BRIEF RECAP: Prince Yi's finally in jail under charges of treason... Princess Nalan is pregnant with Yi's love child and is currently under house arrest in the palace after gate-crashing the Emperor and LX's send-off party for the newly appointed Princesses (former concubines) to announce their marriage and baby on the way plans... Tung Mei (Xiao Ying/ Doc Lou's adopted daughter) has lost her memories after messing with things beyond her powers and the doc has gone to solve her issue... Empress dowager is finally GONE to go look for the solution to her mental health in some remote temple far far away...and well XT suddenly showed up with a lost Tung Mei at Lei Xing's door and we continue from there~.....

****

"I apologize about my sisters...they usually don't drink - Xiao Ting, definitely not at all, and Xing er', um... I'm not sure where she picked up this bad habit from... She's usually very calm and reliable." Lei Yong said with an awkward laugh.

An absentminded "Oh" was all he received in response and Lei Yong's expression fell. He knit his brows and massaged his neck.

He had been trying and failing at conversation since they left the Empress's palace and each attempt was either met with silence or one-word responses. He really should not have left Xiao Ting behind, this sort of abnormal awkward silence was suffocating.

Not to mention Lei Xing's words just now had been replaying in his mind making him feel guilty. He wanted to ask Tung Mei but she clearly did not want to talk to him, not to mention the fact that if she really lost her memory, she would not know how it happened either. They fell into silence again for a few minutes, before Lei Yong spoke up again, "Um... Are you feeling alright? You must have drunk a lot too, right? I can have a palanquin arranged if yo-

"I'm alright." Tung Mei dryly responded again.

"Oh, yes. Of course, I forgot what a great drinker you were..." He said with another awkward laugh which was met with a silent scrutinizing glance. Lei Yong frowned and looked away, irritated with himself. He was never good at carrying a conversation, especially not with women. Moreover, Tung Mei was the one who always talked first in their interactions. Now that she was silent, he was at a loss.

Thinking about that, he looked over at Tung Mei's face and thought that she looked trouble. But then again, who would not be troubled if they were told they tried to end their lives but could not remember the how and why of it.

Lei Yong inwardly sighed and silently cursed Lei Xing for her insensitivity, "Don't mind what Xing er', she... she was just talking nonsense, just the alcohol talking."

"Oh." Tung Mei absentmindedly responded again and Lei Yong felt the urge to punch the wall. It was understandable that she was angry but wasn't ignoring him like this too petty?! Lei Yong pursed his lips and fixed his eyes to the side, not exactly minding where he was going as he fell into sulking silence himself. He was tired, if she won't talk, he won't talk either.

"So what exactly was the relationship between us?" Tung Mei suddenly asked and Lei Yong whipped his head back to her in excitement, which quickly died down when he met her scrutinizing gaze. His body had moved faster than his mind because he ended up blankly staring at her and stupidly going, "Huh?"

That was a very complicated question that he could locate the starting point for the answer.

"Were we close?" She rephrased, looking slightly irritated at having to repeat herself.

"Yes! No!...maybe?" Lei Yong bumbled and then frowned and scratched his neck.

"If you're asking me, then who should I ask?" Tung Mei countered with a frown.

Lei Yong's face twitched a bit and lowered his head and "shyly" said, "Um, we were - are friends, good friends!"

"Oh." Tung Mei simply responded and faced forward again and Lei Yong glared at her as they fell back into silence.

{..."Oh?" Is that really all you have to say? No questions? Nothing? Is it not normal to be curious? Even if you weren't curious before, shouldn't you be curious after hearing the nonsense Xing er' was saying - not that I'm happy you tried to kill yourself because of me, I am simply concerned that you are not concerned!...*sigh* But then again, when has she ever been normal...}

Lei Yong's frown deepened and his steps unintentionally sped up. This awkward atmosphere between them was suffocating, it was best they reached the carriage quickly to put some distance and people between them. Perhaps the Emperor had the right idea. What was he even trying to accomplish by trying to talk to her about their past? Perhaps, it was best if he left her alone, she clearly did not want to even talk to him. It would be understandable if she hated him now, it was even fine if she did. It was alright as long as she was happy - but was she happy?

Tung Mei suddenly stopped walking. It took Lei Yong a few steps to notice in his current wallowing state but when he did, he hurriedly rushed back to her and grabbed her arm, "What's wrong? Do you feel unwell?" He worriedly asked.

Tung Mei stiffened and her eyes widened as she stared at the hand holding her arm. She looked up at Lei Yong's worried expression, then she looked down at his hand again and frowned. Lei Yong followed her line of sight and promptly released her arm, "Sorry, habit." He apologetically said.

Tung Mei silently looked at him, causing Lei Yong to avert his gaze in discomfort as his face slightly colored, "Um...Wait here, I'll get a palanquin." Lei Yong hurriedly said and started to walk off.

Tung Mei quickly grabbed his hand, "Wait! You haven't answered my question!"

"What question?" Lei Yong tentatively asked, facing forward. with knit eyebrows, trying to ignore the hand holding his.

"What was the relationship between us? Did - did we like each other?" She hesitantly asked. Lei Yong looked at her glowing eyes and found that he could not respond. Tung Mei smiled and nervously laughed a little and admitted, "Actually, since I met you earlier, there's been this, um...feeling. I couldn't place it earlier but now I think... I liked you, right?"

Lei Yong knit his brows and lowered his head. While he wanted her to talk to him, this was not the conversation he was hoping for.

"I did, didn't I?" Tung Mei said with a laugh, "I knew it! And you -" Her expression fell when she noticed his complicated expression, "Wait, don't tell me it was one-sided?!" She exclaimed in surprised horror and Lei Yong looked up at her, equally as surprised she got to that conclusion on her own.

Lei Yong felt complicated, "I -"

"No!" Tung Mei raised her hands, "I don't want to know. Don't say anything!" She warned with a glare and then turned and stormed off as her face reddened in embarrassment. Since waking up she had never been curious about anything in her past. It was odd but she had felt at peace in her lack of memories that was until he came along to bother her mind.

{...And for what?! A one-sided relationship?! So embarrassing! >_<)...}

Lei Yong stood there blinking at her back as she walked away like an idiot, confused and at a loss, "What just -" Lei Yong shook his head and sighed and quickly ran after her and fell in step next to her. He glanced at her face and met Tung Mei's eyes. Tung Mei slightly jumped and quickly looked away, even using a hand to shield her face from his view. This time, she was clearly intentionally ignoring him.

Lei Yong inwardly sighed as they fell back into the uncomfortable silence.

{...This is such a mess...}

****

"Move." Lei Xing said, narrowing her eyes at the Emperor. The Emperor did not respond and simply stared her down. Lei Xing stepped to the left and he did the same, blocking her path. She went right, he went right.

Lei Xing pursed her lips and then dismissively said, "Fine, I'm not going anymore." She turned around to walk towards the side table. The Emperor smiled in victory and followed behind her, only for her to suddenly turn and run towards the door. But before she could get to it, she felt arms wrap lock around her waist and felt herself be hoisted off her feet, "Hey! That's cheating!" She protested as the Emperor carried her in this awkward position.

"I wasn't aware there were any rules to this game." The Emperor said as he carried the flailing Lei Xing. He dumped her on her favorite lounge chair and sat in front of her, grabbing her before she could run off again, "If you insist on going to sleep with that little sister of yours, I'll send her home."

Lei Xing stilled and narrowed her eyes at him, "You wouldn't."

"Try me." The Emperor said, narrowing his eyes back at her. Lei Xing scoffed and laid back on the chair and folded and confidently said, "Then I'll go with her."

"You will not." The Emperor menacingly said in warning with a frown, but Lei Xing simply shrugged, "Try me~"? She mockingly said with a taunting smile.

The Emperor looked at her smug expression and sighed, "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Avoiding you? Who's avoiding you? Why would I be avoiding you?" Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at this line of questioning, "Did you do something wrong?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him again.

"I'm not sure... You tell me." The Emperor wisely responded. Lei Xing stared at him for a moment and then suddenly sat up, grabbed his face with both of her hands, and moved it left, right, up and down, assessing him. This was not exactly the kind of attention that he hoped for, but at least she was paying attention to him now. The Emperor smiled and also grabbed her face and went in for a kiss, but Lei Xing moved her head back and irritatedly ordered, "Be still! I'm checking something!"

"Checking what?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lei Xing took a few seconds more before squinting at him and asking, "You... Have you been crying?"

"Cry- What? No!" The Emperor incredulously said with a laugh, "What gave you that idea?"

"Your eyes are red." Lei Xing responded, squinting at him. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her but before he could defend himself, Lei Xing put an arm around his shoulder, "It's okay! There's nothing to be ashamed of! There's nothing wrong with crying! I cry, you cry, we all cry! It's definitely normal~" She finished with a nod and a few reassuring pats.

The Emperor smiled and held onto her hand, "Why did you drink so much?" He asked in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"I'm not drunk!" Lei Xing defended and then she put her other around him and put lazily put her head on his shoulder as she lazily explained, "I only drank a little bit because today's a day of great celebra -" She caught herself and looked up at him with a smile, "Sorrow! I was drowning my sorrows~"

"Really?" The Emperor asked with a slight smirk. Of course, he did not believe her lie. Even he was not drowning in sorrow at his mother and Eunuch Li's departure, so how could someone with Lei Xing's character be.

Lei Xing fervently nodded, "Most definitely~" She said, stretching up and planting a kiss on his lips, "You know I love you, right? Like more than anything~" She sweetly said with a smile. The Emperor willingly took the bait and smiled down at her, bringing up a hand up to c.a.r.e.s.s her cheek.

Unfortunately, Lei Xing had some other thoughts that she did not have the presence of mind to keep to herself at the current moment so she continued, "... More than most things anyway. Food and money are debatable essentials. Money, I guess is meh, perhaps. but if it's between you and food, then it's a matter of basic survival an -"

The Emperor clamped her lips shut with his hand, earning a disgruntled glare. He smiled and advised, "Stop talking." Thankfully more amused than offended that he apparently ranked third on her list.

Lei Xing swiped his hand and glanced off to the side and mumbled, "Tch, I was going to say I would pick you..."

"I would pick you too~" The Emperor said with a happy smile, easily appeased as he kissed her and whispered against her lips, "I love you...more than anything."

Lei Xing smiled and then suddenly narrowed her eyes at him, "More than Eunuch Li?"

The Emperor's head popped back up, "What?"

Lei Xing pouted and grabbed his collar, "Don't stall, answer the question. Is it me or Eunuch Li?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

The Emperor blinked at her and then he laughed, "What sort of question - Of course, it's you. Why w-"

"You hesitated." Lei Xing accused with a frown, shoving him away.? The Emperor quickly wrapped his arms around her and defended, " "I did not. I do not "love" Eunuch Li or anyone else for that matter...only you."

"Really?" Lei Xing asked, trying and failing to hold back her satisfied grin. The Emperor lightly chuckled and patted her head, this was strange but cute. To think that she was jealous of Eunuch Li of all people, Lei Xing always had the strangest thoughts whenever she was drunk, "You're really not allowed to drink anymore." The Emperor said with an amused smile.

"I'm not drunk!" Lei Xing interjected with a pout. The Emperor nodded along and pulled closer, "Yes, yes, not drunk. Just celebrating~"

"Exactly!" She affirmed with a series of happy nods, forgetting that she was supposed to have been drowning in sorrow. The Emperor chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her again. This time she was finally quiet and simply reveled in his attention. It did not take long for the scenery around the lounge chair to heat up as the couple got loose, clothes and all.

"Ow!" Lei Xing suddenly exclaimed, pushing the Emperor off her, "What did you do that for?!" She irritatedly asked as she sat and held onto her stomach and bent over, groaning.

"Why? What's wrong?" The Emperor asked, hovering over her. He had no idea what he had done wrong just now. He had barely touched her, okay, maybe he did more than that but it was nothing out of the ordinary, "Xing er, what's wrong?" He repeated, more concerned when she did not respond.

Lei Xing slightly sat up, taking deep breaths and swallowing, "I think -" She stopped again and swallowed, taking a few more deep breaths.

"You think?" The Emperor impatiently went, "Nevermind. Let me help you get dressed and then we'll get a physician here." He said as he re-tied the strings of her innerwear, but then she suddenly shoved him away again and leaned over the chair and began purging her system... all over his dragon robe.

It was definitely not intentional.

"I'm sick!... I'm definitely-...sick -" Lei Xing announced amidst her coughing and retching fits.

The Emperor stared at her for a moment before he sighed and went to help her hold her hair in place as wearily asked, "Why did you drink so much?"

Lei Xing turned a glare on him, "I'm not dru -!" Another purge session interrupted her denial.

"Yes, yes, not drunk, just celebrating -" The Emperor kindly helped her finish her words and then frowned as he asked, "Didn't you eat anything?" He just noticed that she was vomiting only clear liquid, exactly like the wine she had been drinking.

"I-" Before Lei Xing could defend herself, she was interrupted again.

The Emperor sighed, slightly annoyed. They had not been intimate the last few days either because Lei Xing was unwell or feeling tired, and tonight was clearly another bust. So he could not help feeling a bit salty about this.

Helpless, the Emperor sighed and said, "Empty it out, and then we'll have the physician come and prescribe something for your stomach, then we'll have some dinner and you can rest..."

Lei Xing coughed, "I don't want those quacks!" She insisted with her head still bowed, "I'm perfectly hea-" She said, starting to cough and retch again.

"En, I'm the one that needs them. Don't worry about it..." The Emperor sarcastically indulged, patting her back. The Emperor sighed, this was really not how he envisioned his night going. But he had long learned that there are just some fights we cannot win, and matters relating to Lei Xing were all such fights in his life.