CH 20

A Visitation (3)

As Chu Ning observed him, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed and decided to retract her curiosity.

However, before her fingers could release the cup, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer with a slight force.

She couldn’t stop herself from falling forward and had only managed to stabilize herself at just a few inches away from him. She found herself meeting his gaze directly.

The cup containing hot tea was right between them, the waft of steam rose from it onto her fair skin and red lips.

Xiao Kezhi gazed at her soft lips. He remained expressionless, but his Adam’s apple trembled slightly.

Chu Ning trembled under his deep gaze, and her cheeks began to blush.

“You must be careful when serving the tea. You let go before I can hold the cup properly. What would you do if the cup slipped?”

He set the cup aside slowly, but he still did not release his hold on her wrist.

Chu Ning bit her lower lip. Her eyes were still swollen from crying during the late Emperor’s funeral, and it made her seem even more gentle and beautiful.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was wrong.”

Xiao Kezhi only glanced at her but did not say anything. He released her hand slowly and took a sip of tea.

Chu Ning stood straight and wanted to back away when she heard footsteps coming from the room.

She took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and turned around just in time to see the imperial physician coming out of Xiao Yu’s room.

“How’s the Crown Prince?” Xiao Kezhi put down the cup of tea and asked calmly.

“It’s nothing serious. His fainting is likely due to overexertion in the past few days and stress. When he wakes up later, let him eat something nutritious to replenish his strength.”

The reasons for his overexertion and stress were really something worth thinking over.

After the imperial physician had spoken, he handed over his written diagnosis.

Xiao Kezhi did not move from his seat, so Chu Ning reached out to receive it. She thanked the imperial physician and instructed a servant to pay him with silver coins.

“Since the Crown Prince is fine, I will take my leave.”

Xiao Kezhi said as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the door.

Chu Ning followed him and bowed respectfully. She was still curious as to why he came to visit when he had suddenly stopped and turned around. His usually cold expression now carried a smile.

“When the Crown Prince wakes up, remember to tell him that I dropped by to see him. Tell him to also have a good rest and don’t worry too much. The Crown Prince is still vital to the kingdom. As I am unmarried and have no issue, the Crown Prince position is still his.”

Chu Ning was shocked and looked up instinctively. However, he had already turned around and left the hall. She could only see his wide profile under the setting sun.

“Don’t get caught up in these things because of women. Do you think that Kim Na-Yool or any other woman says they like you because they really do? They are just after your looks. Then how about when you get old, huh? If you don’t have any abilities, then…”

“You’re so ugly I can’t hear you.”

“You fucking bastard!” Sang-Hoon sprung up from his chair and slammed the table as if about to jump at Si-Jin. Si-Jin chuckled.

“Seems like you yourself are well aware of your unattractiveness.”

“You, let’s get out. Let’s take it outside, just you and me‒”

“‒Where do you think you’re going?” Na-Yool cut Sang-Hoon off in an extremely weary voice. “As I said, this person is just someone from work. There’s nothing between me and him, and I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of while meeting with you.”

“And you expect me to believe it?”

“…There is also nothing between us anymore, so even if you don’t like what you’re hearing, just mind your own business. You and me, we are done, aren’t we.”

“……”

“Because you dumped me.” Her calmness, without a hint of irritation or sarcasm unlike before, had Sang-Hoon at loss for words for a while. “And I accepted it. Since you said that’s what you wanted.”

“……”

“To not see my fed-up face anymore. To put an end to our failing relationship. To stop hearing me apologize over and over for working late.”

“I, Na-Yool… Fuck, none of this make any sense. To just break up like this, just over something like this…”

“As for expecting me to cling to you, I did it all that day. I apologized as I felt sorry, I checked with you many times if you were not asking to break up on the spur of the moment. And when I asked you if we had to break up ‘just over something like this’, what did you say? That to you this little thing was everything. That it was that big of an issue to you!”

“……”

“But now what? Just over something like this? Are you kidding me?”