CHAPTER 535: BEING TRULY LIKED IS SOMETHING YOU CAN FEEL.

"The Seventh Princess was naturally timid, and your scare really frightened her quite a bit."

Hearing Song Lili say this, Zhongli Wuzhi felt apologetic, even though he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with what he’d done to the Seventh Princess at the moment.

But a foreign dignitary living in the President Mansion and staying with the President’s wife had to be a guest of honor.

Zhongli Wuzhi was here to seek Song Lili’s help and had no intention of offending her because of the misunderstanding at the porch.

So he approached Princess Chinian,

"I’m sorry, Princess Chinian, Zhongli truly didn’t mean it. I hope you can forgive me and not take it to heart."

Princess Chinian was petite, but fairly tall; even with Zhongli’s height towering over her, she had to tilt her doll-like face upwards to see his clearly.

Princess Chinian’s face flushed red when Zhongli Wuzhi suddenly apologized so formally.

She pressed her lips tightly and hastily signed with her hands, quickly due to her nervousness and urgency.

Only when she finished a series of signs, and then saw the bewildered look on Zhongli Wuzhi’s face, did she realize... Zhongli Wuzhi seemed not to understand sign language.

"What is she doing?"

Zhongli Wuzhi clearly lacked patience, and seeing that Chinian wasn’t speaking and her hands waving around like mad, he quickly turned and asked Song Lili in a soft voice.

Song Lili immediately glared at Zhongli Wuzhi.

With Zhongli speaking at that volume, Princess Chinian heard everything clearly and then bowed her head, unable to utter a word.

Song Lili saw her cheeks and neck turning red,

Her expression revealed deep self-consciousness.

This was the first time Song Lili had seen such a look of shyness and inferiority on Princess Chinian’s face because she couldn’t speak, during the entire time she had been living in the President Mansion.

She quickly said to Zhongli Wuzhi,

"Princess Chinian can’t speak, so she was signing to you."

"Is she mute?"

Zhongli was taken aback again and blurted out, completely unaware that this comment was like another stab to Princess Chinian’s heart.

Princess Chinian kept her head down, looking like she wished she could retract her head into her neck.

Song Lili’s glare at Zhongli grew even more fierce.

Zhongli now realized his mistake and immediately said,

"Sorry, I didn’t know you can’t speak. Could you... sign again?"

Zhongli Wuzhi said somewhat awkwardly.

Chinian hastily looked up, her whole face red as a ripe apple.

Western in appearance, with distinct and clear-cut features, the Seventh Princess was like a living Barbie doll, with bright, charming eyes and cheeks that retained a touch of baby fat.

Princess Chinian glanced at Song Lili, and before she could even say anything, Song Lili had already nodded,

"I’ll translate for you."

Chinian nodded vigorously and smiled, then signed again, this time slower.

"There’s no need to apologize, I was the one who opened the door and you bumped in accidentally. Besides, I wasn’t hurt. How about you, do you need to lie down and rest for a bit?"

Song Lili translated.

Zhongli Wuzhi smiled,

"It’s good you’re not hurt, Seventh Princess."

—Ah, my name is Chinian, just call me by my name.

Zhongli Wuzhi nodded slightly with a hint of a smile, but even Chinian could tell that the smile on Zhongli Wuzhi’s face was very forced.

—You... is there something troubling you?

Chinian asked another question.

Although Song Lili translated on the side, she also found it strange; the Princess was unusually talkative today.

Zhongli Wuzhi glanced at Princess Chinian and said lightly,

"It’s nothing."

Princess Chinian pursed her lips, realizing perhaps she had asked too many questions.

Judging by Zhongli Wuzhi’s appearance when he arrived, he didn’t seem like he had nothing on his mind, especially having reeked of alcohol, which indicated he was troubled.

However... it certainly wasn’t her place as a stranger to pry.

She got up sensibly,

—Sister Lili, you guys talk. I’ll head back to my room.

Song Lili nodded.

Princess Chinian gave Zhongli Wuzhi a slight nod and a greeting before heading upstairs.

At the corner of the stairs, Chinian couldn’t help but pause to take another look at Zhongli’s back, then smiled and returned to her room.

Feeling inexplicably... delightful.

...

Song Lili sat next to Zhongli Wuzhi and brought the soup that had just been served in front of him.