books44 Chapter 296 [Empire] You are different from him
Chapter 296 [Empire] You are different from him
In the morning, when I opened the door, I was shocked by what I saw.
He stood at the doorway, looking disheveled, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale. His strange, tangled expression nearly shook me. But when I saw the alcohol still emanating from him and his bewildered expression, I couldn't help but frown.
"What are you doing standing here?" I asked coldly, my voice unconsciously filled with a hint of impatience.
He clearly didn't hear the rejection in my tone. Instead, he shook his head slightly, looking at me with a dazed look, as if he wasn't sure what he was doing. He staggered, his body unsteady, clearly not having recovered. His alcohol-induced appearance made me feel sick.
"I... I just... just want to... hug you." His voice was hoarse and trembling. The word "hug you" was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
My heart tightened, and I instinctively took a step back, quickly putting some distance between us. "How much have you drunk?" I asked coldly.
He didn't answer, but just lowered his head silently, as if he didn't even know what was going on. His hands hung limply at his sides, and his face was filled with deep fatigue and helplessness.
"You're not going back to your room?" I tried to keep my tone calm, but I couldn't hide the irritation deep inside. He stood at my door all night, clearly not wanting to leave, but I really didn't understand what he was struggling with.
That emotion made me feel suffocated, as if I had become his only support in his lost state.
He didn't respond, but just stood there with his head down, like a child who had lost his way. I suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation well up in my heart, almost swallowing up my sanity.
"Can you please stop doing this?" I unconsciously raised my voice, my tone filled with strong impatience.
He raised his head slightly, his eyes still blurred, but after seeing the indifference in my eyes, he suddenly seemed to lose all his courage, lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
I know what he's going through and how much pain he's in, but I also know that I can't change it. In any case, he has no right to impose these emotions on me, especially after I've clearly rejected him.
"You'd better go back and stay away from me." My voice was no longer gentle, but carried a strong sense of command.
He froze, seemingly stung by my words, the confusion in his eyes deepening. Finally, he simply murmured "hmm," turned around, and slowly walked toward the end of the corridor.
Just as I was about to leave the villa for school, I seemed to hear him murmur: "You are not at all like Shan Qi. Shan Qi is never soft-hearted..."
The voice was deep and hoarse, like a whisper from deep underground, with a hint of helpless sadness. I stopped in my tracks, my heartbeat suddenly accelerating, and I could hardly believe what I had just heard.
His words made me a little stunned, and I even forgot my pace. The man stood there with his back to me, and it seemed that he no longer looked at me, but whispered to himself, as if he was talking to himself, or as if he was saying something to Shan Qi.
"You and Shan Qi are nothing alike..." He repeated the words, as if searching for some subtle contrast, or trying to find something in me that he couldn't get. "Shan Qi, he never softens his heart..."
Those words were like a sharp knife, mercilessly cutting open a scar in my heart. Shan Qi? Soft-hearted? Why did he bring up Shan Qi? And, he even said that I looked nothing like him? What on earth was he talking about?
I turned my head involuntarily and stared at the man's back. His shoulders rose and fell slightly, as if he was suppressing something. The smell of alcohol still filled the air, but the suppressed emotion made people feel an inexplicable heaviness.
"What did you say?" I asked unconsciously, my tone cold, with a hint of doubt and caution. I took a step forward, wanting to see his expression, but he still didn't turn around.
He seemed oblivious to my approach, his head still bowed, his eyes hollow. "You're different from Shan Qi," he said, his voice trembling slightly, but he quickly fell silent. "Shan Qi, he's so hard-hearted..." His words trailed off, barely audible.
My heart tightened, and I felt an inexplicable surge of anger and unease. What was he saying about me? Comparing me to Shan Qi? I'm not Shan Qi. I can't achieve his "indifference," nor do I have any interest in replacing him. Yet, this person kept bringing it up.
"You're right," I suddenly said coldly, breaking the suffocating silence. "I'm different from Shan Qi. I'm not as cold-blooded as him." As these words came out of my mouth, I felt a little regretful, but for some reason, I felt relieved.
He didn't respond or turn around, but just stood there silently, as if he was not interested in what I said, or he was already used to this reaction.
I took a deep breath, turned and walked out the door.