345 The reason is bigger

“I thought His Highness is jealous of Feng Lao. I am surprised to find that he allowed them to talk in private,” Xu Zifan said and glanced at Lóng Wei. They both were in the corridor of the courtyard.

“Feng Lao still loves Li Hua and I want her to talk to him face to face and show him the reality,” Lóng Wei said.

“Li Hua used to get shy from Feng Lao. Does His Highness think she will talk her heart out? What if they just sit and do not talk with each other?” Xu Zifan raised questions.

“You know nothing about Li Hua. She is no longer a young maiden who will get shy away. She is a mature woman now,” Lóng Wei stated. “She stands up for me and even fights with the world for me.” He placed his hand on the left of his chest and felt satisfied.

Xu Zifan smiled to see that Lóng Wei and Li Hua’s relationship had grown stronger.

They saw Li Hua and Feng Lao coming in their direction. Lóng Wei wore a wide smile on his lips and Li Hua stood next to him. Feng Lao expressed his gratitude to Lóng Wei to let them have a private conversation.

“I hope it went well,” Lóng Wei said.

“It went well,” Feng Lao asserted and looked at Xu Zifan.

“Then you both can leave,” Lóng Wei said. Li Hua walked up to Xu Zifan and hugged him tightly.

.....

“Take care,” she said. Xu Zifan placed his left arm on her back and caressed it. They pulled away and she waved at Xu Zifan, who left with Feng Lao.

Lóng Wei was leaning against the wooden pillar when Li Hua told him that they should go in. Lóng Wei held his hand out and drew Li Hua close to him. His fingers brushed her hair back from her left temple. He secured his arm around her waist.

“Thank you for allowing me to speak to Feng Lao,” Li Hua said.

“Hopefully, he doesn’t hold feelings for you anymore,” Lóng Wei affirmed.

“He will not. I clearly told him that I have someone whom I love a lot. So, he should not see me as a woman. I am not the old Li Hua who once admired Feng Lao,” Li Hua briefed Lóng Wei and rested her hand on the side of his collar.

“You did good,” Lóng Wei praised her. His calloused fingers rested under her chin and he lifted it a little before pressing his lips on hers. She kissed him back and pulled away, telling him that someone could see them if entered the manor.

Lóng Wei smirked and scooped his arm around her waist. With one swift motion, he lifted her in his arms and took her to the chamber. He gently put her down on the mattress and kissed her again while his hand was still around her belly. She unhooked the buttons from his upper robe. He withdrew from the kiss for a brief moment to remove his upper robe and shoes. After that, he removed Li Hua’s shoes and again hovered over her.

Their hearts raced for each other as their lips connected and their bodies pressed against each other. Their fingers interlaced with each other. He let go of her lips and showered the butterfly kisses on her neck. His hand expertly hooked in the lace on the collarbone and untied it. Yanking the dress off her shoulder, he left wet kisses there.

She moaned when he nipped her soft skin, turning it red. His hands touched her sensually, filling her with the desire to have him. Her hands moved to the back of his head as she pulled him again into a passionate kiss.

“I love you,” Li Hua said as they slowly moved back from the kiss and panted.

“I love you too,” Lóng Wei responded and rested his forehead against hers. He kissed the middle of it before lying beside her. The thin silk sheet had already covered them and they both fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

~~~~~

Qiu Zedong and Yuze were in the pavilion. The sun was setting. The King conversed about palace matters with Yuze and asked him what did he think happening in the palace.

“Your Majesty, not every subject will be loyal to you,” Yuze said. “With power comes greed. We are humans and we are bound to become selfish. I think that His Majesty should build a network of spies in the palace and should have regular meetings with them,” Yuze suggested to the King.

Qiu Zedong nodded at him and decided to consult with Hei Chengxi regarding this.

“Does His Majesty happy to see the change in Prince Lóng Wei?” Yuze asked.

“Yes, Monk Yuze.” Qiu Zedong said with a proud smile. “Prince Lóng Wei has proven it finally that he’s my son. The decision of making him marry was the best decision.”

“Prince Lóng Wei has never loved the way he should be. When his own mother abandoned him, the child started to trouble others, thinking there would be a day come when his mother would come to him. That’s why he turned a little rebellious and acted childish,” Yuze explained to the King, who agreed with him.

“I wonder if Li Hua found out what I have told her to,” Qiu Zedong said.

Yuze knitted his brows and asked the King what he had asked Li Hua to find.

“Why Prince Lóng Wei killed Yu Jun?” Qiu Zedong said.

“Prince Lóng Wei will not answer it. I have asked him many times and all the time, his answer was: because she didn’t love me, she was supposed to die,” Yuze asserted.

Qiu Zedong shook his head and said, “I think the reason is bigger, Monk Yuze. I still believe that Lóng Wei has hidden something from me. Monk Yuze, Li Hua must find the truth for me so that I can reach the depth of the truth,” he affirmed with a serious tone.

“What if the truth was what Prince Lóng Wei told all these years?” Yuze asked the King.

Qiu Zedong glanced at him. “What did Monk Yuze mean by this?”

“Your Majesty, Prince Lóng Wei loves and respects his father more than anything. He can lie about anything to him, but not about that day. He indeed killed his mother,” Yuze stated and told Qiu Zedong not to hold on to that day anymore.

“I understand, Monk Yuze,” Qiu Zedong said.

Monk Yuze stayed with the King for some more time before taking his leave. However, before leaving he thought to see Li Hua once.