To Love You Again

Old Xiong Left.

Only the couple was left alone.

Xiong Zhi turned to Linfeng. She was excited, her eyes shining.

Linfeng actually managed to persuade the stubborn old man! Her bright eyes were filled with praise.

The young man awkwardly smiled at his Young Miss's expression. He touched his nose with his free hand.

"Young Miss," he sighed. "I almost harmed your family, yet you still look at me like that."

Xiong Zhi shook her head. "I know you will not. But even if you do, I'm sure you will help me out." 

She had experienced it before. The Zhou family broke the treaty, the enemies took the chance to make a mess out of it, but Linfeng came back and still served her, protecting her silently.

Also, this was something that the Xiong family owed to the Zhou family.

Looking at his Young Miss, Linfeng remembered the earlier scene when his Young Miss stood by his side in front of everyone. 

That was one of the most beautiful things he ever witnessed.

However, he felt worried about his Young Miss. Even if he felt moved and warmed by her actions, in a way, Old Xiong was right. His Young Miss needed to think for herself, for her reputation.

He noticed that his Young Miss tend to disregard any danger as long as she could run to his side whenever he was in a plight.

"Young Miss."

"Hmm."

"In the future, I hope you will consider yourself first and take care of your own before anything else."

"Hmm?"

There was a '?' mark on Xiong Zhi's blank face.

Linfeng sighed. "If ever I was in a sticky situation again, I hope you will not run to save me immediately. I want you to consider your safety first. I can handle myself. I will be more at ease if you think of yourself first."

He did not want her to put herself at risk just to help him out.

Linfeng agreed to what Old Xiong had said. Xiong Zhi's reputation would certainly be at risk if she helped him out publicly like that.

Xiong De and Xiong Wuyue were also present. Was it not showing those two more weaknesses they could exploit?

"..." Xiong Zhi's brows rose in understanding.

She understood that Linfeng was worried for her, but he needed to understand a few things about her, too.

Xiong Zhi looked seriously at him. "Linfeng, I know that my actions earlier seemed impulsive, but I did that not because of some spur of the moment of impulse. To me, even if rumors spread out and people start pointing their fingers at me, I will not care about them because they cannot affect me."

Linfeng faintly frowned in disagreement. But before he could speak, Xiong Zhi spoke first.

"I don't see rumors and bad reputation as a threat, because there are many ways to solve them. We have the so-called public relations, water army, and other ways to divert public opinion. Why worry about getting blackened when I can whitewash anytime?

"Moreover, I don't want you to trade your dreams for me. Didn't I promise you before that I will help you achieve your dreams? I don't care how you break the treaty. Even if my interests as a Xiong was impacted in the process, I will not blame you. Because... You have ways to make it right for me, haven't you?" 

At the end of her sentence, Xiong Zhi faintly smiled, adding color to her otherwise high-cold face.

"..." Linfeng was speechless, then he helplessly chuckled. He gently pulled the girl into his arms.

That was right. After the treaty was broken, he would definitely come back to her. 

He felt grateful for her inexplicable and unequivocal trust in him. 

He put his forehead onto hers, his eyes tracing the smooth outline of her beautiful face.

What kind of meritorious deeds did he do in his previous life to receive the love of his Zhi'er?

Linfeng sighed in defeat.

"Young Miss, what should I do with you?"

What should he do to his young miss that was so brave, so understanding, and love him unconditionally? Linfeng felt that he found the world's treasure. A treasure that he needed to guard for the rest of his life to not be stolen by others.

The girl looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

That blank face looked really cute.

"You are so adorable." Linfeng pinched her nose gently. This girl doesn't know that she captured his heart once again. That innocent looked always teased his heart.

Linfeng's smile could melt the girl's bones.

Xiong Zhi was stunned at his sudden attack. She smirked lightly, clearly happy that he took the initiative to touch her again. She leaned against him, and her jade-like hands ruffled his hair in return. 

"Well, thank you for your praise," she teased back with her chin lifted. She thought for a moment and praised him back seriously. "You are so cool and handsome earlier, too. Hmm... Like in the movies... a knight in shining armor." 

Praise others when they did well, so that they would be encouraged to do it again. Um.

Linfeng chuckled. "A knight in shining armor... aren't you the knight who came to me earlier to save this damsel in distress?" 

Xiong Zhi thought about it and honestly nodded. "You're right. But you were definitely shining earlier." 

Ever since rebirth, Linfeng always glowed in her eyes.

"You too," Linfeng answered solemnly. His Young Miss shone brightly wherever she was, attracting his entire attention since a long time ago.

Then, he inevitably fell for her. No, actually till now, his young miss was still pulling him deeper to her.

The two looked at each other's eyes. 

At this moment, they could only hug each other to celebrate this milestone. In fact, Linfeng wanted to kiss her and spin her around, but as the elders were coming, they have to hold themselves back.

They might not have broken the treaty yet, but with Old Xiong acquiescence, it was just a matter of time.

As expected, the Zhou elders came soon afterwards, with Butler Zhou Min right behind them. The elders hurried in with gasping breaths and wide eyes, grabbing Linfeng the moment they stepped into the hall.

Xiong Zhi retreated and watched as the elders flapped their mouths non-stop in disbelief and shock while speaking with Linfeng.

As a Xiong, her presence here at the moment was superfluous. 

She excused herself. At the door, she looked back before stepping out. Her eyes met with Linfeng.

Linfeng smiled at her assuredly. She smiled back and made a fist. 

'Fighting!' she mouthed.

This was Linfeng's fight. The toughest battle with Old Xiong has ended. She knew that he could handle the Zhou elders perfectly.

Outside, she looked for her grandfather. According to the maids, Master Xiong was in a garden in the West Wing. It was an exquisite garden that was properly taken care of. However, no one comes here except for the Xiong Mansion's Master Xiong.

Xiong Zhi saw her grandfather inside the garden, silently gazing at a flower. But his eyes seemed to be looking at a faraway view.

Xiong Zhi did not disturb him and stood quietly behind the old man.

The garden was silent, only the sound of birds and insects could be heard.

After a long while, the old man spoke in an indifferent voice.

"I told you I am going to rest. What kind of nonsense are you going to say right now?"

Xiong Zhi looked at the elder's back. Her eyes settled on the grayed hair on his head.

Being the Head Master of the entire Xiong family demanded a lot. Most of the head masters of the Xiong family has a shorter lifespan compared to other families. It was due to exhaustion, long-term illnesses, overdrawn life energy, and heart worries. This was why in more than three centuries, there had been a large turnover of head masters.

Becoming the ultimate master of the Xiong family would definitely be hard.

Xiong Zhi lowered her eyes. Her cold face shone with firmness.

"I will work hard."

Old Xiong stiffened. 

"I am not as innocent as you think. All of these, I had taken into consideration. Linfeng is working hard to not let the two families destroy each other after the treaty is broken. So, I will too."

"..."

"You might think I did those actions without thinking. Actually, no, grandfather. I've been planning ever since the beginning."

"..."

"The title, the prestige, and the reputation are nothing if I am not happy at all. You, of all people, know that."

"..."

"I apologize for talking back at you. I respect you as my elder, as the one—"

"Are you telling me that I am not happy?" The old man's eyes looked up towards the sky in a daze.

Among the things that his granddaughter said, this one had been going on his mind.

Xiong Zhi paused.

"...I used to live in loneliness... so I know which figure is lonely." She said. She had been living an empty and dark past. Which in that past, her only light was Linfeng. It was forcibly taken away from her. It left her with nothing. 

That feeling of desolate and emptiness was like a black hole sucking you in, never to revive again.

"...ha...haha," Old Xiong laughed. 

His granddaughter could tell by looking at someone if they were living in loneliness? 

His granddaughter's life hadn't even sum up with two decades. Why she was speaking like she knew everything?

He found it laughable. 

He laughed more. His head facing up the sky. There were even tears threatening to come down.

He laughed hard.

Yet he could not think of why it was funny. Maybe, he was laughing at himself.

Xiong Zhi just let him laugh. To her ears, his laugh was full of sorrow, regret, self-blame and solitude.

After a while, Old Xiong calmed down. He discreetly wiped the faint tears that appeared at the corners of his eyes due to laughing too much. Or perhaps, because of something else he did not wish to admit.

"So why are you here? Just to apologize?" he sarcastically asked. "You want to tell me, this 'lonely old man', that I should understand your foolishness in your so-called love?"

Although she knew he was saying it out of sarcasm, Xiong Zhi still nodded seriously even if he could not see. 

But there was also something else as to why she was here.

"There's one more."

Old Xiong silently let her speak.

"Since you chose me as your heir, there are some things that I felt are needed to be done. I am planning to take out some weeds."

"Weeds?" Old Xiong turned around to look at his granddaughter doubtfully.

"Yes." Xiong Zhi looked at him seriously. "There is a poisonous weed that is trying to replace its farmer."

Old Xiong understood her hidden meaning. His face slowly became grave.

"Tell me in details."

Xiong Zhi nodded, a faint hint of malevolence flashed in her eyes.