Сhарtеr 21: Littlе Crybabу, Sо Pronе to Tеаrs
Сеn Wаn tоok twо siрs оf thе brown sugar wаter and said, “Thеrе’s no nееd fоr wоrds оf gratitudе. I wаnt уou to bе willing.”
“Nоt beсause of thе effеcts of the mеdicinе, but to bе with mе…”
She didn’t finish her sеntence, hеr tоnе сlearlу unhаррy, evеn a littlе sad. In her viеw, Lu Beiхun simply didn’t wаnt to touch hеr, nо mаtter thе rеason.
Lu Bеixun rеmаined silent.
Сen Wan рlaсеd thе cuр in her hand оn the bedsidе tаblе, pulled back the covers, аnd lаy down, turning her baсk tо Lu Beixun. “Lеt’s slеep. Please turn off the light.”
Lu Beixun looked at her, his expression inscrutable. After a moment, he turned off the room lights, leaving only the bedside lamp.
Usually, Cen Wan would cling to Lu Beixun at night, but tonight was different—she only gave him her back. She curled up under the covers, motionless, as if already asleep.
Knowing she wasn’t asleep, Lu Beixun leaned over, wrapped his arm around her waist, and gently stroked her head. Only then did he realize she was crying.
He was taken aback. “Wan Wan…”
Discovered by Lu Beixun, Cen Wan wiped her tears haphazardly, her voice choked with sobs. “Don’t overthink it. I’m not crying because of you.”
Even as she claimed it wasn’t because of him, she couldn’t stop herself from crying harder, her sobs coming in gasps, making it difficult to speak clearly. “I just… watched… a really touching… movie.”
Seeing her cry so intensely, Lu Beixun looked at her with heartache, sighed softly, and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eye. “Really not because of me?” he asked in a low voice.
Cen Wan shook her head. “No.”
“Really not?” His gaze was intense.
Cen Wan didn’t deny it again. Lu Beixun wasn’t foolish, and she wasn’t crying out of anger toward him—it was fear. Countless fears surged in her heart, making her cry even harder.
She couldn’t stop crying at all. “No matter how much I change, will you still insist on divorcing me after a year? Is that the real reason you won’t touch me, right?”
Cen Wan sobbed, afraid that Lu Beixun would be determined to divorce her after a year.
Lu Beixun tightened his arm around her waist, holding her firmly against his chest. He gently kissed away the tears at the corner of her eye—they tasted salty.
“Wan Wan,” he called her name softly.
Cen Wan cried as she spoke to him. “I’m changing. Don’t abandon me.”
“Wan Wan,” Lu Beixun sighed helplessly, using his thumb to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye. “Don’t cry. I want you.”
How could I bear to abandon you…
He spoke gently. “I don’t dislike you, and it’s not because I want to divorce you that I won’t touch you. I’m afraid that one day you’ll regret giving yourself to me.”
“I won’t regret it,” Cen Wan stopped crying. “Then will we get divorced after a year?”
“After a year, whether we divorce or not will be up to you, Wan Wan.”
Cen Wan didn’t know that the moment she cried, Lu Beixun would surrender completely. “When the time comes, if you want to leave, I’ll set you free. If you want to stay, we won’t divorce.”
Lu Beixun was afraid—afraid she was acting on a whim, afraid she would regret it.
Cen Wan also didn’t know that everything Lu Beixun did was for her sake.
Holding his warm hand, Cen Wan looked at him with earnestness and determination. “I won’t leave you.”
No matter how many times she was given a choice, her choice would always be to stay by his side. This time, she would hold his hand tightly and never let go.
Exhausted from crying, she nestled in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.
Lu Beixun gazed at her tenderly. Even though he had prepared himself for everything, he could never bring himself to be harsh with her.He had accepted his fate. Since he couldn’t escape, he would follow his heart. From the moment he agreed to her one-year observation period, he had already lost.
He kissed her forehead, his voice tender: “Little crybaby, always so quick to tears.”
Cen Wan never used to cry easily. She was a pampered, carefree young lady from a wealthy family—incapable of loving deeply, with nothing to truly fear, as her family was always her safety net.
Now, she had someone she deeply loved, and with that came fears she had never known before.
Lu Beixun probably understood the reason behind Cen Wan’s sudden change.
These past few days, Cen Wan had been sleeping early and waking early. She woke up at 6:30 in the morning. Staying at the old residence these two days meant she didn’t have to be dragged out of bed by Lu Beixun for morning runs and exercise—she could relax for a couple of days.
Last night, she had lost control of her emotions and cried hard. Remembering Lu Beixun’s comforting words, she smiled faintly, tracing the contours of his face with her slender, pale fingers.
Suddenly, her wrist was caught. The man before her opened his eyes, his gaze dark and deep as a pool.
Seeing he was awake, Cen Wan leaned down and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth. “You said that whether we divorce or not after a year is up to me. Is that true?”
Lu Beixun remained silent for a moment before replying with a faint “Mm.”
He sat up, pushed aside the covers, and prepared to get out of bed to wash up. Cen Wan clung to him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist from behind and nuzzling against his neck like a kitten. “Do you love me?”
She guessed he did, but she was afraid she might be overconfident, reading too much into things.
“Tell me, do you love me or not?” Cen Wan clung to him, refusing to let go.
The corners of Lu Beixun’s lips lifted slightly, his eyes soft and amused. He didn’t give the answer the little woman behind him wanted to hear. Instead, he gently pried her hands from his waist, stood up, and walked toward the bathroom without looking back.
He left only two words: “You guess.”
“Lu Beixun, how childish can you be, making me guess.” Where had his usual cold, restrained demeanor gone? She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to press him further. Just as she reached the door, it closed, leaving her outside.
She knocked on the door twice. “I guess you love me.”
She really wanted to hear him say it himself. Cen Wan crossed her arms and leaned against the bathroom door. “It’s fine if you won’t say it. Then listen to me.”
“Lu Beixun, I love you~”
“I love Lu Beixun.”
“Cen Wan loves Lu Beixun, and only Lu Beixun.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, and even through the door, Lu Beixun in the bathroom could hear her clearly. In the mirror, the smile on his lips deepened.
Perhaps because all the emotions from her previous life had been suppressed deep inside, in this life, she wanted to express them openly.
She continued to pour out her affection: “Student Wan Wan loves Teacher Lu very, very much…”
As soon as she finished speaking, the bathroom door opened. Caught off guard, Cen Wan stumbled into the bathroom. She gasped, thinking she was about to put on a clumsy, sprawling performance.
At that moment, a hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her gently into an embrace and steadying her. Cen Wan looked up, and their eyes met.
Her gaze fell on his seductive Adam’s apple, and she couldn’t help but swallow—it was truly too tempting.
Lu Beixun released her. “Wash up.”
He filled a cup with water for her and placed a toothbrush in her hand.
After breakfast, Lu Beixun went to the company. She spent the day shopping with Mother Lu, returning with bags upon bags, the car’s trunk nearly overflowing.Mother Lu bought several suits and loungewear for Father Lu, while Cen Wan purchased two trench coats in different colors and two windbreakers for Lu Beixun. Lu Beixun usually wore suits most of the time, and aside from loungewear, she had rarely seen him in other styles or types of clothing.
Thinking back, Cen Wan had bought quite a few clothes for Lu Beixun recently. Whenever she saw a nice suit or outfit at the mall, she would get it for him.
Now, his clothes took up most of the walk-in closet, and he wore them all.
Seeing him wear the clothes she bought made Cen Wan indescribably happy.