Forgotten Legend of the Bloodied Flower

Long Qian Xing walked to the front courtyard when he heard from his servants that Nan Hua had arrived. His smile grew warmer when he noticed the young girl standing there. Under the light from the sun, she looked even more beautiful.

"Hua'er," Long Qian Xing called with a smile.

Nan Hua raised her head and nodded. "Brother Long."

"Have you waited for long? I was staying with Grandmother just now. She'll be happy to see you." Long Qian Xing smiled and beckoned for her to come.

Nan Hua nodded and followed Long Qian Xing obediently.

Old Madam Long had just finished drinking her medicine. She really wanted to curse out loudly. But upon seeing Nan Hua and Long Qian Xing appeared, she swallowed all of those words and nodded at the two of them.

"Grandmother, have you gotten better?" Nan Hua asked when she saw Old Madam Long's situation.

"I'm fine. I'm stronger than you think, Little Lass." Old Madam Long was happy with Nan Hua's attention, but she was also feeling troubled because he didn't want to see Nan Hua being troubled. She patted her hand tenderly. "I'll get well soon and when I did, how about if I accompany you to pick some fruits?"

"I'll be waiting for that, Grandmother." Nan Hua nodded obediently.

At the side, Long Qian Xing had long gotten used to be treated as nonexistent by his grandmother. He was sure that whenever Nan Hua appeared, he would be sidelined to the point of being unrecognizable.

Sometimes, he truly wondered just who among them were his grandmother's real grandchild.

The difference in treatment was really something.

"Hua'er, Grandmother still has to rest."

Old Madam Long frowned. She looked at her grandson and scowled, "What do you mean that I still have to rest? I'm already healthy enough."

"The doctor said that Grandmother can't get agitated." Long Qian Xing smiled.

Seeing the gentlemanly smile on Long Qian Xing's face, Old Madam Long sneered. How could she not know that this damn grandson of hers was trying to monopolize Nan Hua for himself? She knew her children well and naturally knew how fake Long Qian Xing is.

Even though she was also wondering where did he get this annoying trait, she knew that her grandson would never harm her. At most, he would annoy her from time to time.

"Wipe that smile off your face." Old Madam Long snorted. "Go. I'll have some more sleep. Hua'er, if this brat dared to do anything to you, just scream. There are more than enough guards here."

Nan Hua was speechless.

She looked at Long Qian Xing as if asking whether she was his grandmother or not. Why did it sound as if Old Madam Long would always side with Nan Hua no matter who among them was wrong?

Long Qian Xing blinked his eyes innocently as he smiled helplessly. His grandmother really wanted to make things difficult for him. He didn't have any other intention since he merely wanted to spend more time with Nan Hua.

For the nth time, he wondered if he was truly his grandmother's grandson.

"Grandmother, I'm not going to do anything," Long Qian Xing tried to defend himself weakly. In front of his grandmother, he really couldn't do anything to the other party aside from feeling rather helpless.

Old Madam Long merely snorted and waved her hand.

Nan Hua curtsied and then followed Long Qian Xing out of the small hut. She knew that if they stayed for any longer, Long Qian Xing and Old Madam Long would continue their bicker for no end.

Old Madam Long watched as the two children walked to the garden and sighed. She might be sleeping a lot for the past two months, but she was still awake from time to time and saw her grandson's interaction with that apprentice doctor.

The way he kept his distance from her…

Made her remember her son.

'And now that he'll go to the frontline again, I'll miss the two of them.' Old Madam Long silently close her eyes, resting.

…

Meanwhile, Long Qian Xing led Nan Hua to the back garden. His pace was slow and unhurried while his gaze calmly watched his surroundings. He could only see Nan Hua from the corner of his eyes, but for him, it was more than enough.

They stopped in the back garden and there was a table prepared there along with several stones and some equipment. Looking at them, Nan Hua instantly knew that they were carving equipment.

"Hua'er, do you still remember the wooden rabbit I made for you before?"

"Mhm."

After the kidnapping incident, Nan Hua received the wooden rabbit back from Long Qian Xing and kept it inside her pouch. She hadn't taken it out from there ever since.

"I'll be going to the frontline and might not return anytime soon." It was not like Long Qian Xing wanted to, but he had received the report from Emperor Yang Zhou. Before they finished their initial goal, he might not be able to return to the Capital City.

As for how long it would be, he knew that it would take years, but he was not sure of the exact time. It could be 3 years, 5 years, of even more.

It pained him that he wouldn't be able to come back, but as his position grew higher, he knew that it would be impossible for him to abandon the frontline so often. His marriage might even be postponed because of the war.

"I understand, Brother Long."

In the original story, he didn't even come back to the Capital City unless it was a reward ceremony.

"Because of that, I'm going to make a keepsake." Long Qian Xing scratched the back of his head and looked at Nan Hua. "A necklace for you, would you like to receive it, Hua'er?"

Nan Hua blinked and looked at Long Qian Xing. Seeing him looking at her so earnestly, it made Nan Hua unable to refuse him. In the end, she nodded.

"Yes, Brother Long."

Long Qian Xing smiled and beckoned for Nan Hua to sit down. Looking at the equipment on the table, Nan Hua realized that he had prepared the thin chain. It was also very smooth, which would prevent the chain from hurting her.

Then Nan Hua looked at the stones before realizing that they were actually jades. She was not that familiar with the types of jade, but she was sure that Long Qian Xing picked those that were hard enough and would not break at the slightest touch.

"Would you like to try, Hua'er?"

"Mhm."

Sitting on the chair, Nan Hua watched as Long Qian Xing slowly changed the small shape of the jade into that of a rabbit.

She was speechless.

Why did he really like to carve rabbit for her?

Wait, rabbit….

Nan Hua silently count the year and then went speechless. If she was not wrong, she was born in the rabbit year, she forgot the element, though. As for Long Qian Xing…

In this world he was born in the pig's year.

Though, in his original world, he was born in the dog's year.

Looking at the small jade in the size of half her pinkies, Nan Hua had a mischievous idea popped inside her mind. She couldn't really carve, but that shape should be fairly easy~.

With that in thought, Nan Hua began to work carefully.

Thus, the strange picture of two people working on their own as they sat side by side was produced. The other servants tactfully moved away so as to not disturb the harmony between the two of them.

Even staying in the same courtyard felt like disturbing.

Long Qian Xing was the first to finish. He liked carving and often did it when he was bored or had free time. Looking at the small rabbit in his hand, he had a satisfied smile on his face. It looked really good.

He looked at the young girl beside him as his smile grew warmer. His eyes watched the girls's movement as she carefully carved the jade in front of her. From this position, he could only see the round shape.

'What did she make?'

But Long Qian Xing didn't disturb Nan Hua. He simply took the smooth chain that he had prepared and then slipped it through the hole that he had prepared at the back of the rabbit's neck. The necklace was ready.

He only needed to wear it to the person in question.

Long Qian Xing turned to the side and saw Nan Hua's serious face and didn't have the heart to disturb the other party. He silently watched as Nan Hua completely focused on carving the jade.

When he saw a bead of sweat trickle down, Long Qian Xing frowned slightly. He took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped it.

Nan Hua stopped moving.

Long Qian Xing also stopped moving.

It felt awkward.

He quickly retracted his hand when he sensed Nan Hua's gaze fell on him. Her clear black obsidian eyes revealed traces of confusion and Long Qian Xing could see himself inside her black pupil.

"Are you tired, Hua'er?" Long Qian Xing asked softly.