LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Xing almost got used to the life back in the Ming Manor as she used to live years back when she couldn"t find Chenglei and before she left for the Sky Kingdom.

Haru requested the Ouyang Elder to stay in his Manor and the other members of the navy were alloted to live in the Western Province after they all were doc.u.mented.

Knowing that they are the people of their Lord Ming and it was their Miss Táng who brought them here, the people of the West were more than willing to accommodate the newcomers and they helped them a.s.similate with their kingdom and helped them construct houses and provided them with food until they get their hold in that new place.

Xing was really feeling blissful and she was entirely occupied taking care of the newborn and also Baobei. Shurei recovered well and pretty soon and she was happy she has someone by her side to take care of her like a mother would. Haru had found a lot of maids to help her but Xing preferred to help Shurei herself since she wanted to. She always took good care of the people in her heart, afterall.

That noon, Xing who was free since both the boys were taking a nap, came to the garden and sat in the long bench, in a pavilion surrounded by peonies. Haru"s home was filled with peonies since they were Shurei"s favourite flowers and Xing loved it too.

The pleasing aroma of the peonies filled the air and that reminded her of Lady Shaoyao"s place. Its been a long while since she visited the Heavenly Flowers Palace. Ever since that place allowed s.h.i.+hong in, she stayed away from that place.

The early evening breeze from the sea gently caressed her and with her hands rubbing her belly that hurt a bit, her thoughts wandered to Chenglei who was said to be still in his Jin Manor. She thought he"d come visit her but it seemed like he had no thoughts about her. She was angry at him.

Xing was sure that Chenglei is only interested in her because he found her physically attractive and he wanted to posses her. That cannot be considered love at least not the love she had known and gotten from him.

She missed how in the past he"d just hug her and kiss her hair whenever she had worries and even though he acted rowdy at times he still was gentle with her and never once made her feel like he only loved her body.

But now, he seemed to be more interested in her body than her heart and it made her feel highly insecure. She had no qualms giving him what he wanted and asking him to take responsibility but won"t he then find some other young thing attractive in the future if he gets bored with her since he does not love her as he used to?

With such thoughts in mind, she drifted to sleep and she had a really pleasant dream. Maybe because she was around peonies, her dream went back to the first time she went to Lady Shaoyao"s place after her mother"s death. That night when she went to Chenglei"s room in the middle of the night. She slept in his embrace that night for the first time after they met ten years later.

She had pain in her stomach and when Chenglei"s big hands filled with warmth held her, it reduced her pain and her head was resting on his chest that comforted her with the warmth and his calming scent and she could hear his rhythmic heartbeat,just like now.... so vividly...

Wait... Why is it feels so real? I feel warm and cushy as if I"m embraced by him. Who cares? My Prince is back, at least in my dreams!

Xing wrapped her hands around his waist and the blossom fragrance from his mouth tingled her. Oh, how much she missed those pretty lips that now seems to be near her lips. This is just a dream, right? She can do whatever she wants.

"My love, I love you", she whispered.

She couldn"t open her eyes since she was so comfortable in his embrace and tilted her head upwards and sure enough she could get his lips maybe because he"s looking at her and with no hesitation, she kissed him. His warm wet lips came in contact with hers and even though he seemed stunned for a second, he started returning her kiss with the same pa.s.sion he had back then along with the gentleness she missed these days with one of his hand holding the back of her head and another around her waist proving her by that kiss how much he loves her and how much she wants her.

Her dream was so vivid, she could even feel his warm breath on her, so vivid she could feel her chest tighten with the lack of oxygen.

Am I not dreaming? Please, let it not be a dream!

But when she woke up all she saw was the peonies swaying to the blowing breeze and she felt she had his lingering scent in him.

She looked around searching for him but she could not find him. In her excitement she forgot she could listen for his heartbeat and ended up sighing when she could not spot him anywhere.

If the Oldman who"d advise her was near, he"d have advised to use her heart and not her eyes to look for him and Xing who gets dumb around her man stayed dumb as always.

Oh, Xing!, she chided herself... How could you ever think that he"d have the same feelings as before for you? For him you are the ex-wife of his brother who has no chance of bearing him a child and the loose woman who let"s him touch her whenever he wants! How could someone like him fall for you?

Xing felt her confidence lowering having useless thoughts but the gentle wind that blew lifted her spirits.

How stupid are you Xing to doubt your man? When he fell for you first, you were a mere poor girl without a father surrounded by a lot of troubles. So how could he not fall for you once again? Will he back down seeing the troubles around you? Just try harder!

Xing patted her chest composing herself and with new conviction she got up and went to her courtyard to take a bath and get ready for dinner.

What she didn"t notice was the man hiding in the bushes behind her, gently caressing his lips with a gratified smile in his lips. But soon his smile vanished and his eyes filled with sadness.

So, only in your dreams can you be this happy and only when you think of the one in your heart can you kiss me like this! But JiaXing, Mark my words, I will marry you!

While the two lovers who had the same love they had before were misunderstanding each other highly with no way to clear the misunderstandings themselves, the G.o.d who liked to take the phoenix form had a exultant smile seeing her plan already taking effect.

"Prince of Heavens?", Zhu Rong snorted, "You can be whoever or whatever but I will not let you have the one thing you want. You took away my chance to be with Fei Lian and even my sister turned against me for you... I will give you the same pain making you lose the one person you love!", her lips curled up to an evil smile contorting her face, " You will never know that he is in love with you and he thinks you are in love with someone else. You think you are sad now...? Oh no, you aren"t... Your real suffering haven"t even started yet! I will take him away from you without even letting you know his love for you and you will leave him, believing he only treated you like a wh.o.r.e. Because you are one!", her eerie laughter spread through her abode glowing fiery red as her eyes were filled with hatred for the one who had nothing to do with her.

Xing who had no idea about the plans that G.o.d had for her, took a bath and changed into blue robes getting ready for dinner and she first went and picked up Baobei who was getting ready and he came running to her the moment she entered his room.

Shurei was in forty days confinement after childbirth as it was a tradition in their kingdom and so she had dinner in her room and Xing asked the maids to take care of the baby until she returned.

When Xing entered the dinner hall, she was surprised to see Chenglei there and her happiness mixed with the surprise spilled out as an exhilarated smile.

"Lord Li!", even her voice became high pitched because of the excitement.

"Dirty uncle is here. He is everywhere ", Baobei mumbled and pulled Xing to the table.

"Baobei, greet Lord Li", Haru spoke in a stern voice. His son needs to learn some manners.

With his intention to prove he is not a brat and he is a good boy to his mother, he gave a proper greeting to Chenglei and Chenglei gave an meaningful smile back.

See, your mummy is so excited to see me! ME!

Throughout dinner they discussed about the placement of the people from the Ouyang Navy and dinner was finished and Chenglei asked Xing for a walk after Baobei was sent back to sleep.

"Someone seems so content here", Chenglei spoke in a sneering voice but Xing could sense the dejection mixed in his voice too as they walked through the stone pavement along the artifical lake inside the Manor.

The waning moon hung high in the sky spilling its gentle s.h.i.+ne and the little insects sang in their tune in that night when the two of them walked shoulder to shoulder each holding unbearable love for the other in their hearts.

"Someone was so busy, he couldn"t be caught", Xing chuckled and Chenglei looked at her with his eyes s.h.i.+ning,

"I was busy with the arrangements and I thought you"ll come looking for me", he spoke in an accusing tone.

"I was taking care of Shurei and the baby", Xing explained. One accusing, sad word from Chenglei made her anger disappear.

"Is the Ming Manor that impoverished that they made you take care of them?", his haughty sneer made Xing frown.

"Don"t say that! I did what a big sister would do, it has nothing to do with money", she said and walked in big paces leaving him behind.

There he goes, the obnoxious Rui w.a.n.g!

Chenglei who earlier saw her sleeping out in the cold as if she didn"t sleep for a year was perplexed by her anger.

Aren"t I just worried about you?
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He had picked her up and placed her on his lap and one thing led to another. "I love you", she said and his heart melted even though it was meant for someone else and he accepted her kiss and returned it. But he was scared to see her dejected reaction when she wakes up and hid.

"Wait", he increased his pace seeing Xing already several steps ahead of him.

"You are an arrogant Prince, aren"t you? Only you are superior... Us commoners are just insects in your eyes, aren"t we? ", she pointed her finger at him after she stopped and turned to look at him.

The woman standing with her lips pouted and fingers pointed at him made his heart warm," Commoners? I"d never think the Prince of Heavens and the last living descendant of the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor as a commoner, will I?", he tried to hold her finger pointing at him but she pulled it back with a snort.

"You are still the haughty and aloof Rui w.a.n.g", she mumbled and turned to leave when he ran behind her.

This woman! Making me run after eating!

"I"m sorry", he said apologetically , "I didn"t mean it that way. Now stop! ", he reached her and wrapped his hands around her waist which made her halt.

In fact Xing wasn"t that angry at him to begin with but him coaxing her lifted her mood and she placed her hand above his arms around his waist when he placed his chin on her shoulder,

" I will never take my t.i.tle as the Rui w.a.n.g"

He whispered in her ears making her ears tingle and her heart beat like a drum.

Why would he reach to this decision now?

"Why?", she asked.

"Reasons...", he let go of her waist and held her hand and Xing just walked alongside him wondering what his reasons might be.

Chenglei had only one reason. If there is a possibility that in the future, it will be known that this woman is Empress Huang and if he as the brother of the Emperor marries her, she"d be ridiculed.

No one can ridicule her!

And just like that the man decided to permanently throw away his t.i.tle for the same woman once again!

"Do you have any kind of friends?", he asked as they crossed the wooden arched bridge across the fake lake. The moon reflected on the still water making the scenery look so beautiful and the early autumn chillness spread around.

"I do! What did you think of me?", she pouted.

"Don"t get angry..", he patted her hand placing it on the railing of the bridge enveloping his big hand around her small hand spreading his warmth to her.

"It"s just... my brother sent a letter that your friends will visit you in the Jin Manor and he asked me to keep the security tight. I just wondered what kind of special friends they are, that"s it!"

Xing "s face brightened up hearing that. Guess Ayane and Yukiko will be visiting!