Yu Mei's arms slowly went down to her side as she allowed Gu Shao to hold her in his embrace. Her nose couldn't help but make contact with his chest. She could smell the spicy sandalwood scent on his body. A scent very different to Pei Nan's earthy rosewood.
"Pan Yu Mei," Gu Shao called out her name soft and sweetly.
This sent a shock of waves through her body. It wasn't the romantic kind of shock, in fact it could be interpreted as a strange and awkward feeling.
"Brother Shao let…" before she could finish her words demanding him to let go, he cut her off.
"Yu Mei, don't push me away. I promise to let go after I say my words."
Gu Shao let out a heavy sigh. Yu Mei could hear his heartbeat. Just how fast was his heart beating? Was it normal?
"I like you." Those three gentle words from him made her feel even more awkward. With eyes wide opened, she continued to listen to him.
"No, I don't just like you, I think I love you. I don't know when I fell for you. Every time I am with you, I can be me."
"I don't like this joke. Let me go." Yu Mei fired back at his confession. Instead of letting her go, Gu Shao continued to hold her tightly in his embrace. To hear her take his confession so lightly, he felt stupid and disappointed but he refused to acknowledge this.
"Pan Yu Mei, I am not lying. I've really fallen for you. I've told myself countless times that you are someone I can't love but no matter how hard I try, I can't. I've grown accustomed to your smile, laughter, playfulness and upfront personality."
Yu Mei knew. He was being serious. There was not an ounce of playfulness or teasing in his voice.
"When I see Pei Nan mistreat you, I can't help but want to protect you. You are someone I want to protect. As long as you agree, I will go against Pei Nan until he frees you."
He waited for her reply.
No reply.
Gu Shao slowly pulled her away from him. He held her shoulders and looked at her face. She was looking at the ground. "Agree to marry me." He softly proposed.
She looked up; a mixed gaze on her face. She was too shocked by this sudden confession that she didn't know if she should be upset or not. "Brother Shao...we can't." She firmly stood her ground.
"We can. As long as you agree." He continued.
"We can't. I only love you as a brother, a friend and a confidant. I don't love you like that. You are the only friend I can turn to. I don't want to lose you like this. Please don't make this hard for the both of us." She tried to explain without hurting him.
She could see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. "Would you have loved me if you met me first?" The regrets. He hated that he didn't marry her. Hated that he didn't fight for her back then. Hated that he agreed to cancel the marriage.
"I don't know. All I know is that if we had met under a different situation, I believe we would not be where we are right now. We would not have this brotherly bond." She honestly replied to him. His hands fell down to his side. The look of defeat all over his face.
This time it was Yu Mei who grabbed his hands and held them firmly. "Shao, you are the best person to walk into my life. I've never had anyone accompany and protect me as well as you. I thank you for everything you've done for me. And I don't want to lose you over this matter of the heart."
He gave her a small smile. "I understand." Even when he assured her he understood, his heart was heavy. In fact, his whole body felt heavy. To know she didn't love him hurt. But to lose a friend, he was afraid.
"As long as you are still willing to be my friend, I will always be by your side and protect you." He assured her.
She nodded her head. "Brother Shao, thank you!" She spoke from the bottom of her heart. "What you have for me is good feelings, this isn't love. Someday you will meet someone who will fill your heart with happiness. Someone you will love unconditionally. And someone who will return that affection." She patted his hand.
"Thank You." Gu Shao gave her one last hug. A hug to seal their friendship forever. This hug, Yu Mei happily accepted.
Gu Shao watched as Yu Mei walked away. "Do you love him?" He called loud enough for her to hear.
Yu Mei slightly turned to face him. "I don't know."
Yu Mei slowly walked back to her room. She felt bad. How was she not able to read his thoughts? Did she do something that would make him misinterpret her feelings for him? Would things be awkward? Would he be sad? As she made her way back, her thoughts went from Gu Shao to Pei Nan. Did she love him? Did she? She had to admit that she felt anxious and happy around him but was that love?
From morning until evening, she wasn't feeling like herself. Gu Shao's question kept repeating in her head. Did she love him? Yu Mei plopped her arms on the table and set her head down. Who cares about him! She told herself.
Those thoughts didn't last long when her window flung open. Her heart exploded the moment she saw a man in black. His face was covered with a mask. "I'm going to die." Was her first thoughts.
"ASSASSIN! Help me!" Yu Mei made an attempt at the door. "Help me. There's an assassin." She kept yelling.
Before she knew it, she was already grabbed and put on the man's shoulder like a bag of rice. "I'm not going to kill you." Even when he was walking towards the door, he assured her he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Ah?" she gasped. "Let me go you flower thief." She kicked and screamed like a wild animal. "If you harm me, I promise I'll cut your little brother off." She threatened.
No response. He really was a flower thief.
Yu Mei thought it was weird. He was walking freely out in the open, in her courtyard. Where the hell were all her maids and guards? A thought came into her mind. He had killed them all.
"You damn flower thief! Why did you have to kill the innocent people in my courtyard? I'll really cut off you're manhood if you don't release me right now. I'm telling you, my husband is the great Prince Nan. If he knows you kidnapped his most beloved consort, he'll skin you alive." She continued to shout as her tiny fists fiercely attacked his back
When the gate was opened, she saw a small carriage parked outside. Where did this come from?
She was thrown in.
Yu Mei tried to escape through the other side of the carriage but was a step too slow. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his arms. Yu Mei's back met with his hard chest. She tried her best to squirm away.
"Go." He commanded to the person just outside, in charge of the carriage.
"Help! I've been kidnapped." She continued to scream.
"Xiaojie! Why are you screaming?" From the outside, the curtain waved opened and out of nowhere appeared Chu'mei and Feng Ju.
"Chu'mei? Feng Ju?" She asked dumbfounded.
"Greetings to Consort Pan." Feng Ju said even as he was driving the carriage. Yu Mei's heart stopped when she thought about it. Then the man who kidnapped her was…
She angrily turned her head to face him and pulled the mask down.
Prince Nan.
"You tricked me!" She pushed him away. Pei Nan let her escape his hug. Yu Mei quickly fled to the other side of the carriage and gave him a death glare. "Do you know you almost gave me a heart attack? What the hell is your deal?" She shouted at him.
"Eh? Is that any way to speak to a prince?" He reminded her.
"And is this any way to treat a woman? Now answer me, what in the devil are you doing?"
"Nothing much. Just bringing my wife on a trip." He crossed his arms and shrugged it off.
The fume coming out of Yu Mei's head was very visible. She was pissed. "Why did you kidnap me for?"
"It was either this or use a whole evening trying to convince you to come along." He said. "This was simply the fastest option." He added.
"What?" She scooted to the edge and looked outside. They were heading towards the city gates. So where were they going?
"Where are we going?" She angrily asked.
"City of Zhengzhou."
"Why?" Her brow arched.
"Because I want to."
"Why did you drag me along? If you wanted to go, go by yourself." She retorted.
"This great Prince Nan only wanted to bring his most beloved consort with him." He slowly enunciated every word carefully in a playful voice. A small chuckle left his mouth.
Yu Mei crossed her hands and turned her body away. She refused to talk to him. How dare he bring that up. How embarrassing. If she had known the kidnapper was Pei Nan, she wouldn't have spouted such nonsense.
She closed her eyes and prayed he wouldn't speak another word to her.