So cold.
Jin Xiu curled up outside Ning Garden, the main entrance of Zuo Zhen’s place. Close to dawn,the lantern hanging on the gate, shone on her figure squatting in a corner. The cold air pierced through her bones, she was only wearing a plum coloured dress and black lace shawl she wore while dancing, without even a coatshe was so cold that her senses were numb and stiff.
After waiting till midnight at Bai Le Men, there was still no news of Zuo Zhen and Ying Shao, afterwards she arrived her and waited for a few hours, yet Zuo Zhen was still not back. Where did he go? Did something happen to him? Ying Shao too, Shi Hao said he was injured, it must be quite serious, what was happening now?
All the worries and uncertainty shrouded her, her body was so cold she was trembling, yet her heart was like boiling oil, in that moment she could not calm down.
Just she was about to turn to stone after all that waiting, and at the point she was going to give up the last bit of hope, there was a familiar car sound at the junction, the car lights were blinding, shining on her face while she lifted up her head. It was Zuo Zhen’s car! He was finally back.
The car door opened, Zuo Zhen seemed in a rush to get out of the car. That person crouched by the gate into a small ball, that’s Jin Xiu? Why did she run over here!
“Er Ye!” Jin Xiu happily stood up, but because her legs and knees were stuff, she almost fell over.
Zuo Zhen held on to her, her hands were cold, he furrowed his brow and couldn’t help but ask, “How long have you been waiting here?”
Jin Xiu struggled a bit in his arms, but he hugged her so tightly and didn’t seem to intend on letting go. And…his hug, was really warm, strong, stable, her entire night of uncertainty finally found solace in this stability and comfort.
“Just a while.” Jin Xiu raised her head to look at his jaw, the stubble was growing out, spoiling his handsome and gentle charisma, adding a little roughness.
With one hand around her, Zuo Zhen took off his thick coat and wrapped it around her, binding her in his arms. “Let’s talk inside, you’ve almost turned into an ice cube.”
He did it so naturally, that Jin Xiu didn’t think much of it. But the chauffeur standing nearby dropped his jaw with such surprise that it seemed as though a chicken’s egg could fit. This, was this the Er Ye Zuo Zhen he knew? That forever cold and calm, unfeeling Er Ye? Was he seeing things?
“Auntie w.a.n.g, cook ginger soup!” Zuo Zhen angrily ordered a sleepy Auntie w.a.n.g, “Jin Xiu was outside, why didn’t you open the door for her?”
“I didn’t press the bell.” Jin Xiu hurriedly explained, “It was already in the middle of the night.”
“You….” Zuo Zhen helplessly sat on the sofa, he really lost to this idiot Jin Xiu, afraid of disturbing Auntie w.a.n.g, so she froze outside for a night? Was she brainless?
“Ai ya, ” Auntie w.a.n.g sighed in shock, and started nagging, “Miss Jin Xiu, it’s not that I want to tell you off but what’s more important than your own health? If you miss Er Ye, all you have to do is come in and wait, what’s there to be shy about, in anyway case it’s not like I have a lot to do around here…”
“Auntie w.a.n.g.” Jin Xiu blushed through her cold pale face. “You’ve misunderstood! Er Ye and I are just, just….” turning her head to Zuo Zhen for help, only to see him intently looking into her years, ah, was she so cold that her head was giddy? Why did she seem to see a warmth in his eyes she had never seen before?”
“Just what?” Zuo Zhen asked in a low voice.
“Ah?” Jin Xiu didn’t know what to do, Auntie w.a.n.g had already misunderstood him, he didn’t even bothering explaining, he seemed even nonchalant, as though she was making a mountain out of a molehill.
“Alright, speak, you were waiting outside for a night, what happened?” Zuo Zhen calmed his disobedient gaze while threatened to spill his heart, and rescued Jin Xiu from a difficult spot.
Jin Xiu only then realized that there were spots of dark red on him, was that blood?! She panicked, bent down and carefully observed him, “What’s all these red on your clothes, specks and specks of them, even your shoes are stained, what happened?”
Zuo Zhen didn’t say a word, looking at her nagging hurriedly, eventually looking up with her beautiful worried eyes, asking, “You, are you alright?”
Zuo Zhen felt a tightness in his chest. She was frozen outside for a night, for this? In her lost gaze, that deepest concern, it was this?
“You’re here, is it to ask me to take you to Ying Dong?” Zuo Zhen suppressed that throb, found his voice and forced this question out. He couldn’t make the same mistake as the last time. But he really did not hope that Jin Xiu would answer “Yes”. For his whole life, he had never been as selfish as now, and hoped that someone wouldn’t care about Ying Dong’s well being.
“Oh, right.” Only now did Jin Xiu seem to awaken, she straightened up, “How is Ying Shao now?”
Zuo Zhen frowned, “Still alright, he is not in any danger. He suffered three shots, but not in any vital spots…”
“Three shots?!” Jin Xiu shrieked, “Three shots, how can he be still alright? That won’t do, I have to take a look.” That was her savior they were talking about.
Sighing, Zuo Zhen turned his head away with restraint. That foreign feeling in his heart, seemed to be bitterness.
“He’s still in the hospital, we can only visit in the day. You can sleep here for a while, I’ll be back to pick you up.” Zuo Zhen stood up.
“You’re going out again?” Jin Xiu widened her eyes, “Why still….Ah…Ah choo!” She pathetically sneezed.
Zuo Zhen couldn’t stand looking at her, “I beg of you, Mistress Rong, hurry drink this hot bowl of ginger soup and sleep on the bed for a while. I have enough on my mind, don’t create trouble here, alright?”
Jin Xiu nodded but didn’t forget to ask, “Where are you going?” Zuo Zhen had already put on his coat and was walking out, “I have another brother that’s injured and missing, I have to go and take a look.”