LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

That day Xing was leaning on the couch in her study and was reading a book about Empress Shu. Consort Shu mentioned about the one from their family who became the Empress and Xing found something odd about what she said. The Tians.h.i.+ Emperor was the one who married the then Priestess from the Shu family. So why did their family lost their ability to be close with the G.o.ds as they used to? Did the Empress break some laws of the G.o.ds? Throughout history no emperor had married a priestess and made them Empress.. Is that a reason? She died within a year of marrying the Emperor and they had no children too. Is it taboo for a priestess to marry an Emperor? But these books didn"t have any answers.

Just then Shengli came in and sat beside her and picked up the book from her hand, "Are you reading about him again?", he sounded jealous.

"Why are you jealous of a person who is dead for two centuries?", Xing asked rubbing his back. She was too lazy to sit up and was still leaning on the couch.

"A dead guy occupies my wife"s thoughts too much", he knocked her forehead gently.

"Mmm, is that so?", Xing stretched lazily revealing her porcelain forearms making him want to do things to her.

"I think you are the reincarnation of the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor and I, his wife. See I even have golden hair like her. I think that"s why I like the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor because he was the previous Incarnation of you", she said with twinkling eyes.

Shengli chuckled, " That"s ridiculous"

"Why?", she asked in a whiney tone, "It fits", she pointed at her hair.

Shengli just shook his head refusing her, "If you were some reincarnation, why are they calling you a divine ruler? Also if there is a possibility that you are a reincarnation, you"d be the reincarnation of the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor, not his wife"s ", he spoke gently stroking her hair.

"Then you are Empress Shu?", she asked curiously.

Shengli chuckled and not answered her but started to peel the skin of a pear fruit nearby and started to feed her. Things won"t be that simple!

"Why are you here?", Xing asked chewing the slice he fed her.

"s.h.i.+hong started to spread rumours that Huang Mingxia is the Golden Tiger who is supposed to be the Empress", he said and Xing saw he had complicated emotions on his face.

Xing didn"t know what to say. This means he must have known that Huang Mingxia is Shengli"s lover. Right, I was the one revealed it to him. He"d have also known that Lord Táng is Huang Mingxia but why isn"t that rumour circulating?

"He knows Huang Mingxia is my lover and she dressed up as Lord Táng that day and attacked him but thinks Lord Táng was the one who solved the puzzle", Shengli looked at her.

"Did you get another letter?", Xing sat up. How did s.h.i.+hong arrive at such a confusing conclusion?

"Yes, he had asked me to meet him", he sighed. Xing looked at him and he looked like he had already made a decision.

"Don"t go", she grabbed his arms, "Better yet, take me with you", she pleaded. Xing felt something was not right.

"Xing! ", he hugged her, "I"m going and I"m not taking you with me". He needs to meet with s.h.i.+hong to have an idea about what he wants.

"Why?", she asked hugging him back. Xing felt her heart beating fast and she was getting emotional.

"Xing, you killed a person. You killed for the first time", he cupped his hands on her cheeks and looked deep into her eyes, " You are not even acknowledging it. Tell me why did you kill her?"

Xing started to think about it only now. That girl was already impaired by me. She was in no way a threat to me or anybody"s life. So why did I? Not because she tried to kill my father, I broke her bones for that... s.h.i.+hong... The moment I realised that she was important to s.h.i.+hong, I forgot everything around me, lost all rationale and just killed her for the sake of hurting s.h.i.+hong.... Even a bit...

What have I done?

Shengli who was looking into her eyes knew that Xing had realised what he meant, "Why? Tell me", he asked her gently, still holding her cheeks.

"To spite s.h.i.+hong, I broke my own vow and took a life with my own hands", she answered.

Shengli kissed her forehead and placed his forehead over hers, "My moon! Do you realise why I"m not taking you with me? "

"Yes, I was the one who asked you to stop me from going overboard. With my odd powers, if I lose my rationality around s.h.i.+hong, I won"t be me anymore. I"ll have to try and understand myself more before meeting him so I"ll be me and stand against him as me and not as some version of me consumed by pure hate. I know you cannot win having hatred in your heart. Maybe that"s why I missed his heart that day"

"Xing! My moon!", Shengli hugged her close. "I"m glad you understood my intentions before even explaining.... I"m glad... You surprise me, Xing. I even thought about lying to you and leave. But...",he sighed , "You surprise me. You should know that woman did not deserve to live and you did the right thing by killing her. But you should ask me to kill the next time. Don"t soak your hands in blood. And don"t succ.u.mb to darkness. I know it is not a good feeling. But remember, I"ll love you nonetheless! Just like you do " ,he looked at her clear, s.h.i.+ning eyes, "I"ll be leaving tonight"

"What?", Xing shouted, " I said I won"t go. But you shouldn"t go either"

Shengli took a deep breath, "Xing, didn"t I tell you that s.h.i.+hong brings out the darkness in me? I now realise what I have to do. What I want has never changed over years. I only want you. But all this time I"ve never realised that you are already mine. You are mine! And I"m yours! That"s not going to change whatever happens or wherever you are, at least in our hearts. So I don"t have to worry about other trivial issues. I"m going to meet him and tell him what"s in my mind. He cannot control me. I"ll face him properly this time and tell him "I won"t become Emperor and I"m not going to lose my woman" ", he puffed up his chest and looked at her deeply.

Wow! He is so handsome with this serious face of his! Xing was drooling over him.

" Ok", Xing nodded. Time to get rid of the past and look forward towards the future. He is right. No matter what, he is mine and I"m his.

Also even if the G.o.ds want me for some reason and don"t want me and him to be together, they won"t lay a hand even on his hair, because they know they won"t get a single thing out of me if that happens. So he"ll be safe.

Both of them looked at each other in the eyes. Is this being one in heart means? This feeling is wonderful!

There was silence for a long time and Xing noticed his eyes were looking at with her with ferocity.

"What? Like what you see?", she asked and gave a seductive smile rubbing his ears with her hand.

"Mmm... Not quite... Would be better if your outer layer got peeled off like these pears, revealing the white charming layer underneath that and is ready to eaten by me", Shengli smirked. It"s been a while since he saw her acting bashful. He kind of missed it and tried to see her bashful face.

Xing"s hands paused mid-air and she realised what he was doing, "Want to see naked women, hubby? Shall I take you to a brothel?"

Shengli wasn"t fazed, "Why must we go out, dear? When you are right here..", he grabbed her waistband and tried to undo it.

"Hmm", Xing sighed, "To think I spent a lot of time trying to learn ways to seduce a man. It"s all gone to waste"

Shengli paused his actions as he got curious, " what ways?"

"Did you think I visited brothels just to have fun? No, my dear... I learned certain skills...", Xing smiled amourously.

"Skills?", he raised his eyebrows. What good things are they?

"A lot of it, actually. Singing, dancing among other things. But you fall on your knees in front of me just with a blow..", she clicked her tongue, " Such a waste!", she showed a dejected expression at the one who was all curious.

"You dance?"

"Yep, I"m good at it too"

"What kind of dance?"

" The kind only suitable for private viewing and courtesans ask double for it"

"There are such dances?"

Xing stood up and started to dance. Her hips swayed freely with her entire body moving like a breeze. Her eyes were inviting and her smile seductive. She looked like a beautiful peac.o.c.k trying to woo its mate.

Shengli could not watch any longer as he felt hot in his abdomen and stood up to catch her in his embrace but Xing escaped his grasp like a deer escaping its predator all the while continuing to dance.

This predator and prey game continued for a while when Shengli caught her and pressed her to the wall and kissed her. Xing could feel his kisses were hot and pa.s.sionate and she could not resist him either.

Both of them knew they can only kiss and do nothing more and so they tried to convey their heart to each other through their kisses.

Only when Xu Mama entered with snacks did they let go of each other and Xing"s lips were swollen because of his kisses. Xu Mama as usual pretended that she didn"t notice.

So that night, Shengli left to the Eastern Province where s.h.i.+hong had asked him to meet.