Shao Ji Zu said, “Ling Long, I only ask that you understand my intentions. That day at the Xiang Yang Prince’s estate, it was wrong of me to act so harshly. But if I hadn’t stopped you, your offense to the Prince would have been far worse. This time, I came personally because I hoped to find you and explain.”
He let out a long breath and continued, “I know you’re angry with me, and at its core, it’s because I didn’t discuss it with you before petitioning the Prince to ask the Emperor for the marriage decree. But taking that anger out on the Prince is unjustified.”
Despite all his effort to maintain control, his voice sounded hoarse and strained. Had his usual composure and icy demeanor been completely consumed by the fire of his emotions?
– This was his longing, his worry, his dream that lingered endlessly in his heart. Why, when faced with the one he loved, did this brilliant, renowned master of the Xiang Yang Prince’s estate seem no different from an ordinary man?
Unconsciously, Huo Ling Long’s heart softened, but she forced herself to maintain her stern tone. “What I can’t stand is someone using authority to oppress others, flaunting an official title to suppress Linglong Manor. I was just fine in Linglong Manor—who did I provoke? Who did I offend? He may be a Prince, but why is it that he’s allowed to trouble me, while I’m not allowed to trouble him?”
Looking at Shao Ji Zu, she added, “And you! You still have the nerve to speak so casually, as though everything is proper and justified! To resort to such methods—don’t you think it’s excessive? Little Tang may be arrogant, but he’s nowhere near as underhanded as you!”
Her words were like a sharp sword, cutting through his defenses and piercing his heart. Shao Ji Zu cried out, “Ling Long!” The indescribable anguish and sorrow in his voice left Huo Ling Long unable to continue speaking.
In the silence that followed, Shao Ji Zu clenched his jaw, the veins on his forehead throbbing visibly.
He let out a long breath and finally said slowly, “Ling Long, do you still not understand my feelings for you?”
– In the sunset, on the desolate plain, with the wailing wind as their only witness, he said it at last. Despite how difficult it was for him to speak those words.
Huo Ling Long’s body trembled involuntarily. Her face turned an indescribable shade of pale.
– In the sunset, on the desolate plain, with the wailing wind as their only witness, she heard it at last. Despite how unbelievable it was for her to hear those words.
She bit her lip and stared at the ground before her. After a long while, she spoke softly, “When did you ever tell me about your feelings? You never said anything. Am I supposed to understand on my own? How am I to know whether you care about me, or if it’s the dowry from the Huo family that caught your eye?”
Shao Ji Zu’s expression turned somber. In the slanting sunlight, her beauty was like jade. But why had the two of them become strangers? The tenderness of the past, the innocence, the bond they once shared—all seemed to have drifted away like petals in the wind. His eyes filled with a bitter helplessness. “In the end, you still don’t trust me.”
That helplessness, like falling flowers carried away by water, cut through the air with a cold indifference, leaving Huo Ling Long silent, her head lowered.
– Did her silence mean she had tacitly agreed?
But Shao Ji Zu looked at her and said, “Ling Long, you’re clever—I don’t believe you don’t understand my feelings. You’re just being stubborn. Deep down, you’ve always known. I, Shao Ji Zu, am an upright man. As for the Ling Long Eye of your Huo family, I’ve never paid it any mind.”
His gaze became sharp as a blade, and his voice carried the weight of stone, solid and unyielding. It was as if his pride and dignity demanded absolute defense against any challenge.
Hearing this, Huo Ling Long suddenly raised her head fearlessly. Her gaze met his, and in the crimson glow of the sunset, it was as if sparks flew between them, their clash ringing like the metallic sound of swords meeting—cold and sharp, tinged with blood-red light.
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