18 CHAPTER 18 : Xiao Xi doesn't want to be an experimental guinea pig!

*Bang!* "What have you guys been doing?!", the left prime minister is in rage. When he stepped into his study after coming back from court, he found this letter. After reading the content of the one page letter, his eyes become red like a possessed person. Calling his chief guard, he scold him endlessly.

"Then what is this?! Are you saying you are unaware of this letter's existence? Tell me who came into my study today!", he was fuming.

"Answering master, it's eldest miss. Only eldest miss came in today", chief guard of the Li mansion answer truthfully.

*Bang!* "So, are you saying my only daughter, left a threatening letter in the study and will come to rob me?! Her own father?! Preposterous!"

Chief guard Li kowtowing hard on the floor. 'I only tell the truth! I didn't say anything about eldest miss coming to rob her father', he thought.

"Enough! Now, according to the letter, someone will come to rob 'that' so I need you to be extra vigilant and prevent anyone from leaving and coming! It will be effective immediately!", the left prime minister collapsed on the wooden chair. 'This is bad', he thought. If that thing fall into the wrong hand, it's going to be the end of their family.

"Yes Master!", he strides outside and immediately halts.

"Ah.. Chief Guard Li, is father inside?", Li Xi Rui asked. 'Father must have scolded him. He looked pale', Li Xi Rui guessed.

"..yes miss, master is inside...", Chief Guard Li hesitating.

"Then, excuse me", Li Xi Rui side stepped him and open the door to the study.

"NOW WHO IS IT?!!", shouted the Left prime minister. Looking up, he saw his daughter. His rage immediately went out the window as though he had been doused with water.

"It looks like father is not in a good mood, then Xi Rui will leave. Please father calm down. It's not good for your body", backing away Li Xi Rui almost leave.

"Xi-er wait!", he father hastily stuffed the threatening letter in his robe. 'His daughter must not know about this', he thought.

Stopped in her track, she smiled. 'Father, the threat is really from me. But it's for our family good', she looked at her father.

"What did Xi-er come here for?", the left prime minister ask with a gentle tone, different from the one he uses before.

"Today, this daughter had prepared a dessert for you. Try it and tell me if you like it", she uncovered the sweet potato balls.

Taking a sip on the coconut soup, his eyes opened wide. He tries the sticky sweet potato ball, it becomes bigger.

As Li Xi Rui saw her father small eyes become bigger and bigger, she chuckles. "Then, I will leave first father", she took her leave.

"Father looks like he already read that letter right Xiao xi?", Li Xi Rui asked for confirmation.

"It seems so miss. It is rare for the master to be enraged", Xiao Xi has been living with them long enough to remember every family members' habits.

"Then, we accomplished our goal. Now, father won't ignore the letter from the people who can come and go in his own house", Li Xi Rui release a bit of her stress. Now what they can do is only to wait for the robbers to come.

"Let us go Xiao Xi, we must prepare some extra weapon for our own protection", Li Xi Rui walked to her own quarters.

After a few hours~

"Miss? Are you sure its gonna work?", Xiao Xi is doubtful.

"No! But we couldn't give up. Maybe we should try it first?", Li Xi Rui wanted to try her creation.

"Maybe we shouldn't...", Xiao Xi doesn't want to be an experimental guinea pig!

"Fine! I don't think we should try it either. I'm positive it will most probably work about 50%?", Li Xi Rui just have to double the quantity and distribute to the servants and maids later for their protection.

'I don't have to be an experimental guinea pig!!!!', Xiao Xi is over the moon.

***

In the middle of the night, 7 black shadows entered the Li's mansion. Without making a single noise, they flew in different directions. But as if on que, the moment they stepped into different rooms, the house become bright. All over, lanterns have been light up and illuminating all the nook and cranny of the house.

"So, who are you?! How dare you trespassing the Left Prime minister's house!!!", the chief guard Li shouted.

But out of nowhere, the black masked men started to attack the nearest people. Sparing with the black masked men, the Li's guard proved to be of a level below than them. After a few moves, the Li's guards have been defeated.

Sensing danger, all the servants and maid present, took out what their eldest miss had given to them. They cover their nose and backed away before throwing the round ball together at the black masked men.

*Boom!* after throwing, while the bomb still releasing gases, the male servant dragged the unconscious guards away.

"What is this smell?! Where does this smoke come from? I couldn't see!", the gas emitted a foul odor and it burned their eyes. When they couldn't see anything anymore, they flee blindly. As they had grasp the route, they didn't need to look to flee from the mansion.

"Capture every one of them!", Long Jie command.

"Eh, 2nd prince? What are you doing here?", left prime minister can't believe his eyes.

"This prince was just taking a walk and heard the commotion. So, I just decided to help. Teacher don't have to be too courteous. After all, you used to be my brother's teacher", Long Jie explained.

'Where could this young prince wanted to go to just walking by their house?', he thought. And as far as he knew, this 2nd prince wouldn't normally bring any imperial guard with him. Why tonight he decided to bring them? 'Suspicious, truly suspicious!', left prime minister didn't buy Long Jie's Lie.

Smiling, he will have to just pretend to be deceived, "Ah! It is our lucky day then. Thanks for your help 2nd prince", left prime minister cupped his fist.

"No need teacher, it is just a coincidence after all", Long Jie respectful act is much too polite than usual. It just increases the left prime minister's wariness. As they wanted to continue that meaningless conversation, a man with a black masked dragged Li Xi Rui to the front yard.

As he watched the people in front of him freeze, he put a blade in front of Li Xi Rui's white neck. "Don't move or I'll kill her!", he demanded.

Left Prime minister froze. Long Jie is fuming mad! 'How dare this man touched her and putting some dangerous on her!'.

At this time, Xiao Xi has just arrived at the front yard from the direction the black masked man dragged Li Xi Rui earlier. Watching in horror how the masked men holding a blade and the eldest miss, Xiao Xi couldn't help but shout, "MISS!!!".

Startled with that ear piercing scream, the black masked men held his ear and loosening his blade on Li Xi Rui's neck. Grabbing the opportunity as the black masked man is distracted, Long Jie flew into action.

He pulled Li Xi Rui into his arm and shield her while he killed the black masked man with his own blade. It happens in a matter of minutes.

As Li Xi Rui looked up, she saw the 2nd prince tense face. His heart is beating fast under her palm. 'Is he worried about me?', she thought.

"Are you okay? Did he harmed you?", Long Jie asked Li Xi Rui worriedly. He threw away any formalities from his word.

"I'm okay. He didn't have a chance to do anything to me", Li Xi Rui said. She is still in the comfort of his arm.

'Didn't have a chance? Then if he had a chance, he could've harmed her?!', the alarm in his head start to go off. "He won't have a chance to hurt you", he said to the woman encased in his arm.

"Maybe, 2nd prince you could let me go now? My father is watching", Li Xi Rui glanced at her father. She didn't realised she have been talking to the 2nd prince informally.

"Yeah. Right. Of course. Pardoned me Miss Li", he slowly let go of Li Xi Rui.

"Thank you your highness. I wouldn't be able to repay you for your assistance tonight", she said.

"You're welcome. Don't worry about the other robbers, the imperial guard is already chasing after them", Long Jie just blurted out.

"Well if it could've been of any help, the robbers couldn't hide for too long anyway.

"What do you mean miss Li?", Long Jie asked. But before she could answer, the imperial guard already dragged 6 men to the Li mansion.

"Pffftt... it looks like it works", she is beaming at him. His heart is pierced by the cupid's arrow. He fell deeper into love. Reluctantly taking his eyes off her, he look at the 6 robbers in front of him.

He nearly laughed! The robbers had a change of clothes but on all of their faces are different colour of paints. The bottom half of their face is not coloured while the other top half is coloured. Moreover they have a stench on them that anyone else's eyes start tearing. Left prime minister choose to ignore the 2nd prince had touched his daughter because he had saved her afterall.

"Xi-er what did you do?"