books44 Chapter 380 [Empire] Step by Step
Chapter 380 [Empire] Step by Step
I got up early and packed everything up quietly, trying not to make any noise to disturb him.
The room was still filled with the strange silence of last night, and I knew that I was no longer the person who could communicate with him easily with a smile. I really couldn't let go of what happened that night.
I avoided the kitchen and didn't make breakfast, deciding instead to spend some time in the garden. The flowers and plants here exuded a gentle scent in the morning sun, and the air was filled with the aroma of moist earth. I sat in the small pavilion, quietly gazing into the distance, my thoughts like a pool of clear water, rippled by the wind.
He talked to me so much last night, as if trying to narrow the distance between us and make up for his weak emotions with those clumsy actions.
His drunken appearance still vividly appears before my eyes. I can even sense his vulnerability and longing—a longing to no longer be ignored, a longing for someone to rely on. However, his emotions are not fully open to me. He still wraps himself in a false shell, and I no longer seem to be the person who can easily accept him.
I sighed, feeling a bit heavy. Suddenly, I heard footsteps. I turned around and saw him standing at the door. He was wearing yesterday's pajamas, his hair disheveled and draped over his shoulders. His eyes still had the lingering scent of alcohol. He looked at me with a complicated expression.
"You...got up early?" His voice was low and a little uncertain.
"Well, I came out early to get some fresh air." I nodded slightly, trying to ease the awkwardness of the atmosphere.
He didn't say anything else. He walked over to me, standing there somewhat awkwardly. I knew he was waiting for me to speak, but I didn't quite know where to begin. An inexplicable tension hung in the air, as if both of us had silently realized that the relationship between us was no longer what it once was. Something had changed, and neither of us had the courage to admit it.
"How are you? Are you sober from last night?" I finally spoke, with a hint of unnatural tone.
He rubbed his hair awkwardly and gave a wry smile: "I'm barely sober now." Then, he suddenly added eagerly, "I didn't mean to do what happened last night."
I waved my hand gently, signaling him not to say more: "I know you mean no harm." However, a trace of uneasiness in my heart still lingered.
The air suddenly grew heavy. I looked down at my hands, unsure of what to do. Everything around me seemed frozen in silence; even the birdsong seemed distant. I heard his gentle breathing; he remained standing beside me, as if awaiting an uncertain response.
"As you wish..." His voice broke the silence, so low that it was almost inaudible, yet so clear, "What happened last night was not what you thought. I know you may not understand, but..." His words were stuck in his throat, as if he was seeking a suitable explanation.
I looked up at him, my eyes filled with mixed emotions. Perhaps I had never truly understood him, or perhaps I didn't know how to understand him. After all, there were so many unbridgeable gaps between him and me—those unspoken knots in our hearts, those altered relationships.
"I know." I finally spoke, my voice lower than usual, "I know you mean no harm." I wanted to comfort him, but I was still feeling uneasy.
He looked at me for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and just nodded silently. Then, we just stood there, with a silent understanding between us, as if we were both waiting for time to resolve everything.
I suddenly felt a deep fatigue.
Perhaps all the problems in this relationship require time to digest. I know that neither he nor I can find the perfect answer right away.
This is the normal state of life - the confusion that no one can easily avoid, and the realities that have to be faced.
"I'll go make breakfast first." I broke the silence and turned to walk into the house.
He suddenly called me, but he hesitated and didn't say anything clearly.
I stopped and turned around. He stood there, his brow furrowed, seemingly hesitant. The silence deepened again. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't seem to find the right words.
"What's wrong?" I asked in a low voice, feeling a strange sense of unease. What was making him hesitate so much?
He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze flickering, afraid to look me in the face. "Actually... I just..." He took a deep breath, as if mustering up his courage, before continuing, "I'm... I'm really sorry about what happened last night." He looked at me, his eyes tinged with unease, as if waiting for my response.
I froze for a moment, unable to find the words to reply immediately. Last night's events were still vivid in my mind—he was drunk, doing things he shouldn't have done, and I was helpless. Ultimately, I accepted all his outbursts, but deep down, I felt a heavy sense of repression.
"I know you don't like me like that..." He seemed to be hesitating about how to organize his words, "I'm just... really afraid of losing you." His voice became lower and lower, as if he was talking to himself, but also as if he was telling me something.
My heart trembled, and I felt an indescribable wave of emotion welling up inside me. Was it anger? Was it heartache? Did I want to push him away, or hold him tight? All these emotions were tangled together, and for a moment I didn't know how to respond to him.
"You don't have to be like this..." I forced a smile and turned to continue walking to the kitchen, my heart filled with mixed emotions. What exactly was he trying to say? I still couldn't fully understand. Was his fear and anxiety really directed at me?
"As you wish..." His voice came again, with a hint of helplessness. "I don't mean anything else, I just..."
I couldn't help but stop and turned to look at him, a look of confusion on my face. What kind of relationship was there between us? Was he truly afraid of losing me, or was he seeking some silent redemption? I had no idea, but it all seemed far more complicated than I'd imagined.
"You know, I don't need you to do this." I whispered back, a pain rising in my heart, but I couldn't express it in words. "You've done enough." I sighed softly and lowered my head, "But I think I really don't know how to face you now."
He stood there, stunned, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning of my words. Perhaps he couldn't comprehend my thoughts, or perhaps he simply wasn't in the mood to understand. The man before me seemed to once again make me feel the distance between him and me grow ever wider.
"You..." He bit his lip, and finally walked forward as if he had made up his mind, approaching me step by step.