Xu Hengyan paused for a long moment at the door before slowly raising his hand to push it open.
She wasn't here.
She wouldn't be coming again.
Realizing this, Xu Hengyan's heart instantly felt half-empty.
~
Over the next few days, Xu Hengyan continued to return to his room very late.
A faint hope lingered in his heart: perhaps she would still hide on the roof beams waiting for him, just like last time?
What if he returned too early and she found someone in the room, refusing to sneak in?
But every night, when he pushed open that door, he was met only by coldness and loneliness.
She never came again.
She was such a proud person; after being hurt by his indifferent attitude, how could she possibly come looking for him?
Young Master Xie never lacked friends.
What was he, in comparison?
This was for the best, then.
Staying away from someone with such impure thoughts as himself would prevent her from being dragged into the mire.
"Young Master..."
Seeing the Young Master rubbing the edge of the bathtub until his hands were bloody.
Guang Bai couldn't help but let out a sound.
Why put himself through this? Why not reconcile with Young Master Xie?
The words had just reached Guang Bai's lips, unspoken, when he heard a commotion outside.
"Young Master Xie, Young Master Xie... the Young Master isn't back yet..."
This was what Xu Hengyan had instructed earlier: if Xie Jiang came looking for him, say he wasn't there.
"Do you think I'm blind? Someone is clearly inside..."
Hearing Xie Jiang's voice, Guang Bai immediately tensed. "Young Master, Young Master Xie is here. Do you... do you want to see her?"
Xu Hengyan's eyes lit up instantly, and he got up from the bathtub.
Listening to Xie Jiang's rambling words outside, his heart felt as if it were being torn into pieces.
She was drunk!
So, she hadn't forgotten him the moment she turned away.
At this moment, a series of crashing sounds, like porcelain shattering on the floor, came from outside, followed by the sound of someone falling.
"Young Master Xie—"
The guards and servants in the courtyard cried out in unison.
She had fallen!
Xu Hengyan, without even wiping the water off his body, hastily put on his clothes. As he reached the doorway, his foot paused, and after a long hesitation, he ultimately did not open the door.
"Go out and take a look," Xu Hengyan instructed Guang Bai.
Guang Bai hesitated. "And if Young Master Xie insists on forcing her way in, should I stop her or not?"
Xu Hengyan gritted his teeth. "Stop her."
A sharp pain was better than a lingering one. Softening his heart now would only harm her.
Guang Bai felt a pang of distress. "But Young Master Xie... if it comes to a fight, I won't be able to stop her..."
Xu Hengyan shot him a fierce glance.
Guang Bai dared not waste any more words and hurried out.
In the brief moment it took to open the door, Xu Hengyan saw Xie Jiang lying on the ground, with shattered wine jars scattered around her.
The servants in his courtyard tried to help her up, but she had drunk so much that even with their support, she was swaying and unable to stand.
Xu Hengyan instinctively reached out, but his hand grasped at empty air. Immediately, the door was closed by Guang Bai.
"Young Master Xie, how much have you drunk to be this drunk? Where are Nie Tong and the others? Why aren't they with you? Aren't they worried about you coming out alone?"
A strong scent of alcohol hit him as soon as he approached. Guang Bai slung Xie Jiang's arm over his shoulder, half-dragging, half-carrying her up.
"Guang Bai!" Xie Jiang grabbed Guang Bai's chin, turning it back and forth to confirm she wasn't mistaken!
Young Master Xie's grip was incredibly strong, and Guang Bai felt like his jaw was about to break. "Hey, hey, hey, it's me, it's me. Young Master Xie is so drunk, yet she still recognizes people."
"I knew they were lying to me! Xu Hengyan came back long ago, didn't he?" Xie Jiang's eyes turned unusually fierce, and her grip was equally brutal.
Guang Bai's forehead veins bulged from the pain. "You can grab my chin, but why are you shaking it back and forth? My jaw isn't made of iron!"
"No, no, no, no, no, no... they didn't lie to you. Who would dare lie to Young Master Xie? The Young Master really hasn't returned. The Young Master isn't coming back tonight. I came back to get something."
Guang Bai dared not tell Xie Jiang that his Young Master was deliberately avoiding her and didn't want to see her. If the Young Master hadn't brought himself to say such decisive words to Xie Jiang, how could he dare to speak carelessly?
The Young Master seemed to just want to cool Xie Jiang down. Guang Bai naturally wouldn't say anything more. Perhaps they would reconcile tomorrow, so what would be the consequence of speaking too definitively?
"You're still trying to lie to me!"
"Aow! I really didn't lie to you. I came back to get clean clothes for the Young Master. You arrived just after I entered the room. I was looking for clothes, ah..."
Xie Jiang forcefully flung her arm, and Guang Bai was thrown out, hitting the steps in front of the house.
Without anyone to brace herself against, Xie Jiang staggered and fell to the ground.
Guang Bai rolled down the steps. While silently crying out in his heart for his Young Master to save him, he once again stepped forward to help Xie Jiang up.
"Young Master Xie, let me escort you back first..."
"Get lost!"
Xie Jiang kicked him away. Unable to stand, she simply sat on the ground, facing the flickering lights of the room.
"Xu Hengyan, I know you're inside. I know you can hear me. Xu Hengyan, tell me clearly, why did you suddenly stop being with me? Did I do something wrong?"
Guang Bai crawled back. "Young Master Xie, you're sitting on the wine..."
Xie Jiang was sitting amidst broken wine jars. Guang Bai couldn't pull her up, so he picked up the shards and threw them aside.
Xie Jiang gazed at the light in the room, calling out Xu Hengyan's name. "Xu Hengyan, tell me, what exactly did I do wrong? I've been thinking these past few days, what did I do wrong that made you angry? I... tell me what I did wrong, I can change it. Why aren't you talking to me anymore..."
Xu Hengyan leaned against the bathroom door, his heart already shattered into a thousand pieces.
He didn't even dare to walk to the outer room, afraid he would be unable to resist opening the door...
Then all the effort he had put in these past few days would be in vain.
But she was crying.
He could clearly hear the sob in her voice.
Such a defiant and proud person, now debasing herself to beg for his forgiveness...
Xu Hengyan suddenly hated himself immensely! He hated himself for making her abandon her pride!
She hadn't done anything wrong!
She didn't need to be like this!
Xu Hengyan even couldn't help but think that perhaps he should have been more resolute, to avoid causing her so much pain.
Seeing Xie Jiang so humble, Guang Bai's heart ached terribly.
Xie Jiang should be domineering, flamboyant, carefree, and unrestrained...
In any case, she shouldn't be like this.
"Young Master Xie, your clothes are wet with wine, they're all soaked. Let me escort you back?" Guang Bai cautiously approached, intending to help her.
Sitting on the ground was uncomfortable. Xie Jiang grabbed his collar and pulled him down to sit with her.
"Xie, Xie Young Master?"
Guang Bai's head was dazed from the fall for a while. He struggled a bit, but dared not overdo it for fear of hurting her.
How many days had it been since Nie Tong and Da Chui died? How could they let a drunk Xie Jiang out? Weren't they afraid Xie Jiang would tear down the Ninghe County Office!
The two servants and two guards were stunned. They wanted to rescue Guang Bai but didn't know where to start. One servant cleverly went to drag Guang Bai's leg, trying to pull out the human cushion that was Guang Bai.
The human cushion wasn't pulled out. Xie Jiang sat firmly on Guang Bai's back. Originally, they were some distance from the main house, but with this dragging, they were almost at the steps.
Guang Bai kicked the servant.
"Move again!"
Xie Jiang slapped the top of his head, making Guang Bai's eyes flash with golden light.
Guang Bai dared not move for a moment.
Xie Jiang looked up at the lights in the room, continuously calling Xu Hengyan's name.
With every call, Xu Hengyan's psychological defenses crumbled a little more.