"By the way, I never properly thanked you", Wu ngqi spoke as she watched Wu Long soothing Wei Lan through the arches of open doors to the balcony, the two happening to be left alone on a balcony opposite to them, while the celebrations were going in the banquet hall in between them.
"Thanked ?", Ye Ling who stood beside her raised her eyebrow in confusion.
Wu ngqi's clear blue eyes turned to her, with her usual carefree and cheerful expression, but the look in those eyes caused Ye Ling to freeze, her own deep blue eyes widening in shock.
"I... You...", she stumbled over her words.
"Hahaha, even Sister Ling can beco so flustered, and not because Honey teases you...", Wu ngqi giggled, genuinely amused, and then more sincerely added, "...You know, it was you who saved him, healed his wounds, gave him hope, gave him love and care, and most importantly, you allowed him to love. You are the sole reason he was able to keep his promise... the last promise I forced him to make"
Words stuck in Ye Ling's throat as she was unable to speak or even think. Her usual calm and tranquil deanor was crumbling, as the corners of her eyes turned slightly red.
"I knew it. At first, I was doubtful, but the more ti went by the more certain I beca. Sister Ling is very good at hiding any emotion... except guilt", Wu ngqi spoke in her usual tone, with just a tinge of awkwardness.
As Ye Ling continued to hold silence, Wu ngqi continued, "Honestly, I'm not that good at these kinds of talks or complicated stuff. You know, all I can do is be this blunt. That's why I was hoping Honey would be the one talking to you about this, but he said that for so reason it can be only ... I tried to ask him why, but he did that... you know, that 'profound this, Dao that' thing he does from ti to ti..."
Ye Ling's eyes turned down as she whispered in a voice so low it was barely audible, "Of course he noticed... how naive..."
"Hehe, well, he's Honey... he was always amazing... and now, he beca so amazing it is still hard to grasp exactly how amazing he is", Wu ngqi made a light giggle, her speech becoming increasingly more like her usual self as she began slightly panicking at Ye Ling's reaction.
This made it clear that the first part of this talk was sothing she thought long and hard about beforehand, and then morized. Now that the part she rehearsed ended, and she was t with such a reaction, the surprisingly mature tone faded, leaving in its place the usual, simpler one.
And at that mont, the tension that rose sohow dissipated, as an involuntary smile touched Ye Ling's lips. Seeing this usually carefree and energetic beauty desperately trying to weave together sothing to say, to make her feel better, to explain, forced Ye Ling to suddenly realize her own heavy and complex emotions and thoughts were quite silly when exposed like this.
After all, on the other end of her guilt, was Wu ngqi. Soone so pure, it was self-evident that the guilt Ye Ling felt was sothing created in her head, while its source was a misguided idea.
"So you know, you don't have to feel guilty before , rather, I'm gratefu-...", as Wu ngqi was still awkwardly trying to solve this problem, a frown appearing on her forehead from the strain to co up with convincing enough arguntation, Ye Ling suddenly embraced her.
"Eh?", Wu ngqi froze, not fully understanding what happened.
"Pfft...", Ye Ling, unexpectedly for herself, began to quietly laugh, as she beca more and more silly in her own eyes for entertaining such thoughts.
"Ehm... so... we're good? No more guilty feelings or complicated things?", Wu ngqi took a mont to process this, and taking a hug as a universal sign of peace and friendship, decided to confirm.
"Nn", Ye Ling nodded several tis, half-crying half-laughing as a heavy burden she carried was suddenly lifted, and thus her emotions surged from the feeling of relief.
"Hehe, I knew Sister Ling would understand", Wu ngqi hugged her back.
"I'm going to get jealous", a voice resounded to the side of them, and as they let go of each other in surprise and turned, they were faced with Wu Long. Wei Lan's figure could be seeing behind him mingling with Cao i and Cao Xiang.
"Heh, you were busy with your own hugs, so why should I share Sister Ling's hug with you? This hug's mine because I earned it", Wu ngqi made a playful smile, her emotions clearly riding high on the success of her conversation with Ye Ling.
"That's right. You let ngqi do the heavy lifting, and now ca to collect hugs?", Ye Ling also playfully smiled, sniffling and carefully wiping away the last of her tears with her pinky finger.
"Haha, what, you an you don't want a hug from ?", he chuckled, turning to Wu ngqi, who instantly gave in.
"Alright, I want Honey's hug too. But I was the one who earned Sister Ling's hug for you", she said as both Wu Long and Ye Ling chuckled.
He ca closer and his hands wrapped around the two beauties who clung to him as he leaned his back onto the hand rails.
Wrapped in his warm embrace, Ye Ling sighed with genuine relief for the first ti in a long, long ti. Wu Long was right. She wouldn't have been able to accept it if it wasn't coming from Wu ngqi. No matter how much reason and logic he could offer, nothing could've been solved, because in the end, it wasn't sothing that could be solved with logic or reason, because it was not rooted in it.
They didn't need to talk separately either, as once she was able to see rationally again, everything else beca clear, and all they had to say to each other was within that one gaze they exchanged as he arrived at this balcony.
---
"What an emotional evening", Madam Liang puffed a cloud of smoke into the night air, eting Wu Long on the balcony as the celebration gradually wound down and the beauties retreated to their rooms in small groups.
"An eventful one for sure", Wu Long nodded as he sat down on one of the chairs, "But it is a good thing"
"It is amazing, truly. I would have thought it would be hard, to be the pillar of support in every way, including emotionally, for so many beauties with such different temperants", she chuckled.
"It is what it ans to be a man who wants to be surrounded by many beauties", he shrugged, not finding it a particularly fascinating thing or in any way unnatural.
"And you still crave more"
"Yes"
"Interesting, how many more can you handle?"
"However many I beco captivated by"
"How bold... and shaless"
"Greedy as well", Wu Long chuckled, completing the portrait.
"I wonder, then, if you are willing to accept being such a pillar for one more beauty?", she then said with a grin, placing the smoking pipe she finished on the table beside her, and starting to slowly walk toward him.
Her high heels were making clear sounds as she walked, her long cheongsam with a long cut on the lower side side accentuating the figure that gracefully moved toward him in the moonlight.
"Hoh? I believe I already expressed my willingness to do that quite clearly, what changed the mind of the beauty about the timing though?", his smile widened, as a certain glint appeared in his eyes.
"Hmm, to be honest, I just realized that I was already relying on that pillar of support, and little matters if it beca official now or after solving my problem, so it was silly to wait for a symbolic timing, when we both are, as you previously said, on the sa page", she said as she drew closer to him.
"The wait certainly lacks a definite purpose", he nodded while looking up as she approached to the point he could touch her if he stretched out his hand.
"So I decided not to wait", her leg wrapped in a black stocking broke out of the long side cut of her cheongsam, and making a wide step, landed to the side of his hips, and then her other one wrapped in the silky fabric landed on the other, as she sat down onto his laps, facing him.
"Good choice", he smiled, his hands landing on her waist, close to her hips while hers were placed onto both of his shoulders, a hot, passionate kiss following right after.
Reviews
All reviews (0)