Shengli was in a daze as to what was happening and he was in the brink of losing his rationality as his body had reacted to her advances and every fiber of him wanted to push her on the bed and have his way with her. But when she asked "what are you going to do", he saw her eyes that were filled with many emotions - urgency, fear, sadness, insecurity and even a little l.u.s.t and sadly love wasn"t one of them.Well! I want you, but not like this!
He calmed down and took a deep breath. It hurt him deeply to see her like this. He gently held her cheeks "Xing! What is going on?".
She looked at him with her eyes pleading, "Make me pregnant!", she was trembling slightly.
He held her close to him and took a deep breath. What happened to you, my moon? What happened to the fierce tiger who made every bad guy tremble with her sword? All I have in front of me is a scared little cornered kitten!
" Why? ", he asked gently.
"I don"t have a home anymore. Let"s make one", she said softly. " I know rich people use their daughters as p.a.w.ns to gain profits for themselves. If I"m already pregnant, no one can do anything!"
So that"s what it is!
Shengli chuckled lightly and she looked at him confused. He squeezed her cheeks and smiled, "So, Would you? If your father was cruel and wouldn"t accept our union and force you to marry another man, would you?"
Xing widened her eyes and realised something, That"s right! When have I ever listened to other"s opinion or followed common customs? I"ve always lived by my own rules. Even my mother cannot make me do anything, then how can a father whom I didn"t even know till now can? What did I drink to make myself this stupid? Her heart was relieved and she felt light.
Shengli saw light returning to her eyes and she grinned at him, "I won"t! No one can make me do anything", she said in a firm tone.
"That"s right! My Xing is no coward!", he hugged her, " Xing! My moon! You may have lost your home, but from now on would you think of me as your home?", he asked in a pleading tone.
"Okay", she replied. Thank you for everything, My Prince!
"And Xing, if the Prime Minister is your father, I would be less worried, since as far as fathers go AoTian is the best one could get. No one can protect and love their child as he can and he would", he said sincerely. Although that would be a problem for me to ask for your hand! I bet your mother had decided to leave him because she knew he would chose his child over everything else and she wanted the best for him.
"Really? ", Xing asked and Shengli nodded, "And if you try to seduce me anymore, I will ravage you without holding back!", he said in a provocative tone. Xing saw the glint in his eyes and realised their position and got down immediately and ran towards the door. Shengli grabbed by her collar, " Fix your clothes first", he pointed at her robe that was disheveled and she fixed it. Just as she was about to open the door, the steward informed them that Xing"s room was prepared and Xing left in a hurry with her face red, making the steward look at his young master with scrutiny. Shengli just closed the door on his face.
Why am I looked at like that every time? If only people know that adorable looking cat is actually a tiger!
He then remembered what happened moments ago and he still smelled like her and her lower body reacted again. He looked down, "The hards.h.i.+ps one has to endure in the name of Love! Shengli, Cold bath it is..."
Xing was escorted to her room that was decorated elegantly and she felt homey in that s.p.a.cious room. Then a bathtub was brought in the room and was covered by wooden screens with beautiful paintings and there were two maids waiting to "serve" her.
I"ve been fine on my own till now, thank you! I"m not getting naked in front of anyone... It always causes weird looks.
After much persuasion and finally an order of retreat, the maids left her alone and Xing took her bath in peace. She then looked at the dress prepared for her but she suddenly remembered the dress her mother gave her. She opened her luggage and found it. It was her mother"s robes that was blue color and of high quality silk which her mother never wore and protected it like her treasure. When Xing was fifteen she altered it to her size, slightly longer saying that she"ll grow into it. She even embroidered magpies in them and it looked beautiful. She smelled it and it still smelled like her mother as it was kept with her clothes. Xing wanted to wear it and as it was only going to be her uncle and Shengli, she didn"t wear any makeup and did a simple hairdo.
She then went out her room with her mother"s hairpin in her hand wanting to get an explanation from her uncle and the maids were gone and she decided to try and find her uncle"s study and failed miserably. She didn"t even know how she ended up near the entrance and she could hear an carriage approaching and stopping before their Manor.
There was still light in the evening and suddenly she heard a mesmerising voice by her ear, " Trying to escape?"
She turned to see Shengli and he saw her holding the hairpin in her hand tried to get it and that"s when the steward welcomed guests.
"Lord Huang AoTian, Young master Huang Rijun", Xing heard the stewards voice. Shengli heard it too and was frozen as he was not expected here today. Did he come here without notice?
Xing looked at the man who looked thirty with dark hair and Hazel eyes like her uncle and Xing could immediately tell that was her father. He looked handsome and nothing like her. Just who do I take after? I look nothing like my mother too.
The young man who accompanied her father was the same age as Haru with dark hair and Hazel eyes too who kind of resembled her Uncle Feiye and he looked like someone escaped from a painting of a beautiful scholar. He is my... Cousin..? He is with father, so is he staying with father? So where is this adopted son of father?
As Xing and Shengli were staring at them, AoTian who was speaking with Rijun,felt their stare and looked at them. Shengli and Xing were still holding the hairpin together frozen in their spots.
AoTian looked at the both of them and his sight lingered at Xing who had peculiar golden hair and her robes and the magpies on them and he stepped closer followed by Rijun. Shengli immediately took his hands away and AoTian took a good look at the hairpin and Xing"s only thought was : What an awkward way to meet one"s father!
"Second Brother", AoTian shouted suddenly and everyone was startled. Just then Feiye who was informed of the arrival of his little brother cursed his fate and decided to send his brother off as he was not ready to reveal the facts to his brother yet. But upon arriving at the entrance he saw everyone rooted there and he felt sorry for himself.
Guess the G.o.ds won"t be helping him today!
"Xiao Tian, if you"d have informed me previously, I would have arranged a feast for you. But now, you see...."
"Stop!", Feiye was cutoff. "Who is she? Why is she wearing my Mingling"s clothes? Why is she having the proposal hairpin I gave Mingling? And why is she with him?", AoTian pointed at Shengli.
Finished! Finished! Everything is finished! Feiye panicked.
This dress was father"s gift to mother too? And they give hairpins for proposal? If so the hairpin my Prince gave me is a proposal hairpin too? Xing wondered.
Whoa! Father"s mad again! But is that girl Shengli"s woman? Even he can get a woman while I cannot! Rijun was sulking.
Shengli was just looking at everyone wondering who will answer his questions.
"Answer me!", AoTian"s bellow brought everyone back from their thoughts.
Xing stepped forward, " Lord Huang! I am Táng Jia Xing, Táng MingLing"s daughter. I am seventeen years old and my mother told me that the one who gave her this hairpin is my father and asked me to find him in the Imperial city right before she pa.s.sed away a week back. Shengli is a close acquaintance of us and mother asked him to a.s.sist me and also he is... " the one I want to marry, before she completed her sentence, she was interrupted by Feiye.
" Well! Why don"t we all go in and sit over tea and continue this chat? "
Whoa! This niece of mine is too reckless. Just how many fact bombs are you going to drop on him at the same time?
All of them entered the dining hall and AoTian was still in a trance.
Mingling died? And she died only last week and not seventeen years ago? I have a daughter? A grown daughter? So I had abandoned my wife with child seventeen years ago without my knowledge? Did my child grow up thinking I abandoned her?
Rijun could not comprehend as to what was going on.
My bachelor father actually has a daughter? And her mother died and she"s going to be living with us?
Suddenly AoTian stood up and punched Feiye in the face, " You said she was dead! You said she died seventeen years ago! You told me and I believed you!" he grabbed his collar.
Then he started punching again and Feiye didn"t even try to dodge, " You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Why aren"t you saying anything?", AoTian threw more punches.
Rijun tried to hold his father and Shengli tried to pull Feiye back too but none of them budged and one was. .h.i.tting and the other was getting hit.
Xing who was watching got mad. Nothing irks her more than brothers fighting.
"Stop! Stop it both of you!", her loud voice echoed in the hall and she banged the table. The entire hall became silent in a moment.
"Lord Huang! Stop hitting your brother! Uncle Feiye! If you know something you should explain! I hate it when brothers fight!", she said in a loud, clear voice making everyone return to their seats with their heads bowed as if they were unruly children scolded by their mother.
Rijun looked at the grown ups acting like punished children listening to her and looked at Xing in surprise.
Shengli had a proud smile in his lips, There she is! My Xing!