Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Yin Na lifted her eyes to peer at him and found an intense look in them. It felt to her that Huo Jin knew every single feeling of hers.

"Let's go back," Huo Jin said and walked away.

Yin Na blankly stared in his direction. Why did he not confess to her? He should tell her why he kissed her, No?

"Huo Jin," she shouted his name at the top of her lungs, who halted at his place. Yin Na ran to him and stood in front of him. She wanted the answer from her. Those three magical words, which she told him numerous times, but he never once did.

"Do you love me?" She asked him forthrightly.

Huo Jin, who had an amusing expression on his face, did not answer her. He could see the eagerness in Yin Na's face and the desperation to know the truth.

"You wanted me to kiss, didn't you?" Huo Jin asked. "I did what you wanted," he replied.

"But shouldn't you say something? I mean, you don't kiss unless you have feelings for someone," Yin Na stated and waited for his response.

"What do you want me to say?" Huo Jin asked her, keeping a grin on his face.

"Why are you asking me? You know what you must say to me," Yin Na asserted.

"No. I don't know," he said while smiling.

"Then, why are you smiling?" Yin Na queried him.

"I am happy today," Huo Jin answered. "I fulfill your wish to get kissed by me," he added.

"But I want to hear those words too. You only kiss when you love someone, Huo Jin. Is it too tough for you to say? Okay, then you can nod your head to my question," Yin Na pronounced and asked, "do you love me?"

Her heart raced at that moment. It was indeed a special moment for her and if she would get the desired answer from him, then it would be the most beautiful moment of her life.

Huo Jin stepped toward her and brought his face close to her. He ducked his head towards her ear and whispered, "you need to learn how to kiss."

He leaned back and their eyes met again. "I am tired," he said and turned to go. Yin Na touched her lips and then at Huo Jin's back. She ran after him and found he was walking faster than earlier.

They both were now on the main route to the Wang Residence. Both were silent for a long time and it bothered Yin Na. But she could not speak to Huo Jin either. His earlier comment was troubling her.

Huo Jin, on the other hand, found the troubled expressions on her grimace. But staying quiet was best. Though, he grasped her hand firmly. Before she could ask him, he said, "you are walking way too slowly."

Yin Na pulled her hand from his grip. "I will walk faster than you," she challenged him and ran ahead of him.

Huo Jin understood that Yin Na was angry at him because he didn't say what she wanted to hear.

~~~~~~

Sheng Li entered the famous wine shop in Changying. He walked to the second floor and went towards the open balcony, where a table surrounded by two chairs was placed. The small stream was visible from there and a few people could be seen in the boathouse.

Sheng Li settled on one of the chairs. As he sat down, a man in white robes came to him and lowered his eyes showing a formal greeting gesture towards the Emperor.

"You chose a nice location," Sheng Li said and looked towards the lake.

"Since it was the first place where you have wine with me," the man said and looked around. He refrained from speaking formally with Sheng Li.

Taking out a small folded piece of paper, he forwarded it to Sheng Li, who opened it and read the message on it.

"Lian Zoumu was near the Governor's residence last night. Our few spies, who are appointed as soldiers in Mingze's residence, found them conversing," the man informed Sheng Li.

"The message I gave you is something the two conversed. It needs to be decoded," the man told Sheng Li, who hummed.

"You may leave," Sheng Li ordered him.

The man looked around and bowed. However, before leaving he congratulated Sheng Li, who glanced at him in amusement. "It is good to see that you have a family now. You always wondered what your family would look like, but now I suppose it is beautiful," the man stated.

Sheng Li smiled and agreed with his words.

"Let's have wine someday. Maybe after this matter gets resolved," the man suggested to which Sheng Li agreed. He stood up and walked away. Sheng Li looked at the tiny piece of paper in his hand and folded it.

'What could this message mean? Has someone from Luoyang planned it out? I trusted Mingze in such a big territory, yet he betrayed me,' Sheng Li thought. His eyes fell on Zhe Yan, who was employed in the wine shop. He motioned his hand towards him, who without wasting any second came to Sheng Li.

"What does the Master want to take?" Zhe Yan asked in his humble tone.

"The popular rice wine of Changying," Sheng Li ordered.

"Please wait for a few minutes." Zhe Yan walked away and after some time returned with a tray in his hand. He put the jar on the table and the cup as well.

"So, you work in this wine shop," Sheng Li asked in amusement.

"Yes, Master, but only three days a week," Zhe Yan replied and poured the wine for Sheng Li.

"Is the Master gathering more information?" Zhe Yan asked and put the jar on the table. He understood that Sheng Li did not want to answer him, so stayed quiet.

"It's my pleasure to serve you this wine," Zhe Yan said delightedly. "Please enjoy your drinks, Master," he said before leaving.

Sheng Li brought the cup near his mouth when heard the voices of cursing. He put the cup on the table and realized that it was coming from the first floor. The breaking of furniture could be heard, along with the screams of the people.

He came towards the balustrade and looked down. A group of men was beating a man, who had taken the debt from their master. The owner tried to stop them, however, got injured when the man in brown robes pushed him away.

Zhe Yan helped the owner to get aside whose forehead was bleeding after it banged against the table.

Sheng Li did not bother to stop and went back to his seat. After finishing the drinks, he came downstairs to pay, and to his surprise, the group of five men was still cursing at the man, who was on his knees.

Sheng Li paid for the drinks and decided to leave when he heard one of them.

"Master has told us to bring his daughter to him."

Sheng Li turned to look at them.

"Please don't do anything to my daughter. I will pay back the taxes by the next morning. I beg you," the man on his knees pleaded with them.

"Our master has waited enough. Now, your daughter will repay him by serving him for her entire life."

The muscular man from the group fisted his hair and dragged him towards the door when Sheng Li stopped him by standing in front of them.

"Leave him," Sheng Li said with a menacing expression.

"Who are you to stop us?" Another man pushed Sheng Li, who stumbled back. Zhe Yan quickly came forward and told them to not create a scene in the shop.

"Hey, Kid! Don't interfere in this matter," the man in the middle threatened him.

"How much debt does he have on your master?" Sheng Li thought about not getting into the eyes of anyone and decided to let this go away in a calming way. "I will repay the debt he has. Leave him," Sheng Li told them and took out the pouch from his inner pocket of the robe.

The muscular man's grip loosened from his hair and the man fell to the floor.

"If you won't be able to pay, then I will—"

"What if I'll pay every single penny to you?" Sheng Li asked them.

Zhe Yan looked at Sheng Li and wondered why he was speaking this way.

"Take me to your master and I'll pay every single penny to him," Sheng Li affirmed. The group of men glanced at each other. They decided to take Sheng Li with them.

"Let's go," the muscular man told Sheng Li, who left with them.

Zhe Yan could not help but follow Sheng Li. He had realized that Sheng Li was alone and it would not be good if the Emperor had not had anyone around to protect him.

"I will also accompany you," Zhe Yan said when one of them scowled at him.

"Let him come with me," Sheng Li told those men, who did not oppose them and they all left to meet the master, who was behind this commotion.