Having figured out how to completely let Rong Jingyang let go, Du Ruoxin slept soundly.
Full and well-rested, the little one was not fussy at all.
She no longer felt uncomfortable.
Waking up again, it was already noon. Caroline, Miranda, Ning Ning, and Grace had all left. In the vast villa, she was the only one left.
The sudden quiet made Du Ruoxin inexplicably start to overthink, feeling a bit melancholic.
Especially thinking of Grace, she couldn't bring herself to smile.
Clearly... she had feelings... clearly... she had fallen for Big Brother Qin... but...
Halfway through lunch, Du Ruoxin lost her appetite.
She was in low spirits.
She couldn't figure it out.
For Grace, and also for herself.
"Why must one be wounded until they bleed profusely, only to admit it was a mistake after crashing headfirst?"
"Why must one stubbornly insist on experiencing such heart-wrenching pain?"
Du Ruoxin was trapped in her emotions, unable to escape.
The endless, compassionate pain seemed to be drowning her, making it hard to breathe.
Even lying comfortably on the soft chair, she still felt as if she were walking on thin ice, sitting on pins and needles.
Oppressed.
Uncomfortable.
"Sizzle sizzle—"
A drone flew over.
"Little princess, would you like to watch a shadow puppet show?"
"I'll perform a story for you, the tale of a phoenix seeking a mate, alright?"
The curtain was drawn, props were arranged, and everything was ready.
The story began its chapter.
"There is a beauty, whom once seen, cannot be forgotten.
A day without her, drives me to madness.
The phoenix soars, seeking its mate across the four seas.
Alas, the fair maiden, is not on the east wall.
Let my zither speak my heart, to convey my feelings.
When will you grant me an audience, to soothe my wandering soul?
I wish to match our virtues, and walk hand in hand.
If we cannot fly together, you will cause my downfall."
Legend has it that during the Western Han Dynasty, the talented scholar Sima Xiangru played a song called "Phoenix Seeking Mate," which captivated Zhuo Wenjun, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She packed her belongings overnight and eloped with her lover.
After their marriage, the couple supported each other, advancing hand in hand, living an enviable life.
What a beautiful story.
What a touching love.
Du Ruoxin watched and listened, but whenever the emotional moments arrived, she would be broken by the man's peculiar accent from behind the giant screen.
Christiano, a European of such stature, was so knowledgeable about ancient Chinese culture?
Should she find it amusing?
Or should she marvel at the enduring legacy of Chinese culture, passed down through millennia?
After Christiano finished the shadow puppet show and emerged from behind the screen, his heroic and elegant demeanor saw the smile on Du Ruoxin's face, knowing his efforts were not in vain.
He stepped forward, "The butler said you didn't eat much at lunch and were in a bad mood?"
The night before, after leaving the pool party, he had noticed her low spirits and that she had been forcing smiles.
"No," Du Ruoxin denied, trying hard to force a smile, "Look, aren't I happy?"
Fake.
Christiano knew her too well. He took her hand and sighed, saying gently, "Xin'er, you are different from them. Some are rational, some are opportunistic, some weigh the pros and cons."
"In my eyes, none of them are as good as you."
"Just be yourself. Let the past be the past. Don't dwell on it, okay?"
Du Ruoxin felt very resistant to her elder brother's "deep affection." She withdrew her hand, picked up her water glass, and took a sip, "Mm."
Christiano glanced at his empty fingertips: ...Mm?
Just an "Mm"?
Du Ruoxin clearly realized she had been too indifferent. She added, "Thank you, Big Brother. I'm feeling much better." She paused, "But I don't like Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun."
Christiano raised an eyebrow: "Why?"
He had asked many people and knew that this pair was the most beautiful love story in ancient China.
Du Ruoxin looked disgusted and indignant, "A man like Sima Xiangru, if he were alive today, would be a typical 'phoenix man,' a scumbag!"
"He relied on his wife's family for support when he was down on his luck, and when he became successful, he wanted to have multiple wives and concubines. Isn't that the definition of a scumbag?"
Christiano chuckled, agreeing, "Mm, a scumbag."
His charming and handsome face looked directly at her, "But I quite admire women like Zhuo Wenjun. Do you know why?"
Du Ruoxin felt even more awkward—she didn't want to know, don't say it.
To prevent the atmosphere from becoming any more "ambiguous," she directly changed the subject, "Brother, I want to have an abortion."
—
ps: Writer's block, one update today.