Mama's Princess Is Daddy's Beloved

Chen Rui stared at Li Xue. She wanted to read the expression of the girl but at the same time she didn't want to hold any expectation in her heart. Happiness is easy to accept but failed expectations are hard to cure. So, sitting across the girl, she tried her best to keep her patience.

Li Xue looked at the lady. Though her eyes held the confidence and lips held a soothing smile, her fidgeting fingers down her lap was evidencing the anxiety that she was feeling inside.

"Ma, you have read my motive well. I am not here just to show my gratefulness to you. But there is something else that I want to talk about." After a while, Li Xue spoke, licking her lower lips to soothe the dryness. "But for that, can I request the presence of Pa as well?"

She said and, on the whim, Chen Rui was also about to nod in agreement. But suddenly, the movement of her head paused. Her brows furrowed in confusion as looking at the girl, she repeated to confirm, "Xiao Xue, did I hear it correctly? D-Did you just referred to Tingming as your father?"

She asked and Li Xue remained silent, not sure if she did the right or wrong. She just wanted to cut the hassle of informing the lady that she knew about everything. She wanted to cut the awkwardness that would have come if she has said something in between the lines like – 'I know I am an illegitimate child of His Highness'. But now, she just felt that the awkwardness was bound to come.

"Ma, I just came to …"

"Ahh … You don't have to explain so much Xiao Xue. I can understand your concern and I didn't intend to make it awkward for you. It – it was just that I wanted to confirm that I am not hearing the things and whatever I heard was really what you said."

Knowing the concern of the girl, Chen Rui doesn't think of making it odd for her. But however, she tried, she couldn't hold back the emotion she was feeling inside.

Li Xue stared at the lady. She heard her saying something about reconfirmation, so she repeated it for her. She felt lucky enough that she didn't have to state the whole story like she thought she would have to. "Ma, can I also have Pa here? I have to tell something important and I need both of you to be present here."

She said and at her reiteration of the same words as before, the royal lady's eyes glimmered, revealing some hints of tears at the corner of her eyes. Nodding, she at once agreed. "Sure, dear. I will let your father know about your request. I am sure he would come soon after hearing that it's your call." She said before picking up the phone to give the call to Shin Tingming.

***

In the late afternoon, Chen Rui had been waiting in the living room when from the entrance, Shin Tingming came walking in.

"You are already here, Tingming? I thought you would take longer. Did the meet get over soon?" Chen Rui said, getting a bit surprised at the early arrival of her husband. When earlier, she gave a call to him, he was there doing a meeting with some associates and based on what she has understood, she was sure, it would have taken hours to complete. But now seeing the man already here, she was confused about how did she guess it wrong.

Shin Tingming didn't look like he rushed back. His demeanor looked quite relaxed but his eyes were all in a state of nervousness. Nodding to the askance of his wife, he looked around in search of someone before asking, "Did she leave already?"

And just by his words of question like that, Chen Rui understood where she calculated wrong. "Are you asking about Li Xue?"

The man turned and nodded again. "Mhm. You said she wanted to talk about something important with me … I mean us. Did she already leave because it got late?" He asked. Though his voice was very calm and composed, Chen Rui could easily feel the desperation of a father inside him.

She shook her head. "Nope, she has not yet left. She is inside on a call with her manager and will be here soon. Until then have a breather here." She said and taking a lungful of breath, the man nodded before taking the seat beside her.

"How is she now? Has her wound recovered?" He asked casually and maintaining her graceful tone, Chen Rui nodded.

"Yes, it's almost healed. As expected, FenFen took the right care of her. You don't have to worry too much about her." She said and right at that moment, a maid came to offer a soothing drink for the king. Chen Rui looked at the glass and gestured to him, "Have it first. Though you look all fine on the surface, I can see that you have made a rush here. This drink would calm your nerves. So, quickly finish it."

She said and nodding to her, Shin Tingming didn't reject. Taking the glass in his hands, he asked the maid to leave first, before turning to look back at his wife. Though he didn't ask anything, Chen Rui still read his eyes and reached out to pat above his knees to say, "You don't have to stress out so much, darling. I feel like she has accepted you already. Earlier, she has even made it clear to me by calling us as parents."

"Calling us as parents? Did she really?" Shin Tingming asked and Chen Rui hummed.

"Yes, You Jun didn't lie before. Li Xue did refer you as Pa before and even today. And as for me, she has already called me Ma from before. So, she must have accepted us as her parents already. I am sure of it. It's just that I am curious to know what is the important thing that she wants to talk to us." She said and right at that moment, Li Xue's voice from a distance, interjected to clear.

"Yes, I did accept you as my parents. But I have come to ask, when are you going to accept me as your daughter?"

Her voice wasn't sharp, but it wasn't too docile as well. It was polite but it also held a hint of mystery as well as a demand of assurance for the elders.