"Yixuan, won’t you come over?" the eldest brother called out with a smile.
Yixuan then snapped back to reality.
He bit his lip, then stared intensely at the anxious young girl outside the courtyard. He took a step, another step, at first very slowly, but then suddenly quickened his pace and charged towards her.
But upon reaching her, he stood still.
He just looked at her, gazed at her intently, and his lips had turned pale from biting them.
Dong Huiying slightly turned away, her head lowered, not knowing how to handle the situation.
At this moment, a man clad in a thin robe, barefoot, stepped out of the house, cradling a guqin in his arms...
Shu Yu caught sight of the scene outside the courtyard, paused, and then looked towards the eldest brother.
The gaze of the two brothers met through the distance, and the eldest brother slowly nodded.
Shu Yu blinked gently, then as if relieved or liberated, let out a long sigh from the bottom of his heart...
Yixuan gazed at Dong Huiying. In this moment, he could not see his eldest brother, could not see his own siblings; it seemed as though his eyes, his heart, could only accommodate her presence.
It was then that the eldest brother considerately stepped aside, fourth brother stood stoically by the carriage, and even fifth brother, known for his hot-temper and impulsiveness, maintained his silence at this moment.
Suddenly, Yixuan called out hoarsely, "Baobao..."
Dong Huiying kept her head down, not daring to look at him.
"Um..." She nodded slightly, but after being away for so long, not seeing each other for such a long time, there was a hint of unfamiliarity between them.
Yixuan suddenly curved his lips into a smile, "You’re back."
He let out a long sigh, "It’s good you’re back."
Afterwards, he slowly lifted his hand, initially with some hesitation, but then, as if he had firmed up his resolve.
His hand was slender, fair, attractive, like a young onion, gently resting on her head.
Dong Huiying suddenly blinked and looked up sharply at Yixuan.
The evening breeze of twilight, mixed with a touch of warmth, brushed his long black hair. His face was like fine jade, as always gentle and elegant. Yet, as he caressed her head, as he faced her with a smile, she couldn’t help but feel a sudden surge of grievance in her heart.
This feeling came too abruptly, she was utterly defenseless, and the corners of her eyes swiftly turned red.
Yes, she felt wronged in her heart.
When she first arrived, upon opening her eyes, the first person she saw was him, was Yixuan.
The tenderness of Yixuan, his consideration, the softness in his voice when he spoke to her, his attentiveness to her needs, whether it was food, clothing, or everyday necessities, he always took care of her thoroughly. He seemed to be an indispensable existence in her life, like water, softly integrating into her existence with a gentle force.
She also thought once that perhaps living with this large family wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
But later, she began to feel like her presence was a sore in their hearts, better to cut it out than to let them see her and become troubled. So she left a letter and ran away.
However, even after leaving the Liang family, she acted very strong, even when tormented by Gu Poison, she never shed a single tear, but now, tears fell, drop by drop.
She truly missed this place!
Her tears pained his heart.
Yixuan suddenly wrapped her in his long arms, pulling her into his embrace.
"I’m sorry..." his voice was very hoarse.
"I was wrong..." wetness also appeared in the corners of his eyes.
Once upon a time, he was the most special one in her heart, but he had not cherished her properly.