Chapter 465 Forthright

As Old Man Garrett’s offspring, Joseph and the rest had to honor his wish. However, it may be a simple funeral, but there was still a lot to work on. Nell did not attend Old Master Garrett’s organ donation ceremony. She felt that it was a punishment for the non-departed. She returned home at night and without taking her dinner, she locked herself in a room. She sat on the huge balcony. There were still two more months to go before the Lunar New Year. The air was especially clear during the late winter in the capital. The starry sky was visible at night, setting dots of twinkle in the blue sky beneath the heavens. It was not known when Gideon had approached from behind her but without turning her head back, she knew it was him. “Everyone said that after people die, they’d become the stars in the sky and continue to look after those they wanted to protect. Do you think it’s true?” she asked. The person behind did not answer and instead, gently hummed after a long time. Nell turned back to gaze at him. Under the quiet veil of the night, Gideon lifted his head and stared at the endless night sky. She could not read his eyes from her angle but could identify desolation from his side profile. Her heart was aching. Getting up from the carpet, she approached him and hugged her arms around his waist. Gideon’s body froze. A while later, he asked, “What’s wrong?” Nell sounded muffled. “Sorry.” The man raised his brow. Nell buried her face in his chest. Her voice was filled with guilt. “I’ve always thought that I was the one who worked more in our relationship. Your imperviousness and pride have put you in a superior position while I was left to follow your footsteps and be a follower. “But, I finally understood that I was wrong. You’ve always been the one to take on more than me and put in more work than me. I was too blind to see and took you for granted that your devotion wasn’t there. I’m too selfish.” She lifted her head and met his eyes. Her clear eyes welled up with tears, but more so with tenderness. “Gideon Leith, thank you for all you’ve done and thank you for taking on my burden. I’ll work hard so that you won’t be so tired. I’ll work toward being your equal and forthrightly stand by your side.” Gideon lowered his eyes to meet hers. His eyes spoke of affection. Without asking why the sudden thought, he tugged on the corners of his lips to reveal a smile. He nodded. “Okay.” Nell gathered strength in her arms around him. Moments later, she suddenly stood on the tip of her toes and gave him a soft kiss by his lips. Her canthus was moist. “Gideon Leith, I love you.” Amid the silence, the man’s sigh murmured in her ear, that in the end, threw them into waves of passion rippling through the endless night. The morning of the next day. There was no one in the cemetery. The morning dew-stained cold headstones looked rather chilly with the bitter cold in the air threatening to pierce through the pores and reach the heart. Holding a bouquet of flowers, Nell stood before a gravestone. She wore a black sweater and long pants. She also had a white flower tugged in her hair. Bending over, she placed the flowers on the ground. Just a few steps behind was Gideon quietly standing there and gazing at her erected position. At last, she turned back and drew near toward him. She took his arm and lifted her head to smile. “Let’s go!” Gideon nodded and took off his jacket to put over her shoulders. He then held her cold hands. With a warm fuzzy feeling overwhelming her, Nell quietly let him lead the way. The pair silently strolled along the lengthy distance between the cemetery and the road. As there was no one else but them in the entire pathway, it was complete serenity. After a while, Nell suddenly said, “I want to return to Jincheng in a few days.” Gideon’s grip tightened. Nell raised her head and stared at him in confusion. He frowned. “What are you going back for?” Nell faintly replied, “Nothing. My mind is all over the place, I just want to clear my head.” Gideon’s eyes turned abstruse. Nell did not know whether her eyes were playing tricks on her as she had the feeling that something, complicated and profound, seemed to be stirring within those deep eyes. Moments later, he opened his thin lips. “Sure, I’ll accompany you there.” Nell gently shook her head. “I wish to go alone.” The furrow between Gideon’s eyes deepened. Sensing his displeasure, Nell immediately explained, “I’m only going back for a stroll and some quiet time. A lot has happened lately and I’m a mess. You haven’t recovered from your injury so you shouldn’t be moving around a lot...” Gideon stared intently into her eyes and only sighed a long time later. He pulled her into his arm and rasped. “Nelly, I can’t let you go alone. I’ll only feel unsettled if you leave. Do you understand?” Nell rested her head against his chest, taking in his steady beating heart and unsullied presence. It tugged her heartstrings. It took a while before she finally took a step back. “Okay, let’s go together.” Gideon lowered his head and planted a kiss on her forehead before happily leaving hand in hand. Back at home, Gideon first went to the study. By the time he came out, he realized Nell was packing in the bedroom. When Gideon entered the room, Nell was stacking the folded clothes in her luggage. Leaning against the door frame, he quietly watched her without entering. Of course, Nell noticed him. She lifted her head and smiled at him. The sunlight reflected through the window edge and onto the girl’s refined features. The bright smile was rather dazzling. With his heart skipping a beat, Gideon approached her and pulled her up from the ground. He sat on the bed while Nell, following his motions, fell onto his lap. Dumbstruck, Nell curled her arms around his neck out of intuition and asked, “What’s wrong?” Gideon narrowed his eyes without a word. He unfurled his slender fingers to caress her face. The tips of his fingers were dry and warm, bringing along a heart-racing affection as they drew out the planes of her brows, eyes, little nose, and full lips. In the end, his palm reached to lock behind her head, applying a force to push it downward and the next second, his thin lips came against hers. A soft moan escaped her throat. Her mind was blown by the sudden kiss. The eager kiss came crashing down on her. Taking a shuddering breath, she softly called out to him, “Gideon.” The voice was melting like a wailing little cub.