The sun gradually fell behind the mountain, after finishing the training session, Erina quickly went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Because the fish that Henry caught were as small as a finger, she put them in a pot to cook with wild vegetables into a pot of soup instead of frying them.
After bringing the vegetarian meal to Orson, she walked quickly to the top of the waterfall to find Henry. Normally he didn't come home this late, so she guessed it was because he practiced so hard that he lost track of time.
From afar, hearing the sound of swords cutting through the wind, Erina gingerly hid behind the bushes, intently observing the man passionately throwing beautiful sword strokes. His pure white clothes fluttered in the cold wind of the purple sunset. The surrounding space seemed to be silently looking at him.
Unlike his childish appearance in daily life, Henry looked mature and cold when practicing martial arts. Erina was so absorbed in watching him that she forgot her original intention of coming here. She sighed and wondered when she would reach the same level as him.
Finishing the exercise, Henry retracted his sword and breathed softly. Erina immediately left the bushes and slowly walked over.
Seeing her, his face immediately brightened and he quickly ran over.
“Why are you here?”
“I want to call you home for dinner, it's too late.”
“Let's go.”
Henry smiled, took Erina's hand, and pulled her up to the top of the mountain. She suddenly realized that recently, the number of times he held her hand was increasing.
Only now did she realize that his hand was as warm as Clement's. Could it be that all men's hands were this warm?
At this time, the sunset covered the majestic mountain. As soon as Henry took a shower, he immediately swooped down next to the dinner tray.
Today, the two of them ate salty food, so Orson ate separately. Looking at the pot of fish soup with wild vegetables, Henry salivated.
“The soup is a little bitter.” Erina scooped a bowl of rice and gave it to Henry, softly reminding him.
“Is it because of the vegetables?” Henry blurted out.
“Both.” She replied.
“Erina, did you eat it secretly? Otherwise, how would you know the fish was bitter?” He looked up and smiled.
“Who…who said I ate secretly? When I scooped up the soup to season it, the fish meat fell out and went into the ladle, so I accidentally swallowed it.” Erina was embarrassed and stammered to explain.
“Then let me count to see if there are fifty fish left.”
“You...” She rolled her eyes, her face turned red.
“I was just kidding you. I didn't count the fish when I caught them. Please eat a lot. I'm sorry for making you live in the mountains and suffer deprivation.”
Henry quickly interrupted Erina and took out the fish and put them on the empty plate, pushing them to her so she could pick them up easily. Letting her live in such a deprived condition, he felt extremely heartbroken.
If he had agreed to cancel the engagement that day, she wouldn't have suffered, but what else could he do? He couldn't bear to let her leave his life.
Erina's mood now became heavy because of his apology. She wanted to tell Henry that his love was not at fault but she couldn't open her mouth. She just hopes that the time they are apart will help him forget everything and find a girl who truly loves him.
“Anything that tastes bitter is medicine. Try to eat a lot.” Henry spoke up when he saw that Erina hadn't put any fish in her bowl.
“You should eat too. Forty-nine fish.”
As soon as she finished speaking, both of them suddenly burst into laughter, and the silent atmosphere from earlier quickly disappeared.
The pot of soup and the plate of fish gradually emptied, the bitter taste of the fish immersed in nature brought a very different feeling compared to most of the fish he and she had eaten.
After finishing the meal, Henry took over the task of washing the dishes while Erina leaned against a nearby tree trunk, dreamily looking up at the sky.
The moonlight tonight was missing a piece, floating in the middle of the mountains, faintly visible through the dark leaves, the twinkling stars sometimes far, sometimes near, bringing her soul back to the past.
“The young master left the city and went to the mountains. I thought you would be sad, but it seems not. Don't you remember the lights and the restaurant down there?” Her voice echoed in the darkness.
“Actually, I don't like going to those places.” Henry slowly replied.
His answer made Erina extremely confused, and she quickly turned her head to look. If she remembered correctly, except for the times when Hubert was home, Henry would hang out at various entertainment venues for about four nights a week, and the other three nights he would sit quietly in her room until late at night.
As if he could guess what Erina was wondering, he picked up the basket of clean dishes and put them on the bamboo cupboard, then walked over, stood next to her, and spoke in a low voice.
“Erina, I'm so sad when I have to eat dinner alone. So I went out, and as you know, my friends have to drink after eating, and after drinking, they have to dance.”
His sad tone made her throat seem to choke. She and he always ate breakfast together, but their lunch times did not coincide, she finished school while he went to class, and at dinner, she often made excuses that she was not hungry, did not want to eat, and often skipped meals. So, the number of times he went out with his friends gradually increased.
The night was quiet, only the sound of the waterfall lulling the mountains and forests. Henry glanced at Erina from time to time, the thin light from the moon like a transparent veil covering her delicate face, further enhancing her beauty, making his heart flutter.
“I'm going to bed first.”
Erina turned to Henry and spoke softly, then walked back to her room. The painting outside was very romantic, but the more she looked at it, the more she missed her lover.
Lying down on the bed for a long time but unable to sleep, she sat up and focused on meditating. The oil lamp radiates a silent, flickering light, casting a silhouette of a lovely girl on the wall.
At the same time, on the third floor of a luxurious hotel in the heart of the city, Clement was also restless. The time apart seemed to have worn away both his heart and body, making him pale and thin.
The electric light of the bustling city has dimmed the night stars, leaving only half a moon that sometimes dims and sometimes brightens. He remembered her flowing hair, her gentle, coquettish voice mixed with a bit of resentment, her smile, her eyes, and her sweet, fragrant pink lips.
While he was feeling gloomy like a lovelorn person, the phone bell rang. On the other side of the phone was Mabel's gentle, slow voice.
“I'm standing in front of the hotel door, please come down.”
“Wait for me a moment.”
Clement quickly put on his coat, opened the door, and walked out. After the day Mabel was rejected by him by the lake, she asked to be his normal friend and he agreed because, after all, this request was not too much to refuse.
Knowing that Clement did not like to go to fancy restaurants, every time they went out to eat, Mabel would invite him to stop by a roadside restaurant to enjoy delicious street food from this night market to that alley.
Clement didn't know that she had painstakingly asked about those places, even going there to eat first to see if the food was good or bad before inviting him to eat.
The car drove around for ten minutes and then stopped at a barbecue restaurant in the alley.
Seeing the elegantly dressed couple entering, the restaurant owners happily greeted them and hurriedly prepared the dishes as requested.
“What time will you return to J province tomorrow?” She took a sip of water and asked softly.
“Around nine o'clock in the morning, pick up a group of customers from the airport and lead them there.”
“When you arrive, it will probably be noon, after eating, visiting the head office, the vineyard, the factory, it will take a whole day. You will be very tired.” She sighed.
“So now I have to eat to get strength.”
Mabel smiled and nodded. She knew that Clement only said that, but he didn't eat much, which was why he was getting thinner and thinner.
The restaurant owner quickly brought the food up, carefully placing each fragrant plate on the table. Her eyes swept over Clement, then turned to Mabel, smiling happily.
“Your husband is really handsome, I've been working here for more than ten years and have never seen a man as handsome as him.”
Hearing her compliment, both Clement and Mabel opened their mouths in surprise. How did he and she turn into potted flowers?
Because she was afraid that he would be embarrassed and not agree to go with her next time, she quickly waved her hand to explain.
“He's my older brother.”
“Really? I saw you two looking like a married couple, but it turns out you two are brother and sister. Sorry, sorry, enjoy your meal.”
Being seriously mistaken, the restaurant owner felt shy and embarrassed, said a few words to relieve her embarrassment, and then ran straight behind the glass cabinet.
“Your brother?” Clement burst out laughing, looking at her.
“Now I know that we have the appearance of a married couple.”
Mabel hugged her stomach and laughed so hard that Clement laughed along with her.
Leaving the small restaurant, Clement and Mabel went to the riverside on the edge of the city to take a walk.
She had been walking beside him so many times like this, she wished she could hold his hand once but it was too difficult, both his hands were in his pockets, she didn't even have the chance to lightly touch his hand.
Clement was the only person who made her willingly change her personality, completely abandoning the image of a haughty, arrogant rich lady to become a simple girl in his eyes.
She never expected that the first time she gave her heart to a man would be a series of days that led her to endless despair.