Chapter 72

"They will become engaged, they will get married, Sarah will bear him children, at least two... Then, Prince Charles can have his secret rendezvous with Camilla, but it won't stop Sarah from finding a suitable lover... Once discovered, they must stand together to face the storm..." Diana suddenly covered her face, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Li Xu quickly stepped forward and held her in his arms, gently comforting her.

After a while, Diana managed to calm down, tilting her head back to look at Li Xu, her gray-blue eyes misty. "Do you want me to be like this, Eddie?"

"No," Li Xu immediately shook his head, "I want all of you, everything about you, I want you to belong only to me."

Diana couldn't help but widen her eyes; to say such shameless words so... confidently?!

"So, you just want a toy that you can control and manipulate, is that it?" she asked immediately, the disappointment in her tone evident.

"Of course not," Li Xu shook his head again, "You are a person, Diana, a living, innocent, and kind girl. How can you be a toy?"

"But..." Diana was instantly confused.

"I told you from the beginning, I like you, Diana, I want to protect you," Li Xu said softly.

"Like and love are two different things," Diana said with a hint of resentment.

Li Xu laughed, "Aunt Audrey said the same thing, but like and love can also be transformed."

Saying this, he lowered his head and moved closer, "I hope you can be happy every day, Diana. I hope you can do what you want to do. I hope you can help those who need help."

Diana instinctively leaned back,缩着脖子，抿住嘴唇，目光既担心又渴望，非常矛盾。

"I can only give you these things, Diana, I'm very sorry," Li Xu said with a light sigh, "I know you want everything from me, but... even if you get it now, you will still lose it in the future. That's reality."

"Don't talk to me about reality!" Diana suddenly became agitated, struggling to push Li Xu away, but Li Xu held her tightly, not letting go no matter how she pushed.

"Why! Why do you have to say these things! Is there no room for easy love in reality?" Her voice was tinged with sobs, and her body trembled.

Li Xu didn't say anything, just held her tightly until she calmed down again, then lifted her delicate face.

Her gray-blue eyes were misty, a few tears rolling down, carrying an indescribable sorrow, like the injured fawn from last night.

So, he said nothing, lowered his head, and kissed her lips.

Diana didn't dodge or resist, just stood there, letting him kiss and take, wave after wave, one after another.

Then, their lips parted, and they looked at each other.

Suddenly, Diana hugged Li Xu tightly, kissing him passionately, as if she wanted to merge with his body.

They kissed passionately, then slowly moved to the bed, lying down. Li Xu's hand slipped into Diana's nightgown.

"Don't..." Diana mumbled, but Li Xu ignored her.

"Eddie..." Diana wriggled, trying to break free, but he still didn't let go.

"Please, don't..." Diana's voice grew lower, her struggles weaker.

Finally, after a series of soft moans, a cry of pain rang out.

---

Diana hummed a few times, scratching her face. Although her consciousness was slowly waking up, she didn't want to open her eyes. The warm body she was leaning against made her very comfortable and at ease... a warm body?

Diana suddenly opened her eyes, then sat up abruptly, followed by a sharp intake of breath. The pain from below made her fall back into the warm embrace.

"Be careful!" Li Xu's gentle voice sounded in her ear.

"E... E... Eddie?!" Diana turned her head, facing the smiling Li Xu, a bit dazed, then screamed and covered her chest.

"You've already seen everything, and touched everything!" Li Xu said teasingly, drawing out his words.

Diana glared at him angrily, hesitated a few times, but ultimately didn't lower her hands.

"What... what time is it?" she asked timidly.

"Just past 9," Li Xu nodded toward the clock on the wall.

Diana gasped, not caring if she exposed herself, and frantically waved her arms. "Oh no, oh no, what if Aunt Audrey...?"

However, the pain from below quickly made her stop, leaving only worry and embarrassment on her face.

"Don't worry, they already know whatever happened," Li Xu said, though his words offered no comfort.

But Diana didn't notice; she wasn't even listening. A thought that popped into her mind made her even more anxious. Without waiting for Li Xu to finish speaking, she lifted the blanket and, despite the pain, searched the sheets anxiously.

"What's wrong?" Li Xu asked, puzzled.

"Hmm..." Diana was about to answer but swallowed it back, unable to find what she was looking for.

"Diana, tell me, what are you looking for?" Li Xu asked with interest.

Diana bit her lip, glared at him again, though her face was flushed. Finally, she stammered, "Mom... Mom said that the first time... there would be... blood. If... if it stains the sheets, it would be too... but... but..."

Her voice grew lower, and her embarrassed expression became more obvious.

"But there isn't any," Li Xu said, looking at the sheets.

"But I am a virgin!" Diana clearly misunderstood, her voice tinged with anger.

"Of course I know," Li Xu smiled, pinching her chin, "I knew as soon as I entered. The tightness and narrowness could only be from a virgin."

But this didn't comfort her; instead, Diana glared at him with a mix of anger and hurt.

"Alright, don't you like ballet? It's easy to tear that little thing when you dance ballet," Li Xu laughed again, "Even without ballet, riding a horse or running can cause it to happen, so you don't need to worry about staining the sheets."

After a few seconds, he chuckled, "Besides, everyone probably knows by now."

Diana, who had initially looked relieved, immediately became embarrassed and angry again, raising her fist to hit him, but was quickly pinned down by Li Xu and kissed repeatedly.

They played and wrestled for a while, and by the time they got dressed and out of bed, it was already 10 in the morning. Although the pain had lessened, Diana still walked with a slight limp. Inside the room, it was fine, but in the living room, she buried her head deeply in Li Xu's arm.

"Good morning, or rather, good morning," Old Edward, sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, greeted them with a smile, though it was somewhat meaningful.

Audrey, feeding the fawn, just smiled and shook her head slightly, then privately said to Li Xu in a helpless tone, "No more next time, little one."

Li Xu naturally agreed.

"It's all your fault, I can't do anything today!" In the evening, Diana complained to Li Xu, who she had stayed with all day, completely ignoring the fact that she had been the one clinging to him.

However, the depression in her eyes had dissipated, and her smiles had become more frequent, sometimes even unconsciously giggling.

"Alright, it's all my fault, I apologize, okay?" Li Xu said with a grin.

"Not sincere at all," Diana huffed.

"Alright, since that's the case, I think you seem to have recovered quite a bit. How about we do it again tonight?" Li Xu teased.

"No!" Diana pouted and refused.

"Alright, then... what do you want?" Li Xu spread his hands.

Diana looked at him, then fell silent, though she didn't return to her previous gloom, a hint of resentment still lingered in her eyes.

"I know, some things are still too difficult for you," Li Xu smiled, taking her hand, "But at least we can try, right?"

"Try?" Diana was puzzled.

"Yes, try," Li Xu nodded seriously, "Be my official girlfriend, live together, let me protect you, support you, like... a trial run. If you find it unsuitable, you can end it and leave anytime."

"It sounds like cohabitation," Diana muttered after a while.

"You can think of it that way," Li Xu shrugged, "At least it's an opportunity."

Diana didn't answer, looking elsewhere, lost in thought. Li Xu didn't rush her, just waited.

After a while, she finally spoke, "Last night... I talked a lot with Aunt Audrey, including what you told me. Aunt Audrey told me that everyone is different, and others' opinions... can be considered, but not taken as a burden. She said that some things... many things... can only be understood by trying them out, to know if they are what you want, to know if you will regret it..."

"Very wise advice," Li Xu sighed, "So—"

He looked at her, not blinking, and she did the same.

"Will you protect me, keep me from harm, right?" Diana asked.

"Of course," Li Xu nodded.

"You promise?" Diana pressed.

"I'll do my best," Li Xu said.

Diana sighed lightly, as if saying, "I knew you'd say that."

Then—

"Eddie, you still have to go to Harvard, right? At least four years, right?"

"Oh, yes, but... I think this problem can be easily solved."