Chapter 38

Chapter 38

After several stunned seconds, Li Qingzhi still couldn't believe his ears. He stared blankly at Ludwig, hoping it was just a misunderstanding on his part.

"What did you just... say?"

Ludwig, who had already made up his mind, felt his heart tighten as he noticed the look of surprise on Li Qingzhi's face. Not receiving the usual resolute response from the dark-haired youth, he hesitated, unsure if he should proceed: "...”

A moment of silence passed, yet within both of them, an immense and undeniable emotional storm began to brew. Though their thoughts diverged, the root of their turmoil was none other than the person standing before them.

Faced with Ludwig's current silence, Li Qingzhi suddenly became acutely aware of something terrifying.

It was that he might not have been hallucinating just now.

His blond friend genuinely believed he had confessed, and was genuinely considering accepting it.

Yet, almost the moment this realization dawned on Li Qingzhi, an unprecedented sense of absurdity and unreality washed over him.

Whether it was Ludwig misinterpreting his words as a confession or the possibility that he might accept such a declaration, neither scenario made any sense to Li Qingzhi.

The Pandora's box that he had cautiously closed due to the deepening friendship was now shattered, unleashing an endless flood of unfamiliar thoughts. Li Qingzhi almost instantaneously recalled Bruce's words about same-sex relationships.

Bruce's insights had been a sort of awakening for Li Qingzhi's understanding of such bonds, yet afterward, he inadvertently steered clear of associating himself and Ludwig in that direction.

Despite Bruce's repeated teasing about how "you and the Chief are way too close," Li Qingzhi dismissed it as their unique dynamic, believing that there was nothing unusual about friends going home together daily or exchanging scrolls all the time.

But now, Li Qingzhi could no longer deny the complexity of his most intimate and sincere "friendship."

Perhaps the simple dynamics of true friends didn't resemble theirs. This peculiar and blush-inducing misunderstanding was the reason he felt that his connection with Ludwig had surpassed mere friendship.

Originally, Li Qingzhi would revel in this every day, rejoicing over the fortune of having befriended someone so powerful yet gentle. Even when the blond youth's demeanor seemed icy cold, Li Qingzhi could often sense the waves of warmth emanating from beneath his indifferent facade.

Yet now, Li Qingzhi was forced to realize that all of this might have stemmed from a ridiculous misunderstanding between him and Ludwig.

Amidst the tumultuous torrent of thoughts, Li Qingzhi, with a heart entangled in a myriad of emotions, fell silent for a few seconds before mustering up the effort to speak with noticeable difficulty, as if seeking one final confirmation.

"Since when did you start... perceiving my actions as a confession?"

Ludwig was no fool, and being acutely attuned to Li Qingzhi's emotions, he promptly picked up on the underlying meaning in her words.

The statement held no affirmation of their relationship; instead, it was laced with uncertainty, making Ludwig's freshly resolved declaration seem ridiculous in retrospect.

Upon perceiving Li Qingzhi's stance, Ludwig felt his once resolute heart, prepared to embrace this affection, shatter into irreparable pieces. He could vividly feel the sharp pang, though his pride refused to acknowledge it; still, the pain struck at his heart relentlessly.

How could this be?

Ludwig began to doubt the reality of the situation.

Why would Li Qingzhi say such a thing?

He found it hard to believe that the dark-haired youth, who had always been fervently expressing his affection, was now only showing confusion toward the notion of him accepting such gestures.

He couldn't believe that, even as he was steadily falling deeper into Li Qingzhi's world, she had already detached herself and no longer sought his response.

The golden-haired youth at this gathering, even if his heart ached deeply, how could he possibly bring himself to speak out those "evidence" that had already turned pale?

Even the sweet candies and the stream of letters remain vivid in his mind, as do the countless sincere confessions from the black-haired youth, yet now, the very foundation built by those memories has crumbled.

With this thought, a bitter taste filled Ludwig's mouth, and being silent, he found himself unable to utter any unnecessary words.

And Li Qingzhi, amidst the gradually heavy silence and the shifting gaze of Ludwig, quickly grasped the situation as well.

Initially, he thought there was merely a misunderstanding between him and his blond friend. However, he never imagined that resolving this misunderstanding would lead to such a conclusion.

Even if he had indeed mustered the courage to confess, how could Ludwig possibly agree?

How could Ludwig, of all times, say yes to his confession right now?

Unless...

With this thought, Li Qingzhi's mind promptly recalled the words spoken by the blond youth when he had looked at him so earnestly not long ago:

Regarding your previous declarations to me, I find myself perhaps having embraced them.

As Li Qingzhi recalled these words, a notion gradually clarified in his mind. At the very moment this realization took shape, he couldn't help but stand rooted to the spot, fully comprehending its significance.

Doesn't this mean... Ludwig now has feelings for me, which is why he initially accepted my "confession"?

"How could that be?"

How could Ludwig...

In this moment of immense emotional turmoil, feeling both startled and inexplicably tense, Li Qingzhi instinctively lifted his eyes to look towards Ludwig in front of him. However, he only saw the blond youth swiftly lower his gaze, no longer meeting his eyes, and withdraw that formerly emotion-filled look.

For some reason, Li Qingzhi found Ludwig's half face, now turned toward the shadows, appeared forlorn and solitary. Despite the absence of any overt emotion on the man's face, Qingzhi sensed the mood that Ludwig was in.

Observing Ludwig's expression at this moment, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but feel a surge of distress. He disliked seeing Ludwig in any state of disappointment. However, just as he was about to speak further with Ludwig, the blond youth swiftly turned around, denying him the chance to say more.

"I have some matters to attend to. Please feel free to do as you wish."

With that, the blond youth departed from his sight, not accompanying him as usual until he left, nor uttering any extra words. That silent, retreating figure seemed devoid of emotion, but only Li Qingzhi was aware of what had just transpired between him and Ludwig.

In the end, Li Qingzhi couldn't recall how he bid farewell and left Leo's castle; all he could remember was Ludwig's silent figure.

He felt that Ludwig's hard-won openness had been abruptly slammed shut just as a tiny crack had begun to form.

Perceiving the melancholy in the blond youth, Li Qingzhi, at that moment, instinctively wanted to speak up to retain him. However, in the very instant he opened his mouth, a jumble of conflicting emotions held him back.

At this moment, Li Qingzhi was uncertain about the grounds on which to persuade Ludwig to stay. He seemed to have deeply wounded the man's heart, yet, amidst such an unexpected turn of events, his conflicted emotions left him unsure of how to proceed.

The misunderstanding that had plagued them was finally resolved, yet none of them felt any relief.

Li Qingzhi realized that all emotions, including friendship, between herself and Ludwig had been reduced to ashes by the absurd clarification of the misunderstanding.

As she left Leo's castle, Qingzhi found herself increasingly unable to resist the wandering of her thoughts:

Perhaps I shouldn't have let Ludwig know it was a misunderstanding; our relationship might still be as it once was...

However, as this notion took shape in her mind, Li Qingzhi startled herself with the realization of what she was thinking.

What on earth is wrong with me? !

How could such an idea have arisen?

Despite the shock, Li Qingzhi's heart still harbored a faint sense of regret and an inescapable feeling of loss. The image of the golden-haired youth remained firmly etched in his mind, yet he could not discern the path to draw closer to him once again.

Two hearts that were seemingly inches apart were kept eternally distant by a veil of mist.

Though they were intimately acquainted with each other's warmth and pulse, in their separation, they constantly yearned for the sensation of being by one another's side. Yet, they found themselves unable to instantly dispel the frail veil that lay between them, hindering their reembrace.

After Li Qingzhi's departure, Ludwig spent a long, long time alone in his study that day.

It wasn't until he reached out, ready to cast a flame spell to incinerate those letters that he once held dear, that a distinct sound of a carriage echoed from outside the castle walls.

Immediately following, the voice of the elderly butler, Felix, sounded outside the study door, slightly anxious:

"Master Ludwig, Lord Leo has returned!"

...

In another part of the story,

The emerald-haired girl, who had been asleep, abruptly shot up, her panicked eyes wide open. Her rapid breaths and drenched body betrayed the nightmare she had just awoken from.

In her dream, the familiar dark-haired youth was still smiling, walking toward her alongside Bruce, and extending those hands that were always warm and gentle toward her.

Yet, just as she instinctively reached out to grasp his hand, Li Qingzhi, who had been smiling, abruptly collapsed onto the ground. His magical energy was utterly drained, his face turned deathly pale, and blood trickled from his eyes as he died before her, his life force exhausted by the depletion of his magic...

Amelia, jarred by the stark contrast, awakened almost instantly. As she roused herself, she swiftly surveyed her surroundings. Upon realizing it was but a dream, the tumultuous rhythm of Amelia's heart began to regain its composure.

Fortunately, it was just a dream...

As Amelia spoke thus to herself, she suddenly felt a chill in the palm of her hand.

The young girl quickly lowered her head and noticed a black shadow creeping up her wrist. Her body, which had just settled, trembled uncontrollably once more; the intense impact of the dream seemed far from dissipating.

In the next moment, a familiar whisper rang in her ear, tinged with amusement but carrying words that sent a shiver down her spine:

"The operation is about to commence."

"Amelia, my dear child, are you prepared?"