Xie Jiang looked at his eyes, her gaze turning cold. Despite her best efforts to restrain it, the hurt and grievance were palpable. "Xu Hengyan, why are you angry with me?"
Xu Hengyan replied, "I am not angry with you."
He was angry with himself.
She hadn't done anything wrong.
Xie Jiang didn't believe him. "Then why are you avoiding me, refusing to see me?"
Guang Bai had already discreetly retreated into the shadows.
Young Master Xie had come all the way to his bedside. Whatever the issue between them, they should sit down and talk it through!
What was with the Prince's cold indifference, pushing people away?
Xu Hengyan was silent for a moment. "I haven't refused to see you; aren't we seeing each other now? I've been busy these past few days."
He couldn't bring himself to say more hurtful words. This kind of coldness was enough to wound her.
Xie Jiang laughed, a bitter sound. "Xu Hengyan, do you think I'm a fool?"
Xu Hengyan said, "It's very late. You should go back to sleep."
Xie Jiang pointed to the bed behind him. "Why go back? We can sleep together."
Xu Hengyan gazed at her steadily, and after a long pause, he replied with a single word, "Fine."
With that, he picked up his outer robe, preparing to leave.
Xie Jiang moved to block his path, her voice filled with exasperation. "You say you're not avoiding me and not refusing to see me? Then where are you going now? Are you going to stay up all night in the study because of official duties? You just came back from the study!"
Xu Hengyan felt a tightness in his chest. He took a deep, controlled breath. "I'm just not used to sleeping with others. It was out of necessity due to limited conditions at Yongfeng Village."
"You really don't want to see me that much?"
"No... I just feel..."
Xie Jiang tilted her head, staring up at Xu Hengyan, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. "Xu Hengyan, is this enjoyable for you? If you don't want to see me, just say so. Why come up with these clumsy excuses?"
Xu Hengyan's hands, clasped behind his back, tightened their grip.
"Why are you angry with me? Tell me, so that I can at least die with understanding!" She held back her tears, stubbornly determined to get to the bottom of it.
Xu Hengyan's heart ached as if being cut by a knife. He dared not meet her eyes, fearing that one more glance would make it impossible for him to remain resolute. "It's late..."
"Xu Hengyan, are you trying to break off relations with me? What exactly did I do wrong that you want to sever ties with me!"
"That's not what I meant..." Severing ties might be the best option, but how could he bear to cut her off? "It's just that with the recent busy affairs, I probably won't be able to spend as much time with you as before..."
Xie Jiang understood the unspoken meaning behind his words. It wasn't that he absolutely wanted to sever ties with her, but they had to maintain a distance.
"Why be so wishy-washy, Young Master Xu? You don't want to be friends with me, but you also don't want to offend me, is that it?"
Xie Jiang quickly adjusted her emotions, which were barely contained. "Young Master Xu doesn't need to feel so wronged. Since you don't want to see me, I won't appear before you again."
With that, Xie Jiang turned and left without looking back.
Xu Hengyan's lips parted slightly. Watching her resolute departure, he ultimately did not call out to stop her.
"My Lord..."
It seemed Young Master Xie was as confused as he was, not understanding what the Prince was playing at.
So why was the Prince being so distant with Young Master Xie?
And without even an explanation.
This was too much...
Seeing the Prince slowly take two steps back and sit on the edge of the bed in silence, Guang Bai could only retreat quietly.
~
Xie Jiang returned to the Xie residence on her own. As soon as she entered the room, she rolled onto the bed, closing her eyes and yawning incessantly.
Aunt He stepped forward to help her undress. "Stabbing Young Master Xu in the heart in the dead of night, will he be able to sleep tonight?"
Xie Jiang, her head buried in the quilt, mumbled drowsily, "Even if he sleeps, he'll dream of me."
She was that confident in her acting.
Aunt He said, "Young Master Xu is a good person, handsome, well-built, and has a good temper. If he weren't surnamed Xu, he'd be quite suitable to marry and be a principal husband."
Xie Jiang flipped over and opened her eyes to look at Aunt He, suddenly finding some amusement. "If I eloped with him, do you think he'd be willing?"
Aunt He shook her head without hesitation. That Young Master Xu was such a proper person; could he abandon his family and home for a man?
Xie Jiang sat up abruptly, indignantly cupping her face. "His elder brother said I'm a femme fatale, that I bring disaster to the world and suffering to the people. Can't I bring disaster to him?"
Aunt He said, "Aren't you already bringing disaster to him? He's willing to let you bring disaster because he cares about you. But abandoning everything and leaving is another matter entirely."
"Why should he bear the burden of the Duke of Wei's estate? That should have been Xu Hengdan's responsibility. If that dog Xu Hengdan can abandon his responsibilities and leave, why can't Xu Hengyan elope with me?"
"That Xu Hengdan is indeed a scoundrel! Young Master Xu is nothing like his bastard brother."
"Actually, I do care about him too," Xie Jiang said, clutching her chest, her eyes glistening as she looked at Aunt He. "I've fallen for him for real."
Aunt He would believe her if pigs could fly. She simply pushed her down to lie down. "You should go to sleep quickly. You have too many people in your heart."
"If I were to take out my heart and show it to you, would you see Xu Hengyan in it? Would you see Xu Hengyan's face?"
"What if what you take out is black?"
"My heart is pure and sincere, with a little Xu Hengyan bouncing around on it."
"Oh dear, you should hurry. If you don't sleep soon, the sky will be dawn." A little ghost bouncing around.
Xie Jiang turned over, wrapping herself in the cool quilt, and with a tearful yawn, fell asleep in no time.
Aunt He let out a silent chuckle. A little Young Master Xu bouncing around in her heart? That little Young Master Xu probably tripped and fell, and then died, right?
~
For the next few days, Xu Hengyan continued to return very late every day.
Sometimes, there was no urgent matter to attend to, yet he would delay returning to his room until deep into the night.
She hadn't visited for three days.
The room was empty, as if devoid of any human warmth.
The scent that belonged to her was gradually fading.
Xu Hengyan suddenly experienced a profound sense of desolation.
Standing in the courtyard, gazing at the closed door, a flicker of longing arose in his heart. If he could push open the door and see her...
He knew he shouldn't have such thoughts, yet he couldn't control himself...
Guang Bai, holding a lantern, stood behind the Prince for a very, very long time in the darkness, but Guang Bai dared not speak up to remind him.
The Prince clearly cared deeply for Young Master Xie, so why was he unwilling to interact with him?
Guang Bai had been pondering these past few days what had gone wrong between the Prince and Young Master Xie. They were fine when they returned from Yongfeng Village, and they had even slept in the same bed that night.
If they had fallen out at Yongfeng Village, they wouldn't have shared a bed upon their return.
Unless something happened that night they shared a bed.
The scene of him rushing in after hearing a commotion that morning, and seeing the Prince collapsed on the ground, flashed through his mind for the 180th time.
The Prince had been lying on the ground at the time, seemingly startled...
The voice that told him to get out had been incredibly suppressed and furious.
What had Young Master Xie done to the Prince? If Young Master Xie had tried to assassinate him...
No, no.
Why would Young Master Xie try to assassinate the Prince? If Young Master Xie had tried to assassinate the Prince, would the Prince have reacted like this?
The Prince showed no sign of aversion or hatred towards Young Master Xie. Instead, it was like... like something he couldn't quite describe. In any case, the Prince thought of Young Master Xie day and night.
Although the Prince still appeared as usual, calm and composed, and acted with propriety, Guang Bai knew that the Prince was suffering inwardly.
If he was suffering so much, why would he throw away the sugar? Why, indeed?