It was still early. When Meng Ruyi stood at the door and saw it open, a look of utter shock flashed across her face. Had Brother Song been standing here all along? How come she hadn't heard his footsteps? Could it be that he had been silently watching her while she hesitated at the door just now?
Meng Ruyi's mind went blank. She watched as Song Huaizhi moistened his lips and a rather alluring smile appeared on his usually calm face.
For a moment, she was in a daze, feeling as if it was only natural for her and Song Huaizhi to be standing here.
"Brother... Brother Song," she stammered, swallowing hard. She felt this was the most embarrassing moment of her life.
The previous night, she had kissed the man in front of her under the influence of alcohol. And now, he had caught her lingering at the door. Oh, god!
"I came to invite you for breakfast," Song Huaizhi said. He noticed that Meng Ruyi was clearly flustered and wanted to run away. When she saw him open the door, she had even taken a step back instinctively.
"Okay, come in," she replied.
Hearing this, Song Huaizhi gave a faint smile. He took a step back and leaned against the door, winking at Meng Ruyi.
He was doing it on purpose! If she wanted to go in, she would have to brush past him. But instead of going in, he just stood there at the door, looking at her with a teasing smile on his face.
The live - stream comments had said that Song Huaizhi had stood outside her door for a long time last night. When she woke up, he seemed to have changed. He was no longer avoiding her as before.
What on earth had he been thinking?
Filled with questions, Meng Ruyi smelled the faint, cold fragrance on Song Huaizhi as she walked in sideways. It was as cold as the man himself.
She took a light breath, buried her head, and quickened her steps.
Song Huaizhi found it amusing. Wasn't she bold just a few days ago? Why was she suddenly so shy today?
After breakfast, Meng Ruyi sighed deeply, feeling that she was in for a tough day. She unconsciously rubbed her nose nervously, not daring to look at the countless "hahaha" comments on the live - stream, full of schadenfreude.
Surprisingly, for the rest of the day, Song Huaizhi remained as calm as if nothing had happened. It was as if the incident of him blocking her at the door that morning had never occurred.
Gradually, Meng Ruyi's heart began to settle down.
The night was quiet, and the gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.
Meng Ruyi looked at the waning moon in the sky. Standing at the entrance of Song Huaizhi's small courtyard, seeing that he didn't go in but just looked at her, she said, "Brother Song, don't see me off anymore. You've been busy all day. Go back and rest early."
Unexpectedly, the man in front of her took a step forward, rubbed her face, and said softly, "Hurry up. I'll see you off."
Whoosh—
Song Huaizhi's big hand on her head made Meng Ruyi take a sharp breath in her heart. A faint blush appeared on her face.
It was a very short journey. Meng Ruyi really wanted to look up to see where she was, but she didn't dare. She was afraid that their eyes would meet and that he would see her uneasiness.
But she didn't know that all her little actions at this moment were in full view of the man in front of her. Song Huaizhi no longer bothered to hide his gaze. He just stared at Meng Ruyi, not missing the blush on the tips of her ears.
"We're here!" Meng Ruyi exclaimed when she saw the familiar corner. She wished she could hug the door of her room and hide behind it.
Looking up, she saw Song Huaizhi looking at her intently. The maids and servants who had been following them were nowhere to be seen. It was quiet all around, and there was only Song Huaizhi and herself.
"Yuyu," Song Huaizhi said softly, looking at her, "Why didn't you talk to me today?"
Meng Ruyi was taken aback. She stammered and couldn't answer, keeping her head down.
"… I," she bit her tongue, forcing herself to calm down, "I was a bit tired today and had a lot of things to do. I didn't want to bother you."
Both of them knew whether this logic held water or not.
The former Song Huaizhi might have just let it go and not bothered Meng Ruyi about it. But today's Song Huaizhi was different. His eyes were deep and intense, like an unfathomable deep pool, looking at Meng Ruyi.
"Yuyu is still trying to fob me off," Song Huaizhi said with a hint of complaint, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, showing a doting smile. "But what if I don't believe you?"
【Ahhhhh, Brother Song!!! You've finally stepped up! I didn't expect it. Hahaha. You're really something, Song Huaizhi!】
【Oh my god, my heart is pounding. Yesterday it was Yuyu taking the initiative, but today it's Song Huaizhi!】
【LMAO. Yuyu is so cute! She's so squishy. I just want to hug and kiss her.】
【Hey, you up there. Aren't you afraid of being hunted down by Song Huaizhi in the middle of the night?】
The live - stream comments became lively, but Meng Ruyi had no time to look at them. All her attention was on the man in front of her.
"What's wrong?" Song Huaizhi chuckled. "Is Yuyu shy?"
Thump, thump, thump—
Meng Ruyi could hear her heart pounding like a drum, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
She opened her mouth, about to come up with a new excuse, when Song Huaizhi bent down slightly, looking her straight in the eye gently.
"Yuyu."
It was like a sigh. Before Meng Ruyi could react, she felt a warm touch on her lips.
Unlike the previous night, the man in front of her was not satisfied with just a brief touch. He deepened the kiss, plundering the warmth in her mouth. One hand was fixed at the back of her head, and the other was on her waist, pulling her tightly into his arms.
All her hesitation and doubt melted into tenderness at this moment.
When she came to her senses, she saw Song Huaizhi slowly take out a handkerchief. He smiled at her and said, "Good night, Yuyu."
Then, he gently wiped the corner of Meng Ruyi's mouth and turned around to leave.
Meng Ruyi: "…"
Was he taking revenge for her leaving after the kiss last night?
She wiped her lips. The lingering touch still seemed to be there.
Although Meng Ruyi felt a bit annoyed in her heart, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a faint smile.
She stood there in a daze for a while. When she turned around, she saw that the door of the courtyard had opened at some point. Jingzhe was standing not far behind the door, holding a sword. Seeing her turn around, Jingzhe smiled.
Meng Ruyi's scalp went numb.
She felt a bit guilty for no reason. But then she heard Jingzhe say, "Come in, Miss. Don't catch a cold."
All the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. Meng Ruyi finally understood what it meant when a scholar meets a soldier. Looking at Jingzhe's calm expression, she couldn't help but sigh.
For the next few months, Meng Ruyi was so busy that she had no time to catch her breath.
All she could think about when she opened and closed her eyes were the shops and account books. She had to arrange the local industries with Song Huaizhi before she left, so she was constantly busy and had a headache every day.