Chapter 71: Frozen Facades, Gentle Hands: Bridging the Gap
It was simply her succubus instincts kicking in…
She didn’t mean to act that way.
But she couldn’t control her expressions and tone.
She wasn’t trying to disrespect her master.
Yet as she carried the water inside and faced Shia, Rong’s face instantly froze.
The image of an icy queen.
Though her mind screamed and spiraled in frustration, reminding herself repeatedly to relax and explain things slowly, she only seemed to make things worse.
This wasn’t what she meant to do!
She had wanted to explain but was too stiff to utter a single word.
Not only did she fail to resolve the misunderstanding, but her demeanor also made her appear even angrier.
Hiding in her room, Rong flung herself onto the bed, clawing at her blanket in frustration.
Her slender legs, wrapped in silky white stockings, swung back and forth, a pi cture of utter defeat.
She knew full well the problem lay with herself: her inability to express emotions, her fear of speaking up, and her crippling nervousness in social interactions.
Initially, she had thought using Shia as practice would help her overcome these shortcomings, but it was so difficult. She couldn’t even clear up a simple misunderstanding.
She wanted to shed this timid, cowardly persona but couldn’t muster the courage to say a complete sentence despite numerous attempts.
Rong sat up on the bed and stood before the mirror, taking a deep breath.
This time, she resolved to speak her mind.
“Earlier… I wasn’t… not angry…”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Rong irritably ruffled her hair.
Another attempt!
“Last night… I… was waiting… but…”
She tried countless times, but none of her efforts resulted in a coherent explanation of her feelings.
By the end, she was almost ready to give up.
If she couldn’t even say it to herself in the mirror, how could she ever face Shia and explain?
Her shoulders slumped, her silence thick with frustration.
Looking at her own reflection, she appeared so cold it was almost frightening.
Inside, she was already screaming in anguish but utterly incapable of vocalizing her thoughts. She was at her wit’s end.
Just when the succubus princess was about to despair completely, a knock came at her door.
“Rong, are you in there?”
Through the door, Shia’s muffled voice reached her.
Rong looked at her reflection again, her cold expression only deepening her frustration. She didn’t want to see Shia.
She couldn’t even control her own facial expressions and had already caused Shia to misunderstand her earlier.
If he saw her like this now, he would surely think she was still upset.
The door was knocked on again.
“Rong, may I come in?”
Rong rubbed her stiff face. Despite feeling defeated, she went to open the door.
With a click, the door swung open.
Standing at the door, Rong’s hand gripped the handle, her face cold and expressionless, her gaze seemingly icy and menacing.
Shia smiled lightly.
“Can we talk?”
She couldn’t even speak in front of a mirror. How could she possibly have a heart-to-heart with Shia?
Rong instinctively shook her head in refusal.
But soon, she hesitated.
Would Shia think she was still sulking?
She wasn’t sulking! She just didn’t know how to start.
Afraid of speaking to people, she couldn’t even articulate a simple sentence. How could she ever have a meaningful conversation?
If Shia misunderstood her even more and decided to kick her out, what would she do?
While Rong’s mind raced, Shia spoke again.
“How about this? You don’t need to talk. Just nod or shake your head.”
Rong froze, looking up into Shia’s eyes.
Silence hung between them as time ticked by.
Eventually, Shia stepped inside.
They sat across from each other, Rong’s icy demeanor contrasting with Shia’s warm, gentlemanly composure.
Rong sat rigidly, her back perfectly straight, a soft cushion on her lap. Her hands rested on the cushion, her posture reminiscent of someone preparing for interrogation.
It was as if she was about to say, “Confess, and you’ll be treated leniently. Resist, and the punishment will be severe.”
Meanwhile, Shia resembled a guilty husband being confronted by his angry wife.
But as soon as they began talking, the scene shifted dramatically.
“Actually, you weren’t angry with me.”
Shia’s first words made Rong lock eyes with him.
Slowly, she nodded.
Her heart leaped with joy.
Yes, yes! She wasn’t angry!
Shia actually understood her. It was so rare and precious!
Excitement bubbled up inside her, though her face remained stoic and a little sour.
“Last night, you were reading, and you just happened to wait for me to come back?”
Rong nodded again.
She had been trying to find a way forward for her succubus lineage. While she couldn’t visit the library this week, reading on her own seemed like a good idea.
“You noticed the scent on me last night, didn’t you?”
Rong hesitated but eventually nodded.
Would Shia think she was bothered by this?
“But you weren’t trying to interfere. You just couldn’t help yourself and wanted to retreat to your room so you wouldn’t bother me. You didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable, right?”
Well, it was close enough.
She didn’t think she had the right to meddle. However, her succubus instincts disliked the scent of other women. It felt like her territory was being invaded.
That behavior could be seen as disrespectful to Shia.
So this interpretation worked, right?
Rong nodded again, like a bobblehead doll.
“Just now, you brought me water to explain, didn’t you?”
…
It was as if Shia could read her mind, voicing every thought she wanted to express with perfect accuracy.
In the end, all misunderstandings were cleared.
Rong’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Shia.
Her heart overflowed with delight.
How could he understand her so well?
Affection soared!
If affection points visibly floated above her head, hers would be bubbling up nonstop.
It was rare to have someone who truly understood her.