Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Lihua Felt Like a Pervert. Gan Qiongying felt a gentle touch on her forehead. The magnified face before her and the warm breath made her pause for a moment. She stared at Lihua with wide eyes, her body unconsciously stiffening, and her throat tightened as she swallowed with difficulty. Lihua’s gaze continued downward, tracing her brow bone, the bridge of her nose, and even her lips. His breath grew hot as he slowly leaned in. But just as he was lost in the throes of desire, ready to kiss the lips he had coveted for so long, he instinctively looked at Gan Qiongying before closing his eyes. Meeting her gaze, his heart sank heavily. Gan Qiongying’s gaze was too clear, devoid of any trace of infatuation or confusion. It was like a mirror, or an icy lake, freezing Lihua the moment he fell into it. But this "coldness" quickly turned into a scorching heat, spreading throughout his body and filling him with such shame that he could no longer continue. A corner of the carriage curtain lifted, letting in a gust of wind. Lihua lowered his eyes, not daring to meet Gan Qiongying’s gaze again. His hands pressed against her shoulders, tightening and loosening several times. The courage he had mustered was swept away by the wind, vanishing without a trace. The atmosphere grew strange from that moment on. Even when they first rode together in the carriage, they had never been this awkward. Now, they sat side by side like two lifeless stone statues, their faces stiff and expressionless. As the carriage swayed, their arms occasionally brushed against each other. Gan Qiongying appeared calm on the surface, but with each touch, she would unconsciously curl her fingers or pretend to adjust her hair, trying to distract herself. Lihua, on the other hand, reacted as if pricked by a needle every time they touched. He clenched his teeth and tightened his fists, squeezing his injured fingers until they nearly bled again. Gan Qiongying glanced at Lihua from the corner of her eye, silently thinking about that earlier… kiss. It should count as a kiss, right? Gan Qiongying couldn’t quite figure out Lihua’s thoughts. Although she hadn’t exactly treated him as a person—always seeing him as a god—she wasn’t a fool either. She had sensed his earlier desire… so why was he now sitting upright and unsmiling? Her mind grew restless, and she began to overthink again, just as she had during Princess Hui’an’s birthday banquet. If Lihua truly had feelings for her, what would they do? The atmosphere in the carriage grew increasingly strange. Lihua could naturally sense Gan Qiongying’s gaze, but he didn’t dare respond, let alone meet her eyes. If it weren’t for the human skin mask covering his face, which hid some of his embarrassment, he would have been flushed and deeply ashamed. Lihua didn’t know whether Gan Qiongying’s reaction meant acceptance or rejection. His mind was in chaos, and he couldn’t make any other judgments. He was also reliving that kiss—the warmth and softness of her forehead, and the tingling sensation that spread from his bones to his limbs when his lips touched it. With each recollection, that tingling sensation rippled across his body beneath his clothes, sending shivers through him that lingered long after. Lihua felt like a pervert. His condition seemed to have worsened. He couldn’t control his thoughts, letting them spiral out of control from a single kiss. To Lihua, this felt truly despicable. Stop thinking about anything else! Lihua repeatedly warned himself, gripping his fingers tighter and tighter, trying to use the pain to clear his mind. Their minds were preoccupied with different thoughts, and they remained silent throughout the journey. When they got off the carriage, Lihua had already grown accustomed to stepping down first and waiting for Gan Qiongying. He turned away subtly to wipe the sweat from his neck before immediately turning back and naturally extending a hand to help Gan Qiongying down. As their palms met, both felt the dampness, yet they silently made excuses for each other—it must have been the stifling heat inside the carriage that caused the sweat. However, the glistening perspiration on their faces betrayed them. It was just a kiss, yet they were drenched in sweat as if they had truly exerted themselves. Lihua lowered his head and extended his hand. The injured finger had indeed started bleeding from his tight grip, but Gan Qiongying, whose mind felt emptied by that kiss, failed to notice his injury for the first time. Their hands remained clasped, and to onlookers, it seemed as though Lihua was gazing at Gan Qiongying the entire time. In reality, however, his eyes were fixed on the top of her head. Gan Qiongying also felt awkward. The strange atmosphere and their damp palms made her movements stiff. Her steps were slow and hesitant. She couldn’t pinpoint what had gone wrong, but it felt as though they had suddenly become strangers—restrained and distant. Although they rarely spoke much, they could always exchange a few words whenever a topic arose, and Lihua would even share tidbits of knowledge he knew. Yet, from the moment they stepped off the carriage until they returned to the courtyard, aside from the sound of their footsteps and the rustling of their clothes, there was no other noise. Neither of them spoke, and even the maids sensed the unusual tension, treading lightly as they followed. Lihua did not walk side by side with Gan Qiongying, instead lingering half a step behind her. Yet, she could feel his gaze fixed on her, making her feel as though needles were pricking her back. Manyue was unusually absent today—why hadn’t she come to assist her? In truth, Manyue, as an observer, saw the two stepping out of the carriage with flushed faces and knew something must have happened between them. She deliberately kept Tianjiao at a distance, following far behind to avoid disturbing their intimate moment. Standing outside the hall, their hands remained damp and sticky, yet they continued to hold on tightly, neither letting go. Gan Qiongying wanted to break the strange silence with a topic of conversation, but Lihua kept cutting it short with just a word or two. He was usually adept at reading the room, and if he wished, he could effortlessly bring up countless topics to pique Gan Qiongying’s interest. Yet now, it was as if his tongue had been tied, unable to utter a single fitting word. Thus, this peculiar tension persisted, unresolved even after they finished their evening meal. While washing up that night, Gan Qiongying was lost in thought the entire time, and Manyue, who attended to her, was equally puzzled. After much contemplation, Gan Qiongying realized that letting things remain so strained was not a solution, and she finally came up with an idea. However, even after lying down, the atmosphere remained strange. Previously, when they slept facing each other, neither felt awkward. They would even chat, sharing stories from the day. But now, Gan Qiongying lay flat on her back, afraid to turn over. Lihua, on the other hand, lay on his side as usual, appearing unaffected. Yet, upon closer observation, his posture was rigid—he hadn’t moved since lying down, and even his breathing remained steady, clearly feigning relaxation. Although Gan Qiongying had already devised a plan in her mind, her limbs felt as though they were bound, unable to move freely. She didn’t even dare to blink too noticeably. Their gazes occasionally met, sparking fireworks in each other's hearts before quickly darting away. Gan Qiongying simply turned her back to Lihua, staring at the gauzy curtain before her. She traced the embroidery patterns with her eyes, her carefully planned strategy swirling in her mind, yet she dared not act on it. She felt a bit embarrassed. Her eyes wandered along the embroidery's intricate lines, circling left and right, hoping to achieve a sleep-inducing effect like counting sheep. Perhaps if she fell asleep, this tension would pass. Lihua kept staring at the back of Gan Qiongying's head, equally confused about what was happening between them. Was she turning her back to him because she was angry about his boldness during the day? Because Lihua had been thinking of things he couldn't share with anyone, he truly felt he had been reckless and even perverse. He even began to feel a sense of guilt toward Gan Qiongying. Like her, he wanted to break this atmosphere, but he had no experience in such matters and feared making things worse. The gauzy curtain was exquisitely luxurious, shimmering with flowing light under the flickering candlelight. Gan Qiongying's eyes grew dizzy from staring, but fortunately, drowsiness gradually crept in. Just as her gaze had circled the curtain for what felt like the hundredth time, Gan Qiongying suddenly felt a breeze brush against her neck, followed by a warm, large hand gripping her shoulder. Her sleepiness vanished instantly. Her eyes flew open, and her breath caught for the second time that day.