Chapter 24：Xia Lian Bei

Xia Lian Bei knew Yin Fang Qi's personality well and the man never told a joke in his entire life. It was his Emperor Brother who was fond of telling puns but this shifu of his did and said whatever was in his heart.

It was a great pardon already that he didn't attack the moment he saw Xia Lian Bei. After all, in Yin Fang Qi's eyes, the prince was part of the reason why his only daughter suffered.

Shai watched as his master walked confidently in the direction of Gao Le princess' courtyard.

The last time they entered this residence, Shai was left alone at the receiving hall while Prince Feng stormed inside.

This attendant just realized that there were still a lot of things he didn't know about his family's master despite being with him for many years.

He first met the unruly little imperial uncle on the latter's first military expedition when he was 15.

Shai was a scrawny nameless 10 year-old slave that was also part of the spoils of war with Zhang country of the west.

He received daily beatings and verbal abuse due to his dark color but one day, a strangely dressed youth on horseback haughtily pointed at him.

"That kid is quite amusing. Serve under this great one for the rest of your life and you can kill whoever does as much as glare at you again!"

The way the youth spoke those words was begging for a beating. But Shai noticed that he too was an abnormality from the rest yet he was still domineering and acted like a local dandy tyrant wherever he went.

Xia Lian Bei baptized him with the blood of the slavers who tormented him and Shai followed him since then.

Without pausing his steps, Xia Lian Bei had a vague idea of what was running inside Shai's mind.

"Heartbroken?" He teased without shame.

Shai just caught his forehead and refused to answer.

"Matters between the Yin clan and ben wang are quite complicated. This prince worried that you, an overly sensitive fool might die early from anxiety."

The exceptional looking right hand man only stared at Xia Lian Bei's back.

'Don't mind this foolish servant at all, master. You should attend the more pressing matters of the heart.' Shai repeated this inside his mind until he felt satisfied.

The moment Xia Lian Bei stepped into Blazing Rain pavilion, all the presence lurking in the shadow scattered in all directions.

Shai pursed his lips. Seriously, Gao Le princess' people were too skillful. They made a perfectly competent vice chief like him lose some of his confidence in their own men.

One of Gao Le princess' maidservants went out to receive Xia Lian Bei.

"Greetings, your Highness Prince Feng."

Xin Ling wasn't as good as concealing her emotions as her sister. So her words came out cold and unwelcoming.

But Xia Lian Bei was unperturbed as he permitted her to rise.

"Stay here." Words directed to Shai but also somehow indirectly involved Xin Ling.

Then, he proceeded to walk with ease towards Gao Le princess' private chambers.

Faced with his master's nonchalant way of invading someone else's home, Shai wanted to apologize on his behalf. Especially when he saw the yatou looking like she'd eaten something bad.

Xia Lian Bei closed the doors softly behind him and sized up the room.

The windows were closed but there were a few lit candles on the table beside the elegantly decorated canopy bed.

The satin curtains were lifted so the person lying down was illuminated by the soft light.

Xia Lian Bei believed himself to be an insensitive and callous man like everyone labeled him but at this moment, he couldn't even explain his own emotional, mental and physical state. Everything inside him was at war with each other while the subject of this torment was currently at peace in her sleep.

The person on the bed had a pallid visage, probably from losing blood. The indifferent and distant air that she usually had was nowhere to be found and replaced by a gloomy atmosphere even though she was unconscious.

Her breathing was deep and she looked a lot thinner than the last time he saw her.

Every step he took felt heavier and heavier as though he was absorbing all the resentments she felt at that time she resolutely decided to take her life.

In the end, Xia Lian Bei's legs barely managed to carry him closer to her. He gingerly sat on the bed.

As he got a closer look, he immediately saw the carefully bandaged right wrist. A look of knowing flashed in his eyes. So this was how she hurt herself.

It was a silly notion. But he seemed to have developed an irrational fear of being abandoned by this woman. It was a deep-seethed dread that made him lose his logic and even forget his former animosity.

It made him want to bang his head on a pillar somewhere for being such a wuss.

"Haa... I even swore not to be captured, not to hope, not to look any longer. Damn girl, you don't even know how you torture me..."

His voice cracked all of a sudden. The sound extremely desolate inside the stillness of the room, carrying grief, longing, pain and remorse.

Xia Lian Bei's head hang low, the strands of his pale hair brushing across Yin Hua Lei's hand on the bed.

Long slender fingers wove with slim ones until eventually, they only wrapped around Yin Hua Lei's index finger adorned by a single blood red ring.

The ring had been with her forever and never would one see Gao Le princess part with it. Whatever kind of gloves she wore or even if there were none, the ring was a constant.

Yin Hua Lei who was in a dreamless sleep finally stirred. Her breath hitched and her lashes trembled before her lids finally fluttered open.

For a while, her ink black orbs were misty and in a daze.

A pale hand brought a cup of warm water to her lips and she realized just how parched her throat was. It was a welcomed reprieve.

The same person carefully guided her.

After drinking, Yin Hua Lei didn't even bother to look around. She laid down again and closed her eyes, as though not wanting to be with the living anymore.

It was a state of not dying but not living either.

"Hurt? Should I call the doctor for you?" A voice flowed like freshwater from a low waterfall. Soothing and rich.

For the first time in months, Yin Hua Lei's heart shook, a large tremor jolted her body awake.

Enlarged eyes met crimson ones.

Moments passed and no one spoke.

"Here to laugh at me? Or burn paper money on my death bed, which one is it?"

Yin Hua Lei's suicide attempt failed. Should she be grateful or should she loathe having such capable subordinates?

But never would she imagine that she'd wake up to see this man here.

It was simply absurd.

She subconsciously looked at the windows. They were shut tight which meant it was currently night time.

Xia Lian Bei didn't buy her sarcasm.

The glow from the candles erased his playful and volatile air and gave a rare sedate expression on his face.

En... It must be the candles.

"Why don't you want to live anymore?" A very straightforward question.

Normally, an acquaintance of a failed suicidal would offer consolation, words like 'we're always here for you' etc.

But Xia Lian Bei cut straight to the chase. This was what he really wanted to know.

Yin Hua Lei looked away. She didn't see the point in answering.

Prince Feng didn't mind and continued his one sided conversation.

"Ben wang thought you still have ambitions." The meaning was implied but they both understood.

Chang wangfei. And even the chance to give the throne to the ninth prince.

Hearing what the prince said, Yin Hua Lei's pupils dilated.

Unbeknownst to her, no one in Da Xia was as clear to Yin Hua Lei's ambitions as this wang shu.

On the surface, she only wanted to wed the ninth prince. But because she was a Yin, marrying a prince that wouldn't inherit the throne was detrimental to the clan's secret.

But before Yin Hua Lei could react, Prince Feng suddenly slipped down the bed onto the floor. She was confused why a dignified royalty would want to sit on the floor.

She only realized the reason when Xia Lian Bei's line of sight was leveled with hers.

His arms were atop the mattress and his chin rested on his crossed arms.

In all seriousness, like he was making the biggest decision in his life, he sighed.

"Yin Hua Lei, I won't care even if you chase any one of my nephews after this and I'm also not in the place to tell you to take better care of your wellbeing. But..."

Yin Hua Lei was baffled. Why was Da Xia's imperial uncle spouting nonsense?

"If the reason why you're trying to harm yourself is about that night, then... Then ben wang will explain. Just listen carefully to this prince and try not to be agitated too much. It's not good for your weak body right now."

Was he even breathing?

Xia Lian Bei ignored her puzzled look and only stared at her eyes, fearing that she wouldn't believe anything he'd say if he looked elsewhere.

He still remembered that night vividly.

Xia Lian Bei was travelling back to the capital for the New Year.

He was very fond of driving people (especially his cute right hand man) to the point of madness. That day, his chosen method was to slip away from his entourage.

Xia Lian Bei found the rare moments of being truly alone enlightening.

In essence, he'd been alone his entire life because the people around him didn't want anything to do with a cursed child. But because he was part of the imperial family and was even the Emperor's beloved brother, the people who despised and were disgusted with him had no choice but to put up with him and even ingratiate themselves to him.

So he learned to savor the instances of being left to his own devices. He decided to go back the next day when he was done frolicking on his own.

He also left a note not to look for him so it was the perfect setup.

Unknown to him, Shai had gotten used to his master's impulsive behavior and didn't even bother to pretend to be worried.

Xia Lian Bei found himself at an inn with an in-house hot spring. This kind of relaxation spot was not a foreign thing to him. Even his estate at Northern Chu had its own spring.

But being in a hot spring with other people was an unfamiliar experience. This wasn't the first time that he'd done this either but something about the thought of doing something the common people did was quite fascinating to him.

He wondered if his Brother Emperor had also done this when he was young. Knowing him, he'd probably done it a thousand times.

So, like the irresponsible prince that Xia Lian Bei was, he went on with the flow.