Chapter 45 - Pranks

"So we need to go to her and ask how to put the stone together without crashing it but...," added Nianshi.

"But?" Ming interjected. She couldn't wait longer.

"I don't know the way because the Sorceress went there through her time portal."

"Ah." "Oh my." Each of them cried. More headaches. Xinyi could only sigh.

On the next day, Ming started the construction of Anjing Pavilion after he finished building a hut within the forest but with a nice silk-covered soft bed and with other conveniences Xinyi demanded from him.

He also brought Gu Dai to keep his promise, but they had to warn Gu Dai not to tell of her master's power and the Hutyuns or it would cause her life. But, to their surprise, Gu Dai already knew of her power.

"Did father send you to me because you won't be afraid of my power?" Xinyi asked Gu Dai with widened eyes while she sat on a reclined bamboo seat.

"Yes, my Lady," replied Gu Dai as she received an umbrella from a veiled Hutyun.

"Are you not afraid of me and these little ones?" She moved closer to Gu Dai while the maid placed the umbrella on a pole prepared by another Hutyun.

"Why would I, my lady? The truth is, my late mother was also a Chiangda, but she died trying to use her powers to save me from young masters from rich families who attempted to **** me."

"Ah, that's dreadful. I'm sorry for bringing up such a tragic story." Xinyi was sorry with what Gu Dai experienced.

"Never mind, my lady. In fact, I'm thankful to the prime minister for saving me and sending me to you." She ended after the umbrella was in proper place shading Xinyi's body from the sunlight.

"I didn't know that," Xinyi said almost like a whisper because she couldn't believe her father saved a Chiangda's child. Most of these powerful beings' children were sold to brothels or to rich families as a helper. This information about her father's deeds was really something new to her.

"What's your mother's power?"

"She can manipulate plants but she couldn't use it well and the authorities sent an arrow to her heart..." Gu Dai choked saying the last words.

"I'm sorry to hear that." By now, Xinyi began to see bit by bit on how much she had to thank her father for keeping her from people or she might have ended up like Gu Dai's mother.

"Don't be sorry, Lady Lei. Anyway, I'm happy I'm with you. From now on, I will help protect you."

Xinyi suddenly gulped fast the juice she drank and coughed hard after hearing Gu Dai's declaration. Seeing her choking, Gu Dai hastily pounded her back to help her breathe well. "Be careful, my lady."

"Wow, what loyalty but no," Xinyi said with a bit of heaviness in her voice after her breathing normalized. She refused such help knowing the poor maid was helpless on her own. But the latter insisted, so the master had to let Gu Dai keep her oath.

While the two chatted, the Hutyuns sulked in front of Ming because Xinyi told them to wear a veil. He walked to the sitting pretty Xinyi drinking a glass of juice while the unveiled Hutyuns followed behind him. "Wife, why are making them wear the veil?"

"I can't help it, I get annoyed thinking what you did to make them look like you," said Xinyi while ignoring Ming then faced the little beings. "If you don't put those veils again, I won't let you come near me."

"No!!" The Hutyuns groaned and hurriedly wore veils and tried offering Xinyi some fruits, drinks, and books, outwitting Gu Dai's eagerness. Gu Dai had to give way for them for she felt their pain while Ming sighed. But the naughty husband who didn't want to lose, sent a wind to blow the veils away, making Xinyi angry. The little Mings covered their faces right away than to add to their queen's ire but irritated Ming.

'You little punks need not be afraid of her. She won't dare hurt you.' Ming thought but outwardly, he only smiled at Xinyi with his charming smile. "Wife, let them be. It's not their fault anyway."

"It's you who made them suffer," she replied and jerked her head away from him.

'Tsk, tsk, you're getting c.o.c.ky now after just winning one against me, eh? We'll see. It's your turn now, but it's mine later,' he said in his mind, but only shrugged in front of Xinyi as he apologized to the sad Hutyuns.

That afternoon, Xinyi went out to buy clothes with Gu Dai and asked for a male companion as the carrier, but Ming didn't allow anyone else, even his brothers, to accompany her. But he went himself. And this gave Xinyi an opportunity to play a prank on him.

Gu Dai and Xinyi went into a shopping spree and ran around the market buying clothes, blankets, undies, bags, accessories, and others while throwing all items to Ming until the packages fell down at his feet.

"Aya! Husband, why not let someone come with us than you?" she said while laughing inside. The vendors and the guards felt sorry for their Governor and volunteered to carry for him. While Gu Dai's face went pale thinking the Governor was poorly treated by his wife in front of the people.

The maid nudged an elbow to her master saying, "Lady Lei, please, this is too much. The people will hate you for this." Her reminder scolded Xinyi and agreed with her. And thought of stopping her pranks and go home.

However, Ming understood her tactic well and hated to lose. Hence, he only thanked those who offered help and let the carriage follow them everywhere and tossed the items straight inside while showing Xinyi his empty hands.

Xinyi's ears went red in vexation and bought as much as she could to make Ming furious with her spending. But the result, Ming showed the people that he doted his wife so much by allowing her to buy everything she liked. In the end, the people praised him for loving his wife this much while single ladies envied Xinyi to have a husband like Ming.

In other words, Xinyi lost this bout today and planned on getting even the next day. Then her attention went to a bookshop. She went in and purchased a lot of books about health, herbs, history, and others until she found an old book with dark green cover with a title, My Diary. With this, her eyes lit as she recalled something.

Xinyi called it a day and ran as swift as her feet could carry to reach the cave. As he went in, she saw Nianshi napping under a tree in human form. "Nianshi," she yelled with a splitting smile and said, "Nianshi, bring me back to Forsaken Valley. Grandma Liu left a diary there. We might find some clues in her entries since she was the one who gave me this pendant."

"That will be a good idea," Nianshi said.