readsfreenovel Chapter 191 Return
Chapter 191 Return
Chapter 191 Return
"Quiet Night?"
Bai Li exclaimed softly in surprise.
Only one small light was on in the house.
The spotlights illuminated a small area of the foyer, casting a soft glow.
In the still night, I stood under a small spotlight.
The long period of recuperation made him look thinner, and his cheekbones cast deeper shadows in the sidelight, which made his jade-like contours even more prominent.
Perhaps she had tidied herself up well before coming, because even after recovering from a serious illness, she did not show any signs of being decadent or listless. She remained dignified and meticulously groomed herself from head to toe.
The lights illuminated his entire body, transforming it into a pale golden veil, coated with a mother-of-pearl-like luster.
Jingye looked at Baili quietly, a smile in her eyes, and gently called her, "Miss."
His voice trailed off with a hint of hoarseness: "I'm back."
In an instant, their eyes met.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Bai Li inexplicably recalled the scene of her first meeting with Jing Ye.
On that cruise ship.
Among the crowd, the man with the most outstanding demeanor bowed gracefully to me with his head slightly lowered.
More and more images are overlapping with this moment.
The initial shock of being invited, the silent tears shed in the rain, the joyful laughter during the trip, the grief of near-death separation, the bitterness of tasting the forbidden fruit for the first time...
It turns out that from the moment they met, they have been through so much together.
I've savored every flavor – sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy.
Time flows on and on, and though countless things have passed, the person before me remains the same.
Seeing Jingye lift her foot and walk towards her, Bai Li didn't hesitate and ran over uncontrollably.
The skirt and hair danced in the air, creating an arc.
In the still of the night, he opened his arms and steadily caught the person he cherished most in the world.
The moment they embraced, Bai Li hugged Jing Ye tightly, her cheek resting lightly on his shoulder, her lips curving upwards, her eyes full of laughter, and she whispered in his ear, "Welcome home, Jing Ye."
Jingye crossed her arms and hugged Baili back. Although her heart was overflowing with happiness, she still held back her long-lost restraint in the strength of her embrace, afraid that she might hurt the person in front of her if she used too much force.
Ok.
He went home.
He returned to the place he had longed for day and night.
She returned to Bai Li's side.
The scent of the quiet night enveloped Bai Li once again, and besides that, she also caught a faint whiff of disinfectant residue from the sanatorium.
Bai Li suddenly came to her senses.
That's not right.
It's not time for Jingye to be discharged from the hospital yet, is it?
She quickly released her grip on Jingye, looked up, and asked in confusion, "Why did you come back early?"
“I recovered ahead of schedule and wanted to give you…” Jingye also loosened her arms around Baili. She wanted to take another good look at Baili, but when her smiling eyes swept over Baili’s collar, her voice suddenly froze.
When Bai Li entered, the lighting was dim, so he didn't notice anything unusual.
But at this moment, the two were very close and intimate. In addition, when Bai Li ran, her long hair, which had originally covered her neck, slipped down her back, revealing one side of her snow-white neck.
There were some scattered marks there.
It doesn't look like an allergy, nor does it look like a mosquito bite.
It was faint, exuding an unusually ambiguous atmosphere, like a silent declaration.
Jingye's gaze fell on Baili's face again, and it was obvious that there was a missing piece of her makeup.
What could Jingye, who was already so intelligent, not understand?
He realized what had happened almost instantly.
When Bai Li saw Jing Ye's frozen gaze, she snapped back to reality and her heart skipped a beat.
Oops!
The intense interaction with Guan Cha in the car just now left quite a few marks.
Although I took care of myself before getting off the bus, I didn't pay much attention to it since I was going to wash up soon after I got home. I didn't try to cover it up at all.
These traces could not escape Jingye's eyes at all.
If she had known Jingye would be coming home today, she wouldn't have brought Guan Cha back!
Thinking of this, Bai Li suddenly remembered:
correct!
Guan Cha...
While we were in the car, she even invited Guan Cha to stay at her house that night.
Bai Li hurriedly turned around, but it was all too late.
Jingye had already taken the lead and her gaze fell on Guan Cha, who had stepped into the hall.
Unlike Bai Li, Guan Cha had no intention of tidying himself up at all.
The collar that Bai Li had torn open was still slightly open, revealing the rose tattoo of Bai Li above his collarbone. He not only showed no intention of restoring it, but seemed to regard it as a unique badge left to him by Bai Li, and was showing it off intentionally.
His clothes were disheveled, and the flush of passion on his face had not yet faded.
Her lips were swollen, and there was a bright red mark at the corner of her eye; her whole face was filled with "satisfaction."
As soon as he entered, Guan Cha saw Jing Ye. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, thinking to himself: Why is he back?
Guan Cha knew all too well how important Jing Ye was to Bai Li.
In the past, when Jingye was around, he couldn't find his place at all when he was next to Baili.
The two were closer than family, so close that no space was left between them, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't fit in.
But ever since Bai Li returned from abroad, Jing Ye has vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated into thin air.
Guan Cha was initially curious about Jing Ye's whereabouts, but Bai Li never brought it up, so he didn't feel comfortable asking any further questions.
Even at certain moments, a malicious thought flashed through his mind, wondering if Jingye had done something wrong that led to Baili's dislike of her.
As time passed, Jingye never returned, and Guancha gradually stopped worrying about it, assuming that Jingye would never come back.
But now, at this moment, the deacon has appeared before him without warning, catching him completely off guard.
He suddenly felt an uncomfortable, awkward feeling.
It wasn't because I felt guilty or ashamed after being arrested.
Instead, a dark thought arose that "the timing of our return is really bad."
He was never a good person to begin with, and he didn't care about things like propriety, righteousness, integrity, or a sense of shame at all.
He had long known that a woman like Bai Li could never be alone with him.
He doesn't deserve to enjoy the white pear all to himself.
From the very beginning, he accepted the reality that he might have to compete with other men for attention.
So he just felt that Jingye's return was extremely untimely.
—Before he and Bai Li had established a deeper bond.
This undoubtedly disrupted all his plans and rhythm.
So when Jingye's calm and serene gaze fell upon her, Guan Cha returned the look with an open and honest expression, even giving a lighthearted smile.
I am sorry.
It’s different in the past.
She had already secured a place for herself next to Bai Li.
Jingye's expression remained calm, without much change, but Baili could clearly feel that the surrounding air pressure had dropped.
Two pairs of eyes collided in mid-air.
Jingye could clearly see the undisguised provocation in the other person's eyes.
Throughout his long career as a butler, he has witnessed too many complex human natures and intense conflicts.
This level of provocation was nothing compared to what he had experienced in the past, but it still made him frown slightly.
He remembered Guan Cha.
My impression of him was still based on the past—a man who was scheming to climb up to his mistress.
Every move he made, his relentless drive to achieve his goal, and the overwhelming desire for advancement in his eyes were all too obvious.
Now I'm back.
His appearance seems to have changed somewhat.
But Jingye knew in her heart that some people's inherent nature would never change.
In the months I was away, the boy finally found an opportunity.
Given even the slightest chance, such people will be driven by an abyss-like sense of lack deep within them to climb the pole of fate with all their might, never easily satisfied, and never letting go until death.
Because of her temporary departure, greedy people were able to get close to the young lady.
Her own dereliction of duty was the real root of Jingye's unhappiness.
Jingye didn't care how many people the young lady would have.
But the lady deserves the best.
He is definitely not the dissolute person he appears to be.
Seeing the chill in Jingye's face, Baili inwardly groaned.
It's over, it's over, it's over!
Although there is an entry for [Ai no balance?].
In theory, these men would be aware of the existence of other people and would accept diverse relationships.
But Shirai has always been careful to avoid letting them have direct contact.
Take Jingye and Ying Xiangyang for example, they haven't met yet.
I don't want them to meet, precisely to avoid this awkward situation.
[The Balance of Love?] only says it will help them accept diverse relationships, but it doesn't say it will solve their emotional problems.
Feelings are inherently exclusive.
Seeing others being intimate with the one you love, no matter how much you accept it, will still make you jealous and hurt?
In case we meet and a conflict arises in our relationship.
How should I handle this situation?
When they ask me whose side I'm on, I'll be dumbfounded.
Helping A is wrong, and helping B is also wrong.
Bai Li felt that the best thing for her to do now was to keep quiet and not do anything, because whatever she did would be wrong.
But the atmosphere was so strange that she felt that if she didn't say anything, she would be so embarrassed that she would "carve out" a living room and three bedrooms on the spot.
Jingye sensed Baili's unease almost instantly.
He quickly withdrew his icy gaze from Guan Cha and turned to look at Bai Li.
Facing Bai Li, Jing Ye instantly hid all his displeasure. He simply lowered his eyes and apologized, his tone gentle and tinged with guilt: "I'm sorry, Miss, I shouldn't have come back at this time."
It was his rash actions that put Bai Li in an awkward situation.
Whether Guan Cha is of good character or what his purpose was in getting involved is no longer important.
The important thing is the white pear.
Jingye was well aware of her unique position in Baili's heart. This confidence was not blind, but stemmed from the deep trust and tacit understanding they had built together.
He believed that Bai Li would not distance herself from him because of outsiders.
His elegance and gentleness did not allow him to use the same tactics to directly clash with Guan Cha.
Therefore, Jingye temporarily put aside the potential problems that closing the tea might cause and focused on apologizing to Baili.
But even such a sincere apology made Bai Li feel a pang of sadness.
This is not only her home, but also Jingye's only remaining home in this world.
If you can't go home anytime, can it still be considered a home?
Bai Li felt she had to step up and take charge.
Their meeting was inevitable, it just happened earlier than they had anticipated.
Since she has taken on this "precious task," she must be able to handle the "diamond drill" (i.e., she can't solve any problems by running away).
Thinking of this, Bai Li took a deep breath, gently placed her hand on Jing Ye's arm, and said firmly, "Jing Ye, this is your home. There's nothing wrong with you coming back. Go to your room and wait for me, okay?"
After saying that, Bai Li tiptoed and gently placed a comforting kiss on Jing Ye's ear.
Jingye's fingertips, hanging by her side, first curled up unconsciously, then slowly relaxed, as if the pent-up emotions in her heart had vanished in an instant.
Bai Li's response reassured him greatly.
Although Guan Cha's appearance was unexpected, he would wholeheartedly support all of Bai Li's decisions.
Jingye responded softly, "Okay."
He took a half step back and gave a standard butler's salute, glancing at Guan Cha as he turned around as if he were glancing at an insignificant fallen leaf in the courtyard.
As soon as Jingye left, Guan Cha noticed Bai Li's gaze turning towards her, and her heart tightened.
Bai Li sighed helplessly and said softly, "I'll take you to the guest room."
Guan Cha followed closely behind Bai Li, asking cautiously, "Li Li, are you angry with me?"
Bai Li replied irritably, "I'm not angry."
Guan Cha retorted softly, "You don't look like you're not angry."
Bai Li glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Guan Cha really didn't do anything wrong, and I wasn't angry with him.
Bringing Guan Cha back was my own decision.
So she was just angry with herself, angry at her momentary lust!
Having already agreed to let Guan Cha stay overnight, she always kept her word and naturally wouldn't go back on her word.
But Guan Cha could only sleep in the guest room.
Don't think about anything else.
After Guan Cha was taken to the guest room, Bai Li gave him a few instructions:
"...Toiletries and a change of clothes will be brought to you later..."
After giving her instructions, Bai Li prepared to leave.
But just as she turned to leave, her wrist suddenly tightened.
Guan Cha took her hand.
His eyes were filled with helplessness, and he stammered out two words: "Lili..."
Did I make Lili feel awkward?
Bai Li knew what Guan Cha was thinking when she saw his expression.
She raised her hand and gently patted his head, saying softly, "Don't overthink it. What I said in the car was the truth. I won't abandon you, and I don't dislike you, okay?"
Hearing these words, Guan Cha smiled again and nodded gently: "Mm."
Just as Bai Li turned to leave again, Guan Cha grabbed her wrist once more.
Bai Li raised an eyebrow and turned to ask him with her eyes.
Guan Cha blushed slightly, gently tapped her cheek with her finger, and brought her right cheek closer, her voice filled with anticipation: "I want some too."
Bai Li couldn't help but chuckle: "Hmph, pushing your luck."
Although she said that, Bai Li still took a step forward, leaned slightly forward, and placed a gentle kiss on Guan Cha's cheek. Then she whispered in his ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Goodnight."
On the way to Jingye's room, Bai Li felt a little numb.
You comforted one, but there was another.
At this moment, she finally understood what the so-called "sweet troubles" of ancient emperors really meant.