บท 43: Touch

Xu Fei Yi, the poor idiotic prince who died pitifully.

Recalling the unfortunate ending Qin Wangye had in her previous lifetime, XuanRong inwardly sighed. She suddenly could not bring herself to get angry at him anymore.

"Is your name 'Xu Fei Yi'?" XuanRong wanted to make sure that her assumption was correct. Only the Emperor's family and relatives were allowed to address their siblings as 'Imperial brother' or 'Imperial sister'.

Xu Fei Yi's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands repeatedly while squealing in delight.

"Yi'er is very happy! Wife JieJie knows Yi'er's name!"

Looking at the grown-up man who was acting like a child, full of happiness and innocence, XuanRong's delicate mouth could not help but curve upward. In her previous lifetime, she was not able to meet Xu Fei Yi. All the things she knew about him were from the inside reports given by her grandfather's intel and Xu Ji An's words.

"How did you arrive here?"

XuanRong was still puzzled as to why Xu Fei Yi was able to sneak inside her courtyard and hide within the bushes.

Xu Fei Yi pointed the place where the small dog hole was located.

"I wanted to see Wife Jiejie so I asked someone to send me here, but those bad guards were very scary. Yi'er was scared so Yi'er ran and then I crawled inside the doggy hole."

"….."

'How did he fit inside?'

Although XuanRong was still skeptical, she did not think too much about it. She just thought that Xu Fei Yi was able to pass through because he had a slender body.

XuanRong did not find anything suspicious since she knew that Xu Fei Yi was as harmless as a tiny little mouse. Although she was not able to meet him in her previous lifetime, she new many things about him, He was a clueless little dumb boy who was branded as the Imperial family's disgrace and the most pitiful man in Qian Zou. The poor man was deceived by his so called 'Imperial brother' and was later on killed in a most brutal way people could imagine. She was able to learn the truth about his death because Xu Ji An once told her how Xu Fei Yi died.

It was not unknown to the four corners of the continent that Xu Fei Yi was pampered greatly by the Emperor of Qian Zou. Unfortunately, the only ones who were deceived by the Emperor's antics were the common people and neighboring enemies, especially the three emperors of the three great empire. Those who were high ranking officials in the palace and other important people knew that deep inside, the Emperor's loving gestures and actions were all false, creating layers and layers of lies and deceits.

"Come. I'll send you back."

XuanRong sighed. She turned around, planning to send Xu Fei Yi outside her courtyard and call someone to inform the Royal Residence that Qin Wang was inside the Xuan manor. She had to do it discreetly in order to avoid any malicious gossips that could tarnish her reputation as an unmarried girl. She must hurry to avoid wasting all her previous efforts on improving her reputation.

*Step*

XuanRong had already walk a few steps when she noticed that no one was following her. Annoyed, she whipped her head and stared at Xu Fei Yi. Due to her sudden movement, the necklace on her neck was hit by the moon's brightness, emitting a faint glow before it was buried once again inside her clothes.

XuanRong wanted to reprimand Xu Fei Yi for not following her words but before she could even glare at him, she saw a very handsome face acting pitiful and weak. A beautiful pair of innocent eyes were staring at her, evoking the maternal instinct within her.

'Such a poor child.' She subconsciously commented deep inside.

XuanRong already experience two lifetimes. In the previous one, she was already twenty-two years old and females at that age already had many children. If not for her blind love towards Xu Ji An, XuanRong would have been married to someone else, serving her husband diligently and taking good care of their children.

Looking at Xu Fei Yi who was only sixteen to seventeen years old, the twenty two years old XuanRong felt like this 'young child' looked quite adorable and silly. She sighed and raised her left arm, showing the sleeve he just grabbed moments ago.

"Hold this and follow me."

When Xu Fei Yi heard her words, he smiled and ran hastily towards her. When he finally arrived in front of her, he clumsily grabbed her sleeve, accidentally brushing the skin at the back of her hand. XuanRong inwardly froze, but when the urge to puke did not arrive, she was puzzled.

'That's… weird. Why am I not disgusted by his touch?'

Not saying anything, she turned and resumed walking. She did not see Xu Fei Yi's eyes darkened as his face turned serious while looking at her hand under the sleeve.

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"….. Master, the carrier pigeon from LuShan has arrived."

"Mmm."

The old man sitting on a chair inside a huge hall nodded.

"Bring the letter."

The housekeeper left, after half an incense stick of time[1], he returned carrying a pigeon with a small strap on its leg.

The old man sitting on the chair received the pigeon and untied the small tube attached to its leg. After opening the small tube, he fished out a small paper inside and unrolled it.

After silently reading the content for a while, the old man's aura turned cold. It was a monthly report from his thrusted subordinate, An Wei.

Few seconds later, the old man stood up and walked to the nearest brazier. Upon arriving, he unceremoniously threw the piece of paper inside of it, allowing the flame to consume the paper, erasing any evidence that could be used against him and his family.

After destroying the message, the man once again sat on the chair. He sighed and could not help but pity his granddaughter who was struggling in a far away place. His granddaughter should live in a harmonious place, full of warmth and happiness but instead, she was living in a dilapidated manor in the suburbs, trying her best to practice qinggong in order to protect herself.

A sudden anger rose inside his heart. If not because XuanRong loved that woman from Xiao family, he would have objected strongly when XuanLi decided to promote her as his main wife after his daughter ChenYi died.

'Humph! XuanLi, how dare you bully my lovely granddaughter!'

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[1]. Approximately five minutes in modern time.

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Author's Side Note:

Early update!

Three Chapters tomorrow~

11pm Philippine Standard Time (GMT +8)