Chapter 225 Misunderstanding

Chapter 225 Misunderstanding

As the sound drew closer, Shen Nanzi could only raise her finger to him, signaling him to be quiet, while she prepared to leave.

"There are people inside, please go around, young lady!"

Xie Yu's voice stopped the footsteps outside, and Shen Nanzi's arm was tightened again.

He led her into the deepest recess of the artificial hill, his figure blocking her view.

The Tu Xinya sisters outside seemed to be stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening, and their voices trembled slightly: "Sorry to bother you."

Then came the sound of two girls hurriedly leaving.

Shen Nanzi breathed a sigh of relief, as if an imminent crisis had been averted.

Looking up at Xie Yu, whose nose reeked of alcohol, she frowned and asked, "Why are you drinking?"

Xie Yu's eyes reddened: "A foreign envoy came. I know their language, so they asked me to accompany him. We just saw him off."

“A bunch of uncouth people, who have never tasted delicacies, drank our wine like cattle.”

Shen Nanzi realized that they were from Ningxi Kingdom. She had heard Xie Yan mention them before, and they had come to discuss the border.

The royal gardens are not far from the palace, extending three miles east of the city.

The scenery here is beautiful, with pavilions and terraces, where one can enjoy wine, admire the view, listen to music, and have fun. It is the perfect place to receive foreign envoys.

Shen Nanzi's gaze inadvertently fell on his loosened collar. No wonder he appeared here, so carefree and unrestrained.

It seems he drank too much and came out to sober up.

I wanted to ask about the recovery of his back and leg injuries, but he's clearly not very sober right now because he's been drinking.

Shen Nanzi didn't dare to linger. Staring at his restraining arms, she said, "Let go, Xie Yu, I have to go out."

"It's not good if someone sees us."

Xie Yu remained silent, staring at her face.

Shen Nanzi sensed that he was awake and realized that although things had not yet started between them, some things had already happened in secret.

Then, thinking of herself now, destined to spend the rest of her life with Xie Yan, she thought of Tu Xinya.

Even without Tu Xinya, there were other girls who thought about the pink tourmaline on their wrists. Perhaps they wore it today on a whim just to meet Xie Yu.

Let's start with this bracelet.

Without hesitation, she took it off her wrist. "This is very beautiful, and I like it, but it would be unreasonable for me to keep it."

Every time she sees it, it reminds her that she too was once secretly loved.

Give it to the girl who belongs to you!

His dark eyelashes fluttered, and the hazy look in his eyes faded, replaced by darkness.

Seeing that he refused to accept it, the tourmaline in Shen Nanzi's hand was like a hot potato, hanging between her fair fingers.

He smiled, his eyes reddened, and his lips were clearly upturned, yet it was heartbreaking to see.

"Once something is given away, there's no reason to take it back. The moment you see it, you feel it belongs to you."

That's all!

"Since I've given it to you, it's not appropriate to give it to anyone else."

"If you feel it's not right, just throw it away."

"You and I... will always be friends, won't we?"

His voice was very soft, but to Shen Nanzi's ears it sounded so heavy.

She nodded, her eyes stinging with tears. "Yes, we'll always be friends."

He had already set boundaries in his heart, but she was afraid of betraying his deep affection.

The longer she wasted time on her, the more guilty she felt.

She can respond to everything else, but not to feelings.

This is why she wanted to see Liefeng get married and live his own life.

Seeing the clarity in his eyes, Shen Nanzi asked, "Is your back injury still not healed?"

Thinking back to that day on the city wall, she was truly worried; how painful it would be if she developed a chronic illness.

"It's nothing, you just need to rest."

"What about your leg injury?"

"Anyway, we can walk."

Shen Nanzi had seen him several times; he walked slowly, and she couldn't see anything unusual about him.

"You need to cooperate with the doctor, okay?" Her voice was gentle.

Xie Yu's eyes softened slightly.

"I'll have Cheng'er grant you a fiefdom. Which one do you like?" Shen Nanzi was about to leave when she asked the question she had been wanting to ask all along.

He lowered his eyes and gazed at her. "I don't want a fiefdom. I like Luoyang."

"Even if you get the seal, you don't have to go."

Xie Yu remained silent, then stepped aside. "What? Are you leaving this for my descendants?"

Shen Nanzi remained silent.

“Your return gift is truly generous.” He laughed, releasing her arm and leaning against the side of the mountain: “Alright, when I get bored someday, I can come and lie down on my fiefdom, that’s not out of the question.”

When Shen Nanzi saw that he had accepted it, a smile appeared on her face, and a weight seemed to have been lifted from her heart.

Hearing no sound from outside, she dared not linger. She clenched the tourmaline in her hand and stepped out of the artificial hill.

The moment she stepped out of the artificial hill, she met a pair of cold eyes.

Xie Yan stood beside the rugged artificial hill, his crimson official robe appearing as if it were covered with a thin layer of frost.

The fabric was embroidered with subtle cloud patterns, and despite the warm spring day, it seemed to radiate a cold and elegant light.

His face was already angular and sharp, with his jawline taut into a cold, hard arc.

Her lips were pressed tightly together, and her deep, unfathomable eyes were fixed intently on him.

The chill in his eyes almost solidified into icicles, sharp and embedded in her body.

Shen Nanzi had no idea where he had heard that, but a group of girls walked over, laughing and talking.

She reached out and took his sleeve, leading him to a more secluded place.

His steps were noticeably stiff, and even his arms were strained.

Shen Nanzi laboriously led him to a dead corner by the lake, where there were trees, a wall, and fallen leaves all over the ground.

As he stopped, Xie Yan pulled back his sleeve.

Shen Nanzi gazed quietly at the ground and sighed softly.

Before she could even speak, Xie Yan's voice was cold, suppressing her anger, "You and Xie Yu were having a secret rendezvous at the rockery?"

Shen Nanzi's fingers tightened slightly. "No, it was just an accidental encounter."

Xie Yan gave a soft snort, a bitter feeling rising in her heart, "You have him in your heart?"

Shen Nanzi denied it, saying, "He and I are good friends."

"A close friend?" He grabbed her hand and took the tourmaline bracelet from her palm. "A close friend would gift something like this?"

Shen Nanzi gazed at the bracelet hanging in his hand.

Xie Yan was furious, but still suppressed her voice: "This is a private exchange. Shen Nanzi, you accepted it and even wore it. You did it knowingly."

"It's not what you think. He bought two, and gave one to his sister-in-law," Shen Nanzi explained.

Xie Yan was so angry that his teeth ached. "It seems he still has a sense of shame, sending two as a cover, but his true intentions are obvious."

"Pink tourmaline, secretly admired and adored."

"Shen Nanzi, how is this any different from a personal confession?"

Shen Nanzi pursed her lips, "I am not destined to be with him in this life, so don't be unreasonable!"

"I'm being unreasonable?" Xie Yan's eyes were filled with pain. "Are you regretting it?"

Shen Nanzi remained silent, only feeling guilty. "How can I explain it to you for you to believe me? He and I are just friends!"

"I will never believe you or Xie Yu. You abandoned your reputation to save him. How can I believe you?" Xie Yan asked in a deep voice.

Shen Nanzi didn't want to argue with him. She took the tourmaline from his hand and said, "Xie Yan, don't say anything more. I will deal with this bracelet."

"Let's go back!"