23 CHAPTER 23 : Couple clothes.

Li Xi Rui is reading an anonymous letter in her hand. It's from Mr. Mask. The letter contains information about the robbers. They are from a phantom sect in Jianghu. The sect is famous for receiving money or expensive gift to carry out evil deeds such as killing and disposing bodies. As to whom, Mr. Mask is still investigating.

Burning the letter, Li Xi Rui is thinking about minister Li. Is he going to be alright? Yesterday she couldn't give a warning without being suspicious so she didn't. But she couldn't help this nagging feels, 'I should warned him yesterday'. If he died it will be all her fault. Be it unintentionally or intentionally, she already knew before hand so she is most likely to be at fault too.

After a few days of worrying, Li Xi Rui still didn't hear anything about minister Lu getting assassinated. All she heard is about Long Jie visiting Li's residence. Every day! So she had taken extra care to not carelessly step out from her quarters.

"Miss, it's a lovely day, won't you take a walk at the garden?", Xiao xi had been urging her miss to step out from her quarters everyday.

Li Xi Rui didn't know what is her maid is up to but she feels like she shouldn't indulge the girl too much. Frustrated, Xiao Xi still didn't give up, she thought 2nd prince will be a good husband for Li Xi Rui. He is coming everyday but couldn't even get a glimpse of his beloved. Even Xiao Xi knew the 2nd prince is trying to court her miss, but why didn't her miss know?

After enduring Xiao Xi's nagging every day, Li Xi Rui relented. Allowing Xiao Xi to pull her to the bustling crowd, they look at all the stalls. From food to jewelry and paintings. Li Xi Rui didn't want to admit it but walking around like this do take her mind off the other matters.

Today, Li Xi Rui is wearing an all white robe and ornaments. The colour she hated the most is white, be it in the last life or this life. She just abhorred white. White the symbol of purity and kindness. She is not either of it, never had and never will.

If she hated it so much, why did she wore white in this life? Well it's because she just want to do everything differently. Last lifetime she avoid white, but this lifetime she will wear only white. Be it whatever occasion, she will wear white. It's not like her reputation can be anymore darker. Since the heroine loves white that much, let's see what will happen when the villainess is the one wearing white.

"Miss Li, what a coincidence", a voice greets Li Xi Rui from behind.

Exhaling, she spin to take a look at that devastatingly handsome man's face, "Greetings your highness, yes what a coincidence". She almost snorted. It's not like she didn't know this man had been stalking her since she step out from her house. Looking at his clothes and his face she thought, 'white is better on him'. She is almost mesmerized, Long Jie usually wouldn't wear this color.

Noticing Li Xi Rui being a little quiet, Long Jie almost want to beg for forgiveness. Whatever wrong he committed, he hope Li Xi Rui forgive him.

While Xiao Xi look at the expressionless face in front of her, she thought, "Trully a match made in heaven. Even the clothes can be accidentally the same colour".

"Miss Li, can't you forgive me?", Long Jie sheds all pretence.

Startled, Li Xi Rui look at him, "Oh, did 2nd prince committed any wrongdoing?".

"Xi Rui, I know for several years, we have been like cats and dogs. But couldn't we just stop this?", Long Jie speak with a low voice.

Li Xi Rui look around, the crowd definitely trying to listen to their conversation. She just have to agree she thought, it's not a good thing to be an enemy of the royal family members. "I couldn't refused now, could I?", Li Xi Rui talked to Long Jie informally.

"It's better if you didn't", Long Jie said. He almost smile. He is now one step closer to her. "Now, let's keep on walking, it's better to show the common folks that we are in better terms", he said.

'This prince! He deliberately said that in public so I couldn't refuse. When did he become this shameless?', gritting her teeth, she starts walking. 'Whatever! I don't care anymore. I'll deal with it later if anything goes wrong', with that in mind, she decided to follow the flow.

When the crowd saw 2 white clothes couple, they couldn't help themselves but staring. Usually, no one would wear couple clothes in the street. Truly eyecatching!

"The woman is graceful, and the man is handsome.....eh.... isn't that 2nd prince?".

So the crowd is wondering who is the woman beside him. With a veil covering her face, no one could guess.

"Isn't that miss Li? See, the girl beside her is Miss Li's maid".

"But aren't they're in a bad term?".

"Rumor is just a rumor afterall".

"They look compatible together", the crowd is still staring at the couple. Everyone nodded their head.

***

'Isn't that 2nd brother?', from afar there is a pair of eyes watching the couple from inside a carriage. The carriage with a recognizable design belongs to the crown prince, Long Qing.

Long Qing just finished his meeting with his uncle, General Lan. When they were going through the road, he saw his 2nd brother. He asked the driver to stop near the market. Wanting to call his brother over, he just about to tell eunuch Rong to go to his brother. But before he could do that, he realized his brother is not alone there is a lady beside him. Squinting his eyes, he could recognize that silhouette. It was a silhouette he have been seeing for the past 10 years.

"What are they doing together?", it is a well known fact that his brother and Li Xi Rui doesn't see eye to eye.

Eunuch Rong also look at the same direction. Squinting his old eyes, he said, "Are your highness talking about 2nd prince and Princess Anping?".

When Eunuch Rong saw the crown prince is looking at him, he said, "There is a rumor about 2nd prince and Princess Anping. The commoner saw them walking together a few times. It seems like the rumor is true". Eunuch Rong nodding his head while looking at the distinctive couple walking through the crowd.

Long Qing's face fell. It hasn't been that long but Li Xi Rui already eyeing his brother. 'LI XI RUI, this prince had never thought you are that kind of woman!', Long Qing couldn't watch the scene of him any longer.

"Go back to the palace!", he dropped the curtain.

Eunuch Rong is befuddled, 'why is his highness suddenly in a bad mood?'. He doesn't dare to delay the crown prince's command, so they left to the palace.

Inside the carriage, Long Qing is still fuming, 'So Li Xi Rui, any one is okay as long it's a royal is it? It hasn't been that long since our engagement has been annulled. Now, in a matter of weeks, you already set your sight on my brother!'.

Long Qing still remembered the little girl she used to be. The little girl he fond of to the point he promised to make her a princess. But as she grew up, the attitude he once thought as refreshing and naive become obnoxious and irritating to him. So he left to make a room for her to grow up. So she could change. Never had he once thought, she will become more and more unruly. The rumors he heard about her attitude and rudeness make him hesitant to fulfill his promise.

When he met Mu Jiu Jiu, the woman is so different from his own fiancee. He started to become closer to her. After 3 years, he started thinking that Mu Jiu Jiu is the one worthy enough to be his princess consort. So, he decided to break their engagement. Li Xi Rui had done enough to humiliate him.

He had thought Li Xi Rui will be making a scene that time in the assembly hall. But contrary to his expectations, Li Xi Rui accepted the annulment calmly. And when he saw her in his imperial aunt's residence, he had thought she changed. Never had he ever thought she will just change target.

Suddenly, he commanded, "Go to the Li residence!".

"Yes, your highness", Eunuch Rong is shocked but not daring to voice his opinion, he could just follow the command.

When they arrived in front of the Li residence, Eunuch Rong had thought the crown prince will step into the residence but contrary to his expectation, he just told them to wait there.