Chapter 196: The Pear Blossoms Bloom

Chapter 196: The Pear Blossoms Bloom

After the clamor of fireworks, New Year's Eve gradually fell into silence.

The entire Su Mansion sank into quietness, as if even the cats had returned to their nests for a peaceful slumber.

On the path by the pond, a voice suddenly emerged, trying to dissuade someone: "Master, you've had too much to drink. You should go back and rest early."

"Uncle Rong, you go back and rest. Don't worry about me. I want to walk around by myself," Su Zhenyun waved his hand. Although he had drunk quite a bit, it wasn't enough to make him stumble into the lake like Li Rong feared.

Seeing his master in such a drunken state, how could Li Rong feel at ease? If Master accidentally fell into the lake, he would be guilty beyond measure.

But when Su Zhenyun saw him hesitating, he became impatient. "Then just stay further away."

Reluctantly, Li Rong followed his master from a distance.

Unexpectedly, after turning a corner, he lost sight of him.

"Master?" Li Rong was dumbfounded and hurried forward to look for him.

However, he didn't know that as soon as he moved forward, Su Zhenyun came out from behind a large rock and snorted. "I told you to go play, but you insisted on following me."

After saying this, he seemed incredibly pleased with having shaken off Li Rong. He hummed a tune and began strolling around the courtyard.

As he wandered, the man arrived under a bare pear tree.

This pear tree seemed to have some age, its branches strong and sturdy. Even without a single leaf, it exuded vitality.

Looking at the pear tree, the joy on Su Zhenyun's face vanished, replaced by an indescribable sadness.

"Xi Xue..."

He gently touched the trunk of the pear tree. The bark felt rough and uneven, yet he caressed it as if it were a delicate petal.

"When we planted this pear tree, we promised to watch the pear blossoms every year until our hair turned white."

"The pear blossoms have bloomed for fifteen years now..."

He spoke softly, as if there were endless emotions to express.

"Will you come to see them when they bloom next time?"

After saying this, a bitter smile crossed his lips.

As he smiled, his eyes welled up with tears.

Until a white petal floated down from the night sky.

Su Zhenyun was startled and subconsciously reached out to catch it.

The petal landed in his palm but quickly melted.

It was a snowflake.

He looked up at the night sky, where countless snowflakes descended from the dark expanse above, quickly covering the tips of the pear tree.

At first glance, it seemed as if the pear blossoms had bloomed.

Amidst the falling snow, a figure suddenly appeared behind the vermilion corridor.

Su Zhenyun was taken aback, thinking he might be seeing things.

But looking at the familiar silhouette etched into his heart, he couldn't help calling out her name in excitement: "Xi Xue!"

The woman didn't stop at the sound of his voice; instead, she seemed to run faster upon hearing him, disappearing at the end of the road in the blink of an eye.

Su Zhenyun stumbled forward, chasing after the figure.

He was afraid that if he slowed down, he wouldn't be able to catch up with the love of his life, even if it was just an illusion. He wanted to see her again, no matter what.

He didn't know how long he chased, but his chest was burning, and he was gasping for breath. Almost in despair, he looked at the retreating figure: "Xi Xue, don't you want me anymore?"

As soon as he said this, his legs gave way, and he fell to the ground. But he quickly propped himself up with his hands, trying to stand up and continue chasing after the woman.

Despite his efforts, his body lacked the strength to get up. In the end, he disregarded the dirt on the ground and crawled toward the woman.

Finally, the woman turned around and scolded him impatiently: "Are you crazy? Chasing people around at night, mistaking them for someone else! What are you, a ghost?"

As the woman turned, Su Zhenyun finally saw her face clearly.

She had a beautiful and enchanting face, with arched eyebrows, bright eyes, rosy cheeks, and crimson lips. She looked like she had stepped out of a watercolor painting, and she was the image Su Zhenyun had longed for over the past fifteen years.

"Xi Xue, I knew it. When the pear blossoms bloom, it must mean you've returned!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Su Zhenyun somehow found the strength to get up from the ground and ran to the woman.

Ji Qingyan looked at the man in front of her, confused. "What Xi or Xue? Brother, I think you've got the wrong person!"

In fact, she wanted to call him handsome, since she wouldn't have tolerated his strange behavior and chased her if he wasn't good-looking.

But seeing his heartbroken expression, she didn't want to say anything that might upset him. If she triggered something and he ended up needing medical attention, it would be troublesome for her.

When Su Zhenyun reached her, all he could see was the person he had been longing for. He didn't hear what she said and reached out to embrace her.

Ji Qingyan was startled and pushed the man away. "Pervert!"

Although she pushed him away, she caught a whiff of a delightful fruit wine aroma on him, a very sweet fruity scent that felt familiar to her, though she couldn't recall ever smelling such a fruit before.

Staggering several steps, Su Zhenyun almost fell.

Ji Qingyan couldn't help but show disdain: "You're a grown man, why are you so weak? Let me tell you, don't even think about taking advantage of the situation—I have no money to give you."

"The money's not what I want from you, Xi Xue." The man hastily waved his hands, afraid of upsetting her.

Hearing this name repeatedly from his mouth, Ji Qingyan realized that he was drunk and had mistaken her for someone else. However, she certainly didn't have the obligation to comfort this man on behalf of Miss Su.

So Ji Qingyan looked around, hoping to find someone to take this man back.

Seeing no one nearby, she shouted into thin air: "What are you all waiting for, still putting on a show? Come out already! Isn't this man Miss Su's brother? Are you happy if I bring him back to my room? Don't you fear that your elders might have to call me sister-in-law later?"

"..." Zhe Jing and the two others with him fell silent.

The man before them was clearly not Miss Su's brother, but her father.

If Doctor Ji really took him back and something happened, it wouldn't make her his sister-in-law; she'd be their mother...

Thus, Zhe Jing soon appeared beside Su Zhenyun: "Sir Su, you're drunk. Allow me to escort you back."

Su Zhenyun had no intention of leaving. He had waited fifteen years for Xi Xue, and now that she was finally back by his side, how could he bear to part from her now?

"I'm not going! I'm not drunk. This is Xi Xue, my wife. Wait, who are you? What are you doing in my house?"