Chapter 402 - Childhood Memories

It was only at noon, Xiong Zhi and Linfeng were on the road going to the Xiong Empire's grand building when they suddenly received an email.

Linfeng clicked to open it, looked at the message, and told the news to his Young Miss.

"Young Miss, Miss Tang Xinyang's invitation came. The coming of age banquet will be at this weekend. Shall I confirm to accept?"

"Yes, please."

Linfeng sent back the confirmation. The physical invitation itself would be sent to the Xiong Mansion later.

Xiong Zhi thoughtfully looked at Linfeng's back, then leaned towards him. "Have you met Tang Xinyang's sister before?"

In the past, she had never seen this Second Young Miss of the Tang family. However, she did remember that Linfeng, who was the childhood friend of both Jang Shin and Tang Xinyang, once mentioned that he sometimes trained with Jang Shin in the Tang Mansion before with the invitation of the butler family Jang. Then he, Linfeng, acted as the Second Young Miss Tang's attendant for a year as a training.

She had never given this much thought because she did not really care before.

Thinking about it, Xiong Zhi suddenly felt inexplicably sour as if she had missed something and another person had grabbed it from her.

Like Linfeng's childhood.

How close were they at that time? Many years had passed, surely they were not as close as before? But when she thought about Tang Xinyang and Linfeng's friendship, she had an inkling that this Second Young Miss Tang still probably maintained her rapport with him.

After all, who would want to cut off their relationship with an outstanding man like Linfeng?

Now that they were about to meet this person, she was really curious. She only knew that she was a great composer and a musician. 

Linfeng looked at her through the rearview mirror and nodded. "I have seen her in the Tang Mansion before." 

She waited for more but there was nothing.

That was it?

"When? Can you tell me more about it?"

Linfeng glanced at her again and saw her eyes filled with... burning passion?

He had no choice but to reminisce his childhood memory with the Tang family.

"I was six when I started training with Jang Shin in the Tang Mansion. The Zhou and Jang families were having a joint training at that time. Our families usually exchange trainees to widen our horizon, and I happen to be the exchange student back then.

"That's when I first met the First Young Miss Tang. Unexpectedly though, I became friends with her. Then the second time I visited the Tang Mansion again was when I was eight. Tang Xinyang was trying to stop her little sister, the Second Young Miss, from swimming in the pond, but the latter was being stubborn." 

"Oh? How old was she at that time?"

"She was six then."

"Humph, she is already six but still wants to swim in a muddy pond. Shouldn't she be aware it's not proper? When I was six, I was already learning foreign languages, and I had mastered English at that age already." 

Xiong Zhi was particularly sour. That Tang Xinyang and her little sister had such a nostalgic childhood memories with her little Linfeng. How cute was Linfeng at that time? 

She imagined a chibi version with small stature, chubby cheeks, bright eyes, and an obedient expression. 

Ah... So envious!

Linfeng found his Young Miss's boasting funny and teased, "Young Miss was really a genius." 

Xiong Zhi's lips curved up, and then she heard his following words. "But this young man had already learned French when I was six."

=_=

Xiong Zhi: I am not competing with you, young man.

She ignored his teasing. She still felt sour and asked more.

"Then, don't tell me you coaxed her in place of Tang Xinyang?"

Linfeng shook his head, still smiling amusedly. "I didn't. Tang Xinyang did ask for help..." He suddenly became a bit embarrassed. 

"And then?"

"And then, I told the Second Young Miss Tang that I would throw her into a pond filled with crocodiles if she didn't stop crying."

Xiong Zhi blinked.

Did she hear it wrong?

The cute and obedient little Linfeng in her mind shattered.

Linfeng coughed. He tried to defend his young mind at that time. "Well, I am not actually very well-behaved when I was a child. When the elders forced me to act obedient and polite, there were times when I wanted to vent my anger too. That day...well, it was not a good day for me, so I accidentally scolded her..."

Watching him make excuses, she felt both pleased and distressed. 

She strangely felt pleased that Linfeng was not gentle at all to another person, and felt distressed that he obviously had a hard time when he was a child. 

Being forced to always act well-behaved at all times would really make a child erupt.

Xiong Zhi leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Linfeng's neck. At this time, he was sitting on the co-pilot's seat, so she appeared to be hugging him from behind.

Linfeng was stunned.

He heard her low murmur close to his ears. "How I wish I was there when you were young. Then we will have an unforgettable childhood together." 

His long lashes lowered as his peach blossom eyes softened. He patted her arms and held her hands.

Actually, that was what he wanted to tell her.

"Me, too. How I wish that I could turn back time and spend my childhood days with you." 

How could Linfeng forget? A long time ago, he once saw her in the distance during her parent's funeral.

At that time, the five-year-old little girl stood in a black dress with a blank face. People went around her, but nothing seemed to touch her, as if she was alone in her world.

Linfeng kissed her hand.

How he wished that he had met her earlier. He could have made her childhood life livelier and more beautiful.

*****

Behind the scene:

Mr. Ji was driving seriously with a blank face. There were people beside him, but nothing seemed to affect him, as if he was alone in his world. (lol)

His sweat traveled from his forehead to his neck. Despite this, his stiff hands drove the car forward, looking straight ahead. He would never, ever peek at the couple's PDA beside him.

Mr. Ji: Dammit...Can this heavy traffic soon end?!