...
Seeing Ning Rongrong, who was completely out of control and pushing him while crying, Xuan Hao did not forcibly imprison her in his arms like a domineering CEO, nor did he use brute force to suppress her resistance.
He knew very well that Ning Rongrong was now a powder keg filled with high-pressure gas.
If you force her to calm down at this time, it will only make her feel offended and more aggrieved, and will only add fuel to the fire.
Often, anger needs an outlet.
Only by letting her vent her anger can there be room for communication.
then.
Xuan Hao readily released her grip, even taking two steps back and raising his hands in surrender, his face full of innocence and indulgence.
"Okay, okay, I'll let go, I won't touch you."
"Don't get excited. If you shout until you lose your voice, your grandfather will be heartbroken."
After saying that, he really didn't go forward again, but turned around and walked to the only surviving sofa, and sat down.
Na'er obediently followed and sat down next to Xuan Hao, continuing to nibble on the candied hawthorn in her hand.
Ning Rongrong was the only one left standing in the room.
She remained in the position of pushing him, her chest heaving violently, tears still streaming down her face.
But...
That bastard actually let go?!
He just sat there and watched her cry?!
Aren't you going to try to appease them?!
This feeling of powerlessness, like "punching cotton," not only didn't quell Ning Rongrong's anger, but actually fueled it even more.
However, at the same time, her hysterical screams had to stop because she had lost her target.
She bit her lip, glaring intently at Xuan Hao, who sat calmly on the sofa, her eyes filled with a desire to pounce on him and bite him to death.
The room was eerily quiet.
All that remained were Ning Rongrong's intermittent sobs and the soft sound of Xuan Hao slowly sipping his tea.
Xuan Hao didn't speak or look at her.
He understood the thoughts of young girls all too well.
If you try to coax her in a low voice at this point, she will only feel that you are in the wrong and that you are even more wronged.
She will definitely not be able to stop crying, and may even make a bigger scene in order to gain more attention and apology.
It's like coaxing a child; the more you coax them, the more enthusiastic they become.
The best way is to let it air dry.
Once she's cried herself out and vented her frustrations, her rationality will regain control.
Communicating with her at that point will be much more effective.
really.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ning Rongrong's crying gradually subsided, turning into the occasional gasp or two.
She secretly glanced at Xuan Hao out of the corner of her eye and found that he was actually sitting there as steadily as a mountain, even peeling oranges for Na'er!
"you..."
Ning Rongrong finally couldn't hold back any longer, her voice thick with nasal congestion as she glared fiercely at Xuan Hao:
"Are you... are you dead?!"
"I've been crying like this, and you're not saying a word?!"
"say?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Hao put down the orange peel in his hand, turned his head, and looked at her calmly:
What do you want me to say?
"Or rather, what do you want to ask me?"
"What are you doing here?!"
Ning Rongrong wiped away her tears, her tone still sharp.
"Didn't I just answer that question?"
Xuan Hao countered, "I've come to take you home. But what are you doing here, Ning Rongrong?"
"I…" Ning Rongrong was taken aback by the question.
"As soon as I came out of the pass, I went to Qibaozhai to find you, wanting to give you a surprise."
Xuan Hao stood up and walked towards her step by step, his tone gradually becoming serious:
"And then? Uncle Ning told me that you ran away from home."
"And he did it all by himself, all the way to Soto City, a thousand miles away!"
"I..." Ning Rongrong's grievances resurfaced at the mention of this, and she retorted loudly, "Isn't that all because of you! Every time I go to find you, you're not there! Is it so hard for me to see you?!"
"I'm not here because I'm in seclusion cultivating! I'm a Soul Master, isn't it only natural for me to go into seclusion?"
Xuan Hao walked up to her, looked down at her, and his voice suddenly rose:
"But what about you?
You ran away from home?"
"Ning Rongrong, you're twelve years old already. Can't you use your brain before you do things?"
Have you considered how dangerous this is?
"Have you thought about what you would do if you encountered a bad guy on the street?
Have you thought about what would happen to you if it wasn't me who grabbed you just now, but a ruthless thug with malicious intentions?!"
"Do you know how anxious Uncle Ning was?
Do you know how worried Grandpa Gu was?"
"And me too."
Xuan Hao pointed to his chest, his eyes sharp:
"Do you know how worried I was that something had happened to you all the way here?!"
This barrage of questions, like a machine gun, instantly shattered Ning Rongrong's fragile sense of justice.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but found herself speechless.
A belated sense of fear and guilt welled up inside her, and her confidence inexplicably vanished.
She could only turn her head away, not daring to look Xuan Hao in the eye, and stubbornly muttered:
"I...I know what I'm doing..."
Seeing her guilty look, Xuan Hao knew that the time was right.
The fierce look in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by his usual gentleness and helplessness.
He reached out and gently pulled the awkward little girl into his arms, his palm softly patting her trembling back.
"Okay, I won't scold you anymore."
"I know that I have neglected you these past few years and that you have suffered."
Feeling that familiar embrace, Ning Rongrong's previously forced strength crumbled instantly.
She buried her face in Xuan Hao's chest, and tears streamed down her face again. But this time, they weren't tears of anger, but rather tears of longing after an outpouring of emotion.
"You did it on purpose...you just don't want to see me..."
"Silly girl."
Xuan Hao sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness: "How could I not want to see you? I do too."
"But... someone is sabotaging this."
"Playing tricks?"
Ning Rongrong lifted her head from his embrace, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of disbelief:
"Stop lying to me!
Besides you avoiding me, who else can stop me from seeing you?"
"Then think about it carefully."
Xuanhao wiped away her tears and gently coaxed her:
"Is it true that every time you come to see me, His Highness the Crown Prince... that is, Xue Qinghe, will kindly tell you that I am free, or where I am?"
Ning Rongrong paused for a moment, then nodded after recalling the events.
"It seems...that's how it is. My brother, the Crown Prince, is a very kind person. He even helped me find out about you..."
"Good my ass."
Xuan Hao sneered:
"Then think about it again. Isn't it true that every time you arrive at the time he gives you, I've just left, or I'm in seclusion?"
"this..."
Ning Rongrong's pupils contracted slightly.
Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, but if it happens every time...
"So, this isn't me avoiding you at all."
Xuan Hao shrugged:
"It's obvious that someone deliberately took advantage of the information gap to make you miss me completely!
The purpose was to make you angry with me and keep you away from me!"
"But..."
Ning Rongrong was completely stunned, her face full of confusion:
"Why would the Crown Prince do this?
He... he and you have a good relationship, don't you?
And he is the Crown Prince, he has no reason to target me."
"Why?"
Looking at her innocent expression, Xuan Hao's lips curled into a strange smile.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered:
"Because... he likes me."
"ha?!!"
Ning Rongrong was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
Her eyes widened as she looked at Xuan Hao, then imagined Xue Qinghe as a gentle and refined man, and felt her entire worldview shatter.
"This...how is this possible?!"
"Brother Crown Prince... he's a boy!"
"What's wrong with the man?"
Xuan Hao looked completely at ease, even with a hint of disdain as if to say, "You've never seen anything like this before."
Who says men can't like other men?
"Think about it, hasn't he been particularly attentive to me these past few years?
He even frequently found excuses to keep me at the Crown Prince's residence overnight?"
"Furthermore, is he particularly hostile towards all the girls who appear around me?
Does he always try to sow discord?"
Read 20+ chapters ahead at Patreon
patreon.com/TaroYamato
patreon.com/TaroYamato