we won't owe each other anything in the future.
Zhao Pei kept her smile as warm as the spring breeze, but her hands were clenched into fists hidden in her wide robe. She smiled as she watched him slowly approach the wine glass, and kept saying to herself: "Xu Zhao Pei, you have always hated him, haven't you? You have always hoped that he would die, you hate him."
But why... ... was her heart aching? In her ears was his whisper, his sarcasm, his playful ridicule... ... Under the blue waves, among the green leaves, he smiled and called her "Sheng Lian".
Closer, closer, his lips have touched the edge of the cup. Extremely nervous and anxious, she was sweating all over, just staring at his every move. But Xiao Yi suddenly raised his eyes. The flickering lights could not hide the sadness and despair in his eyes, and he sighed with self-mockery. The eyes that were originally shining looked through the layers of mountains and rivers, as if questioning her, asking her why, why? The dim light was like another eye... ... .
The blunt object entered her heart, instantly draining away all her strength. Zhao Pei completely fell and collapsed under his gaze. These words kept echoing in her mind: He knows everything! He knows everything!
But why didn't he expose it? Why didn't he stop it? He said, "How can I not drink the wine that Pepe poured?"
Zhao Pei suddenly regretted it. Those were the seven talismans, the seven talismans that called her "Sheng Lian"!
Seeing her stunned expression, Xiao Yi smiled inexplicably and raised his head to drink. However, he heard a "bang" and the jade cup was knocked to the ground by Zhao Pei and shattered into pieces. The fine wine spilled on the marble floor and suddenly turned bright red like blood.
Zhao Pei threw away her sleeves and sat down, gasping for breath and muttering to herself: "No... No..." She met Xiao Yi's calm eyes blankly, and two lines of tears rolled down her face.
Sorrow, pain, and hurt. Zhao Pei didn't know what she had done. At that moment, she couldn't bear to see him die, die in her hands. At that moment, she would rather die than Xiao Tong. At that moment, she would rather give up herself. "No... I hate you..." Zhao Pei shook her head and climbed up from her seat. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her clothes were messy. The only thing she could do was stare blankly at Xiao Yi who didn't say a word.
Qiao Yu and Man'er, who were guarding outside the door, heard the noise coming from inside and Zhao Pei's screams and hurried in to check. They were stunned by the scene in front of them. Qiao Yu looked at the bright red wine stains handed over and said in a daze: "This is..." He looked at Zhao Pei, whose face was covered with tears, in doubt and couldn't say a word for a long time.
Zhao Pei came to her senses, staggered back a few steps, and murmured: "I hate you..." while covering her aching heart and ran away. Qiao Yu was about to chase her, but Xiao Yi said weakly: "Don't go... Let her go..." At this point, how could he keep her? It would be better to let her go... Let her go, give up on her...
Snow was falling heavily, and the ground was already covered with snow. The sky and earth were covered in that white. Zhao Pei's heart was also blank, and the pale pain continued. No one stopped her, she stumbled into the snow, and after taking a few steps, her feet went weak and she fell down in the snow.
Amidst the white snow all over the sky, there is only this sad red spot.
Zhao Pei supported herself on the ground with both hands, letting the coldness creep up her body. Her chest kept rising and falling, and she didn't dare to face him again, or herself again. She actually... allowed herself to fall in love with him. No matter how she deceived herself, she couldn't hate him anymore.
The sweet and fishy feeling surged up, and Zhao Pei couldn't hold it back. A few spots of red appeared on the white snow. The warmth was instantly cooled. The eye-catching red outlined the boundless despair in this sad and cold night. (To be continued)