"Zi Jue, take responsibility for your words. You should marry me."Zi Jue felt that he had upped and died, if not then, he was hallucinating. Yan Qing Shan asked him to marry her.
He looked at her in confusion. All he saw was her dark brown eyes, filled with tears and a tinge of warmth. A far cry from the cold indifference he was expecting from her. Zi Jue was at a loss for words.
"Zi Jue, I... I don"t know anything about love and affection. But I always stand up to my choices and decisions. And I choose to be with you. I"ll never leave you in this lifetime. I can promise you that. I"m giving us a chance. I hope you will not let me regret it."
After those words were said, in Yan Qing Shan"s face blossomed an enchanting smile. It took Zi Jue"s breath away. Her words finally registered to his mind. He kissed every one of her fingers.
"En. You won"t regret it. Thank you, Qing Shan."
Zi Jue replied, his voice turning hoa.r.s.e with the constriction of his throat. Zi Jue"s heart was surging with happiness. He was desperately fighting the urge to cry.
Yan Qing Shan gave him a chance. She was willing to open up to him. Zi Jue knew of her personality. She was aloof, indiferrent to everything, and inconsiderably detached. Only select people were able to enter her eyes. Most of them those who had done her some great good.
He knew of her situation with her family. Zi Jue had long wanted to tear them down for what they did to her. For pus.h.i.+ng her to the brink, until all she had left was herself. It was no wonder she was cold. It was not surprising she did not know how to love and be loved.
In the first place, the people who were supposed to care for her were either gone or was busy giving somebody else their care. His beloved grew up alone in this world. And just when she had found affection in her maternal grandfather, she needed to leave him and be alone once again. This has always pained him.
But now he was here. Zi Jue will make sure that she will never feel lonely again. He will love her, pamper her, dote on her until the emptiness those people left her will be filled in excess. He will give her the family she deserves.
"Make sure of it. One more thing, there are things that I need to deal with. I hope you"ll let me take care of it."
Zi Jue furrowed his brows. Things she needed to deal with?
"Alright. I"ll let you do that. Do you want my help?"
He asked her to which she shook her head.
"Not yet. If I need help, you"ll be the first person I"ll look for."
Zi Jue nodded at that. He then stood up and rested the box he was holding a while ago at her lap.
"What"s this?" She asked while looking at him curiously. Zi Jue smiled sheepishly at her.
"Your present. That"s the reason for the extended days of my trip. I already had it rushed but it still took time."
Yan Qing Shan smiled sweetly at him.
"Ah, he would do everything for that smile. It would be totally worth it."
---
Liu Ying had been asissting Zi Jue even in their college days when he had yet to become the family head. Liu Ying had never seen him ruffled, not even once. Although, upon meeting Miss Yan, he had been a lot more susceptible to other emotions. Still, he is able to hold onto composure and retain his gentle, smiling face.
That is why, Liu Ying couldn"t hold his shock when he saw his master absentmindedly walking, almost cras.h.i.+ng to the bal.u.s.trade, and then blankly staring at the door of his study.
Miss Yan had frequently teased him about the flabbergasted expression becoming permanent in his face. But he always just smiled it out. This time he had finally thought that what she said was possible. His master himself, had permanently glued the expression with his unexpected actions.
"Master. Master Jue?"
Liu Ying tried calling to the man who was currently having a staring contest with the door.
"The master is broken. The master is in shock. Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here?"
The poor housekeeper internally lamented. He had no choice but to just stand there and wait for Zi Jue to recover.
"Liu Ying, triple everyone"s salary here at Ying Yue Garden. I"ll also grant you your requested three-day vacation."
Liu Ying gasped audibly, delight blooming in his face. He affirmed his master"s command, all the while wondering what could possibly have happened.
"It"s Miss Yan for sure. Master Jue only becomes out of reason when it"s about her. I should treat her even better. She"s the G.o.ddess who"ll grant me of my vacation and leave."
Liu Ying, the housekeeper who was granted a vacation happily decided.