122 She likes...

As the three of them were heading down the mountain, Old Man Wu couldn't help but nudge Prince Nan. It was his fault, so it was only right for him to pacify the still angry Yu Mei. Pei Nan had no choice but to catch up to Yu Mei.

He cleared his throat and then whispered towards her.

"Pan Yu Mei…did you also hear something last night?"

She frowned. "What are you getting at? I didn't hear anything."

All of a sudden Pei Nan wrapped his hands around his arms as if he was shivering. "I kept feeling this weird cold breeze. I can still feel it now. I think I saw a ghost last night." He almost sounded terrified.

A wicked smirk almost escaped Yu Mei's mouth but she refrained. She loved ghost stories and scaring people. This was the perfect way to get back at him. [You deserve this and more Petty Nan. Hehehe] Her head played many scenarios including one where he hugged her thigh and begged her to save him. Everything was too perfect.

She went into full action.

She copied his action as she rubbed her arms. "Now that you mention, I'm feeling goosebumps too. Maybe it's the mountain ghost." She strangely told him.

"Mountain ghost?"

"Rumor has it that a young girl got lost in this very mountain and never made it out alive. By chance was it a woman you saw?"

Pei Nan gasped in horror as he quickly locked arms with Yu Mei; as if this was going to protect him. Not thinking much of it, Yu Mei let him hold onto her. She wouldn't push away a timid scaredy-cat.She was so caught up in the moment she didn't see the smirk on his face. Then he nodded. "It was so scary. She had long hair and kept scratching at the tree next to me."

Yu Mei whispered in his ear. "It's been said, if she finds someone, she will follow that person out."

Now was his chance. It was a 50/50 gamble. His arms went to hug her tightly. "I don't want to die." He covered his face on her shoulder.

He had been taking advantage of her this whole time yet she didn't even think twice about being played. "If you are that afraid, I allow you to hold onto my arm for a little bit."

Just like that, he was able to hold onto her arm all the way down the mountain.

***

When they had set camp outside, she didn't hesitate to go scare him once more before heading into her tent completely satisfied. Yu Mei had so much fun scaring him all day that she had forgotten all about being mad at him.

When Pei Nan was sure Yu Mei was asleep, he headed towards her master and thanked him.

Then he waited for the master to head to his tent. The thing he was about to do...he knew he had a high chance of winning. Thus he flipped the tent door of Yu Mei's and crawled in. Caught by the sudden surprise, Yu Mei jolted into a sitting position."What are you doing in here? It's not appropriate."

With pleading eyes, he looked at her and held one finger up. "Just once. Let me sleep here with you tonight. I promise only one night. If I sleep outside, I'm afraid I'll be a dead ghost before morning." He complained.

Yu Mei almost burst into a happy cry. His highness was such a coward. This was way too good. "Be good to her tonight." Then she tried to push him out but he didn't budge. Instead he shook his shoulders and threw a fit like a kid. "Pan Yu Mei! Surely you can't be that heartless. I only want to sleep one night here. I promise I won't lay a finger on you. Besides, I'm too afraid to do anything to you…especially if there is a female ghost watching." He looked around the tent.

His action suddenly made Yu Mei's skin stand. He was starting to spook her out. This would not do. If he continued, she would not be sleeping either. She was the one who always scared people, so why was he the one to scare her now. She hated it but she hated the fact that she might be sleeping alone even more.

"Fine! You can stay but if you even dare as much as touch a strand of my hair, I will kick you out." She warningly pointed her finger at him.

He nodded.

Yu Mei lay with her back faced to him. Pei Nan on the other hand was laying with his front to her, watching her with every second he had. Even now he could still smell the orange jasmine on her. How he missed her scent the last few weeks. And to think this was all thanks to her master. He vowed he would gift Old Man Wu with the biggest jar of wine he could fine.

While he was admiring Pan Yu Mei, she was feeling super awkward. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was looking at her. She had felt his eyes on her the moment he entered.

Woman intuition.

Indeed he was looking at her. To be exact, it was so intense, she swore she felt her back light on fire.

This too would not do, she thought. And so she turned to face him.

Her biggest mistake.

Inches away from her was a smiling Prince Nan. Gosh, his smile. She rarely ever saw it in the palace and so seeing it now, she didn't know what to think. It as kinda cute. That thought didn't last long in her mind. She was still angry at him. No time to admire him.

But that smile…was it full of bad intentions or just pure admiration for her. "Your highness, if you continue to stare at my back, I'm afraid you'll drill a hole through me."

"If you weren't so beautiful, I wouldn't have been so mesmerized to the point where I can't sleep. What can I do if I just can't help but look at you?" That teasing smile still on his face. She was beginning to really hate it with a passion.

"Shameless!" She scrunched her nose and turned her back on him once more. What was the use of talking to him, she told herself as she tried to get some shut eye. Shameless Pei Nan just continued to stare at her. He kept staring and staring and staring until his eyes started drifting into a deep sleep.