Whether he would come to regret it or not, he had already made his decision. He could only wait for Ling’er to wake up and see her reaction.

He could not blame her for being angry with him. Anyone who had been deceived for so many years would be angry, let alone Ling’er and her personality.

Feng Jiuxiao’s expression was as cold as jade. Yet, under that front, his heart was a roiling mess. He had never been able to feel at ease when mulling over this matter.

There was a small kitchen next door that he had specially repaired. The purpose was to make it convenient for him to cook for Ling’er to eat personally.

While they resided on Mount Qi, he had always been the one to prepare Ling’er’s breakfast. More than anyone else, he knew what kinds of food she enjoyed eating most.

He had prepared three desserts and a glass of soy milk.

He was skilled in making these, and it did not take him long to finish preparing them. He then placed the three desserts on a tray alongside the glass of soy milk and exited the kitchen.

–

Meanwhile, in the room…

Ling’er slept a little late last night and woke up later than she usually did that morning. When she opened her eyes, the sun was already high.

She stared at the ceiling above her head and felt waves of pain lancing through her skull. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed in a silent grimace as waves of pain struck her.

It continued for half an hour, her eyes chilling as the minutes ticked by. After what seemed like an age, she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to shower.

She did not have a habit of showering in the morning, but it felt like one of those days where a shower would help organise her thoughts.

She stepped out of the bathroom in her nightgown with her hair still wet.

Feng Jiuxiao returned to the room with breakfast and saw Ling’er sitting at the head of the bed. He stopped cold, unsure how to proceed.

He feared the look of disgust he saw in his mind’s eye. He feared she would turn away from him now that she remembered the past.

He had always been cold and arrogant, his actions swift and decisive.

Yet, there he stood, not daring to take another step.

Ling’er was conscious of Feng Jiuxiao’s return, but she did not have the heart to spare him a glance. All she wanted was to be alone, somewhere where she did not need to see or talk to him.

The silence was deafening. It was as if the world had fallen into a hush, where not even the wind blew or the leaves rustled.

Eventually, Feng Jiuxiao broke the stalemate. Thinking that Ling’er must be hungry, he entered the room with breakfast in hand.

With Feng Jiuxiao’s long legs, he instantly covered the distance of five metres from the door to the table. He placed the tray with the three desserts and soy milk on the table, not uttering a word.

He looked at Ling’er. The smile she used to aim his way whenever he brought breakfast was absent.

Ling’er barely acknowledged his presence. She had remained as still as a statue from the moment he entered. Although he could only see her side profile, it was more than enough for Feng Jiuxiao to see how bad of a mood she was in.

He had braced himself for the inevitable, but still, his heart could not bear the weight of her apathy.

Ling’er was pregnant. It was not a good idea to anger her more than he already had.

“Ling’er, I’ve made breakfast. If… if you want to talk about it, we can talk after breakfast. You need to keep your strength up.”

Feng Jiuxiao hoped she would respond, or if not, at least pretend that she had heard him. However, his hopes were dashed. Ling’er did not even look his way, ruthlessly staring ahead of her into blank space. It was clear she did not want to see him.

“I-I’ll go out first.”

He beat a hasty retreat out the door, his steps flitting across the wooden floor silently.

Feng Jiuxiao sat on the sofa in the living room. He poured himself a cup of hot water from the thermos on the coffee table and took a sip. For one reason or another, he could not get rid of the dryness in his mouth and throat.

–

Ling’er waited for Feng Jiuxiao to leave before reanimating from her statuesque state. She only needed a glance to know Feng Jiuxiao had just prepared the food.

After spending so many years together, she knew what the food Feng Jiuxiao cooked looked and smelled like.

She sat at the table, but she had no appetite.

Ling’er picked up the bottle of soy milk and took a sip. It tasted no different from usual. Why was it then that she could not bring herself to swallow?

–

Feng Jiuxiao sat outside for an hour. Now and then, he would stare at the closed door, wondering if Ling’er had eaten breakfast.

One whole hour. Hesitantly, he got up and opened the door. The food he had painstakingly prepared sat untouched on the table; the soy milk looked like someone had taken a sip from it but decided it was not to their liking.

Ling’er was on the balcony, sitting on a deck chair with a book in her hands. She looked exactly as she always did.

Even so, Feng Jiuxiao knew everything had changed.

Ling’er was not the same. The woman in his memories would never be so calm. She would vent her frustrations and settle her grievances before packing up and walking out the door, never looking back.

Perhaps it was strange, but he preferred that over the silent treatment she was giving him now. He would rather she vent than bottle up her feelings. The way she was behaving only made him feel worse.

Now, more than ever before, Feng Jiuxiao feared she would leave without saying anything.

Washing the dishes proved a fruitless endeavour, so he gave up. Instead, he walked up to her, bent down on his knees and held her hand. He could feel her struggle against his grip, but she was not strong enough to throw him off.

“Ling’er, I know that I am very selfish. I don’t expect you to forgive me. My only hope is that you won’t leave me.”

Ling’er wanted to pull away, but the hands around hers were like a vice, unyielding. She could not compare to Feng Jiuxiao’s strength, but that did not stop her from trying. She did not want to speak to him, not now, while she could not remain calm in his mere presence.

“You are more than selfish. You are ruthless. You separated Xiao Bao and me for more than ten years. How old is she? How could you separate us like that?”

Feng Jiuxia’s mouth opened and closed. He wanted to defend himself but stopped. No explanation he gave could make up for his mistake; they would all be excuses.

Ling’er was right. Not only was he selfish, but also ruthless.

Otherwise, how could he do such a thing?

Ling’er took a deep breath, reigning in her emotions. She was afraid Xiao Jiu and Xiao Bao would overhear the shouting and come running.

“Do you still remember what I said back then?” She asked.

Of course, Feng Jiuxiao remembered. On that rainy night, so many years ago, she suddenly came up to him and said, “I like you. Do you like me?”

His response was a nod.

She happily continued: “My father wants to marry me to Yang Quan. I don’t like him. I like you and want to be with you. Take me home.”

He had not figured out if his feelings for her were romantic or strictly platonic. However, he did not deny liking her. He liked her lively and innocent personality.

If she had not said that her father wanted to marry her to another man, he would not have brought her home so suddenly. Feng Jiuxiao did not want her to marry another man.

He knew that he did not want her to marry another man deep down.

So, he agreed to bring her home.

They agreed to leave the following night.

She packed a small suitcase and did not bring anything else when they left.

He remembered how she leaned against his chest in the car and said, “My father and brother are very good to me, except for their wanting me to get married. I’ve abandoned my life and left everything behind for you. If you betray me, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll cast a spell to punish you if you’re unfaithful.”

Although Ling’er said that, when she learned that he was married to Qianhui, she did not cast a spell on him. She could not do it.