NFBE Chapter 250 [Empire] His Shell
Chapter 250 [Empire] His Shell
However, I was the one who got up late the next day.
As I rubbed my sleepy eyes and left the room, the soft clinking of utensils and the aroma of food emanated from the kitchen. I stood blankly at the doorway, watching Wen Ya busying around in the bright morning light. He was still that familiar, gentle presence, his movements smooth and graceful, as if the momentary lapse of composure last night had never occurred.
As expected, he looked as if nothing had happened.
"Are you awake?" He noticed my presence, turned around and smiled at me, his voice as gentle as usual, "Just right, breakfast is almost ready."
Wen Ya in front of him was dressed neatly, with her usual calm smile on her face. The fatigue and fragility of last night seemed to be completely covered up, leaving no trace.
"You..." I opened my mouth, but found that I couldn't ask anything. He had already walked over and placed a bowl of steaming porridge on the table. "Hurry up and sit down. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Wen Ya from last night—the fragile, nearly collapsed person—seemed to have vanished, and he, sitting across from me, had returned to his usual calm demeanor. Gentle as jade, his demeanor relaxed, as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong?" Wen Ya's voice was still gentle, with a hint of teasing, "It looks like you haven't woken up yet."
I looked up. He was leaning slightly closer, straightening my tilted cup. There was a hint of weariness in his eyes, but it was so deeply hidden it was fleeting. I even doubted I'd seen it.
"Nothing," I whispered, picking up my knife and fork and beginning to cut the omelette on the plate. My movements were mechanical and hesitant. But I couldn't help but wonder: How had this person managed to so easily mask last night's sadness? The person who had cried so pitifully in my arms was now wearing this flawless mask, as if that vulnerable side didn't even exist.
Wen Ya seemed to notice my distraction, but she didn't ask any further questions. She just smiled and handed me a cup of hot tea: "Eat slowly, don't burn yourself."
The words were lighthearted, but they carried a strange weight to my ears. He acted as if nothing had changed, yet the more he did so, the more nervous I became. I was even a little angry. Why did he always have to disguise himself with such gentleness? Where had he hidden all those emotions from last night? Those sobs, that deep-seated pain? Where had he hidden them?
"Wen Ya." I put down my fork, my voice a little unsteady, "You last night..."
He raised his head, his eyes were calm, and even had a gentle smile: "What happened last night?"
I met his gaze and suddenly realized that perhaps all my questions were meaningless. He had no intention of letting me get close to his true self. Perhaps he had already decided to lock away all his weaknesses in a secluded corner, and I only needed to remember his "gentle and jade-like" appearance.
"Nothing." I finally swallowed the second half of the sentence and turned my attention back to breakfast.
Wen Ya didn't ask any more questions, but just took a sip of tea quietly, as if she knew about my silence at the moment but didn't point it out.
"I should have recorded it earlier." I muttered softly, fiddling with the fork, my eyes fixed on the fried eggs on the plate.
Wen Ya paused as he poured the tea. Though the movement was subtle, I still caught it. His eyes swept over me, and a vague curve curved up the corner of his mouth, like a smile, but also like a silent test.