章 77: Love Rivals Date

A majestic gold carriage blessed the streets of Hai'an like the strokes of a shooting star.

Thousands gathered to witness the sight of the crown prince and his crown princess. From the youngest to the oldest of every family, each face was filled with joy and excitement. Dancers, musicians, and entertainers filled the streets and moved along with the procession, creating an even more festive atmosphere.

In the carriage, Li Wei was truly nervous. All these smiles, all these hopeful eyes were depending on Khan Bojing and her. To bear the weight of the crown was no easy task. Was she ready to face it again?

The man next to her pinched her cheeks. "Don't think so much in that little head of yours."

A scowl washed over her face, completely wiping off the elegant smile she had previously. A group of children nearby burst into giggles at the crown princess' funny expression.

Li Wei removed his hand, "Khan Bojing, you are already in trouble. Don't push it further."

"But I want to be in a lot of trouble with you..." His lips puffed in an extremely childish pout.

The children nearby laughed once again, very amused with the free entertainment.

She sent them a smile and a wave, trying to helplessly redeem her image. Not doing her any favor, Khan Bojing wiggled his eyebrows and placed two fingers behind her head like bunny ears. The children rolled back in laughter.

Li Wei slumped back onto the chair with a huff. "The only trouble you'll get is you can't come close to me later."

"Ah? That's not fair..." Khan Bojing thought about it for a moment before pulling her until their legs were touching. She gave him a questioning look in which he simply reasoned, "I'm staying close to you now since I can't later."

"..." Li Wei's finger pushed his leg away.

"My lady, don't be so cold." His large eyes blinked flirtatiously.

She was about to reply back when something caught her eye. "Look there, to the right."

Blending in the crowded streets, hidden in the back behind the stalls were three familiar figures. Khan Bojing had seen it too. He snaked his arm around her waist protectively. The translucent gold curtains were dropped and now those outside could only see their silhouettes.

"What the hell is the prince of Na'an doing here?" He muttered under his breath.

"The one next to him was Gu Guangli," she revealed.

"Ah, that bastard."

Li Wei's eyes widened. "You still remember?"

"Of course, how can I ever forget?" His voice was so cold it sent shivers up her arms.

Li Wei watched in astonishment as Khan Bojing leaned out to whisper something to Ye Dequan. "What did you say...?"

He looked at her and shrugged, "Nothing much, just asking for a date."

----

Li Wei silently trailed behind Khan Bojing through the hallway of the teahouse. After the procession finished off smoothly, he informed they would be heading towards what he called a "date."

He stopped at the end of the hallway and pushed open a door to a simple room, but the two guests in there were anything other than simple.

"Weiwei!" Li Zhilan ran over excitedly.

Li Wei opened her arms for a hug. "Lan'er..."

"Bojing, what a pleasure it is to see you again," Hua Xifeng stated from his seat at the table, calmly watching the scene.

Khan Bojing first pulled out a chair for Li Wei before he sat down across from the Na'an prince. His thoughts were concealed with a bright smile, "It's my honor to be able to welcome you to Hai'an."

Hua Xifeng glanced at the woman next to the Hai'an prince and pushed down the sudden knot in his chest. "Congratulations on the engagement. Lan'er and I were late this time, but we'd for sure be there for the wedding."

Li Zhilan happily poured a cup of tea for Li Wei. "Weiwei, make sure you come join us on our special day too."

"Of course," she replied naturally. As soon as they entered, the tension in the air suffocated her. The hot tea slightly burned her lips.

Khan Bojing wiped the corner of her lip with his thumb, then ventured to caress her cheek delicately. "Careful, Xiao Wei."

A blush appeared on her cheeks.

Hua Xifeng cleared his throat.

"Xifeng, is there a reason for your visit this time?" Khan Bojing asked.

Hua Xifeng placed the cup in his hand down. "I won't hide it from you, Lan'er and I are here to find someone."

"Weiwei, do you remember the cloth you bought from Madam Yan three years ago? I'm searching for the woman behind that work," Li Zhilan added.

"I'm sorry, it's been a while and I don't seem to have a recollection of what you are referring to," Li Wei curtly replied.

Li Zhilan's shoulders slumped downwards. "Ah, that's too bad. Our wedding will be postponed until we can find her."

Hua Xifeng's gaze on Li Wei turned hostile. "You don't have to remember, we'll find out for ourselves."

In response, she returned an even icier glare. There were two reasons the empress of Na'an sent her own people to personally investigate. One, she didn't trust their report. Two, she wanted to know more than what was offered.

Khan Bojing placed his warm hand over Li Wei's cold one. "Xiao Wei is still new to Hai'an. If you can show me a sample, I may be able to offer my help."

"Here, we're looking for the woman who embroidered this." Li Zhilan pulled out a paper that had a design carefully drawn.

He took one glance, then folded the paper back. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen such a style before."

"You haven't, but the woman beside you sure has."

Li Wei shot up from her seat, no longer bothering to keep manners. She looked Hua Xifeng in the eye and enunciated each word slowly, "Please tell your mother I can't disclose the identity of the embroiderer, much less her location. None of that were stated in the conditions we agreed upon."

Hua Xifeng stood up and leaned over, "Why don't you just admit you've used the money, but refuse to complete the job?"

"Let's be clear, the business deal was with the emperor, what the empress wanted was an additional side mission-- a task that was finished as initially talked. What she's looking for now is a new request."

Hua Xifeng shook his head bitterly. "Li Wei, you sure are an expert at twisting words around."

She rolled her eyes. "There's a contract, go read it for yourself."

"Oh? When should I come find you then?"

Before Li Wei could reply, Khan Bojing's cup made a clatter on the table. "I don't think that's necessary here."

Seeing the Hai'an prince pulling Li Wei behind him only made Hua Xifeng more riled up. "Is it Hai'an custom a princess consort can no longer meet outside the palace?"

"I don't control who my wife meets, but I do share some opinions here and there." Khan Bojing looked the Na'an prince up and down before concluding, "And your name is a top contender."

"You!" Hua Xifeng lost all his composure. "How bold of you to say that, Khan Bojing."

"Thank you for your compliment, but I won't be able to accept it at this time." He took Li Wei's hand and headed towards the door.

Just as he was about to step out, he turned around once more and gave Li Zhilan an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry for you."

Gu Guangli, who had just returned, shook with excitement when he caught Li Wei's face, but all of that was taken down once he saw the dark aura around the prince. He hid in the corridor as the couple passed by.

Li Wei couldn't focus on where they were going as he led her through twists and turns in the alleyways. She had never seen Khan Bojing this enraged before. Smoke was almost fuming above his head, however, his hold on her hand was still as gentle as ever.

He didn't slow down at all until they came upon a house with a yellow door. The two level building was clustered with the others, blended in with the rest of the block. When the door closed with a click, she was squeezed into his embrace.

"Xiao Wei," he breathed into her hair. "I can't stand it when another man speaks to you with such disrespect."

"Yebai..."

"I don't like the way he talked to you or focused his eyes on you." He swooped in for a kiss. Her back was pushed against the wall as his tongue swept through her parted lips.

"I must be going crazy," he whispered. "The way that Na'an prince looked at you nearly drove me insane."

If he had known the prince of Na'an had certain feelings for his wife, he would've never initiated this meet up. He admitted that was a mistake on his part.

Li Wei's palm slid from his neck down to his chest. She could feel the strong hammering of his heartbeat against her hand. "Yebai, there's nothing between Hua--"

"Shhh, I know, but don't say his name please." He leaned in for another kiss before carrying her off onto the bedroom on the second floor.