His eyes were stinging him, Fang Su could no longer pretend to be indifferent, he looked at the person in front of him with misty eyes, he didn’t dare open his mouth, fearing that once he tried to speak he would be unable to restrain his tears from falling.
No matter whether Tang QiaoYuan really liked him or not, at least he himself had fallen deeply. Fang Su wasn’t a hypocritical person, as long as there was hope, he naturally was willing and even wished to continue having Tang QiaoYuan, and to continue to remain by his side.
The reason why he left last night was that he was feeling dread in his heart, afraid that once he woke up from his sleep he would see the unfamiliar gaze in Tang QiaoYuan’s eyes, or something even more hurtful, with an attitude colder than ice and a look of disgust.
However, Fang Su certainly did not want to leave.
What gathering enough traveling expenses, or staying temporarily at the private school, teacher Wang was obviously a kind-hearted person, he could have asked to borrow some silver and return to his home village earlier to make a living, then slowly pay it back later.
But Fang Su didn’t do that.
He would rather find an excuse and apologize for the disturbance, if it could allow him to stay one day in LinZhou city it would still be one more day, he only wished to stay a little bit closer to Tang QiaoYuan, leaving him a chance to look at him from a distance, to inquire about his mood and safety, and live alone in the shadows, it would be enough for him to feel some sort of consolation and won’t let him feel like he had lost his way.
Yet, the reality of it was always far from people’s expectations, Tang QiaoYuan didn’t even give him the space of a day, he actually came to claim him once he had woken up and brought him back to the mansion.
Fang Su didn’t get to close his eyes last night, laid alone on the bed, broken-hearted, he imagined many things that could possibly happen, anything but the current scene before his eyes, just like back then when he suddenly got married to Tang QiaoYuan, everything happened so abruptly and unexpected, catching him off guard.
Now that Tang QiaoYuan has finished sharing the thoughts in his heart, he simply relied on this story to comfort and calm him, then lowered his eyes and looked at him tenderly, waiting for his response.
Tang QiaoYuan’s fingers were still slowly traveling on Fang Su’s cheek, after a moment, his thumb softly touched the corners of his watery eyes, those eyes couldn’t help but blink, and the tears he was holding back for so long trickled down into two lines.
Fang Su lowered his head in embarrassment, yesterday he endured it for a whole day without shedding a single tear, now that his feelings are being stirred up, the cracks keep getting bigger. Fang Su did not want him to see him aggrieved, but he couldn’t hide it, Tang QiaoYuan’s fingers got wet, the thing in his chest was hurting him like it was pricked with a needle, the feeling of pity got a step ahead of the thoughts in his mind and he inexplicably wanted to coax him.
Tang QiaoYuan did not raise Fang Su’s face but was the one who leaned over and inclined his head and kissed Fang Su’s cheek, with the intent of comforting him. The salty tears that had fallen into his mouth seemed to taste slightly sweet, after a while, his eyes showed a smile, and suddenly kissed that pair of lips.
That kiss was as gentle as ever, Fang Su closed his eyes, his palm was resting on his chest, feeling the steady heartbeats coming from within, gradually, it finally gave him some peace of mind.
Tang QiaoYuan was sucking on Fang Su’s lips, in fact, he would have never expected himself suddenly to do that. But just for a moment, he saw that pair of eyes full of complicated feelings, the deep feelings bind with very strong grievance and happiness, which made him extremely soft-hearted.
He couldn’t tell if it was a habit or something else, Tang QiaoYuan thought in a trance, he initially thought that he brought Fang Su back to the mansion because of his conscience, but objectively speaking, he seemed to be unable to not gently treat this wife of his. Moreover, with how innocent Fang Su is, although it wasn’t of his own will, no matter how you put it he was still the destined one who could ease his love poison at that time.
Now that they are already married, so he didn’t want Fang Su to be implicated in this matter, he still wants to give him the best, to dote on him, to sympathize with him, in response to the deep love he was hiding when he firmly handed him the cup of antidote.
The more Tang QiaoYuan thought about this, the more he felt pleased, in the past his sentimental bonds were weak, to use Qin MeiWan’s ridiculous way to describe it, one could say that he was apathetic. But how can it really be true, Tang QiaoYuan’s inner self could actually be described as gentle and delicate, he certainly will never easily betray one’s heart, only that his heart is not big and will not easily give it to the first one he meets.
Before, he never thought about finding someone to spend his life with, but now, it seems that it should be Fang Su.
Tang QiaoYuan thought about it for too long, while he softly kissed Fang Su’s lips, he didn’t let go for a long time, until Fang Su’s hand which was on his chest slowly slid down, showing some faintness and tiredness. He opened his eyes and withdrew a few inches away, looked at Fang Su’s teary eyes, indistinct shadows under his eyes, he asked: “Did you sleep last night?”
Fang Su was indeed sleepy, slowly opened his eyes and nodded, after looking at the expression in his eyes, he then honestly shook his head. Tang QiaoYuan let out a low chuckle, bent down to carry him to the bed, took off his socks and shoes for him, and covered him with a thin quilt.
After Fang Su touched the warm bed, he finally relaxed his heavy state of mind, he opened his eyes before sleeping, seeing Tang QiaoYuan sitting beside the bed with no intention to leave, he hesitated a bit, his hand reached out from under the quilt and touched his fingers.
Tang QiaoYuan curved his lips and grasped his hand, to make him at ease, he did not loosen his grasp, sitting next to the bed to accompany him for a long time.
The sound of cicadas outside was faint, becoming more and more tranquil.
The matter about the love poison has temporarily come to a stop, apart from Bai Ping, the people in the mansion has no knowledge of it, only seeing the doorkeeper scratch his head in the early morning, not understanding why the master would go out alone early in the morning, and he returned unexpectedly with a wife, as for when did Fang Su went out, he completely did not have an impression of it.
The doorkeeper was only worried that the master would blame him for taking a nap during the night, but seeing that Tang QiaoYuan did not pursue this matter, he exaggeratedly let out a sigh of relief, happily switching with someone else to guard the door and went to sleep.
Everything was like usual, however in a courtyard somewhere in the mansion, the atmosphere was very different.
Read the original translation at milkteatranslations.wordpress.com
The Jade courtyard on the other side of the garden was surrounded by a dozen servants, Qin MeiWan can’t even take half a step out of the courtyard, knocking over almost everything in the room that could be broken.
The maids in the courtyard were trembling with fear, really couldn’t bear it anymore, and could only run to the main courtyard to find Bai Ping.
It was already afternoon, the sun hadn’t set, Bai Ping happened to have some leisure time, sitting at the rock table in the main courtyard, she was wrapping colorful threads around the flower hairpin in her hand, after hearing what the person who arrived said, her hand paused and lifted her head: “What are you in a hurry for? Just let her vent.”
The maid’s face showed some awkwardness: “Miss Bai Ping, when the lady is angry she throws things at random, no matter what she is holding she would just hit us with it…”
“Then don’t enter her room, when sending meals and picking up things, just be fast, lock her for a few more days.” Bai Ping replied with a smile, turned her head to look at the bedroom’s window, and could see the person who was currently reading to Fang Su, “it isn’t worthy to disturb the master just because of her.”
The maid could not refute, seeing that in her words that she didn’t have the intention of being lenient, could only reply by “Yes”, made a salute, and left.
Bai Ping continued to wrap the flower hairpin with a happy smile on her face, after a while she collected the end of the thread, picked up the bronze mirror, and pinned it on the hair bun, she admired herself in the mirror and found it pleasing to the eye, even the air in the mansion became quite refreshing.
Some colorful threads remained on the table, Bai Ping took them, skillfully made a butterfly.
Time passed quietly.
Fang Su who previously took a weight off his mind, could finally sleep soundly.
When he woke up, Tang QiaoYuan was still sitting beside him, his body was leaning against the bed rail resting with his eyes closed. His fingers moved, Tang QiaoYuan opened his eyes, lowered his head, and smiled at him, then coaxed him to get up, accompanied him to write and draw, as considerate as before.
Fang Su recovered what he lost, he originally thought he would no longer have anything to do with him in this life, hence felt happy.
But at the same time, he also felt at a loss and dispirited, probably because the human heart is greedy, always feeling that the Tang QiaoYuan who was this gentle was not completely like before, not like the one who would always put words of affection in his mouth, not the person who would nuzzle against his shoulder.
Today Tang QiaoYuan personally went to take him back to the mansion, wanted him to stay, when Fang Su heard these words he was ecstatic, but his heart also felt tight, hearing “Fang Su” he aggrievedly thought that when Tang QiaoYuan first met him, he would call him affectionately, never calling him by his full name…
Fang Su secretly felt conflicted, only working hard to suppress the greed in his heart.
As the sunset approached, the maid showed up with various delicacies, on the corner of the tray was a colorful butterfly made from ropes that quivered slightly along the maid’s footsteps.
Fang Su’s eyes slightly shone, kept turning his head to look at it with interest, til the butterfly along with the dish was sent to the table. He wanted to stretch out his hand to take it, but it was intercepted by someone else while he was hesitating, Tang QiaoYuan picked up the colorful butterfly with one hand, his other hand grabbed his waist from behind, said with a smile: “It only takes a glance to know that it was made by Bai Ping.”
After finishing his sentence, he moved the butterfly closer in front of Fang Su.
Fang Su picked it, lovingly praised: “Miss Bai Ping really has skillful hands.”
“Bai Ping is telling you something.” Tang QiaoYuan smiled while taking the butterfly again, and putting it on Fang Su’s hair in an offhand manner, Fang Su couldn’t see it himself, but he smiled warmly, jokingly said: “Looking at it, it looks quite fitting?”
Fang Su looked at him at a loss, he didn’t think about the other half of the sentence, and asked him in confusion: “What does it say to me?”
“Stay loyal to you and protect you, that’s what it probably means. Bai Ping has always only been good to the people she likes.”
Fang Su half-understood it, his confused expression got him a kiss on the brow.
“No need to think too much, let the past be gone, you only need to remember that you are a master of the Tang mansion,” as if Tang QiaoYuan could sense that he was slightly upset, purposely said things clearly, “for the remaining that life, there will be no a third master of the Tang mansion.”
In this one sentence, Fang Su finally clearly understood it, and couldn’t help the tremor in his heart. Although it was extremely slow, the loneliness in his eyes truly gradually dissipated, slowly smiling at Tang QiaoYuan.
At this moment, he was enlightened, it suddenly made him convinced that the so-called love developed over time was surely not far away from him…
Translated by Milktea – Proofread by Gemini
Note: I will try to update twice a week: Monday & Friday. For next week I will probably update once only since we’re at the end of the week and I still haven’t worked on the next chapter.
Thank you to the person who bought me a coffee on Monday!
Milktea
milkteatranslations.wordpress.com 
Thank you!
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My heart is so warm 🧡
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