CIATB Chapter 148 Her fingertips hesitated for a moment, then finally, they caressed his back.
Chapter 148 Her fingertips hesitated for a moment, then finally, they caressed his back.
His eyes were slightly open, with fine red blood vessels visible in them, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night.
He sat there upright, his brows furrowed.
An overwhelming sense of sorrow lingered around him.
He looked preoccupied, and even his aura seemed much more dejected, lacking any of his usual imposing presence.
Su Wan was startled. What was wrong with him?
The sound of the door opening seemed to startle him, and he suddenly looked up.
The sorrow in his eyes faded away the moment he touched her.
Instead, there was a faint, almost cautious tenderness.
There was also a hint of broken vulnerability that she had never seen before.
It was the weariness after shedding all pretense, the bewilderment burdened with worries, and the sorrow that even he himself was unaware of.
Almost the instant he saw her, he stood up and walked towards her step by step.
His footsteps were light, carrying a hint of barely perceptible probing, lacking the usual eagerness and assertiveness.
He seemed afraid of disturbing her, afraid that she would avoid him like the plague again, just like she did last night.
Su Wan's body tensed up instinctively, and she took a half step back without even realizing it.
My instinct was to hide.
That was the fear from last night, the shadow cast by his forceful approach, the resistance etched into my bones.
But when her gaze fell upon his eyes again, she stopped moving.
That vulnerability didn't seem like something she'd developed from her resistance last night.
It wasn't the resentment of not getting what he wanted; rather, it felt like a heavy burden was weighing him down, making it hard for him to breathe.
Like his family, the people he cares about, what happened that he found unbearable?
Su Wan understood this vulnerability.
She also experienced the day her grandmother passed away.
What exactly happened?
This caused the once powerful and omnipotent man to shed all his pretenses and reveal his vulnerable side.
At that moment, a strange pang of heartache rose in her heart.
There was also a hint of concern that she herself was unwilling to admit.
Suddenly, I felt that at this moment, he didn't need any words, just a hug.
As if possessed, she stopped retreating, her fingertips curling slightly, and she no longer dodged.
She did not resist anymore.
She even slightly raised her arm, making a movement that surprised even herself.
It was like an instinctive reaction.
Lu Chenyuan instantly noticed her wavering, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
A surge of unbelievable elation swept through his heart.
He then suddenly reached out and carefully pulled her into his arms.
The force was very light, carrying a hint of probing, yet also a sense of cherishing something lost and then regained.
He pressed himself close to her body, gently burying his face in the crook of her neck, greedily savoring the warmth and fragrance of her body.
It's as if all the weariness, all the entanglement, all the vulnerability can be released in this gentle embrace.
As he held her, a sudden wave of emotion welled up in his nose.
And Su Wan was enveloped in his arms the instant he took her in.
After a slight hesitation, she finally gently wrapped her arms around his back.
My fingertips touched the stiffness of his body and the slight trembling of his shoulders and back.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He seemed really tired.
That kind of exhaustion went deep into my bones, making even breathing feel heavy.
She paused.
The movement was very light, without any force.
Her fingertips hesitated slightly for a moment, but finally, they caressed his back.
It was like a reassurance, yet also like a response.
Lu Chenyuan was completely stunned by this action.
My whole body stiffened, and even my breathing paused for half a second.
A deeper mix of bittersweetness and warmth welled up in my eyes.
He had expected her to struggle, push him away, and, like last night, cry and curse at him, resisting him.
I never imagined that she would hug me like this.
She would respond to his vulnerability with such gentle gestures.
The sudden exposure of my older brother's affair has brought me a dilemma and a struggle, caught between family, military discipline and kinship, and the guilt and heartache I felt for her last night...
At that moment, it seemed that her embrace had instantly washed away and soothed everything.
He tightened his arms, holding her even closer.
But he was still very careful and didn't hurt her.
She was as if she were a treasure he had lost and found again, the only light in his darkness.
He lowered his head and buried his face even deeper into the crook of her neck.
My nose brushed against her soft hair, feeling her warm body temperature.
The obsession and possessiveness in my heart quietly faded away.
All that remains is tenderness, pity, and relief.
Thankfully, she didn't push him away again; thankfully, she was willing to comfort him.
He recalled his feelings for Su Wan, from initial indifference to later obsession, and then to last night's restraint and guilt. Only now did he fully understand that this feeling had long transcended desire; it was a deep-seated liking and cherishing, a feeling that even if he were tormented to the extreme, he would not bear to let her suffer even the slightest grievance.
At that moment, he suddenly understood his elder brother's unwavering resolve.
If one day he faces that same choice, and the person he faces is Su Wan, perhaps he too will cast aside all rationality, shed all responsibility and shackles, and rush to her without hesitation...
Choose the person you feel deep down, the person you want to have with all your heart and soul.
The men of the Lu family have always been extremely rational.
Those cousins were law-abiding, restrained, and never did anything out of line.
His father, in particular, met his mother on the battlefield.
He lived a simple and peaceful life with her, always gentle and responsible, and never mistreated her.
Over the years, no matter how many temptations I have faced, I have never wavered in the slightest.
He became a model husband and model father in everyone's eyes.
But when it came to him and his older brother, this rationality ingrained in their bones seemed to completely fail.
The eldest brother found the light he wanted to protect and broke free from his heavy shackles.
And he found his obsession, the person for whom he was willing to give up everything, becoming both stubborn and gentle.
What he didn't know was that he and his brother actually took after their father's temperament.
The relationship between parents is never as bland as it appears on the surface.
The father's love for the mother was deep and passionate.
But the years and responsibilities have worn him down into a reserved demeanor, and he has never spoken of it aloud.
My father was just as stubborn, hot-blooded, and reckless when he was young.
Only by giving up everything could I gain my mother.
Fortunately, in the end, the outcome was good.
He eventually got everything.
Fame and fortune, love and companionship.
Those are all old stories from the previous generation, hiding untold tenderness and perseverance.
The brothers Lu Chenyuan and Lu Chenzhou were unaware of this.
Lu Chenyuan held Su Wan tightly, not letting go for a long time.
His fingertips gently caressed her back, the movement tender and devout.
It was as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Give all your tenderness and pampering to her alone.
The silence was broken when the person in my arms moved slightly and a clear gurgling sound came from their stomach.
He slowly released his grip, the weariness in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by a faint smile.
His tone was gentler than ever before, tinged with a mixture of doting and guilt.
Are you hungry?