SFS Chapter 156 A Torn Heart
Chapter 156 A Torn Heart
Thinking of this, He Mingning felt a surge of tension and unease. She cautiously, like a thief, glanced quickly in the direction of Fan Jiang and Lan'er. In that fleeting glance, time seemed to freeze. However, that single moment of eye contact made He Mingning feel as if she had been burned, and she immediately lowered her head.
At this moment, He Mingning bit her lip tightly, afraid that she might accidentally reveal her inner secret. She dared not look up at anyone, but silently buried her head deep, as if trying to hide herself completely. At this moment, all her attention was focused on the food in front of her, and she was only focused on eating, as if only in this way could she hide the panic in her heart.
Sitting to the side, Fan Junyu was an extremely perceptive and intelligent person. He noticed the change in He Mingning's gaze almost instantly. Although the subtle fluctuation was fleeting, it did not escape his sharp eyes. So, he looked in the direction He Mingning had just been looking.
When he saw Fan Jiang and Lan'er still standing inside the room, everything became clear. Seeing this, Fan Junyu's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He thought to himself, "So that's it! The reason this little girl keeps calling me 'Lord Fan' is entirely because these two are here!"
Thinking of this, Fan Junyu couldn't help but find it a little funny. He figured the little girl was probably just shy, which was why she wouldn't call him that affectionately as he had suggested. But it didn't matter; he'd make sure she obediently changed her address when they were alone together sometime.
Thinking of this, Fan Junyu slightly raised his head, his gaze falling on Fan Jiang, and said slowly, "Fan Jiang, why don't you take Miss Lan'er to get something to eat? I can manage here; there's no need for you to serve us." Hearing this, Fan Jiang immediately understood. He knew his master felt he was in the way. Therefore, he dared not be negligent in the slightest, and quickly and respectfully responded. Then, he stepped aside, made a gesture of invitation, and smiled at Lan'er, saying, "Miss Lan'er, please come with me." With that, he led Lan'er quickly out of the room.
As Fan Jiang was leaving, he thoughtfully closed the door gently. Just as he turned to go downstairs, he saw a figure slowly ascending the stairs. It was Gu Qin, who had just come up. Lan'er, with her sharp eyes, spotted Gu Qin immediately and quickly stepped forward to warmly introduce the two. She first smiled sweetly at Gu Qin and softly introduced him, "This is Fan Jiang, the bodyguard of Lord Fan." Then, she turned to Fan Jiang and said in a charming voice, "Fan Jiang, this is Gu Qin, the bodyguard of Her Highness the Princess."
Fan Jiang and Gu Qin exchanged a smile, bowed to each other, and exchanged a few greetings. Then, Fan Jiang invited Gu Qin and Lan'er to dine in the lobby on the first floor. The three chatted as they walked down the stairs.
After they left, only Fan Junyu and He Mingning remained in the room. Fan Junyu reached for his chopsticks again and gently picked up a piece of fish from the plate. He held the fish firmly in his hand, as if he were holding a priceless pearl, not food. He carefully placed the fish in He Mingning's bowl, his eyes filled with tenderness, and said softly, "This fish is extremely delicious. Why don't you try it and see if you like it?"
He Mingning kept her head down, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking like a shy flower bud, utterly endearing. Hearing Fan Junyu's words, she slightly raised her eyes, quickly glancing at the piece of fish, then quickly lowered her head again, her voice barely a whisper, replying softly, "Thank you..." Fan Junyu's lips curved slightly upward, a warm smile, like a gentle spring breeze, slowly blooming on his face. He parted his lips slightly and said softly, "Why be so polite with me?"
Just then, Fan Junyu suddenly remembered the compensation gift that Yang Cheng had sent earlier. So, he turned to look at He Mingning beside him, and was about to say something: "Ningning, I..." However, something unexpected happened—before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that He Mingning's body suddenly trembled violently as if she had been electrocuted.
Fan Junyu immediately understood and began to speculate. He calmly observed the somewhat flustered woman before him, a sly glint in his eyes. Feigning ignorance, he chuckled and teased, "What's wrong, Ningning? Did I scare you by making you look too ugly?"
Upon hearing this, He Mingning hurriedly shook her head frantically, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito buzzing in someone's ear: "No, nothing... really nothing." Despite her efforts to appear calm, her once fair and snow-white face was now flushed red, like the vibrant sunset, and her beautiful eyes darted left and right, unable to meet Fan Junyu's gaze. All these subtle details clearly reflected the tension and shyness deep within her heart at that moment.
Fan Junyu took in He Mingning's adorable, shy, and flustered appearance and couldn't help but chuckle softly. Then, he suppressed his laughter, regaining his serious expression, and continued the unfinished topic: "I've already sent the compensation gift from Yang Cheng to your princess's residence. When you have time, you can go and see what's inside."
Upon hearing this, He Mingning was completely astonished. She quickly raised her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on Fan Junyu, and asked softly with a hint of doubt, "Why would you do this?" In response to He Mingning's question, Fan Junyu raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Hmm? Why would you ask that? Is there something wrong with this gift?"
He Mingning's face was filled with confusion. She frowned and said, puzzled, "I clearly wrote to you telling you to keep the things yourself and not to give them to me again. Could it be... you didn't receive that letter?" Hearing this, Fan Junyu's lips curled into a faint smile, but inwardly he was pondering. Actually, he had already received the letter. Moreover, he hadn't just received it; he treated it like an invaluable treasure, carefully keeping and storing it.
Seeing Fan Junyu remain silent, He Mingning assumed he hadn't received the letter. Fan Junyu replied, "I received the letter." He Mingning pressed further, "Since you've already received the letter, why did you specifically send it to my princess's residence?" At this, Fan Junyu chuckled softly and slowly answered, "The reason is simple: that item originally belonged to you. Sending it to the palace would likely cause many inconveniences. Therefore, I took the liberty of sending it directly to your princess's residence."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Junyu seemed to suddenly realize something. He slowly lowered his head, his eyes also drooping. He looked at He Mingning with a remorseful expression and said in an extremely soft voice, "I'm so sorry, it was all because I didn't think things through and acted too rashly. I hope you won't blame me." At this moment, Fan Junyu was like a child who had accidentally made a mistake, anxiously awaiting the scolding and punishment of an adult.
He Mingning gazed quietly at the slightly uneasy man before her. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat, and a pang of pity arose within her. She began to reflect on whether her words and actions had been too harsh and heartless. How could she have questioned him so mercilessly? Thinking this, He Mingning felt a pang of guilt, realizing she had gone too far and caused this man such great distress. In that instant, she seemed to lose all memory, completely forgetting that the question she had just asked was actually just an extremely ordinary, commonplace question, without the slightest impropriety or offense. However, something unexpected happened—simply because of a subtle change in Fan Junyu's expression, her heart was instantly filled with unease and self-reproach. She began to deeply doubt herself, believing all the blame lay with her, even feeling deep regret, thinking she should never have asked such a question in the first place.
Faced with this situation, she was extremely anxious, fearing that it would cause more unnecessary misunderstandings, so she quickly explained, "Absolutely not! I really didn't mean that, please don't misunderstand my intentions."
At this moment, Fan Junyu stood there quietly, his gaze fixed on He Mingning. The corners of his mouth slightly turned up, forming a faint, ambiguous smile, and then he slowly said, "Oh? Is that really so? Ningning really doesn't think I've overstepped my bounds at all?"
Upon hearing this, He Mingning raised her head without hesitation, her eyes fixed firmly and sincerely on Fan Junyu, and replied in an extremely earnest tone, "Absolutely true! I never had such a thought. In fact, I've always believed that those items used as compensation were rightfully yours. You know, if it weren't for your courageous help back then, I probably would have... So, it's perfectly reasonable for you to accept these compensation items." Fan Junyu's lips curled into a slight smile, a smile as warm as the spring sunshine, shining directly into He Mingning's heart. His deep eyes gazed at the girl before him, her cheeks flushed with anxiety, his gaze filled with doting affection. He slowly raised his right hand, his movements as gentle as if afraid of disturbing a resting butterfly, and gently placed it on He Mingning's head. The moment his fingertips touched her soft hair, Fan Junyu's heart felt as if it had been gently stirred by a fine thread.
He Mingning felt a warm breath on the top of her head, followed by a touch as if she were being gently brushed by a feather. This unfamiliar yet heart-fluttering sensation left her frozen in place, her mind blank. She never imagined that the usually composed and reserved Fan Junyu would make such an intimate gesture towards her! Recalling their few physical contacts, each one had made her heart pound. Especially the first time Fan Junyu stroked her head, the shyness mixed with indescribable joy was still deeply etched in her heart. After all, Fan Junyu was the first man outside of her family to have such intimate contact with her!
When He Mingning first met Fan Junyu, she was filled with restraint, nervousness, and even a hint of fear. After all, a thin layer of unfamiliarity separated them at that time. However, the red thread of fate had already tightly bound them together—the two were bound by a preordained marriage. Although this marriage initially didn't stir much emotion in He Mingning's heart, as time passed and they continued to interact, she was surprised to find that her once calm heart began to ripple. Unconsciously, she increasingly longed to get closer to Fan Junyu, to explore the unknown corners of his heart; she became increasingly eager to know every little detail about him. And He Mingning's attitude towards their upcoming marriage also underwent a dramatic change. What she once thought was just a routine marriage had now become a beautiful dream she eagerly anticipated…
However, the dream I had the night before last was so real, like a lightning bolt ripped through the night sky and struck straight into my heart. Every detail was like a sharp blade, mercilessly cutting into my fragile heart. Recalling it now, I feel as if a million ants are gnawing at my heart, an unbearable pain, and I even feel utterly hopeless.
Yet now, his every word and action is like the warm sunshine of spring, shining through layers of gloom and warming the heart, involuntarily creating the illusion that he seems to harbor feelings of love for her. This subtle emotion, like an invisible net, binds her tightly, the more she struggles, the tighter it wraps, almost suffocating her. How should she face this complex and tangled situation? He Mingning is deeply troubled and can't help but let out a long sigh.
Fan Junyu, noticing He Mingning's slightly downcast mood, subtly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a half-smile. He asked softly, "What's wrong, Ningning? Why are you so frowning and sighing?" Hearing this, He Mingning shook her head slightly, forcing herself to reply, "I'm really fine, I just remembered some trivial things." Fan Junyu stared at her, clearly not believing her explanation, but seeing that she was unwilling to elaborate, he didn't press further. Instead, he picked up some delicate and delicious dishes with his chopsticks and placed them in her bowl, saying gently, "Then Ningning, please eat more. You've lost quite a bit of weight lately." He Mingning looked at him gratefully and politely replied, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Fan. Please eat more yourself too."
No sooner had those words left his mouth than Fan Junyu's gentle expression turned serious. He slowly put down his chopsticks, stared intently at He Mingning, and asked with a puzzled look, "Didn't I tell you before that you don't need to be so formal with me and can just call me by my name?" His voice was deep and magnetic, with an unquestionable tone.