Chapter 254

Chapter 254: 247: Gentle Conquest, reconciliation soon (2nd update) Chapter 254: 247: Gentle Conquest, reconciliation soon (2nd update) Xie Shang said helplessly, “Miss Wen, I’m also taking this road home.”

Miss Wen hugged herself from the cold wind and quickened her pace.

Xie Shang followed at a not too distant, not too close range behind her.

Little Black, the infamous vicious dog of Lotus Pond Street, shockingly wasn’t leashed by its owner. From afar, it charged at Wen Changling, baring its teeth and barking, running towards her as if it wanted to bite at the hem of her pants.

This damned dog!

Wen Changling stopped, stamped her foot, but it was useless. Having been chased and had her pant leg bitten by Little Black before, she had a bit of a psychological barrier. Instinctively, she retreated and instinctively called out to Xie Shang.

“Xingxing.”

Xie Shang responded to her, “What’s the matter?”

She urged, “Come here.”

Xie Shang walked up beside her, and immediately Little Black stopped barking and even wagged its tail at Xie Shang. But the moment she stepped forward, it let out that angry, fur-bristling sound again.

This dog that bullied the weak but feared the strong, judged by appearances! Right, Little Black was female.

Wen Changling withdrew her foot and took small steps to move closer to Xie Shang’s side.

“Still afraid of it?”

She originally went to book an engagement banquet and wore a dress under her down jacket— there was no pant leg for Little Black to bite. Could she not be afraid? Little Black was known to actually bite.

She pushed Xie Shang’s arm, pinching the corner of the clothing at his left rear waist with her two fingers. “Walk in front of me.”

“As you wish.”

Xie Shang leisurely led the way at the front, smiling the entire time.

Wen Changling gripped his clothing tightly, and once they were clear of Little Black, she immediately let go, her face full of displeasure.

The night of deep winter saw the street vendors closing up shop early, lanterns along the road lit up, homes along the street also bright with lights, and with the addition of starlight and the moon, together they composed the night scenes described in poets’

verses.

Wen Changling and Xie Shang were about two meters apart when she suddenly sneezed.

“Did I give you my cold?” Xie Shang slowed his steps, waiting for her to get closer.

“It’s not that,” Wen Changling tucked her face further into her scarf, “it’s just too cold.”

The winters in her hometown of Fragrant City were not cold, and although she had been in the capital for several years, she still wasn’t used to the bone-chilling winter here.

Xie Shang said, “Wait for me a minute.”

Wen Changling immediately replied, “I won’t wait.”

“Just a minute.”

Xie Shang looked at her with this gentle gaze that carried a hint of vulnerability and pleading.

She couldn’t refuse, and waited on the spot.

Xie Shang went into a pharmacy on the street that hadn’t yet closed, and soon came out with a bag in his hand.

“Last time, you also brought me medicine. This is to repay you.”

“I don’t need medicine.”

Xie Shang handed the bag over, “Keep it, the temperature is going to drop these coming days.”

Wen Changling hesitated for a moment, then took it.

Inside the bag, apart from medicine, there was also a pink plush rabbit warm handbag; her fingertips touched it as she was holding onto the bag. She pulled it out and held it in her hands, “How come it’s warm?” She looked at it, the plush was a little dirty, looking like it was second-hand.

“I didn’t buy it new; I talked the salesgirl into giving it to me.”

The salesgirl refused to take money for it, so Xie Shang paid extra while settling the bill.

Wen Changling stood by the roadside, looking at Xie Shang in the dim light.

“Xie Shang.”

“Hmm.”

She hesitated to speak.

The harsh words couldn’t come out, but the buried wine under the Hooked Cymbidium had been dug out, its roots loosened, and the Hooked Cymbidium would not live much longer, nor did she have much time left.

“I’m going inside.” She tucked her hands into the compartment of the plush hand-warmer, bowing her head and walking towards Granny Zhu’s house gate.

“Changling.”

Xie Shang called her.

She always did this, always unable to restrain herself, and stopped again.

Xie Shang walked up to her, took her free hand, and placed it inside the compartment of the plush hand-warmer, “Are you still blaming yourself?”

Her hand quickly warmed up.

Xie Shang wasn’t a kind-hearted good person; all his softness, all his kindness, was given to her, “You’re willing to forgive me, so why not forgive yourself?”

She lifted her head.

No one in this world understood her better than Xie Shang. To this day, she hadn’t forgiven herself, because it was she who wore Ah Na’s raincoat, because of her, Ah Na was drenched in rain and lost his life, something she could not let go of.

Xie Shang gently embraced her, “I can be good to you, I can give you a lot, but the person who understands your needs best is still yourself, so don’t be stingy with yourself.”

Even if Xie Shang didn’t have a pretty face, without everything bestowed upon him by the Xie and Su families, if he wasn’t considered a favorite of the heavens, she would still like him, very much so.

Because he could get close to her soul covered in a thousand scars.

“Xie Shang,” she leaned her face against him, “it’s very cold.”

Xie Shang held her a bit tighter.

The hand-warmer grew cold quickly in the low outdoor temperature, and Xie Shang didn’t hold her for long, releasing her, “Go inside, there’s wind here.”

He watched Wen Changling walk into Granny Zhu’s house courtyard.

The Uncaria leaves in the yard were all curled up, listless, not vibrant. Wen Changling stopped, her gaze fixed upon them.

She placed the rabbit hand-warmer on the old bamboo bed beneath the Sweet Osmanthus Tree, then turned and went back to her room.

“Meow.”

“Meow.”

The tabby cat that hadn’t slept yet walked with a cat’s gait, squeezed through its special little door, ready to spend the night in its master’s handmade cat nest next door.

It heard the sound of the door opening again, stuck its head back through the little door. It saw its owner walk up to the bamboo bed, pick up the little pink rabbit, and take it away again.