Chapter 252 - Distance

After eating a few spoonfuls of the blueberry ice cream, Yu Mei placed the bowl aside, "It's good."

Jun Zihao's laid-back expressions morphed into disbelief. 

Su Ning elbowed him, trying to understand why he was acting so weird all day long. 

Jun Zixuan's face remained expressionless. One could not say what he was thinking about. 

Yu Mei wiped her face with a napkin before drinking water. Putting the glass down, she glanced at Jun Zixuan, "Let's go to the gardens."

Jun Zixuan stood up and quietly extended his hand towards her. 

She held his hand and got to her feet before walking towards him, her gaze paused on Jun Zihao's disappointed face for a split second before she grabbed Jun Zixuan's iPad from the dining table and turned around.

Old Master Jun's brows tugged together but just as he was about to say something, his wife placed her palm on his. 

The Old Man paused. 

Old Madam Jun glanced at her other grandson and his fiancee, "It's getting late. You both look exhausted by the long journey...."

"Grandma, we will stay here with all of you," Jun Zihao interrupted her. 

Su Ning glanced at him, not knowing when this change in the plans occurred. They were supposed to stay at his private villa.

A rare doting smile made its way on Old Madam Jun's face, "Alright, go to your room then. Your father will be happy to see you here."

Jun Zihao nodded as he stood up, "Goodnight Grandpa, Goodnight Grandma," He bowed as he turned around and walked upstairs. 

Su Ning, who was still taken aback by his attitude quickly stood up and followed the suit before chasing after him. 

"Are there any issues between them?" Old Master Jun glanced at his wife.

"They are compatible and they are engaged. Soon, they will marry. That is all that matters," Old Madam Jun said after some contemplation. Su Ning is the daughter of the governor of Amaranthine and it could get any better for them than to stabilize their declining influence in the country. 

"Why did you stop me?" The Old Man glanced at her questioningly.

"Jun Zixuan has changed completely. We can't approach him in our old ways. He is a rebel now," Old Madam Jun spoke after a few seconds.

Old Master Jun nodded, "We should wait until Zishen comes back."

"He will know how to deal with this temperamental son of his..." Old Madam Jun paused as she turned her head to the side hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps. 

"Father, Mother," The man greeted as he walked towards them.

"Zishen, you are back so early?" The old couple stood up as they glanced at him in surprise. 

Jun Zishen nodded, "I got the news that Zixuan is here so I am back," A rare gentle expression flashed across his aloof eyes but it disappeared before anyone could notice it. 

"Don't take that unfilial boy's name from your mouth," Old Madam Jun frowned.

"What happened? What did he do?" Jun Zishen glanced at them questioningly.

In the gardens. 

Yu Mei and Jun Zixuan sat on one of the long wooden benches in the beautiful garden under the dim lightings. 

Even though they were sitting on the same bench, there seemed to be some kind of invisible distance between them. 

Like they were close yet far and she could feel it. He was not talking to her for some reason as he quietly gazed at the moon while she just looked at his side profile, for once not wanting to break the silence between them with her nonsense talks. 

Moreover, she was not feeling like blabbering nonsense today. 

She knew he was aware of her gaze on him but he still did not speak. After quietly looking at him for some time, she handed him his iPad that she grabbed from the dining table before they walked out of there, "You forgot about it. You almost left it there."

He glanced at the iPad in her hand before taking it and placing it on the space between them, "I knew you would remember."

His words managed to tickle her heart like usual but his tone sounded somewhat distant to her. Her eyes stung and she looked up at the sky before blinking softly, "I-I want to tell you some-"

"Jun Zixuan!!" The cold voice interrupted her words. 

Yu Mei turned around to glance at the person who was walking towards them. The man in his mid-40s was a reflection of Jun Zixuan and his appearance made him look like Jun Zixuan's elder brother.

Yu Mei stood up when she recognized him. Jun Zishen. Jun Zixuan's father. 

Unlike her, Jun Zixuan was still sitting on the bench even after he heard the man's voice. He did not make any efforts to turn around or stand up.

"I have some things to discuss with my son. I hope President Leanne could excuse us," The man said, without looking at her even once, his tone not leaving any room for discussion.

Yu Mei glanced at Jun Zixuan who was sitting with an indifferent expression on his face.

She nodded slightly even though Jun Zishen did not spare a glance in her direction. She glanced at Jun Zixuan for one last time and walked out of the garden.

As Yu Mei ascended the stairs, her mind went back to what she was about to do just now if Jun Zixuan's father had not interrupted her.

She might have regretted it to no end had she told Jun Zixuan about everything out of impulse.

What if he never saw her like before after she confessed everything? What if he found her weird or worse crazy? What if...There were many what ifs included in the situation that she did not want to think about. 

Still in the daze, she extended her hand to open the room door. 

A soft gasp escaped her mouth when someone grabbed her wrist before pushing her to the side.

Her back hit the rigid surface as she found herself being pinned to the wall with two arms on either side of her body.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Her cold tone was ever so familiar to Jun Zihao's ears. A smile graced his cold face, "Here I thought that you are not her."

She frowned.