Gently stroking the soft cushion, she let the moonlight pour over her face, allowing the moisture in her eyes to blur her vision. There were too many beautiful memories here, instantly melting like snow and piercing her heart.
Suddenly, a hypothesis emerged in her mind: If she hadn’t met him back then, would her enchanted princess dream ever have awakened? Even knowing she wasn’t a real princess, would she have remained just another ordinary person in SZ city?
Would she have been truly content with such a mundane life?
“Without him… Di Xi Huang,” she whispered softly, gazing into the blue night sky.
His tall, imposing figure brought her a sense of loneliness, and his handsome face always carried a cold, domineering air. His eyes, like black crystals, held deep, unfathomable mystery. His thin lips were ruthless yet bore a captivating smile. This was the man she wasn’t sure she had ever hated but knew she had once loved deeply.
— I will always be by your side…
In a trance, his words felt like an oath, penetrating her defenses. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved. Even on this quiet night, her heart couldn’t calm from those profound emotions.
Tonight would be sleepless. Without turning on any lights, she navigated through the darkness, brewing a cup of rich coffee and returning to her favorite spot, allowing her thoughts to wander through beautiful memories.
An unusual sound startled her, drawing her attention to the balcony. Tiptoeing over, she saw a dark figure leap onto the balcony, backlit by moonlight, moving with agility. She was shocked — could it be someone from the Yamaguchi-gumi?
Good heavens, weren’t they supposed to not act rashly as Di Xi Huang said?
The figure appeared tall under the moonlight, brushing back his hair before pushing open the glass door.
Ou Xue Man panicked, searching for a defensive weapon and finding only the cup of fragrant coffee in her trembling hands.
The door slowly opened, and the figure entered her room with the cold night wind. Panicked and unsure what to do, she reflexively threw the coffee cup at the intruder.
“Ah,” a familiar painful cry followed, “So hot, so hot, Xue Man, it’s me.”
The voice calmed her panic. She focused and saw him, looking disheveled, shaking his burned hand.
“Di Xi Huang?” Ou Xue Man was stunned. What was he doing climbing the balcony and scaring her in the middle of the night?
As he moved towards the bay window, she noticed a wound on his back and bent down to retrieve the first aid kit from the hidden low cabinet under the bay window.
Her actions made Di Xi Huang pause, unable to stop looking at the dark compartment. Logically, an outsider would not easily discover such a design, but she seemed familiar with it, moving naturally and unhesitatingly.
Recalling her casual desire to stay in Tong Yixuan’s room, doubts rose in Di Xihuang’s heart. He glanced at her tending to his wound and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
She lifted her eyes slightly, casting a cold glance, “Waiting for someone to climb my balcony.”
Di Xihuang’s smile deepened as he handed her a delicate glass lamp no larger than a palm. “You’re used to lighting a small lamp by the bed before sleeping, right?”
Stunned by the exquisite lamp, she realized it reflected a habit she had developed of lighting a small lamp by her bedside. Its weak light provided her warmth and a sense of security, a small detail unnoticed by anyone, even Chen Zhensheng, who had been by her side for six years.
Taking the lamp, still warm from his touch, she asked, “Did you come just to bring me this lamp?”
“I suddenly remembered but was afraid I might be wrong, so I secretly came in through the balcony. I didn’t expect you really can’t sleep without a lamp,” he replied softly.
Her heart felt a long-missed warmth, different from the self-comfort she was used to.
[Not Wanting to Say I Love You: Chapter 56 Fist and Panda Eyes]
Early morning mist rose gently, clouds light and wind clear, sparse green leaves on the branches outside the window swaying slightly, the tender green moistened with too much water vapor slowly condensing into crystal dewdrops, reflecting the golden light dispersing through thin clouds, suddenly becoming a colorful flowing light.
The warm room quietly circulated, with two people breathing softly and nestling close, the small glass lamp by the bed emitting a hazy and elegant light, softly casting onto the closed eyes of the pair.
The man’s long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his smooth face under the lamp’s illumination, his devastatingly beautiful face bearing a trace of satisfied smile, his long arm gently embracing the person in his arms, so tender as if afraid of crushing her. His soft, shiny hair ends intertwined with her dense long hair, indistinguishable from each other.
The person in his arms now had her slender eyelashes slightly trembling, indicating she was about to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes, her initial drowsy and dazed look even more enchanting. Suddenly, her confused eyes became bewildered, staring blankly at the man before her.
Di Xihuang? Was this a dream? How could he have such a gentle and serene sleeping expression? At this moment, he was like a newborn infant, so pure, so calm, making her involuntarily reach out to touch his face.
She traced his perfect features with her fingertips, but her touch disturbed his dream, causing his thick eyebrows to furrow slightly.
No, this wasn’t the time to admire a handsome man. Ou Xueman slapped her forehead, realizing she was sharing a bed with him. What exactly happened? She tried hard to recall the events of last night.
He had broken into her room to bring her a small lamp. She treated his wound by the bay window, and he lit the lamp, its soft light spreading around her, bringing drowsy sleep. She leaned against his back, listening to his heartbeat, and gradually drifted into dreamland.
But what happened afterward? How did they end up in the same bed? She looked down – thankfully, her clothes were still on, so he hadn’t gone wild. However, he was bare-chested, with only a towel wrapped around his lower body.
Ou Xueman looked at the man sleeping before her, and her anger flared. She clenched her fist and decisively swung it at his face.
“Ah—” A cry broke the morning’s tranquility.
“Wait for us.” Owen rushed over, his hand on her shoulder with a smile, “Xueman, what’s wrong with him? He was fine yesterday morning, but now he looks like a one-eyed panda.”
Huang Tianli laughed upon hearing Owen’s words. Ou Xueman glanced at them, shrugged, and said, “Because I hit him.” This caused Owen and Huang Tianli to laugh even harder.
Ignoring them, she returned to her office. Upon opening the door, she found a man in a black suit sitting in her chair, resting his cheek on one fist and playing with sunglasses with the other.
With a heavy sigh, she walked to the sofa, took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and resumed her work. Her indifference didn’t stop him. Ou Xueman felt the space beside her dip as he wrapped his arm around her waist, saying, “Your reaction is a bit abnormal, isn’t it?”
Ou Xueman glanced at his hand and replied flatly, “If you don’t remove your hand, I don’t mind helping you make your two eyes symmetrical.” Di Xihuang ignored her warning and drew closer, “You were the one clinging to me last night. I had no choice but to sacrifice my looks and sleep with you.”
Her fist quickly moved into his palm. He kissed her fist with a smile. “I’m telling the truth.” Ou Xueman’s cold eyes softened for a moment, and her tone shifted to a gentle inquiry, “Does it hurt?”
Di Xihuang was stunned, immersed in her rare gentleness but remained silent. Suddenly, a sharp pain in his left eye prevented him from smiling.
