Su Xiaoqi was caught off guard by Su Jiamo's sudden move, startled by his abrupt action. She froze for a moment, and he succeeded.
His touch was soft and smooth, stirring something within Su Jiamo. A pleased "heh" escaped his throat.
For so long, his unfulfilled longing for Su Xiaoqi had trapped his heart.
With this simple grasp, it felt as if he were suddenly set free.
His feelings for Su Xiaoqi poured down like a breached dam.
He felt as refreshed as a parched man finally receiving a timely rain.
However, this feeling didn't last long, perhaps only for a breath. Su Xiaoqi reacted, yanked her hand back, and even shoved him.
"Ah..." Su Jiamo's delicate hand was still in hers, and just as he was reveling in the moment, Su Xiaoqi pushed him away. He tumbled to the ground, staring at Su Xiaoqi with disbelief.
"Xiaoqi, you..."
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow and glared, "What 'you'? You took advantage of my lack of caution."
"I..."
"Su Jiamo, do you even know what you were just doing? Pushing you away is the least I could do." Su Xiaoqi bared her teeth and balled her fist.
He was a complete pervert. In public – though there was no one around – he would commit such a preposterous act. Wasn't he deliberately ruining her reputation?
How could she tolerate this?
"I, I'm sorry... I, I just, I haven't seen you in so long, and seeing you suddenly, I got a bit carried away, that's why..."
Su Jiamo didn't know how to explain, yet he couldn't help but want to.
He didn't want Su Xiaoqi to hate him.
The thought of Su Xiaoqi hating him for this brought an unbearable pain to his heart.
Sometimes he truly couldn't understand himself.
With his family's wealth and his current favor with the Crown Prince, what kind of beauty couldn't he have?
He had even tried to find women more beautiful than Su Xiaoqi.
But he couldn't muster any interest.
Even if a woman was full of wiles, actively enticed him, and dedicated herself to his pleasure, he remained uninterested.
Su Xiaoqi's face, a mix of annoyance and joy, would often surface in his mind.
He couldn't figure it out; it was as if he were under her spell, unable to break free, unable to obtain her.
He thought of her day and night, a desire that was impossible to satisfy.
"Xiaoqi, what am I lacking compared to Shen Yun? Why would you abandon me for him?" Su Jiamo clutched his chest.
His heart ached as if being stabbed with a dull knife, making him tremble.
After asking, Su Jiamo regretted it.
Because Su Xiaoqi's gaze towards him was anything but friendly.
She glared at him, her eyes cold.
"Su Jiamo, are you sick? If you're sick, get treatment. You're here to mess with me, is that enjoyable for you?"
Su Xiaoqi unleashed a torrent of scolding.
Wasn't her rejection clear enough?
How else could she tell him, make him understand, that she had no feelings for him, not now, and certainly not in the future.
"Xiaoqi... you used to say you liked me." Su Jiamo remembered Su Xiaoqi saying this when they were in Mianzhou City, at the Su family's estate.
There was a rear garden there.
After their first chance encounter there, they often met secretly.
It was there he first held her hand and then her waist.
Back then, she didn't struggle and push him away like she did now.
What had happened to her?
Su Jiamo couldn't understand, and the more he didn't understand, the more he wanted to know.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes flickered, a hint of awkwardness crossing her face.
Prompted by Su Jiamo, memories that she couldn't access from the original host's mind now flooded her.
Damn it, she actually saw Su Jiamo and the original host clinging to each other.
Their bodies pressed tightly together, the original host acting coy and tender towards him, while Su Jiamo smiled charmingly.
...
Su Xiaoqi said earnestly, "Su Jiamo, I was blind before, and young and ignorant.
Things are different now. I am married, and my heart belongs only to Shen Yun."
"How, how could you do this? I still remember our vows, and I think of them often. Why have you forgotten?"
Su Jiamo felt a pang of hurt, believing he had been wronged by Su Xiaoqi.
"Su Jiamo, honestly, weren't you just infatuated with her, craving novelty back then?
Did you ever truly consider marrying her?
It's just that you're upset now because I no longer have feelings for you.
This isn't love; it's obsession. I advise you to let go soon, or it will harm both of us."
Su Xiaoqi's voice was cold as she finally spoke the words she had kept in her heart for so long.
At least in the original novel, Su Jiamo hadn't pestered Su Xiaoqi much.
Even when she died from Shen Yun's torment, Su Jiamo hadn't reappeared in her life.
People are never satisfied; they don't cherish what they have but stubbornly pursue what they don't.
After Su Xiaoqi delivered her harsh words, she saw Su Jiamo lost in thought and immediately turned to leave.
She had no desire to dwell on this matter now, only hoping that time would fade it all away.
Otherwise, the mere thought of it made her feel ashamed towards Shen Yun.
She felt as though she had betrayed him, which was embarrassing, even though it was the original host.
Su Xiaoqi fled quickly, and on the other side, Su Jiamo finally reacted and started to chase after her.
But he found that Su Xiaoqi had already vanished without a trace.
Her speed was like that of a rabbit.
Su Jiamo spun around in frustration, sighing and stomping his feet.
"Hahaha, Young Master Su, what's wrong?" a voice, eager to witness the drama, called out.
Su Jiamo looked over and saw a familiar face before him.
He initially wanted to get angry, but quickly suppressed his emotions, adopting a detached expression. "Oh, it's Miss Zhao. Shouldn't you be staying in the capital to gather news? What are you doing here in Bazhou?"
"If I didn't come, how would I see Young Master Su looking so lovelorn?" Zhao Xiaohua's face was wreathed in a deep smile.
Su Jiamo was somewhat annoyed, but seeing the expression on Zhao Xiaohua's face wasn't mocking, he couldn't stay angry. He could only sigh, lowering his head, "Don't laugh at me. Aren't you in the same boat?"
Su Jiamo remembered Zhao Xiaohua's fondness for Shen Yun as well.
When he had secretly gone to find Su Xiaoqi in Zhao Family Village, he had seen Zhao Xiaohua secretly watching Shen Yun several times.
It was obvious to anyone that she liked him.
Zhao Xiaohua didn't deny it, admitting directly, "Ah, you know already, so you don't need to be too sad.
We are both unfortunate souls, so let's not mock each other."
Zhao Xiaohua's words caused Su Jiamo to sigh again.
"A true man goes after what he wants and takes it. Why sigh and annoy people?" Zhao Xiaohua glared at him impatiently.
She truly was a hopeless case; the sound of his exasperated sighs annoyed her.
"Heh, it's easy for you to say when you're not the one in this situation. Although I am now an official in the Crown Prince's residence, I can't compare to you, Miss Zhao."