Chapter 17.2

Chapter 17.2

“I appreciate that you’ve shown me consideration,” Charles continued.

In reality, why would she? Jasmine held no particular interest in him, and it was challenging to pretend otherwise. Her attention was fixated on his gaze and expressions, but Charles maintained a smile without revealing his feelings.

“It was just clumsy consideration; it was the only thing I could do,” she confessed.

Jasmine listened intently, her expression tinged with sadness. It was the only consideration she could offer.

“I’ve never told you this before,” he continued with a slightly awkward yet confident tone, “but I liked you a lot.”

Silence hung in the air.

“I saw you playing the piano at a party once, ‘Serenade of the Spring Fairy.’ I fell in love at first sight. It was like a real fairy was sitting there. I heard that you were upset with your performance, but to me, it was the best.”

Jasmine furrowed her brow, realizing the day he was referring to. It must have been when she was eighteen, playing at a birthday party hosted by a close friend from the military academy.

She had played at that party because she had heard that Richard was coming. But as someone actively serving in the military, Richard was most likely too busy to attend.

She had practiced tirelessly, even straining her wrist, all because Richard had mentioned he liked that piece.

However, on that day, he didn’t show up. A sudden attack required his immediate return to the battlefield.

She had wanted to see him so desperately that she had cried. At the time, she yearned to catch even a distant glimpse of him. Oh, why am I not a knight or a soldier? If I had any talent, I would have enlisted by now. She had wailed, thinking of how her brothers and father would react.

And when her friends saw her crying out of the blue, they were shocked and tried to comfort her, making ridiculous excuses that she was embarrassed and didn’t like her performance.

Looking back now, she wondered why she had been so heartbroken. A faint smile played on her lips, and her lips slightly trembled.

“I just wanted to be honest with you once, even if you didn’t like me,” Charles chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head, still emanating a youthful charm despite his imposing stature.

“You were my first love.”

Ah.

“Well, I apologize for any impoliteness thus far. I wish you all the happiness in the future.”

With a polite nod, he turned and walked away, leaving Jasmine standing in silence. To be honest, his feelings didn’t particularly move her, but his words lingered in her mind. First love. And…

“Come to think of it, I’ve never said this to you even once.”

“I really liked you a lot.”

“You were my first love.”

Her heart, racing all along, started pounding even louder. Her heart whispered to her:

Did you hear his words? Have you ever confessed your feelings honestly, even just once?

It’s okay to face rejection. I don’t have any expectations now. I just want to express my feelings, to shout that I exist, that I’m here.

She had been set up once through her family, and twice, she had been rejected before she could speak her mind…

Yet, even now, she still has feelings for him.

Admit it, Jasmine. My heart is so persistent.

Even if you bury it in the ground, pretend to ignore it, and hide it away in a corner, it will reignite like a spark.

Jasmine felt like she had been hit on the head, so she accepted a glass of wine from the waiter and gulped it down.

Oh, I’m doomed. I still like him. Quite a lot, actually.

Perhaps, even getting angry, arguing, and feeling annoyed might be expressions of love. Jasmine thought of him even while disliking him. Frustration, a strange sense of defeat, and a feeling of liberation washed over her as she drank glass after glass.

She felt a rush of dizziness, but she couldn’t stop drinking. A hint of despair accompanied it.

What do I do? Maybe this life is a failure. How did I end up falling for that arrogant guy? I’ve failed spectacularly. How am I going to get married in the future? Am I going to become an old spinster and die like this?

She stared into space with hazy eyes. In her intoxicated state, she saw couples heading to a dimly lit corner, exchanging playful glances and dancing with a strange atmosphere. She burst into laughter. What’s the point of being the top lady of society? Here she was, drowning her sorrows alone in alcohol, having been rejected.

She felt pathetic. What had she been doing all this time…?

“Well, I guess there could be something. Some couples go straight to bed the moment their eyes meet.”

Then, by pure chance, Lichang’s words came to her foggy mind.