1 Year Ago….
"Let go," Qian Ping said, as calmly as possible to mask how angry he was with her. "If you don't show me respect, I won't listen to you."
Liu Ding Yiu listened to Prince Ping and released him from her grip. Immediately the nearby guards took hold of her. She didn't resist, watching the Prince smooth out his creased robe. "There are some innocent women held captive by the underworld merchant. He headed south to an inn with them," Ding Yiu informed. "You must go and save them."
"Send someone to investigate this matter," Prince Ping turned to address his guard, "I'll decide if it's necessary to intervene after I know more details." He took one glance at Ding Yiu, "also, take the girl to the side and wait. There's no need to be forceful with her."
"Yes your highness," the guard answered.
On Prince Ping's orders, the guards started to carefully guide Ding Yiu away. She stared in exasperation, watching the Prince readily get back into his sedan. [Is he planning to do nothing about this], Ding Yiu wondered. [I'm counting on him to take revenge for that girl]. "Why are you waiting around?" she yelled at him. "I've already told you all the details you need to know."
"How do I know you're not lying?" Prince Ping turned to give Ding Yiu a cold look. "I don't know who you are. I'm not wrong to be more cautious."
Ding Yiu looked away. She hated to admit that the prince had a valid argument. If it was her in his position, she wouldn't blindly go and rescue some slaves just because a stranger demanded for it. However, Ding Yiu remembered hearing that the Second Prince had quite a righteous personality. [He's just too level-headed at the moment], Ding Yiu perceived. [But if Prince Ping are as the rumours say, then I can surely provoke him to act on his virtuous nature]. "Coward," Ding Yiu deliberately muttered loud enough for the prince to hear. "I was wrong to place my hopes in a weakling like you. I should've known better." She shook her head, her eyes displaying pity, "you're just a big disappointment."
"How could you insult Prince Ping like this?" the guard restraining Ding Yiu hit her on the back, "out of all the Princes, I dare say Prince Ping is the wisest and most compassionate."
"Would a respectable prince allow his guards to hit a defenceless girl?" Ding Yiu challenged. She glared at the upset guard, daring him to hit her again. [As long as I can lure the Prince to the underworld merchant, he will take action], Ding Yiu believed. [He just needs to hurry up and go before I start to do something drastic]. "From what I've seen so far, Prince Pink is just petty-minded."
"You," the guard raised his hand.
"Stop! Enough," Prince Ping shouted. He threw the guard a look to prevent him from hitting the insolent girl. [My pride's already been reduced to almost nothing from her accusations], Prince Ping thought, [I'm not giving her more excuses to belittle me]. "Say I will believe your words," he began, "and I'm willing to go and help those slaves. You do realise that as a Prince, I'm not supposed to directly meddle in the underworld business." He lowered his voice, "there are strict regulations we follow when dealing with the underworld."
Ding Yiu nodded, intentionally flickering scornful glances at the prince. "I'm glad," she mocked, "I'm glad that you aren't the crown prince. For if you ever became King, with such a narrow mind like yours, this Kingdom will…." Ding Yiu didn't say the brazen words out loud but she visibly mouthed, 'surely fall'.
Wrath consumed Prince Ping as he reached to yank the offensive girl towards him. "You dare to speak those treacherous words," he breathed heavily. He was struggling to control the burning desire in him to slap this girl's face and teach her a lesson. The only thing keeping him from doing so, was he knew if he did anything to her, she would come up with more words to ridicule him. He pressed his lips together in frustration. Never in his life has he met anyone who could rile him up so much. He was at a loss. [What am I supposed to do with you], he mentally cursed the girl in front of him, his grip on her clothes tightening.
Ding Yiu tried hard not to smile. She knew seeing the Prince's reaction, she had succeeded. [One more push], she thought. "Xia Qian Ping, your heart is too small and your mind too narrow. To me you're a disappointment," Ding Yiu gave Prince Ping a stern gaze, "unless you prove me wrong."
"Guards," Prince Ping shouted, "head towards the south inn. Your main goal is to rescue those slaves. You have permission to kill if the criminals fight back."
"Yes Prince Ping," the guards responded, heading south.
"You're coming with me," Prince Ping commanded angrily. He took hold of Ding Yiu's wrist, pulling her towards his sedan. "I'll make you take back all the words you said about me tonight. You'll kneel down to me apologizing and admitting you are wrong."
"Remember your words Xia Qian Ping," Ding Yiu dared, her lips curving into a mischievous smile.
There was momentary confusion as the remaining guards had their mouths wide open, not knowing how to react. Without any warning Ding Yiu had shoved Prince Ping inside the sedan before running off down the streets. She headed south. A moment later, stepping out the sedan with his eyes twitching from anger was Prince Ping. He glared in the direction Ding Yiu disappeared towards. "I swear I will definitely find you," Prince Ping resolutely declared.
[And I have found you], Prince Ping thought, his memories of their first encounter ending there. He now focussed back on the present. Finally he had this insolent girl at his mercy.
"OUCH!" Ding Yiu cried out as Prince Ping bit her fingers, "let go you brute."
Enjoying Ding Yiu's surprised and helpless look, Prince Ping kept his teeth on her fingers. He slowly bit harder but made sure it wasn't overly painful for her. [Can't you ever say nice words to me?] Prince Ping questioned, [as if I'd let you go so easily after you called me a brute].
"Let go," Ding Yiu repeated. She was on the verge of calling him petty, small-hearted and narrow-minded again. Though feeling his teeth tighten on her fingers, she stopped herself. [Insulting him would only aggravate him more], Ding Yiu realised. She pouted, [but he really is petty to take my fingers hostage].
Watching Ding Yiu pout, Prince Ping couldn't help but have a smug face. This was his first victory against her since they met. [What are you going to do now?] he wondered, [I'll let go if you apologize to me].
[I'm never going to apologize], Ding Yiu mentally responded, as though knowing precisely what he was thinking. She took a deep breath, staring at the childish prince, "Xia Qian Ping, I saved your life. Is this the way you're going to repay me?"
Prince Ping instantly let go of Ding Yiu's fingers. He moved around a bit, then placed a hand over his wound. [The heaviness is gone. There's only a slight pain on my shoulder]. He looked at Ding Yiu who was carefully examining her fingers now. "That pill you fed me was the antidote to the poison?"
"Obviously. Can't you tell? You're still alive and well," Ding Yiu muttered, rubbing her fingers. "I don't deserve such treatment for saving your life."
Sighing, Prince Ping gently grabbed Ding Yiu's hand. He carefully rubbed the fingers he had bitten, inspecting them himself. "I haven't left any marks. I didn't think I was biting too hard," he spoke more softly. Now that he had calmed down, he did feel a spark of guilt for biting her. He seemed to have forgotten his own pain as well, concentrating on rubbing her fingers, "does it still hurt?"
"Well…" Ding Yiu uttered, unable to say more. Observing Prince Ping gently rub her own fingers, she felt embarrassed. His sudden act of concern threw her off, leaving her perplexed. She simply wasn't sure how to respond to him like this. Ding Yiu redirected his attention, "my fingers are fine. But I'm not so sure about your friend who's been glaring at us for quite some time now."
Looking in the direction Ding Yiu turned her head towards, Prince Ping quickly let go of her hand. Dismay hit him. He had totally forgotten about Heng. However, Prince Ping wasn't sure whether to feel apologetic or amused by Heng's current appearance. Heng was lying on his stomach under a massive pile of umbrellas. He was certainly glaring in Prince Ping's direction, his cheeks puffed out. To Prince Ping's relief though, Heng didn't have any visible wounds.
"Take this," Ding Yiu nudged a pill into Prince Ping's hand, squeezing it. Before letting go, she said, "I'm not going anywhere until you help me."
Prince Ping nodded, acknowledging her words. He ran to Heng. When he reached Heng, he raised an eyebrow. There was a bright red hand mark across his left cheek. [Isn't that a slap mark?] Prince Ping stared, shoving the pill into Heng's mouth. He then brushed off all the umbrellas, helping Heng to his feet. All this time, Heng did not stop giving Prince Ping the envy glare.
"Will you quit staring at me like this?" an uncomfortable Prince Ping asked. "What's with the mark on your cheek?"
At the mention of the slap mark on his face, Heng stopped glaring. He now went into complete whinge mode. "Qian Ping," he cried, "I was rejected by the love of my life."
Prince Ping raised an eyebrow. He was familiar with Heng often spewing nonsense from his mouth, but claiming to be rejected by the love of his life was a first. It was over dramatic to even listen to.
"As I was combatting those assassins, a very tempting women appeared before my eyes," Heng dramatically recounted, "she was beautiful dancing around with her umbrella. Her curvy waist swayed with each move, her long hair-"
"Who is she and where is she now?" Prince Ping interrupted. He didn't have time to listen those sorts of useless detail.
"I tried flirting with her," Heng said frankly, "so she slapped me and threw me under a pile of umbrellas. The poison kicked in and I couldn't move, so I had to watch her leave."
Prince Ping sighed, [typical of Heng]. "In other words you have no idea who that woman was?"
"She mentioned she was just a passer-by," Heng said, "don't worry. Once we get back, I'll investigate her."
Prince Ping nodded, "are you hurt?"
That question triggered Heng. He suddenly remembered the reason he was glaring at Prince Ping moments ago. "Yes, my heart hurts," Heng whined, his envy glare back on his face. [It's unfair you got to flirt with a girl and I got slapped]. "You forgot about me and started flirting with some random girl. How could you pay more attention to her than me?"
"She's not a random girl," Prince Ping corrected, "she's Ding Ding."
Heng instantly turned to study the girl waiting in the distance. He squinted his eyes, moving his head from side to side to catch a better view. He couldn't quite see her face clearly since she was far away. [She seems like a beauty. She must be a beauty], Heng sniggered, [why else would Qian Ping search for her for a year]. He straightened his robes, "do I look alright? How should I greet her?"
Prince Ping ignored Heng's sudden fascination with Ding Yiu. He clasped a hand over his bleeding shoulder. The pain finally got to him. Heng immediately steadied Prince Ping, holding him up straight.
"Qian Ping, you're hurt," Heng almost yelled. He stared at the gash on Prince Ping's shoulders. It didn't look too deep, but still it worried Heng. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"I can handle something like this," Prince Ping stated.
"Xia Qian Ping," Ding Yiu called out, running towards them. She had seen Prince Ping falter in his steps so had rushed over. Slightly worried about him, she reached out to support him with one hand whilst holding his Gods Weapon in the other. "We should treat your wounds first."
Prince Ping nodded. He wanted to interrogate Ding Yiu on many things, but felt there wasn't a need to rush. He was certain she wouldn't run away this time. [Since you chose to save me, that means you're not my enemy right?] he thought, allowing her to gently guide him to the side.
Neither seemed to have noticed Heng being fossilized on the spot, with a perplexed and shell-shocked expression on his face.
Ding Yiu proceeded to pull Prince Ping's robe down to the side, just enough to reveal the top of his shoulders. She began pouring the wound seal powder over the gash. All this time she was aware of Prince Ping's gaze upon her. [Stop staring at me. If you have something to say then say it], Ding Yiu mentally complained.
[What are you waiting for], Prince Ping thought, still looking at Ding YIu. [I'm giving you a chance now to explain yourself to me?]
[Why should I be the one to talk first], Ding Yiu silently challenged, [I've not forgiven you yet for biting my fingers].
[This inconsiderate girl], Prince Ping sighed after a few more minutes of silence. He gave in and began questioning her, "why did you save me? What's your motive? How did you know I was here?"
Ding Yiu pulled Prince Ping's robe back on, having finished bandaging the wound. "I need your help with something," she said bluntly, "that's why I saved you. You're just lucky I still have the antidote to this poison."
"Lucky?" Prince Ping repeated with a speculative tone. "This seems very well planned."
"I came across this poison once whilst travelling," Ding Yiu lied, her voice stern. "It's your choice whether you believe me or not. Saving you was like a coincidence." She reached in her sleeve to retrieve the golden pendant. "I came across an injured man who gave this to me," Ding Yiu told, "he asked me to deliver a message to you. That's how I know you were here."
An uneasy expression formed on Prince Ping's face as he reached for the golden pendant. Instantly recognizing the object, he felt a sense of dread hit him. [This belongs to Jing Ke]. He grabbed Ding Yiu's shoulders, "where is this man? How is he now?"
"He's alive and safe," Ding Yiu assured.
Relieved to hear Jing Ke was all right, Prince Ping let go of Ding Yiu. [It's good Jing Ke is fine. I didn't expect it to be him who asked Ding Ding to find me. There are still so many questions]. He clenched onto the pendant, "take me to him."
[Where's my 'please'?] Ding Yiu eyed the prince staying silent.
"Please," Prince Ping added as though reading her mind.
The edge of Ding Yiu's lips slowly curved upwards. "He's not staying far from here. This way," she said leading him.
Prince Ping followed behind Ding Yiu. He only took several steps before abruptly stopping. He gently pulled Ding Yiu to a stop too. [I'm forgetting something again], he suddenly remembered. He turned to stare at Heng who was still stood in the same spot. Once again Prince Ping raised an eyebrow, [what is he doing?]. "Heng," Prince Ping shouted.
Heng stood like a prehistoric rock. He was too deeply lost within complicated thoughts to coordinate his body to move. Nothing made sense to him and he hated it. [Qian Ping said this girl is called Ding Ding], Heng worked through his thoughts, [Qian Ping spent a year searching for Ding Ding. However, the proclaimed Ding Ding before me now is definitely Consort Liu. I cannot mistake that beautiful face. What does all this mean?] He blindly looked ahead of him, [does Qian Ping not know Ding Ding is his wife? What's he been doing for the past year of his marriage to her?] He paused on the thought, [wait, I remember Consort Liu wears a veil over her face. It can't be. Qian Ping has never seen her face before?] Heng frowned, [that still doesn't make much sense].
"Heng," Prince Ping shouted again.
This time Heng heard him. He stared from Prince Ping to the girl who was apparently called Ding Ding. [Her name is a giveaway], Heng mentally convinced himself, [Ding Ding derived from the 'Ding' in Liu Ding Yiu. You must be Consort Liu]. He slowly made his way towards them. "Are you going to introduce me to this beauty here or not?"
[Must I introduce them], Prince Ping let out a sigh. [For some reason, I feel these two together would mean trouble for me. I've also noticed Heng being kind of interested in Ding Ding...which is bad....] Prince Ping cleared his throat, "Heng, this is Ding Ding, the insolent girl I met a year ago. She came desperately looking for me, begging for my help again." He now motioned towards Heng, "and Ding Ding, this is Sima Heng. Just a loudmouth who likes following me."
Both Heng and Ding Yiu flickered angry glances at Prince Ping, wishing that looks can stab someone. The two politely exchanged a nod, their mood evidently ruined by Prince Ping to start engaging in any sort of conversation. Ding Yiu simply turned around to walk away, leaving the narcissist Prince and his friend to follow. Neither she nor Heng noticed the sly smile on Prince Ping's face.
For once, Heng couldn't care too much about his quick and inaccurate introduction. He also couldn't be too upset that Ding Ding seemed uninterested to start a conversation with him. He was now back to his complicated thoughts. [Qian Ping introduced her to me as Ding Ding. So he hasn't realized she is Consort Liu. What should I do?] Heng considered, [perhaps it's best if I observed them for a bit before deciding on anything]. "Qian Ping," Heng finally spoke, "where are we going?"
"We're going to meet with Jing Ke," Prince Ping directly said. "He's safe."
Heng smiled, "I knew Jing Ke would be fine. I knew it." He couldn't be happier with the news. Then he stared at Prince Ping, confused, "Qian Ping, when did you find this out?"
Prince Ping looked at Ding Yiu who has walking ahead of them, "Ding Ding had Jing Ke's pendant."
Heng felt like he was going to faint. [Consort Liu, please... I don't think I can handle any more confusion]. Heng silently prayed, [someone, tell me what's going on before I go crazy].