Chapter 361

361 Refuse to help you

Li Hua had sent clothes for Lóng Wei with the maidservant’s hand. She had already set the dinner table, waiting for him to arrive.

Lóng Wei entered the chamber and apologized to her for making her wait. Li Hua quickly picked up the chopsticks when Lóng Wei sat in front of her. Her eyes grew bigger to find that he had put on a thin white silk robe and pants.

She remembered she had not given these clothes to Lóng Wei.

“What happened?” Lóng Wei asked as he removed the lid from the big bowl, which had chicken soup in it. “I didn’t want to wear heavy clothes when it was hot outside. So, I changed into these,” he said while filling the two bowls for them.

“Hmm.” Li Hua looked away. Lóng Wei placed the rice bowl and a bowl filled with chicken soup in front of her. “Eat,” he said and smiled at her.

They ate in silence and soon, finished up their meals. The maidservant cleaned the room and later, upon Li Hua’s request, left a silver incense burner holder in the room.

“You ran away earlier,” Lóng Wei said. “Why were you shy?” he queried.

“I wasn’t shy. I felt cold.” Her excuse made him laugh. “I am not joking,” she said.

“It’s written on your face that you were shy,” he affirmed and stood up. He went to the patio to sit in the open, for a while. She walked behind him and saw him on the floor mattress. He had his right elbow rested on the bolster, his right knee in the air, while left leg lying flat on the mattress.

.....

“Come.” He extended his left hand to her and she walked up to him. He pulled her down, and she leaned onto his arm. “It appears rain will fall soon,” Lóng Wei said, looking up at the sky. Li Hua turned to look towards the sky.

“But it is clear. See, we can see the stars too,” she stated and smiled.

“Did you learn astronomy?” Lóng Wei suddenly asked her.

Li Hua turned to face her and shook her head. “I didn’t learn many subjects. Mostly I learned poetry, literature, and then art,” she informed him.

“I did. Yuze taught me. Oldie knows a lot of things,” Lóng Wei stated, and told her that he could not see the constellation clearly,” he added.

“Oh. Then the temperature will fall. It’s good,” Li Hua stated.

“I like it whenever it rains,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Does His Highness also play in the rain?” She asked curiously.

“No. But I would love to play with you,” he stated, and laced their fingers. “You can cry in the rain and no one will realize it,” he asserted.

“Does His Highness want to cry?” She asked with inquisitiveness.

“No.” Lóng Wei made a shaky motion with his head. “I am only telling you one of the special facts about having rain,” he stated.

“Your Highness, are you still troubled?” she inquired him.

“I am not,” he replied.

“Then?”

“Nothing.”

Li Hua knitted her brows in confusion. She found him kissing the pad of her fingers when he pulled her down.

“It seems His Highness is worried,” Li Hua stated.

“I am worried about the waiting consequences ahead. The truth will bring chaos in the palace, in the kingdom. I have always been prepared for the worst, but this time, I do not know what will happen. Yuze showed me the direction, but he refused to help. He knows many things,” Lóng Wei affirmed, and exhaled a deep breath.

“Every action has a consequence. We have to fight against it by standing firm in front of those consequences,” she opined and lifted her hand to place it on his cheek. She caressed it and asked him if they should go out tomorrow.

“Where?” he asked.

“Somewhere,” she replied.

“Let’s see where we can go tomorrow,” Lóng Wei said, and contemplated for a while.

“Oh, I forgot. Because of the Crown Prince’s wedding, the check-points will be difficult to cross. Also, I heard earlier from the princesses that His Majesty will put a restriction on the royal family members’ leaving the palace for a few days,” Li Hua informed Lóng Wei.

“Then, we will not go. Also, after the Crown Prince’s wedding, we have to leave for the nearest village for work. So, wait till then,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Sure.”

“Your Highness, could you please send a message to my brother tomorrow?” Li Hua requested.

“A message about?” Lóng Wei was puzzled to hear her request.

“I told Princess Jingfei that he must meet my brother if she wanted to talk with Commander Huang Xi. Since His Highness refused to help her, she was upset,” Li Hua informed him.

“Why are you involving yourself in all this? Huang Xi doesn’t even like her presence around him,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Even I didn’t like His Highness in the beginning. Princess Jingfei will be married off after the Crown Prince’s gets married. She is worried because of that. If she marries a person whom she already likes, then that’s better,” Li Hua put forward her opinions.

“My case with you was different. For various reasons, Huang Xi doesn’t like Jingfei. She went to his house and it annoyed him more,” Lóng Wei affirmed.

“His Highness doesn’t understand women. I will handle it in my way. “Please call my brother tomorrow,” Li Hua again urged him.

“Fine. I will call Xu Zifan in the palace,” Lóng Wei agreed to her request.

“Thank you,” Li Hua said.

“Xu Zifan will also refuse to help Jingfei,” Lóng Wei stated.

“My brother isn’t like His Highness,” Li Hua asserted.

“Indeed. I do not melt easily,” Lóng Wei stated. “However, Xu Zifan will surely refuse to help you. Mark my words,” he added.

“You are too good, Li Hua. How could you even think of helping her, who was going to punish you once? Then, she thought so ill of you.” Lóng Wei lifted her chin with his calloused fingers.

“She has apologized for those things,” Li Hua replied.

Lóng Wei chuckled and eventually smiled.