“Brother Tingyun, you’re awake so early. Let me join you for breakfast!”
Su Qi, mimicking Li Caiyi’s tone, walked to Huo Tingyun’s side, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
The man stirred his head at the sound, his gaze fixed in a certain direction. “You don’t need to try to please me. Just be yourself, like you were before.”
Like before?
Su Qi’s eyes welled up. She glanced at the servants, signaling them to leave. Once they were gone, she pursed her lips and smiled. “That time was the happiest period of my life. I searched for you for so many years, and I never imagined it would be you…”
She never imagined that the boy she’d longed for was Huo Tingyun.
Nor did she imagine that Huo Tingyun’s white moonlight wasn’t Xu Linyun or Li Caiyi, but her.
He was right beside her, yet they had missed each other for so long.
“It’s alright. You’re back with me now. I promised you I’d marry you, that I’d make you the most beautiful bride in the world. You are the unique rose on my planet.”
Su Qi listened to the man’s impassioned confession, feeling a sense of daze.
Marry her?
The most beautiful bride?
The unique rose?
These were the vows and confessions the Little Prince had made to her.
She was his first love, cherished for years, a love born of innocence.
If it were another man, she might have been moved.
But he was Huo Tingyun.
Su Qi had slept poorly the night before and woken too early, her head throbbing. Hearing his words, her mind felt like a jammed machine, unable to think clearly.
“What if I told you that you already married me? What if I told you that marrying me didn’t make me the happiest bride in the world? What if I told you that I suffered for a long time before deciding to stop loving you?”
What if I told you that I once loved you deeply?
Su Qi moved her lips but didn’t speak the words. She simply let the man take her hand.
“Why are your hands so cold?”
The man’s brow furrowed as he touched her hand. He reached out with his other hand, and his two large palms enclosed her small, icy ones.
The man’s hands were large, warm, and hot, but Su Qi felt that the warmth couldn’t reach the depths of her heart.
In the afternoon, Su Qi was tending to the flower beds in the garden. Qin Xue had been at the temple, and the flower beds had been neglected. Su Qi decided to prune and clear the withered plants.
The butler approached, followed by a woman. “Miss Su, she said she’s here to see you.”
“The Huo family is so wealthy, why do they still have you working as a gardener? You’re pregnant, you should be resting properly.”
Gu Tangxue’s eyes were filled with concern as she hurried over and took the pruning shears from Su Qi’s hand.
“These are so sharp. Be careful not to hurt yourself.”
Su Qi chuckled. “You’re lecturing me? Why are you here? Weren’t you at the hospital, staying by Lin Chuan’s side?”
“Lin Chuan’s mother is here these days, so I have a rare moment to breathe. I was worried about you, so I came to see you. I heard you moved back to the Huo residence. Why?”
She had already divorced Huo Tingyun, so why move back in?
“I’m just here to get thirty million from Huo Tingyun’s pocket. Don’t overthink it.”
“Is that so? If it’s just for thirty million, you don’t need to do this. Are you trying to rekindle your old flame with Huo Tingyun? But Huo Tingyun is in dire straits himself. He’s blind, and his illegitimate son has taken over the house. By the time Huo Tingyun recovers, that illegitimate son might already be ruling the roost!”
“Let’s not talk about this. Since you just arrived, let’s go inside to the living room and have some water.”
Su Qi took off her apron and linked arms with Gu Tangxue, leading her into the Huo residence.
As soon as Gu Tangxue entered, she couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder, looking around. “As expected of the Huo family, so rich. These are all antique treasures, some I’ve seen before, some I haven’t.”
“These were all collected by the old master during his lifetime.”
The two sat on the sofa, and a servant brought them tea – fine pre-Qingming Longjing. To be able to drink such top-tier tea at this time of year was remarkable. Gu Tangxue took a shallow sip and set down her cup. “Xiao Su, I heard from Lin Chuan that you and Huo Tingyun…”
“That’s right. I just discovered that the person I’ve been searching for for so long was right beside me. And I never imagined that the woman Huo Tingyun has been looking for all this time is me. But…”
What good does knowing do?
Does Huo Tingyun love her?
Is all his care and affection because she is the little rose, not Su Qi?
“So what if you’re his white moonlight? So what if you’re Su Qi? As long as Huo Tingyun loves you, that’s all that matters. Do you still love Huo Tingyun?”
Love?
“I don’t know…”
She once thought she no longer loved Huo Tingyun. But seeing Sheng Yuchen cause Huo Tingyun’s current state, blind, bedridden, and confined to a wheelchair, she felt an inexplicable ache in her heart.
“Perhaps I’m being too saintly.” She shouldn’t pity Huo Tingyun, but why was Huo Tingyun that boy?
“Don’t agonize over it. Follow your heart. If you don’t love him, then leave him. Fly far away. If you love him, regardless of whether he loves you or not, do what you want until you are certain you no longer love him, then let go completely!”
After Gu Tangxue left, Su Qi remained alone in the garden, pruning the flower beds for over an hour, her back aching from exhaustion.
It would have been fine if she weren’t pregnant, but being heavily pregnant made everything inconvenient.
“The weather is so cold, don’t stay out here too long.”
A man’s jacket landed on her shoulders, and a deep, pleasant voice sounded from above.
“Huo… Brother Tingyun, why did you come out by yourself?”
This is my home, how could I not find my way? Come inside quickly.
Su Qi lowered her gaze and noticed abrasions on the man’s hand. “Did you find your way out by yourself?”
“Yes, I missed you. I couldn’t find you, so I guessed you might be here. And indeed, you are.”
The back garden was quite a distance from the entrance. This blind man had actually managed to find his way here.
“You’re such a fool. What if you fell and hit your head?”
“Even if I had to break my head or shatter my body, I would still find you.”
The man clasped her hand tightly.
Su Qi’s nose prickled. “Huo Tingyun, Huo Tingyun, Huo Tingyun…
What am I supposed to do with you?
“Why are you crying? I’m here, aren’t I? I will always be by your side. Now that I’ve found you, I will never leave you again. I promise, I’ll be by your side forever.”
The man’s fingers brushed against her cheek.
Due to her pregnancy, Su Qi had barely worn any makeup, her skin fair and clean, without any trace of powder.
The man paused. “You’re not wearing makeup today?”
“Yes, my skin has been allergic these past few days, so I haven’t been wearing any. Let me take you inside, and I’ll disinfect your wounds.”
Su Qi turned her face away, avoiding the man’s fingers, and took his warm hand, leading him towards the house.
The butler handed over a first-aid kit. Su Qi took it, opened the lid, and asked Huo Tingyun to sit down. She then picked up a cotton swab and iodine, gently wiping his cheek.
The slight stinging made the man frown and turn his head.
“You’re all grown up, and you’re still afraid of pain.”
Su Qi couldn’t help but roll her eyes.