Section 1

"What happened to your foot?" Fu Xizhou finally noticed that her walking posture was somewhat unusual

A heart that was lifted suddenly fell down hard. But immediately after, her heart soared high again, as if it were spinning and flipping on a roller coaster

She also felt foolish, utterly hopelessly foolish. This man left her at the wedding, and now, just before midnight, he found her, and she actually felt relieved. A normal person would have scolded him harshly or even slapped him twice, driving him out the door; that would have been satisfying enough to comfort her deep sorrow.

His hand movements froze.

Ruan Ruan recalled what she had said to Feng Ling. Yes, the extent to which she longed to know the answer was matched only by her fear of knowing it.

What? Her voice was very low, and Fu Xizhou did not hear clearly

She opened her mouth wide, and after a long moment of realization, she anxiously asked, "Ah, how is she doing now?"

"Oh, I sprained it, but it's nothing serious," she replied nonchalantly, turning to ask him, "What would you like to drink? We have tea and juice."

This is her twelve

What exactly did I do to this girl that made her feel so anxious to this extent

He went to the kitchen and found some ice cubes in the refrigerator, then took a small towel from the bathroom to wrap the ice cubes. He sat down beside her and placed her feet flat on his legs. She couldn't help but shrink back, but he held her firmly. This sudden intimacy made her face flush slightly

She is fully aware of all these things, yet she is powerless against her own heart and against him. When he stands quietly in front of her, when he calls her name with a sigh, when his fingers cover her eyes, she has already forgiven him

He glanced at her and said, "If it hurts, just say it."

As she turned to enter the room, the first thing Ruan Ruan did was glance at the wall clock, which read 23:40. She let out a deep sigh and murmured, "Fortunately, it hasn't passed midnight..."

He is the fate from which she cannot escape

He suddenly recalled many years ago, on a night in the ancient town, when they sat in the courtyard watching the stars. The night sky was brilliant, and she looked up, earnestly and patiently pointing out the distant stars in the night sky, telling him, that is the Ursa Major, that is the Big Dipper, that is the Scorpius. She said, "Twelve, do you know why I like it here? Because it is simple and pure. The people here, the mountains and waters, every blade of grass and every tree, all make me feel simple and pure, making me feel comfortable. That is the Big Dipper, that is the Scorpius. She said, 'Twelve, do you know why I like it here? Because it is simple and pure. The people here, the mountains and waters, every blade of grass and every tree, all make me feel simple and pure, making me feel comfortable. I am most afraid of troublesome and complicated matters!"

However, at this moment, he took the initiative to bring it up, and she followed up with the question: "Why?" As soon as the words left her mouth, a wave of anxiety surged within her

Then let me be a fool, as there are so many smart people in the world, one less does not matter. Let me be a fool who finds joy in my own way. Ruan Ruan sighed and closed her eyes.

He did not know how fortunate she felt that he appeared before her before midnight on their wedding night. During their time in the ancient town of Muyu, she had heard Fengling's mother mention a folk custom that couples who sleep in separate rooms on their wedding night find it difficult to stay together for a lifetime.

When Ruan Ruan opened the door of the hotel and saw the figure standing at the entrance, her first reaction was to close her eyes, then slowly open them again. Then she closed her eyes once more and opened them again. This repeated three times. Her expression was a mix of surprise, disbelief, and a hint of joy

He has done his utmost to control his strength, yet Ruan Ruan still feels a piercing pain, but she grits her teeth and endures it

He kept waiting for her to ask, but she never spoke up.

She let out a deep sigh and frowned: "At this moment, how can you not be by her side? She is the one who needs you the most"

She wiped away the tear stains at the corner of her eyes, and the corners of her mouth slightly curled up: "It's nothing."

It seemed as if she saw the silent and tender version of him from many years ago returning once again

He gazed at her for a long time, and finally, the words that surged to his lips became: "Because, I suddenly received a call from the nursing home, my mother... committed suicide."

All the sadness, grievances, and unease dissipated in this moment, transforming into concern for his mother

From their reunion to his proposal, it has only been a short six months, and the time since they truly established their relationship is merely two months. Their most intimate contact has been limited to holding hands, and the frequency has not been high.

She shook her head and said, "It doesn't hurt."

Ruan Ruan closed her eyes, feeling the temperature from his fingertips on her eyelids. The cool touch brought her back to consciousness; this was not an illusion, nor a dream. At this moment, he was truly standing in front of her

There is.

He paused his actions, raised his head to meet her gaze. She sat with her back to the light, her entire face shrouded in shadow, making it difficult to discern her expression. However, her eyes shone like stars, fixed on him without blinking. Within them, there was both anticipation and unease.

"Twelve..." she murmured, not wanting to cry, telling herself deep down, "Don't cry, absolutely don't cry, you mustn't shed tears in front of him." She knew that, many times, tears were a powerful weapon for girls, but at this moment, she truly did not want to use tears to accuse him.

In the small living room, only a floor lamp was turned on, casting a warm yellow light upon him. He turned his face slightly, lowering his head gently, with his wrist rising and falling lightly. His focused and tender demeanor stirred a bittersweet feeling in her heart, bringing tears to her eyes

He averted his gaze and no longer looked at her

"I am sorry, Ruan Ruan..." His fingers remained over her eyes, and her tears seemed like flames, burning his fingers. At this moment, he truly lacked the courage to look directly into those clear, misty eyes; he feared that he would not even be able to say 'I am sorry' with conviction.

The entire world has fallen silent, except for him

Fu Xizhou set down the ice cubes and, upon raising his eyes, found her staring at him in a daze. He cleared his throat lightly and gently pressed her instep with his fingertip, saying, "I will help you massage it a bit more; it needs to promote blood circulation."

Regarding his mother, she actually did not know much, only hearing fragments from her grandfather Ruan Rongsheng. This woman was willing to bear the stigma to give birth to this child who was not acknowledged by the Fu family. When Fu Xizhou was fourteen years old, she suffered a mental breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, later transferred to a nursing home. Ruan Ruan had only seen her once, on the day after their wedding was confirmed, when he took her to visit the nursing home. Upon seeing her for the first time, Ruan Ruan was very surprised; how to describe it? She had never seen such a beautiful woman, who should have been around fifty years old, yet her features were truly beautiful, though her complexion was frighteningly pale, her eyes hollow and devoid of life, like a beautiful puppet without a soul. On the eve of their wedding, she had asked him: "Will your mother come?" Seeing his expression change slightly, she realized that she had probably asked the wrong question. In such a public setting, with all the relatives and friends of the Fu family present, there would be no place for his mother.

Because she was fully aware that choosing to forgive him rather than push him away would bring her some relief in her heart

Fu Xizhou's heart inexplicably stuttered; he reached out and covered her eyes with his hand

Seeing him silent, Ruan Ruan felt a chill in her heart and hurriedly grasped his hand: "What is your mother's condition, exactly?"

In the past, I have never liked anyone, nor did I know how to like someone. Even putting forth my utmost effort to do something like this is a first for me. Therefore, please do not blame my clumsiness and recklessness, alright

"How did you get injured?" he asked

Bang

She hesitated for a moment before gently replying: "I fell while looking for you."

Despite the thick layers of clothing between them, he felt the heat of her palm on his arm was almost searing. He discreetly brushed her hand aside and gently said, "You are out of danger now"

"I am sorry..." After a pause, he slowly began to speak, "Why don't you ask me the reason?"

He sighed inwardly, wondering how it could not hurt. If it were another girl, she would have probably shouted out loud by now; she truly has remarkable endurance.

He glanced at her, then lowered his head again, gently moving the ice towel in his hand over her swollen instep.

"Ruan Ruan, it is I." In the sighing tone, emotions are complex. Fatigue, guilt, and a hint of faint heartache

The last words spoken by Fu Lingtian echoed in his mind again—Xi Zhou, you know the consequences.

Fu Xizhou held onto Ruan Ruan, who was about to go to the small kitchen to fetch something to drink, and pressed her down onto the sofa, lifting her pajama pants. Her bruised instep came into his view, and he frowned: "Do you have any ice?"