Vol 7 Chapter 224 – Really believe me?

XH 224 - Really believe me?

Xiao Liu stared at his master that was kneeling outside Xiao Hua's room silently, his head lowered in a defeated posture. His loose hair covered his face and Xiao Liu could not see his expression. But his current state reminded everyone of a drunken man that was finally sober after making a big mistake during his drunken misfit. 

Xiao Liu had tried to get their master to go to an Imperial physician to get treated but he refused, not willing to leave. 

"Let him be." An Jing stopped Xiao Liu's attempt. "Do not interfere with his decisions. Just be there to support him."

Xiao Liu frowned, not agreeing with An Jing's words. "You are too strict, sister-in-law."

"As servants, we should not force our master to do what we want, even in the name of helping him. It's his life and he needs to make his own choice." 

Long Zhu and Xiao Hua should deal with their personal business by themselves. Outsiders like them should not interfere too much. External influence would create more harm than help. 

Xiao Liu silently thought that An Jing was as cold hearted as ever. How did his elder brother manage to get her to agree to be with him? When he first met An Jing, she was already heavily pregnant with the twins. 

He eyed his elder brother beside him, and got a nod in return. Fine, this couple was always united in their decisions anyway!

"How is Da Bei doing?" Xiao Liu knows that Da An was worried sick for his twin inside the array, self injuring himself just to get to Xiao Hua.

"He had calmed down." But Da Bei was still determined to escape from the array. As long as Xiao Hua was still in danger, he will not stop his effort to go to her. 

"Why not just release him now that Miss Bai's punishment is lifted?" Xiao Liu questioned.

"Until he successfully turned back to his human form, the array will never let him go." The array served as Da Bei's cage and training at the same time.

Xiao Liu: ...So brutal! He's still a cub!

With a pained gaze, Xiao Liu looked away from his cruel sister-in-law that was abusing her own child. He had no right to interfere when Da Bei's parents were the one that designed this sort of training for him. 

"I will return to supervise Da Bei. Keep an eye on the master and make sure he does not die." An Jing passed a bottle to her husband.

"We can feed master pills to cure his injuries!" Xiao Liu excitedly said when he saw the bottle. He had forgotten of this method!

However, An Jing coldly refuted. "He should not tend to his injuries. It will be more sincere when he apologizes."

With his beautiful face that could made one wrongly assume he was a female, Long Zhu would look beautifully pitiful in his wounded state. Doctor Bai's anger will soften from seeing it.

Xiao Liu started to doubt whether An Jing do care about their master or not. 

Their conversation could be heard by Long Zhu, but he was occupied with his thoughts to be bothered about it. He was still shocked that he had let his rage affect his rational thinking and harmed Xiao Hua. Only wishing for the pain in his heart to disappear, he lashed out at someone that he had quickly claimed to have sinned without hearing her defense. 

Was this the case when one said revenge does not necessarily turn out to be relieving?

Long Zhu had once read a book written about a man's desire for revenge that blinded him of everything around him. His family persuaded him to give up on revenge, not willing to watch him falling into the abyss of hatred. But their words had him misunderstood their intention. Feeling betrayed, pushed his family away and walked his own path alone. Yet when he finally accomplished his revenge and his heart finally opened up for the first time after years of driven by the desire for revenge, he took in his surroundings and decided he did not like it. 

His family was long gone, too heartbroken to stay to watch him walking down the path that slowly changed him to someone they no longer familiar with. Their leaving was also out of desire for survival, for his actions had others targeting them because of him. Even his good, trusted friends do not dare to approach him, but only those that had befriended him for the purpose of leeching benefits from him were lingering around him. 

After the long journey, he had thought his heart will be relieved, but only deep weariness of the tough journey could be felt, wearing him down. In the end, he died under another man's revenge from his past actions. His last thought was 'Ah. Fortunately my family has left, or else they will be implicated too.'

Long Zhu could confidently say he did not bring down his family under the name of revenge, patiently waiting for the right time while messing with Long Shan at every opportunity presented. Yet, his actions still harmed his loved one, his hatred stopping Xiao Hua from successfully reaching him.

He remembered that Xiao Hua wanted to tell him something at that time. He had wrongly assumed she would speak of forgiveness for the murderer because of Long Lian and grew angry at the thought. 

He should have understood that she would never do anything that he will greatly disapprove. Did she not prove that to him since the moment they first met? Even if she did, she would have a reasonable explanation that does not consist of only being kind or generous. 

If Xiao Hua died… he does not want to imagine that. Just the thought of it hurts his heart.

Creak!

The sound of the door opening was loud in the quiet courtyard. Long Zhu raised his head, his dark eyes filled with concern. Unknowingly, hours had passed and the sun was rising, lightening up the dark blue sky.

It was the unknown man that stepped out, staring down at the sorry sight of Long Zhu. His body released his golden Qi and sent it to Long Zhu, pushing out Doctor Bai's Qi from his body.

Long Zhu immediately feels the chaos in his center of energy quiet down, and his body slowly working to mend his disorderly nerves.  His Qi swims around his body, happy to be home. 

"She's asking for you." Doctor Bai had purposely sealed the room so that no one could hear anything from outside. 

With bright eyes, Long Zhu quickly stood up and dashed into the room. The first thing he saw was Xiao Hua, crying in his teacher's arms. 

"Where's Long Zhu?" Her question was more like pleading. This was the first time Long Zhu had seen her looking so vulnerable. Not even when she found out she could not return to her original world could bring out this degree of vulnerability.

"Xiao Hua." His choked voice was unlike himself, so Xiao Hua did not recognize him. She continued pleading Doctor Bai for him, her pale face getting some colors back due to her emotional state.

Long Zhu stepped forward and this time his voice came out normal. "Xiao Hua."

Xiao Hua went still and turned to his direction. Her eyes were red from crying, her lips pale and dry. But she still looked lovely in his eyes, a sight that softened the pain in his heart.

Fortunately, she woke up.

"Long...Long Zhu?" Xiao Hua sounded as if she did not believe it. "Long Zhu?"

"I'm here." He took her searching hand, which was cold to touch, even when his own hands were chilled from the night wind. 

Affirming that he was indeed real and not an illusion, she grabbed his hand tightly and her other hand joined in. She would have jumped right at him if Doctor Bai had not stopped her.

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry-"

Long Zhu wrapped his other arm, whose hand was not in Xiao Hua's grip, around her waist and pulled her to his chest. With a frown, Doctor Bai wanted to pull her back but the unknown man grabbed his hand, stopping him.

Long Zhu held a small gratitude to that man before focusing all his attention on the bundle of treasure in his arms. He pressed his cold lips on her even colder forehead and let out coaxing sounds in an effort to calm down her frantic cries.

"Shhh, I'm not angry."

With the new position, she discarded his hands and grabbed his clothes, acting like a wiggly, clingy kitten aching to get as close to him as possible. "It's the World Spirit! It's not Long Lian! I just feed him tea because of the World Spirit! That's all I did! Please believe me!"

Xiao Hua was getting even more hysterical that Doctor Bai wanted to take her away from Long Zhu. But he knew that his disciple was the only one that could soothe her now, so he sent a threatening gaze at Long Zhu to do his job well. 

The man in majestic black robes poked Doctor Bai's cheeks, reminding him of his character setting. It was lucky the system did not punish Doctor Bai as Long Zhu was completely distracted by Xiao Hua. 

"Of course I believe you." Long Zhu dropped a soft, butterfly like kissed around her face, and it worked to calm her down.

"Really? You believe me? Really believe me?"

"Yes, I believe you."

Doctor Bai would have stayed in the room, keeping his eyes on Long Zhu but a certain man would not let him. He wrapped his arms around Doctor Bai and pulled him out, giving the young lovebirds their privacy. 

Long Zhu and Xiao Hua did not even notice they had left. "You won't leave me again?"

"No, I will stay with you forever."

"Don't leave me?"

"I won't leave you even when you get tired of my face."

Xiao Hua kept on asking similar questions but Long Zhu patiently answered her like a devotee. Only when she finally believed him did she fall asleep, exhausted, in his arms trustingly.