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The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window, and Cheng Mo Su opened her weary eyes, no longer pretending to be asleep. She sat up and changed into a plain Qipao, staring blankly out the window.
"Miss Cheng," Xiao Jing called softly. Cheng Mo Su responded, and only then did Xiao Jing feel at ease to push the door open and enter. "A gentleman named Xiao Zuo Wei is here to visit. Does Miss Cheng wish to see him?"
Zuo Wei brother? Cheng Mo Su was taken aback. Ever since she got to know Shaoyi, their relationship had unintentionally distanced quite a bit. Each time she hesitated about whether to write a letter to contact him, she was swayed by some troubling emotions that left her restless. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Let him wait for me in the other courtyard. I haven't gone out for a few days; it's a good opportunity to take a stroll and clear my mind."
"Understood." Xiao Jing nodded and led Xiao Zuo Wei to the other courtyard. Zuo Wei had just returned from England and learned from the newspaper that Uncle Cheng had severed his father-daughter relationship with Cheng Mo Su. Anxious, he hurried over to visit.
In the other courtyard, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and the grass was lush with birds flying about. Cheng Mo Su was initially facing away from him but turned her head upon hearing footsteps. Zuo Wei was momentarily stunned; Cheng Mo Su looked much thinner than before, appearing delicate as if a gust of wind could blow her over. She smiled slightly, her features refined, with red lips and white teeth, her hair styled like dark clouds, pure and beautiful—truly captivating.
"Zuo Wei brother," she said with a smile, just as usual. With her delicate hands, she gestured for him to take a seat. After Xiao Jing served them fruits and pastries, she withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the large courtyard with silent smiles. Zuo Wei looked around curiously; after all, Cheng Mo Su was soon to be a young mistress of the house—why was there only Xiao Jing attending to her? He looked at Cheng Mo Su in confusion; she wore a faint smile as if unwilling to mention it, so he refrained from asking.
"I heard you went to England recently?" She smiled lightly, took a sip of tea, and asked.
"Yes," Zuo Wei replied, also taking a sip of tea. Although the tea was bitter at first, it revealed a sweetness upon careful tasting. He had been accustomed to drinking coffee since childhood and had always disliked tea; yet suddenly drinking it now brought him joy—he couldn't tell if it was because of the tea or the person sitting across from him.
"Oh? What were you doing there?" she asked casually, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, casting a shadow around her eyes.
Zuo Wei felt a lump in his throat and forced a bitter smile. "I realized I am not suited to be a soldier; I cannot stand anything dark or deceitful. I once thought that marching and fighting could save the country and its people, but now I see those warlords merely use 'for the people's good' as an excuse to seek their own interests."
Cheng Mo Su paused slightly, remaining silent for a while without delving into Shaoyi's military ambitions. She shifted the topic instead. "So what are your plans now, Zuo Wei brother?"
"I plan to work at a newspaper," he replied upon noticing that Cheng Mo Su had changed the subject. "I believe teaching and running newspapers are tools for spreading ideas; I want to start with the thoughts of our people and help them avoid ignorance."
"Very good." Cheng Mo smiled lightly, picked up the teacup, and quietly watched the settled tea leaves, her eyes showing no trace of emotional fluctuation.
Xiao Zuo furrowed his brows and finally asked, "Xiao Su, are you... okay?"
He didn’t ask how she had been during this time or about her father; just a seemingly ordinary yet genuinely concerned greeting made her, who had been holding on for so long, suddenly unable to suppress her sadness and almost burst into tears. She hurriedly lowered her head to cover her face, stopping the tears that were swirling in her eyes, and smiled, "I'm fine."
"Then that means you're not fine?" The usually gentle Xiao Zuo's tone became unusually firm at this moment. "Where is Shaoyi? I want to find him and ask him clearly. I'm not blind; how could I not see how much weight you've lost?"
"Don't..." Cheng Mo quickly grabbed his sleeve, her water-colored eyes sparkling, but her voice was as soft as a whisper. "Don't look for him; he's been very busy lately."
Xiao Zuo quietly looked at her for a while, understanding in his heart that Shaoyi had been holding consecutive military meetings recently, preparing to advance southward, and was probably extremely busy at the moment. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Xiao Su, do you remember the Book of Songs we studied together when we were young?"
Cheng Mo raised her eyes, unsure why Brother Zuo suddenly asked such a question out of the blue, but she nodded and replied, "I remember."
Suddenly recalling childhood anecdotes lightened her mood; a gentle smile appeared on her lips as she fell into memories. "I remember there was one called 'Qi Ao,' which described the character of a gentleman. At that time, Dad made me memorize it, but I absolutely refused. He scolded me a lot for it and even punished me to copy it. In the end..."
"In the end, I copied it for you," Xiao Zuo interjected. They exchanged glances and smiled knowingly. Time seemed to rewind back to that carefree era. Xiao Zuo poked her nose playfully and said with a laugh, "Copying was really tiring; it took me several nights, and I had to imitate your handwriting. Sigh..."
Cheng Mo chuckled softly, her water-colored eyes shining with a hint of mischief. "Actually, Brother Zuo, you should thank me."
Seeing Xiao Zuo's puzzled expression, she laughed again. "After copying it so many times, you must have memorized 'Qi Ao' perfectly by now. You must remember the gentleman's demeanor and actions clearly. Look at you now; you're so refined and polished—it's all thanks to me!"
Xiao Zuo felt speechless for a moment and smiled helplessly. His hand hovered in the air as if he wanted to ruffle her hair affectionately like before but realized that this gesture no longer belonged to him. A sense of desolation filled his heart as his hand awkwardly remained suspended in midair, unsure whether to retract it or not.
Su's gaze paused for a moment, her clear and elegant face unusually quiet. She lightly created some distance between them, stood up with a smile, and said, "Brother Zuo Wei, it's getting late. I'm a bit tired and want to go back to rest. I'll have Xiao Jing take you home."
Xiao Zuo Wei wore a faintly helpless smile on his handsome face as he stood up and walked to her side, speaking gently, "Little Su... do you remember what I said to you last time on the train?"
Su's eyes widened slightly. He had said that he would always be behind her, and as long as she was willing, she could turn around and see him.
She lifted her eyes to look at him but recalled another person from his gaze. That person was the one who was destined to be intertwined with her life.
She parted her lips to speak but felt as if Xiao Zuo Wei anticipated her thoughts and wouldn’t let her say anything. Silence lingered between them as they each contemplated their own matters, neither of them speaking again.
After a long while, she heard a soft sigh. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace, his voice drifting into her ear, "Little Su, I understand your meaning. Since your feelings are so resolute, I will no longer force myself to wait. Thank you for spending such wonderful times with me." Su's heart burned intensely; she wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t give him anything else, so let this friendly hug serve as the end of their relationship.
Neither of them noticed that at the other end, not far away in the corner, stood a person quietly watching. The summer breeze spread to every corner, making the air heavy but unable to conceal the secretly breathing passionate emotions.
In the dark eyes of Shangguan Shaoyi mixed various emotions; the image of the two embracing was etched in his pupils, unable to dissipate.
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