162 A soft spot

Lóng Wei’s heart beat faster and faster when Li Hua’s lips landed on his. He drew her to him. Their eyes met once more. He inclined his face towards her. The faint smell of wine came out of her parted lips.

His lips landed softly on hers while his hands secured her at a place. The taste of wine mixed with the rose lip color she had used, fell into his mouth. Li Hua tasted the strong scent of wine in his mouth.

She was the reason for his happiness. True happiness. She not only told him how much he meant to her but also decided to keep him in her heart. He was foolish, who thought that she still loved Feng Lao. She didn’t. She had moved ahead and acknowledged Lóng Wei as her other half.

The edges of Lóng Wei’s eyes dampened with tears. It was the most unusual and astonishing thing that happened to him. Tears never appeared in his eyes whether it was an extremely happy moment or a sad moment.

Li Hua, on the other hand, felt relieved after speaking her mind with him. The likeness she once carried for Feng Lao was very different from the one she carried for Lóng Wei.

The eternally blissful kiss ended after a long time. They gradually opened their eyes and panted. Li Hua uplifted her eyes to peer at him. To her surprise, she found tears on the edges of his eyes.

Did he feel immense happiness that brought tears to his eyes? Why did Lóng Wei’s acts always make her fall in love with him? That man had a tough interior and exterior. However, for her, a soft spot rested in his heart.

Lóng Wei brought her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Li Hua curled her fingers around his hands. “Li Hua, you eliminated many of the confusions from my head. I am glad that I succeeded in winning a small part of yours. I still have to go the long way,” Lóng Wei pronounced.

“I feel the same, Your Highness. We both have a long way to go. Please do not ever think that I will leave you or will hate you. I do not care about your past self. I feel that the reason for your past acts must be big- a kind act maybe. After we will find the answers here, I will help His Highness build his image. I want to proudly tell everyone that my husband is an exceptional person one can ever meet or know about.”

.....

She gently pulled her hand back and reached them to his eyes. Wiping the tears from the pad of her fingers, she said, “It shows that His Highness loves me a lot.”

“Indeed. Even words are less to express it,” Lóng Wei stated. However, he knew one thing. He would never change his path. The path which Li Hua wanted him to walk on was not made for him. But it wasn’t the right time to discuss it.

“We should sleep,” Lóng Wei suggested to her. Li Hua hummed and went to bed. Lóng Wei excused himself and after a few minutes, he returned to the bedchamber. Li Hua was already on the bed. He removed the overcoat first, then blew off the candles.

~~~~~~

Liu Jin Yu’s stomach was full after having the heavy meals. The food for the regal people was exceptionally delicious. This taste she would remember until she would die.

“We distribute free grains to the people on monthly basis,” Xiaoming suddenly said. “Yet people are unable to eat it?” He wasn’t ready to believe her words which she mentioned earlier.

Liu Jin Yu leaned back on the floor chair as her right knee lifted into the air while her right forearm rested on it. “Your Royal Highness, it is not true. We crave good food. However, there’s one thing that regal people lack,” she affirmed.

“What is that?” Xiaoming questioned.

“Eating alone in their respective chambers. There’s no fun in that. Carry yourself gracefully, and be perfect in everything. Earlier, His Royal Highness stopped me for my table manners. However, I feel it is good to be imperfect sometimes,” Liu Jin Yu asserted. Xiaoming was astonished for a second by her philosophy. She was indeed a different type of woman.

“Did anyone ever say to you that you are a pretty woman?” Xiaoming realized what he said, so he modified his statement quickly, “You have a good face. You could have applied for the palace works. Later, you would be promoted to a senior lady position. That was better than stealing,” Xiaoming stated.

“Your Royal Highness, the Palace is not a place for me. I cannot stand the nagging of the higher-ups. I am a short-tempered woman,” Liu Jin Yu clarified.

Xiaoming didn’t deny that fact. She wasn’t made to be caged. However, in the palace, even the toughest person became timid. “You need to work for me to repay the debt,” Xiaoming reminded her. Liu Jin Yu asked him once more if she could not work outside.

“No.” Xiaoming stood up and locked his hands behind his back. “You will work here in my manor. It is a kind of punishment for you. I want you to realize that there’s a price one must pay when one harms the Crown Prince,” Xiaoming stated and curled his lips into a smirk.

historical

Liu Jin Yu sighed as she was unable to convince him. “What work do I need to do, Your Royal Highness?” She humbly asked.

“Cleaning the chamber, taking care of my chores with Eunuch Lishi, then cleaning the bathhouse, washroom. Basically, you need to every single chore in this manor. You shall use your strength into something good,” Xiaoming stated and smiled as if he would enjoy her state. She should not have run away when he was there to catch her.

“I am sleepy. Stay outside with the other servants,” Xiaoming told her and walked to his bedchamber when Liu Jin Yu followed him, who was unaware about it.