AgWorld Chapter 231: I am so Foolish
Chapter 231: I am so Foolish
He had been tortured, humiliated, and treated as a beautiful, broken doll by obsessive maniacs.
His heart had been frozen solid, dead to the world. But Yun Shu had forcefully shattered that ice, wrapping him in an unconditional, overbearing protection that made him feel safe for the first time in his existence.
And now, because Yun Shu had given him so much warmth, the sudden absence of it felt agonizingly cold.
’I just wanted to see him,’ Bai Yunxian thought, his lower lip protruding in a slight, unconscious pout. ’I just wanted to hand him his gift myself.’
With a heavy sigh, Bai Yunxian raised his hand, his spiritual energy lightly brushing against his spatial ring. With a faint shimmer of light, an exquisite, dark velvet jewelry box appeared in his palm.
He traced the smooth surface of the box, his ruby eyes softening with a mixture of affection and melancholy.
Inside this box lay the pair of hairpins he had specially bought for him back in the Eastern County.
He remembered standing in front of that shop, mesmerized by the craftsmanship. The staff member had enthusiastically explained that it was an exclusive pair meant for lovers to show off their affection.
Bai Yunxian carefully clicked the box open. Resting on a bed of white silk were two magnificent hairpins.
One was carved from high-quality obsidian, dark, profound, and elegant, perfectly matching the deep, mysterious aura of Lord Yun. Beside it lay its pair, a ruby hairpin, red and brilliant, mirroring Bai Yunxian’s own striking eyes.
He had dropped a hundred taels of silver without a second thought, completely ignoring the shopkeeper’s generous discount, simply because the thought of Yun Shu wearing it had filled his heart with an undeniable, foolish happiness.
He had spent the entire tournament looking forward to this exact moment.
He had meticulously planned how he would present it to Yun Shu after securing first place, hoping to see that rare, genuine smile bloom across Yun Shu’s handsome face.
But now, staring at the obsidian hairpin in the dimming twilight, Bai Yunxian felt a lump form in his throat.
’He doesn’t even care enough to wait for me,’ Bai Yunxian thought, fully immersing himself in his own tragic, internal monologue. ’I am just a contractual partner. Why did I think a mere victory in a student tournament would be enough to hold the attention of the great Lord Yun? I am so foolish.’
He slumped forward, resting his forehead against the cool stone pillar of the pavilion, clutching the velvet box to his chest like a lifeline.
He truly looked like a feral cat that had finally learned to trust, only to find its food bowl empty.
Unbeknownst to the grieving beauty, a shadow had already detached itself from the weeping willow trees a few meters away.
"Host, look at him! He’s literally wilting like a dried cabbage!" Chen Yi, the chibi system, floated in the air, pulling at his own hair in sheer panic. "His mental drama is off the charts! He thinks you threw him away! Go comfort the Male Lead right now before his blackening meter suddenly activates!"
Yun Shu, who had successfully shed her heavy crimson disguise and was now dressed in a sleek, tailored dark robe, rolled her eyes internally.
’Shut up, Chen Yi. I was just dealing with the Azure Sect elders so they wouldn’t swarm us. I came as fast as I could.’
Still, as Yun Shu observed Bai Yunxian leaning pathetically against the pillar, clutching a small box to his chest, a soft, helpless smile graced her lips.
’My god, how can a grown man look this incredibly cute when he’s sulking?’ Yun Shu thought, her heart doing a strange, entirely uncharacteristic flip. ’He looks exactly like a sad little puppy whining for its owner.’
Yun Shu silently concealed her formidable aura, her footsteps lighter than falling leaves. She crept into the pavilion, moving with the stealth of an apex predator.
As she drew closer, the distinct scent of mountain herbs and sandalwood began to permeate the cool evening air.
Bai Yunxian, lost in his despair, completely failed to notice the approaching danger until it was far too late.
Suddenly, a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped securely around his slender waist from behind.
A firm chest pressed flush against his back, entirely enveloping him in a familiar, intoxicating embrace.
Bai Yunxian gasped, his entire body jolting in shock. He instinctively tried to summon his Qi to strike the brazen trespasser, but before he could even raise a hand, a low, deeply resonant, and terribly amused voice whispered directly against his sensitive ear.
"Who gave my wife permission to sit here all alone and look so aggrieved?"
The hot breath tickled the shell of his ear, sending a violent shiver cascading down Bai Yunxian’s spine.
His spiritual energy instantly dispersed, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming weakness in his knees.
He knew that voice. He knew that scent. He knew the absolute, domineering warmth of those arms.
"L-Lord Yun?!" Bai Yunxian squeaked, his voice cracking entirely out of its usual cold, aloof register.
Yun Shu chuckled, a rich, dark sound that vibrated right through Bai Yunxian’s back. "The one and only. Though, from the tragic look on your face, one might think I had perished in the Myriad Beast Forest."
Bai Yunxian’s face, which had been pale with melancholy just seconds ago, instantly flushed with color. A brilliant, burning shade of crimson rushed from his cheeks, sweeping down his neck and painting the tips of his ears red.
He was utterly mortified after what he heard from her just now.
Had Yun Shu been standing there watching him sulk? How much of his pathetic display had this man seen?!
"I—I wasn’t! You— you startled me, My Lord!" Bai Yunxian stammered wildly, flailing his hands in a clumsy attempt to pry Yun Shu’s arms off his waist.
But Yun Shu, finding his frantic embarrassment entirely too adorable, simply tightened her grip, pulling him flush against her.