Chapter Fifty-Five: Confession

  "Pity me." Xue Lengyu was unwilling to continue Shu Li's words any further.

  "How could Shu Li not hear Xue Leng Yu's perfunctory words, and calmly said: 'If I were a person who would be moved by such things, perhaps I would have died hundreds of times already.'"

  Xue Lengyu didn't know how to respond to such words and could only smile: "Even if I understand what you mean, but what kind of answer do you want me to give you?"

  Xu Liuyan was also stunned, and he himself didn't quite understand how Xue Lengyu would respond to such a confession-like statement.

  Xue Lengyu couldn't bear to take advantage of the ancient person's emotional entanglement, so he sighed and said: "We are people from different classes, neither of us needs to worry about it. Tonight's matter, thank you very much, if there is a need in the future, I will also help you. If...you don't mind."

  Shu Li furrowed his brow: "I don't want you to repay me."

  "I know." The atmosphere was a bit awkward, and Shu Li was after all a kind-hearted person, also a favorite of the Wang Fu, so he couldn't lose face too much. Xue Leng Yu turned his head to look at Shu Li, half-jokingly saying: "I have nothing valuable on me, if you're counting on me repaying you, this calculation of yours is not very clever."

  Knowing that Xue Lengyu didn't misunderstand, Shu Li felt relieved in her heart and smiled slightly. The lines that had always been cold as ice softened under the gentle caress of the night breeze, exuding an inexplicable warmth and allure.

  Xue Lengyu was slightly stunned by the sight, and Shi Li's gentle gaze made her heart tremble suddenly. For a moment, she had an illusion that it would be great if this man could stay by her side for the rest of her life.

  "What's wrong?" Shu Li asked, noticing something unusual in Xue Lengyu's eyes for a moment.

  She withdrew her attention, and Xue Lengyu smiled lightly: "I've heard that the colder a person is, the more intense their emotional outbursts are. But I don't know which day it will be, if you were to meet a woman you truly like, willing to spend your life together, growing old hand in hand. That woman would be incredibly fortunate."

  Shu Li listened, and for a moment didn't speak. After a while, he slowly said: "But I don't know... are you willing to become that woman."

  "Huh?" Xue Lengyu furrowed her brow in surprise. She could hear the good intentions behind Shu Li's words, but she hadn't expected that in this conservative era, and with him being a reserved and introverted person, he would be so direct in confessing to her. Originally, she thought that if she didn't respond, the matter would just end there, and they could still meet face-to-face in the future.

  Not getting Xue Lengyu's response, Shu Li felt a little anxious and lost in his heart, losing his usual calm temperament, and actually asked another question: "Lengyu, are you... willing?"

  Xue Lengyu smiled and casually said, "You also heard what I said at the hotel today. My good man should be respectful like a guest, with equal status and mutual respect. Among three thousand beauties, only loving me alone. Can you do that? For the rest of your life, not having any other woman?"

  Not to mention the identity of Shu Li, in this era, even ordinary families with some savings are not uncommon to have three wives and four concubines. The virtuous wife would even take the initiative to propose taking a concubine for her husband.

  Shu Li didn't seem surprised or flustered, perhaps he had already thought about it when Xue Lengyu mentioned what a good person was during the day. When asked now, he only thought for a moment before saying, "What if I said yes?"

  Xue Lengyu also became serious, and asked a question that felt modern: "Shuli, we've only known each other for a few days, yet you want to spend the rest of your life with me. What do you like about me?"

  I didn't expect Xue Lengyu to ask so directly, and Shu Li couldn't help but blush. After thinking carefully, he said seriously: "The first time you moved my heart was when you just arrived at Fengyuan, that morning, I saw your smile, a very clean and pure smile. Although at that time, my impression of you wasn't good, but such a smile has always stayed in my heart."

  Xue Lengyu furrowed his brow, thinking hard, and couldn't help but smile wryly: "Are you referring to that one time in Fengyuan? That... was just a greeting, just a courtesy."

  "I know." Shu Li smiled and said, "I know that to you, it's just a courtesy. But what you don't know is that in a place like this, such a smile without any flattery or attempt to please is truly rare."

  This is the typical aftermath of staying in a wealthy family's mansion for too long, where flattering those above and bullying those below becomes second nature. On the other hand, normal interactions between people seem unusually extraordinary.

  Xue Lengyu couldn't help but explain: "Maybe it's because I'm a woman from a commoner family, and I'm not quite used to life in the palace yet."

  Shu Li shook his head, stopping Xue Leng Yu from continuing, and said: "Later, when I followed you back home, I realized that on the surface, you were always cold, but for your own family, you showed such true emotions. You don't know, that day at your house, seeing you smile so brightly at Zhan Feng Song, my heart felt really uncomfortable."

  "Are you jealous?" Xue Leng Yu really couldn't have thought that a man as cold and detached as him would also be capable of jealousy.

  "I didn't think so at that time, but now I realize that was just being jealous. I always thought only women would have such trivial emotions, but unexpectedly, when it happened to myself, I couldn't control it."

  The unusual emotions had always been lukewarm, never having such a heart-pounding feeling for anyone. Now facing a woman, speaking out one's concerns so clearly, the heart couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement, and also a thread of fear.

  Everything Xue Lengyu did was beyond his expectations. What kind of response would his confession get? For the first time, Shu Li's confidence in himself wavered a little.

  Xue Lengyu's expression turned unexpectedly serious, and he no longer pretended to be polite. He looked at Shuli for a while before saying, "I can't answer you right now."

  "Why?" Shu Li was slightly surprised and hastily asked: "Is it because of tonight..."

  He also knew that tonight's events would surely leave a deep shadow in Xue Lengyu's heart.

  Xue Lengyu said: "There is a small part, but not all."

  "What's the point of that?" Shu Li didn't understand.

  Xue Lengyu said: "Our identities are too far apart, you are a red person next to King Mu, with a bright future. But I am just a woman from a poor family, and even a married one. Between us, it's not just heaven and earth apart."

  "I don't mind." Xiuli hurriedly said: "I really don't mind."

  "I know you don't mind." Xue Lengyu said, "If you did mind, you wouldn't have said these things to me. But have you ever thought that I might mind?"

  Shu Li didn't know what to say and waited for Xue Leng Yu to continue.

  With such conditions, although it can be said that after all, it is still a servant of the royal family, but it is also considered to be under one person and above ten thousand people. In terms of appearance, family background, and individual aspects, they are still confident enough to match ordinary families.

  Xue Lengyu said: "Compared to my condition, you are too excellent. We haven't experienced any great storms between us, and at this moment, I absolutely don't doubt your sincerity. But how can I believe that in this long life, you will be with me through thick and thin, never leaving or abandoning me?"

  Shu Li's expression turned solemn: "In this life, I have never spoken empty words."

  Knowing someone like Shu Li, either he doesn't speak, or when he does, his words are as good as a decree, and can't be taken back. In Xue Leng Yu's heart, it was as if she had been pricked by a needle, and there was a tiny tremble.

  In this era of loneliness, a man with unparalleled sincerity said to her with deep emotion, "I will take care of you for the rest of your life." Such a promise, how could it not evoke tenderness in her heart.