Liu Xie walked over to Liu Anran’s side, wanting to say something but stopping, stopping yet wanting to speak.
In the end, she simply picked up her own cup of hot cocoa with milk, blew at her mustache and glared, saying, “You’re using me as a shield?”
“You can use me as a shield too.” Liu Anran didn’t seem to think much of it, just treating it as an everyday matter.
“So what will people say about the two of us out there?” There wasn’t the slightest worry on Liu Xie’s face; instead, there was a hint of schadenfreude. “Aren’t we ruining the family’s reputation?”
“You started dyeing your hair yellow in your first year of high school. Why didn’t you care what others thought of you back then?” There was still that unique gentleness in Liu Anran’s eyes.
Maybe Liu Xie didn’t usually notice this particular gentleness, because whenever Liu Anran looked at her, it was always with that same softness.
She’d never seen Liu Anran indifferent, nor cold.
But she had seen Liu Anran, back when they first started bickering, become flushed and tongue-tied from being outmatched by her sharp tongue.
“As for me, I’ve always stood by your side.” Liu Anran’s gaze still rested on his one and only Blue Snowflower.
Liu Xie naturally understood, and she naturally believed it.
When she’d come home with her hair dyed yellow, she’d almost been beaten to death by her parents with a belt.
And then, the next time she came home late, the always well-behaved Liu Anran walked into the living room with his backpack, sporting a head of green hair.
From then on, Liu Father and Liu Mother never made any demands about Liu Xie’s appearance again. They just begged Liu Anran to dye his green hair back to normal.
“That really is a bit pitiful for Mom and Dad.” Liu Xie chuckled, clinking her hot cocoa with sweet milk against Liu Anran’s coffee.
Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she grabbed Liu Anran’s coffee and took a sip.
She stuck out her tongue.
“So bitter.” Liu Xie wanted to rinse her mouth, but unfortunately, this wasn’t at home. “Do you always drink stuff this awful?”
“It’s just to stay awake. Whether it tastes good or not isn’t something I care about.” Liu Anran picked up his own cup of coffee and took a sip.
Was it really that bitter?
Liu Xie was just about to keep chattering when there was another commotion behind them.
The princess with golden hair quickly left Liu Anran’s side, and Liu Anran’s gaze and expression immediately grew cold.
“Hello.”
This girl seemed even more composed than the previous two.
Liu Anran nodded slightly.
Then neither of them spoke.
The girl thought for a moment, then tried to find a topic from Liu Xie, who was huddled in the corner nearby.
“Your sister really cares about you. She won’t even let you come to things like this alone.”
“She cares about me the most.” When Liu Anran said this, he lifted his head a little, like a child being praised. “And I don’t think this is something I should keep from her. On the contrary, I think she has to be here to see it.”
At this, the expression on the girl’s face grew a bit strange.
“You two seem pretty close.”
Liu Anran nodded, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
After that, another silence fell between them. During this time, Liu Anran’s gaze remained fixed on Liu Xie.
He watched as Liu Xie flipped him off, watched her grab two pieces of candy from the counter and toss them into her hot cocoa.
Liu Anran absolutely couldn’t let his attention rest on the blind date in front of Liu Xie; he couldn’t show any real concern for someone else right in front of Liu Xie. In his eyes, that would be a kind of betrayal.
Of course, even if Liu Xie wasn’t watching, he couldn’t do that.
Liu Xie had saved his life, given him everything he had now. Until the day Liu Xie no longer needed him, he couldn’t put his own desires first.
Or perhaps, it was just something he couldn’t put into words, something he couldn’t let go of.
“I think the two of us could get to know each other.” The girl at the table brushed her long shawl of hair behind her shoulder.
Maybe her hair wasn’t as long as Liu Xie’s, maybe it wasn’t as shiny, or maybe it was just because she wasn’t Liu Xie.
In any case, Liu Anran wasn’t interested.
“I prefer literature and philosophy, and I’ve dabbled in psychology too.” It was obvious she’d done her homework—even had some idea of what Liu Anran liked to read.
In most cases, this would be enough to earn some favor.
But not for Liu Anran.
His gaze stayed cool, as if he hadn’t even heard her. “I’m not cultured or tasteful. I just waste time watching silly, brainless videos and curse a lot.”
But clearly, his eyes were on Liu Xie, and he definitely wasn’t talking about himself.
The girl across from him bit her lower lip.
She took off her jacket, and—acting casual—stretched, showing off her alluring figure beneath her shoulder-baring top.
It was certainly eye-catching, especially those two soft curves.
But she found that Liu Anran’s gaze still didn’t land on her.
So she turned to look.
Liu Xie was lying on the table, pulling off a high-difficulty move the other girl could never manage.
She was resting her head on her own chest, using those soft curves as a pillow for a nap.
The girl in front of Liu Anran paused, then put her jacket back on.
“Aren’t you a bit too concerned about your sister? You two will have to go your separate ways eventually, right?” There was a note of unwillingness in her voice, like a concubine who had failed to win the emperor’s favor.
Liu Anran’s expression finally changed, but it was hardly a pleasant change.
His expression turned irritable, his gaze laced with disgust, and for a moment, the girl across from him was at a loss.
Like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched.
Only then did she realize she wasn’t a concubine who had failed to win favor—in this man’s little palace, there was only one beloved empress.
She didn’t even have the right to step across the threshold without that empress’s approval.
“Whether or not we go our separate ways isn’t for you to decide or comment on.” There was thunder rumbling beneath his heavy words.
But then, Liu Anran took a deep breath and, looking at the slightly frightened girl in front of him, emphasized, “The two of us will never be separated in this life. Unless she doesn’t need me anymore, no one can stop us.”
“Not you, not anyone.” It was as final as a verdict in the grand hall, as romantic as a vow beneath a dove.
They fell silent again for a while.
“I understand.” The girl at the table hesitated, swallowing all her bitterness and unwillingness. “I wish you two happiness.”
“Thank you.”
The girl stood and left, and Liu Anran didn’t even get up from his seat.
The next two girls seemed unable to escape the same fate.
Either defeated by Liu Anran’s cold indifference, or overshadowed by Liu Xie’s dazzling brilliance.
Or perhaps tormented by both at the same time, so that after a whole day of blind dates, Liu Anran didn’t even add a single girl’s contact information.
“I can already imagine what kind of crazy rumors will be flying about us soon.” Liu Xie sighed.
“They all know I was adopted anyway, so I doubt it’ll get too wild.” Liu Anran carefully wiped at the hot cocoa Liu Xie had spilled on herself with a napkin.
But it wouldn’t come out. Unless Liu Xie gave up on this piece of clothing, it would probably always stick to her.
“It’s fine, as long as we know the truth ourselves. What they say out there has nothing to do with us.” Liu Xie grinned and patted Liu Anran’s shoulder.
Do they really know the truth in their hearts?
Liu Xie left Liu Anran in the Café, skipping out the door on her own.
That’s what she said.
But perhaps she was the one who understood the least of all.
He wanna clap her and she don’t even know….