Blood sedge

Chapter 1201 Heart Given to Emotion
In the early morning, a ray of sunlight pierced through the window, bringing warmth and comfort back to the room that had been shrouded in darkness all night, and gradually dispelling the lingering chill of dawn.

On the bed, Liu Xunyi slowly opened his eyes as he woke from a deep sleep. The unrestrained drinking with Tang Afu last night had left him with a lingering hangover, and his head was still a little dizzy.

As Liu Xunyi's blurred vision gradually cleared, what came into view was a rather unfamiliar scene. The patterns carved on the bed frame, the style of the ceiling duster, the color of the bed curtains, even the sandalwood fragrance lingering in the room... everything felt unfamiliar to him. He wanted to get up to find out what was going on, but suddenly felt that his arm was a little heavy. He subconsciously turned his head to look, and a beautiful face sleeping peacefully immediately appeared before his eyes.

So close, Liu Xunyi could almost count her long, feather-like eyelashes, see the fine down on her smooth, creamy skin, and feel the gentle, ethereal fragrance of her quiet breath.

This scene shocked Liu Xunyi, instantly dispelling her lingering drunkenness and completely clearing her mind.

“Xun…”

He was about to call out Xunzhen's name when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. Immediately afterward, scenes from the previous night flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

……

last night……

"Liu Xunyi, you're drunk. I'll take you home..."

"No! I'm not going anywhere!"

He was heartbroken by Xunzhen's forbearance and rejoiced at her response to his feelings. At this moment, Liu Xunyi held Xunzhen tightly as if she had found a treasure. No matter how she tried to comfort and persuade her, Liu Xunyi refused to let go, as if his beloved would disappear into thin air if he let go.

"It's chilly at night, and you've only just recovered from your injuries. You drank so much alcohol all at once. What if something happens to your body again?" With no other choice, Xunzhen, worried about Liu Xunyi's health, could only coax and trick her into her boudoir.

“I knew you cared about me… I knew it from the moment you donated blood to save my life…”

Perhaps it was the night breeze that made Liu Xunyi so drunk that she lost her composure.

Or perhaps, he had just unleashed his pent-up emotions without reservation, thus opening his heart wide and indulging his natural instincts.

Or perhaps, Liu Xunyi had endured so much suffering that he had lost all meaning and value in life. But tonight, his heart was given to love, and his feelings were stirred. He finally tasted the joy of mutual affection, and became so overjoyed that he lost all restraint.

In short, tonight Liu Xunyi showed a completely different side of herself in front of Xunzhen. No longer composed, no longer restrained, no longer gloomy, and even no longer dignified, she was like... a child, a drunkard, a lovelorn fool.

Xunzhen was not surprised at all; on the contrary, she was very pleased. She knew that the scheming and suspicious Liu Xunyi had finally dropped her pretense and stopped hiding her true feelings in front of her.

"Lie down first, I'll go make you some hangover soup..."

"Don't go!"

Just as Xunzhen had exhausted all her strength to help the incoherently muttering Liu Xunyi onto the bed and was about to turn and leave, the dizzy Liu Xunyi suddenly reached out and grabbed her fair wrist.

Xunzhen slowly turned around, looking at Liu Xunyi lying on the bed with her eyes closed, crying and laughing, with a complicated expression, and comforted her, "I'm not leaving, I'm just going to make some soup to help you sober up and make you feel better."

"Don't go!" Liu Xunyi gripped Xunzhen's hand tighter and tighter, her resolve growing stronger. "If this is a dream, I'd rather stay in it forever... because there's never been a better moment than this..."

Xunzhen's nose tingled, and her eyes reddened again. She murmured, "Every dream has an end, and how could you and I possibly have our way..."

"I do not care!"

"what……"

Accompanied by Liu Xunyi's stubborn objection, he suddenly pulled hard, causing Xunzhen, who was standing by the bed, to lose her balance. She swayed, let out a soft cry, and fell straight into Liu Xunyi's chest.

Liu Xunyi slowly opened her eyes, gazing affectionately at Xunzhen, whose hair was disheveled and whose breathing was slightly rapid.

Looking at her slightly flustered face and bewildered eyes, Liu Xunyi smiled gently, then gently brushed aside a few strands of hair from her forehead and slowly tucked them behind Xunzhen's ear, saying in a serious tone, "Xunzhen, listen carefully! As long as you want it, I will let this dream continue forever."

At this moment, Liu Xunyi's gaze was filled with determination, and his tone left no room for doubt.

“Liu Xunyi, do you know that a person who has fallen in love… is full of weaknesses?” Xunzhen stared intently at Liu Xunyi. She could see the unwavering heart in Liu Xunyi’s eyes, and then reminded her, though her words contradicted her true feelings, “You shouldn’t do this, especially to me.”

"Then do you know that a person who has fallen in love... can no longer have anything else in their eyes, heart, or mind?" Liu Xunyi replied. "A person who has fallen in love can be full of weaknesses, or... can regard everything else as straw dogs for the sake of love."

"You're really drunk..."

"So, are you willing to believe a drunk person?"

Faced with Liu Xunyi's sincere inquiry, Xunzhen, who had gradually regained her senses, once again fell into the illusion of emotion, and couldn't utter a single word of the "grand principles" that were on the tip of her tongue.

Their eyes met, and after a long silence, Xunzhen finally abandoned her last shred of rationality and surrendered without hesitation to the intoxicating and irresistible emotions that captivated her.

She smiled at Liu Xunyi and nodded gently.

"Xunzhen, thank you!"

"Thank you, Liu Xunyi!"

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Liu Xunyi, his eyes crinkling with laughter, once again succumbed to a drunken haze. He gently embraced Xunzhen's delicate body with both arms, then turned to the side, pulling her completely into his embrace.

"Liu Xunyi, you..."

Feeling the tension and unease in her arms, Liu Xunyi gently patted Xunzhen's back and mumbled sleepily, "Don't worry! My love for you is not lust, and I won't overstep any boundaries tonight. I just want to hold you quietly like this, and hold you forever..."

After saying that, Liu Xunyi hugged Xunzhen, whose face was flushed, even tighter. Xunzhen, like a frightened little bird, curled up motionless in Liu Xunyi's arms until a moment later when Liu Xunyi's breathing slowly became deep. Only then did she dare to secretly raise her head to look at this man.

She gazed at him quietly for a long, long time, until drowsiness overcame her.

Enveloped in a sense of security, Xunzhen had no energy left to worry about the future. Completely relaxed, she only wanted to enjoy the tenderness of the present moment undisturbed. So she gently placed her arm around Liu Xunyi's waist, buried her head in his chest, embraced him, and peacefully fell asleep. ...

Having remembered everything, Liu Xunyi's brows no longer showed any surprise or astonishment, and her gaze towards Xunzhen gradually became tender and appreciative.

The more memories Liu Xunyi had, the more uncontrollably she felt joy, to the point that her happiness was written all over her face, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

He cautiously extended his left hand, slowly stretching out a finger and gently tracing Xunzhen's hair, forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes, and the tip of her nose...

He suddenly realized that Xunzhen in his arms was so beautiful, flawless, almost breathtakingly so.

Despite the numbness and pain from a night of stiffness, Liu Xunyi mustered her courage and moved a few steps closer to Xunzhen.

The fragrance emanating from Xunzhen made his breathing quicken, his heart pounded, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Finally, unable to resist the overwhelming infatuation in his heart, he began to move closer to her as if possessed...

Unexpectedly, Xunzhen slowly opened her eyes while she was sleeping, which immediately startled Liu Xunyi, who was feeling guilty. Her face changed and her body froze on the spot as if she had been struck by a pressure point.

"what are you doing?"

"I……"

Faced with Xunzhen's question, Liu Xunyi felt both ashamed and embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground. He stared awkwardly at Xunzhen, who was looking at him suspiciously, and stammered for a long time without being able to utter a single word.

"Actually... that thing of mine..."

Just as Liu Xunyi, feeling utterly ashamed, was about to turn away, Xunzhen suddenly wrapped his arms around his neck, leaned forward, and kissed him.

The moment their lips touched, a blush spread visibly from Liu Xunyi's cheeks to her ears. Looking at her, she remained motionless, like a clay sculpture, not even daring to breathe.

However, before Liu Xunyi could fully savor the beauty of this moment, Xunzhen had already rolled off the bed and quickly escaped his "control".

"Are you sober?"

"Hmm...you're awake..." Liu Xunyi sat blankly on the edge of the bed, staring at Xunzhen who was trying to remain calm. "Last night I..."

"Do you regret it?" Actually, Xunzhen's heart was already pounding, but she hid it very well, like a seasoned lover who was used to this kind of situation.

"Regret what?" Liu Xunyi was taken aback, seemingly not understanding Xunzhen's implied meaning.

"What happened last night, and... what we said last night." Xunzhen looked at Liu Xunyi with a half-smile and teased, "The usually clever Liu Xunyi actually fell in love with a scheming woman. Are you regretting it now?"

"And what about you?" Liu Xunyi's expression hardened, and instead of answering, she asked, "If you were to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, would you regret it?"

Upon hearing this, Xunzhen's eyes subtly changed, a fleeting look of disappointment and struggle crossing her face as she cautiously asked, "Liu Xunyi, are you... a tiger?"

"No."

When Liu Xunyi gave his answer, his previously gloomy expression softened instantly. He stood up and walked to Xunzhen, who seemed lost in thought, gently took her hands, and said softly, "In front of you, I will never be a tiger. In front of me, you don't need to pretend to be tough."

Looking at the deeply affectionate Liu Xunyi, Xunzhen seemed unable to maintain her "unfathomable" and "unperturbed by honor or disgrace" persona any longer. Helplessly compromising, she couldn't help but shake her head with a bitter smile.

“I heard that Xie Xuan summoned the people from the Prince Xian’s Mansion to Danfeng Garden today to discuss the Seal-Holding Ceremony. This matter is probably not simple.” Xunzhen turned around and grasped Liu Xunyi’s hand, saying with concern, “I’ve never been sure about Xie Xuan’s attitude towards you. He respects your decisions, but he never loses his own opinions. He values ​​you, but he’s not entirely at ease with you. As for the thoughts of the other people in the Prince Xian’s Mansion, they are even more difficult to fathom. You must be on guard.”

"Don't worry, I know."

"You... go back first!" Xunzhen's cheeks flushed as Liu Xunyi stared at her, and she couldn't help but urge him softly, "At this critical juncture, it's better to avoid trouble. If people find out about you and me... who knows how many complications will arise?"

"And what about you?" Liu Xunyi quickly pressed. "Aren't you coming with me? I am, after all, the vice sect leader of the Western Martial Sect. Second Master Xie is always thorough in his dealings; he would never ignore your thoughts. Besides, Second Master Xie and you... have already reached a tacit understanding in secret, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Xunzhen was slightly taken aback, but she did not offer any further explanation, nor did she intend to continue concealing the truth.

"I can't go out like this, can I?" Xunzhen flicked her wrinkled sleeves and said playfully, "This young lady has to dress up and put on makeup first."

This was the first time Liu Xunyi had seen Xunzhen joke with him without any ulterior motives. Her playful and adorable appearance, and her pure and relaxed smile, made him somewhat lost in thought.

"Yes! Yes! It was my mistake! Please forgive me, Miss!"

"Alright! I forgive you."

"Young Miss is truly kind-hearted."

"Be good!"

"Ha ha……"

Amidst laughter and conversation, Liu Xunyi was escorted to the door by Xunzhen. Before leaving, he gave the unsuspecting Xunzhen a deep hug and whispered in her ear, "It's so good to have you!" before reluctantly departing.

Watching Liu Xunyi's figure gradually disappear, Xunzhen's smile slowly faded, replaced by a faint trace of sorrow.

Compared to the warmth and joy of being with someone, she appears more lonely, more aloof, and more melancholic when she is alone.

After hesitating for a moment, Xunzhen, who was overwhelmed with thoughts, seemed to have made up her mind and resolutely took out paper and pen from the cabinet and laid them on the table.

After much deliberation, weighing the pros and cons, and agonizing over the decision... the heartbroken Xunzhen finally made up his mind, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote with tears in his eyes: "Your Highness is well, and seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. Your subject has failed in his mission and begs for punishment..."

……