Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Yes. It is fun to ride in a boat. Touching the water and feeling the freshness of the air, makes one’s mind calm down. This was what I heard from my Second Elder Brother once. He had traveled to the adjacent town of Xinshui by boat. I asked him to take me as well, but Father didn’t allow me.” Li Hua recalled an old memory of Xu Zuwen.

“I will take you in the boat to the other town. We can go tomorrow if you want,” Lóng Wei opined.

“I want to find the truth first,” Li Hua asserted.

“We have a week here to spend time. We can find the truth later,” Lóng Wei said. He didn’t want her to see Feng Lao. He would not be able to see her heartbroken.

“Your Highness, you promised me that you will tell me about the culprit today,” Li Hua reminded him of what he said the previous night.

“I lied,” Lóng Wei firmly answered. “I need time to find the person.”

“Oh,” Li Hua sounded hurt.

“You confessed yesterday that you have started to like me,” Lóng Wei said with inquisitiveness. He wanted her to say that she had feelings for him. But because he didn’t fulfill his promise, she might not accept her feelings again. She might again lie to him.

.....

“I won’t deny it anymore, Your Highness. I like His Highness,” Li Hua admitted truthfully what was in her heart. She tightly pressed her fingers and pursed her lips together. “I won’t deny that I started to see him differently from the other people when he helped me and stood for me. I truly felt overwhelmed because of his actions. However, I feel attracted to him not because he married me or saved my brother.”

Lóng Wei didn’t blink for a while and asked her the reason behind her attraction toward him.

“Can I tell this in the cold palace?” Li Hua requested him and looked around.

“What difference will it make? You can tell me here,” Lóng Wei seemed desperate to her. She bit her lower lip and moved a bit close to him.

“Some people are still looking at us. I feel a little awkward,” she whispered and then stepped back.

“Then, shall we head back? You are hungry too.” Lóng Wei waited for her reply. Li Hua hummed and agreed with him. She turned to her right to walk ahead when Lóng Wei pulled her back by grabbing her wrist.

“Li Hua,” Lóng Wei softly called out her name.

“Yes?” She responded and curled her fingers.

“Can we kiss?” He asked her.

“No,” Li Hua immediately answered.

Lóng Wei smiled and let go of her hand, and she went ahead of him.

~~~~

Tang Zhaodang searched for Li Hua near the river. However, among the crowd, it was impossible to see her.

Tang Zhaodang remembered that none of the dead bodies were found in the residence that day. It was kind of mysterious to everyone in the town. Though the residence had burned down, so many thought the people in Xu Residence burned into ashes.

“Tao Jingren might have seen something wrong. Why did I even get in his words?” Tang Zhaodong mumbled in his mouth and looked at the dragon boat which was floating in the river water. A year ago, when everything was good in the town when his friends Xu Zifan and Xu Zuwen were alive, they had come to this same spot to see the dragon boat.

“You both have promised me that we will meet at this dock every year to mark our friendship,” he murmured and sighed.

He got a push and turned to find that the crowd on the dock had increased. He decided to leave as his head was aching because of the wine he had earlier.

Coming down the dock, his eyes fell on the people standing across the river, watching the floating dragon boat. The children were screaming in happiness while some were playing with each other.

Tang Zhaodang had turned hopeful when Tao Jingren told him that he saw someone similar to Li Hua. But he was wrong.

A dead person could never be brought back to life.

His eyes saw Lóng Wei, who had a broad smile on his lips. He looked in the direction where Lóng Wei had his focus. Tang Zhaodang was shocked to see Li Hua. He brought his hand near his mouth. “She looks like Li Hua. No! She is Li Hua,” he murmured and stepped forward when got hit by a heavy man, coming from his right.

They both apologized to each other. Tang Zhaodang quickly ran towards Li Hua. It was unbelievable for him for a few seconds.

“Li Hua!” Tang Zhaodang pronounced her name.

Lóng Wei and Li Hua looked around as they heard her name. They saw a nobleman had approached them.

“Li Hua, you are alive and safe!” Tang Zhaodang said with immense happiness on his grimace. He stepped forward, stretching out his arms when Lóng Wei stood in front of Li Hua and pushed him away.

“Do you wish to die?” Lóng Wei questioned him. Li Hua got worried as one person had recognized her already. But she didn’t know him. It was her first time seeing Tang Zhaodang.

“Get away. I want to see Li Hua,” Tang Zhaodang, unable to recognize Lóng Wei, talked rudely with him.

Lóng Wei clicked his tongue with the top of his mouth and then chuckled. “Get your eyes away from my wife if you don’t want me to take them out!”

Tang Zhaodang was surprised to find that Li Hua was married. Why did she marry another man when she loved Feng Lao?!

“We shall head back,” Li Hua told Lóng Wei, who agreed to her.

“Stop!” Tang Zhaodang placed his hand on Lóng Wei’s shoulder, who narrowly gazed at him. “Who are you?” He finally asked.

Li Hua glanced at Lóng Wei, wondering if he would tell the truth or not.

“I am Qiu Lóng Wei, the Sixth Prince of the Qiu Kingdom, the youngest child of the great King of this Kingdom.” Lóng Wei gladly introduced himself.

Tang Zhaodang immediately pulled his hand back from his shoulder. Lóng Wei turned to look at him.

“Don’t call the name of my wife. Be respectful towards her,” he stated and caught Li Hua’s hand. He took her away while Tang Zhaodang stood dumbfounded at his place.