Chapter 260 - Darn

Meanwhile, Xiong Zhi stood in one corner, her presence hidden from view. She was the first person to come out of the room, so she took the chance to put herself out of sight and wait for someone. 

The elders had dazed faces as they passed by her.

After waiting for one more minute, the figure of the person she had been waiting for finally appeared. She strode forward coldly, quickly pulled the other's arm, and dragged the person into the corner hidden from view.

"Young Miss..." Linfeng was stunned.

He was still thinking of the words which Old Xiong had said to him before he went out of the room when he suddenly felt another presence. He almost countered when his arm was suddenly grabbed, but thankfully, he instantly realized the owner of the soft hand. It was his Young Miss, so he allowed himself to get dragged away easily.

Hidden in the corner, Xiong Zhi stared hard at Linfeng. Her brow was furrowed.

"Why did you not tell me about this?" She was worried that Linfeng had been keeping it all by himself.

Linfeng shook his head. "It was unexpected for me, too. Are you alright?" 

Xiong Zhi stilled. Why ask if she was alright? She should be the one asking him that! 

Her eyes finally softened, but the anger in her heart still have not dissipated yet. She felt weak and powerless as she was unable to overturn the whole situation. 

"I am alright. I am more worried about you. Are you alright?" She stared at his eyes directly, her face less than a foot away. This pair of eyes had avoided her many times today. 

Her possessiveness was ignited. She wanted him to see her now, all of her.

Linfeng stared back at the girl's limpid eyes, feeling her warm breath faintly fan on his face. He could smell her unique feminine scent. The longing in his heart he had been suppressing all this while suddenly surged.

His fingers itched. He missed her so much. He wanted to touch her face, her cheeks, and especially the corner of her eyes. Earlier, her cold and firm eyes appeared lovely as she sincerely defended him.

After today, he would no longer be able to enter the mansion freely. It would not be so easy to see her anymore...

"I am alright. But you..." His hand instinctively gave into his desire. He raised his hand to her face, intently looking into her eyes in rapt attention, his eyes gentle. His fingers ran on her cheek to her temple, caressing the soft skin, just an inch away from those beautiful eyes.

"...It must be hard on you, going against Master Xiong." 

Although he dared not meet her eyes directly earlier in order to avoid more suspicion and because of the shame he felt, he had always been watching his Young Miss secretly.

Just a slight raise of her brows allowed him to know what she was feeling for at that moment. Her trembling lips and clenched hands had long betrayed her inner feelings. Her harsh words were all a façade, trying to act strong in fighting back against her grandfather.

Linfeng's heart felt warm at her will of protecting him, but he felt more heartache. His beloved girl must be in pain while exchanging harsh words with her grandfather.

Feeling the gentle caress on her cheek, a tingling sensation followed on the skin touched by Linfeng's fingertips. Her face warmed up, and she could feel her cheeks burning. 

Feeling his concern, her heart which had been hanging in tight worry, anger, and pain finally started loosening up. The bitterness she felt to her grandfather which she had been suppressing poured out like a broken dam. 

Her eyes slightly felt warm, they could no longer cover what she was feeling.

Xiong Zhi looked down to hide those feelings with her long lashes.

"I just felt foolish, for actually hoping that he would really look at me as his own blood relative, his granddaughter," Xiong Zhi honestly said. 

Although she tried to hide them, Linfeng who had his whole attention riveted at her still caught on. Her words stabbed at his heart. 

He felt her heartache. His Zhi'er fought for him and hurt herself in the process.

"I am sorry. I dragged you into this," Linfeng whispered. Since earlier inside the room, he had felt the guilt start to slowly consume him. The relationship between the grandfather and granddaughter soured because of him. 

His Xiong Zhi finally received warmth from her grandfather after being left alone since childhood... but he ended up breaking that warmth. 

His brows faintly furrowed in distress, thinking of possible ways to help his Young Miss fix her relationship with Master Xiong.

"No, don't apologize. I did not regret saying those words. Even if it happened all over again, I will still stand by your side."

Xiong Zhi meant what she said. She would definitely choose Linfeng over her grandfather many times over.

Linfeng's distressed heart melted into puddles of water, hearing those determined words from Xiong Zhi.

How lovely his Zhi'er was whenever she spoke words like that. Her unyielding confessions always break the wall that keeps his emotion's under control.

His finger's slid past her temple and combed through her hair. His lashes trembled as he kept himself from holding her into his embrace.

Darn it. He really wanted to hug her right now, to make her feel how happy he felt, that she chose him in the end and showed how important he was to her compared to her title, her status, and her grandfather's ire.

He was selfish, but he undeniably felt glad that she chose him. 

Guilt, happiness, and relief intermingled in his chest. But at this moment, happiness and relief reigned over.

Linfeng could not express the relief he felt into words, only through the rapid speeding of his heart.

He was so happy that he felt his eyes warming up, his nose feeling slightly sour.

His gentle eyes drowned Xiong Zhi, smiling softly at her. His fingers wrapped around a lock of hair. He slowly lowered his head, and kissed it while looking at her lovingly, trying to express his happiness. 

How he wished that it was not just her hair he was kissing instead.

"I am really happy. I will not let you regret your decision. I will pay for it, for a lifetime."