Chapter Twenty-Four: The Golden-Eyed Girl
Su Ling Tian watched the carriage grow smaller and smaller until it vanished completely beyond the snow-covered horizon.
He remained standing there, the cold wind brushing through his hair, as he whispered in a barely audible voice,I'll be waiting for you, Gu Yue…
Beside him, Su Mi stood with her arms crossed, staring in the same direction with a faintly stubborn look before muttering under her breath,Hmph! That's better… now I'm the only one here. Su Ling Tian is mine alone!"
But despite her proud tone, she couldn't hide the tiny emptiness that Gu Yue's departure had left in her heart.
Silence hung over the courtyard for a short while.
Su Ling Tian stayed still, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the carriage had disappeared.
And though he was certain she would return one day, he couldn't stop the faint ache of longing that crept into his small heart.
Next to him, Su Mi sighed softly, trying to appear satisfied.
"Hmph! This is better. It's quieter without her," she said, her voice tinged with childish pride.
Su Ling Tian gave her a sidelong glance — that calm, knowing look that spoke more than words ever could.
Then he reached out and lightly tapped her on the head.
With a soft smile, he asked,What's wrong? Do you miss her already?
Su Mi froze for a moment, then quickly swatted his hand away and turned her face aside.
"What? Of course not!" she said hastily, lifting her chin with stubborn defiance.
"I just think the place feels more peaceful now, that's all!"
Su Ling Tian chuckled softly — a short, warm laugh that melted through the chill in the air around them.
Su Mi's face turned a faint shade of red, and she bit her lip, turning away so he wouldn't see her true expression.
Though she wasn't as tsundere as Gu Yue, admitting her feelings had never been easy for her.
After a brief silence, she hesitantly reached out and took his small hand, tugging it gently as she whispered in a shy, almost inaudible voice,Let's go… it's cold.
Su Ling Tian looked at her with a tender smile, then walked beside her through the snow-covered courtyard.
And as they walked, the warmth of their small hands intertwined — quietly defying the cold of that long, wintry day.
Su Mi spoke softly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye with that familiar, childish confidence.
"By the way… now you'll have more time just for me, right?"
Su Ling Tian looked at her for a moment, then smiled — a calm, gentle smile filled with warmth.
"Of course," he said in a quiet, tender voice. "You've always been special to me, Su Mi."
Her black eyes widened slightly, her fingertips trembling as she quickly lowered her head, pretending to fiddle with the sleeve of her robe.
"T-That's… good then…" she murmured faintly.
But she didn't let go of his hand — and it didn't seem like she intended to anytime soon.
They walked together back toward the Su Family mansion, the golden light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the white stone beneath their feet.
And within her small heart, Su Mi realized one simple truth —
She didn't hate Gu Yue…
But the thought of sharing Su Ling Tian with someone else was something she could never easily accept.
⸻
The years passed…
When Su Ling Tian reached the age of seventeen, he had grown into a young man overflowing with presence and quiet confidence — his eyes deep and steady, carrying a maturity far beyond his years.
One day, during an official visit to the Shao Family estate alongside his teacher, Ling Xuan, he was walking through the grand corridors of the palace when he suddenly stopped.
He saw her.
In the center of a vast garden stood a girl with long, silky brown hair and golden eyes that shimmered with an enchanting, mysterious light.
She smiled gently as she spoke with a few servants, and a soft breeze lifted her hair, causing the strands to dance in the sunlight.
The golden glow embraced her features, making her look like a painting — a masterpiece sculpted from beauty itself.
And in that moment…
Something struck Su Ling Tian's consciousness with overwhelming force.
Time stopped.
His thoughts froze.
His breath faltered.
It was as if every part of his being was screaming from within—
"She's… unbelievably beautiful!"
His heartbeat quickened, his breathing trembled.
A strange, irresistible feeling surged through him — an overwhelming sense that defied reason.
She's beautiful… impossibly beautiful!
But that thought didn't come from his mind — it came from somewhere deeper.
A mysterious power within him — something ancient, profound, and connected to the very fabric of the world itself — stirred on its own, whispering an undeniable command into his soul:
Make her yours.
Before he even realized what was happening, Su Ling Tian found himself moving toward her — completely unconsciously.
His eyes gleamed with a light of admiration he had never felt before; his heart pounded violently, beyond his control; and his mind echoed with a single thought, repeating endlessly within him:
I… need her!
He quickened his steps, a bright, radiant smile spreading across his face — a smile no one had ever seen on him before.
Then he spoke, his tone warm and filled with excitement,Hello! I'm Su Ling Tian, the young master of the Su Family. It's an honor to meet you!"
His words were utterly sincere, his voice brimming with energy — so much so that he seemed like a completely different person.
Had anyone from the Su Family, or even his teacher Ling Xuan, seen him at that moment, they would've been stunned and thought:
"Is this really the calm, prideful Su Ling Tian?!"
But that wasn't the end of it…
From that instant on, he began acting in ways utterly unlike himself.
He was overly kind, listening intently to every word she spoke,laughing at even the most ordinary remarks,and even offering to help her carry some of her things — though she hadn't asked for anything at all!
It was as if he had completely lost control of himself…
as if his body were moving on its own, driven by a force he couldn't comprehend.
His breathing quickened, his hands trembled slightly, while his heart screamed inside him:
"I must make her mine… no matter what it takes!"
But — the moment their eyes met —
Everything changed.
The girl's heart quivered for a brief instant,
but she was not like the others.
The effect of his aura — that irresistible charm that drew in anyone of the opposite sex — wasn't immediate or overwhelming on her.
Instead, it was something different — gentle, warm, subtle.
A faint, breeze-like sensation that drifted softly into her heart, too delicate for her to even notice.
For just a second, her cheeks flushed faintly red…
but she quickly regained her composure, lowering her gaze slightly, and offered him a calm, balanced smile —
before turning away completely and continuing her conversation with the servants!
Su Ling Tian froze in place, eyes wide in utter disbelief.
"She… ignored me?!
For the first time in his life, he wasn't the one dazzling others —
he was the one left behind, stunned and completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
— "…"
Su Ling Tian froze completely.
He couldn't move — it was as if the very air around him had turned to ice.
What… what is this?!
Why does it feel like my heart just exploded?!
He wasn't angry.
He didn't feel insulted, as he normally should have.
On the contrary — what filled him was a strange mix of admiration and fascination!
No… more than that.
It was an almost desperate, childish longing — a feeling he couldn't explain.
A wish that she would just look his way, see him, smile at him… even once!
Quickly raising his hand, he spoke in a voice brimming with enthusiasm — a tone completely unlike his usual composed self.
"Ah! You're busy, right? Sorry for interrupting! Um— can I… can I help you with anything?"
He smiled brightly — a pure, genuine smile — trying to draw her attention.
But slowly, his behavior grew even more unlike him.
— He listened to her with complete focus, as though every word that came from her lips was a priceless treasure.— He laughed at everything she said, even when there was nothing funny at all.— He even went so far as to offer to carry some of her belongings — though she had never asked for any help.
He was acting… like a licking dog!
Yet unlike every other woman who had fallen instantly under the spell of his aura —she didn't respond the same way.
She didn't seem dazzled.
She didn't stammer or lose her composure.
Instead, she merely felt something faint — a mysterious warmth, soft and fleeting — that brushed against her heart for an instant… and then vanished, as if it had never existed.
Not far away, behind one of the marble pillars, Ling Xuan stood watching the scene, her eyes wide in absolute disbelief.
Her mind screamed,(What… what is happening here?!!)
Her face was frozen between shock and confusion — for the boy who always carried himself with unshakable confidence and cold poise… was now behaving before a strange girl like a bewitched child who had completely lost his pride!
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