Love You Till the End-Chapter 1017 - 1016: Why Have You Been Zoning Out Here So Much Lately
The night holds a slight chill, and Su Jiuyi takes a deep breath, not quite understanding why her heart feels as if it’s stuffed with something, blocked to the point where she can’t breathe.
Perhaps it’s just bad weather, she thinks.
"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice comes from behind. Su Jiuyi quickly turns her head, Shi Aoju is leaning against the doorway, looking at her intently.
"I’m... enjoying the view." She suddenly doesn’t know how to answer, feeling as though she’s been caught doing something wrong, and quickly turns her face away from him.
Seeing her inexplicable fluster, Shi Aoju’s eyes flicker with a smile. He walks over and sits beside her on the steps.
Apart from the grape trellis ahead, there’s really nothing to see here. The nearby flowerbeds and fountain are obscured by thick leaves, and even the starry sky, which had been clear for several days, has vanished without a trace.
"Do you really like this garden?" Shi Aoju’s lazy voice resonates in the tranquil night.
"Ah...yes." Su Jiuyi is stunned for a second, then suddenly responds, "You returned early today."
"Hmm, not too much business to attend to."
"Doesn’t it get busier after the construction on the land starts?" She lowers her head, wraps her arms around her folded legs, tidying the strands of hair blown loose by the wind, speaking cautiously.
Shi Aoju does not answer, just turns his face, quietly observing the woman curling up like a kitten, his calm heart suddenly stirring with a touch of softness, like spring water gently rippling.
He gently reaches out, takes the black hair tie from Su Jiuyi’s soft hair, wraps it around his wrist, and grasps Su Jiuyi’s loose hair in his warm palms.
His hands, with their distinct joints, are expertly weaving her long, silky black hair, his slender fingers transformed into a comb as they carefully twist and twirl her hair.
When he inadvertently touches the back of Su Jiuyi’s neck, he notices her slight trembling.
"Don’t move."
Soon, a lovely braid takes shape, every strand woven neatly together.
A suspicious blush flashes across Su Jiuyi’s face, well concealed by the inky night. She bites her lip softly, looking into Shi Aoju’s eyes with a trace of bewilderment, her long eyelashes trembling slightly in the humid air.
"Your hair was just messy." Shi Aoju closes his eyes, a notable curve gracing his lips, the faint scent of hair lingering around his nose, filling him with inexplicable peace. "Besides, I think braids suit you."
"This isn’t one of your techniques to charm girls, is it?" Not sure where she musters the courage from, Su Jiuyi begins to speak lightly and teasingly with Shi Aoju.
There is no dense fog to obscure the moonlight; no cloud layers block the stars.
Sitting on the steps, Shi Aoju gazes at Su Jiuyi’s bright and innocent profile; her smile growing increasingly radiant, her clear eyes immaculate, with skin as pure and delicate as silken threads. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Like a river thawing after years, he suddenly feels an unresolvable emotion spreading from unknown parts of his body to the tip of his heart.
"Of course not." He answers calmly.
"Why have you been spacing out here so much lately?" After a period of silence, it is Shi Aoju who breaks the atmosphere first.
Actually, it’s because Su Jiuyi has recently taken a liking to the grape trellis in the house.
There’s no special reason—just sheer fondness.
