Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“I wanted to, but I could not do that. My heart did not agree with it,” Feng Lao said. Li Hua sighed and again picked up the flower pot. She walked past him and went to the main courtyard of the manor. Feng Lao followed her and told her not to be upset with him.

Li Hua did not say anything as she went towards the peach tree which had ripened peaches in them. She placed the flower pot on the wooden table that was made a little away from the peach tree.

“I am not upset with you. I understand that it is your life, so you want to make some decisions for it,” she stated and sat on the wooden bench. The maidservant had brought the set of brushes and some colors that Li Hua would use to finish the remaining art on the porcelain flower pot.

“Li Hua, it is not about taking decisions, but something which I am unable to tell you,” Feng Lao clarified to her.

Li Hua picked up the thin stroke brush and prepared a sky blue color. “Why are you unable to tell me about it?” She briefly glanced at him and started to paint on the pot.

“She is the Princess and I do not want to involve myself with a princess,” Feng Lao replied after much hesitation. Li Hua was puzzled to hear his answer. She had not expected him to say this and asked him why he did not want to involve himself with a princess.

“Because if anything goes wrong, she may blame you. I can bear anything in my life, except anything bad towards you,” Feng Lao truthfully said. He was slightly aware of Xiaolian nature, which was difficult for him to explain in words.

“I understand,” Li Hua replied and asked the maidservant to leave.

.....

“You should take a rest as you were feeling sick in the morning,” she said. The maidservant thanked Li Hua while Feng Lao remained standing.

“Why are you decorating this pot? You could have ordered an artisan to do it,” Feng Lao told her.

“It is for Prince Lóng Wei. I want to present it to him. I will grow orchids in it,” Li Hua answered him with a pleasant smile on her lips.

“That is great,” Feng Lao said. He remembered how Li Hua once gifted him lilies in a flower pot. He was not good at taking care of flowers or plants, so those lilies soon withered away. However, he kept that pot with him until his house burned into ashes.

“Feng Lao, you will soon turn twenty-two,” Li Hua suddenly said and dipped the brush into the water which was in a china dish. She picked another brush and made a red color. She drew flowers using the red color. “You should go to Xinshui on your birthday,” Li Hua suggested to him while keeping her focus on the pot.

“Why should I go to the place where all the bad memories of my life exist?” Feng Lao questioned Li Hua. His facial expressions had turned gloomy.

“Your mother’s body rests in Xinshui. Do not forget that,” Li Hua said as she stopped doing her work and looked at him. “Many good memories also reside in Xinshui. I know everything will hurt you, but you must not forget your promise to your mother,” Li Hua reminded him.

Feng Lao recalled the promise that he had made once to his mother. Li Hua resumed her work while Feng Lao went to bring a royal umbrella to cover Li Hua from the sun’s rays. She raised her head when the shadow of the umbrella fell on the table and found Feng Lao holding it.

“You do not have to do this,” Li Hua told him.

“It is my duty,” Feng Lao told her and she did not stop him anymore.

“Li Hua, I will not go to Xinshui,” Feng Lao affirmed. “I have promised my mother that I will visit her tomb when I find the real enemy, who did this to us,” he stated.

Li Hua hummed and assured him that they would soon find out the enemy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jingfei did not get permission to go out of the palace because of security reasons. She descended the stairs and soon reached down her. Lin Jie advised her that she should send a message to Li Jianjun so that he could come and meet her.

“That is not possible, Lin Jie. If my mother found out about it, then she might get angry again. Also, after my uncle got such a brutal death, my mother is not in a good state. I do not want her to trouble,” Jingfei stated.

There was another way to meet Xu Zifan, but she would not follow that. She had already hurt Li Hua not once but many times. She could not ask for the favor from her anymore. “I will wait for the situation to get better and then, I will go and see Xu Zifan,” he informed Lin Jie.

As they entered the corridor, they heard masculine voices coming from the ground. Lin Jie looked towards the ground and saw two noblemen. “Your Highness, isn’t that Lord Li Zixuan?”

Jingfei turned her head to look down to see those noblemen.

“Is that Li Jianjun with him?” She murmured and found out that Eunuch Gao Bing had come to them. He said something to those two. Jingfei stopped blinking when Li Jianjun’s eyes fell on her. She gazed at him for a few seconds before jumping behind the pillar. Lin Jie also ran to her and it confused Jianjun.

“Is he looking here?” Jingfei asked Lin Jie, who peeked out and nodded her head.

“Wait! Why am I hiding behind the pillar?” Jingfei mumbled and quickly turned to go ahead. Jianjun kept his gaze on her when his father asked him where he was looking.

“Nowhere, Father,” Jianjun said and walked with him to the King’s manor.