After Ren Shou left the room where Li Amm was in, he quickened his steps towards the opposite room he reserved for him.
He immediately ordered the servants to prepare a cold bath. After a few minutes, he jumped quickly in the cold water and lay down to calm himself. The water's coldness did not bother him, but the heat that was slowly dissipating disturbed him much.
Earlier in the bath, he had some unpleasant thoughts in his mind that make his body heated.
At the same time, he could not help but reprimand himself.
How could he have evil thoughts to the girl he wanted to cherish the most?
He had no family or relatives that he could trust. His so-called friends were all just an alliance with him. The girl in the opposite room was the only person he recognized as one of his own kin. Like he could trust her and be like himself with her, thus earning his respect. That's the connection he felt for her.
He closed his eyes to dissipated thoroughly the heat that was still in his body and mind. But it was a wrong move. The moment he closed his eyes, he saw the alluring curves and the girl's wet black long hair. Her skin sparks brightly with the diamond-like droplets all over her. The heat that was disappearing started to burn again.
'Shiit!!'
He silently cursed himself and lowered his head towards the water again.
___________________________
Liam walked out of the room.
Her clothes were spartan but clean. However, this didn't hinder the air of nobility around her and her beautiful features. Since young, her beautiful mother and the old witch Shao Mei trained her to the fullest how to be a noble lady. Her training with the old witch was rigorous and ten times more rigid than the princess. To be precise, it was her punishment every time Aunt Shao Mei caught her mischievous deeds. She had been punished by them through teaching her etiquettes and lady postures until it became second nature to her.
The moment Li Amm went out of the bathroom. Ren Shou was already in his new black clothes. He finished his bath earlier as soon as he can. He was still worried that Liam would run away again, leaving him for good.
He walked towards her but then faltered.
Even with plain white clothes, no makeup, and nothing in her hair, Liam was still lovely. Especially with her black, long, smooth, dump hair hanging down on her side was making Li Amm more alluring and fresh. Ren Shou gulped. He could not help but remember the scene earlier. He quickly turned his back on her and said.
"Let's go. Tell me where your home is." then he started walking.
Li Amm followed him. But her mind was still wondering.
'That's it? Is he really going to ask my hand from my father?'
Li Amm then thought about his stubborn father, who unhesitatingly turned down all marriage offer for her. She wondered if that overprotective stubborn man would allow her to marry this young man.
They traveled with the horse, and surprisingly Li Amm behaved. In actuality, she could not start a conversation since she felt that the man was in deep thought in front of her. His brows were furrowed deeply. And he was putting distance as much as possible, which was fruitless since they were riding a horse. Still, Liam could always felt it.
After a while, they arrived at a particular residence through the guide of Liam.
Inside the De residence, everything was in turmoil.
Servant Xiao Min was kneeling in front of her lady and master. But she was more afraid of the old woman who has a meter rod in front of her. That old woman was scarier than her masters! However, she knew she was in the wrong. Hence, she was prepared to die. She let their young miss gone missing! What kind of servant she was?! She did not deserve any forgiveness!
So she did not beg for their forgiveness or for her life. She kowtowed many times, hitting her forehead on the floor.
"I'm in the wrong lady and master! This servant deserves to die! However, before I received punishment and die, let me help to find our dear young miss! I will never rest until I find her!" She kowtowed once more, knocking her forehead hard on the floor.
'It hurts.' Blood was dripping, but she did not care. It had been hours since her young miss was gone. The last time she saw her was when her young miss got kidnapped by a man in a dark horse and cloth mask. They had a lead. The man was a part of the convoy of the newly appointed general. The De residence already dispatched their men and even the shadow guards of master Amm De.
"Can you describe to me the man who took my Li Amm?" Prime minister Amm De asked while gritting his teeth.
He wanted to rush right now. To run to that bastards. But he must first know who that bastard that took her daughter was. In his deep anger and anxiousness, blood was dripping in the corner of his mouth. He was biting so hard that his lips got wounded.
"T-the m-man w-who t-took--" Xiao Min started stuttering.
"Speak clearly!" Aunt Shao Mei yelled, hitting the metering rod in the area beside her. Xiao Min got more scared, but she answered in a clear voice.
"T-the man was wearing a cloth mask and dark robes. He was one of the three that was leading the entire army. He has long hair tied in a ribbon. He is tall and...and lean, well- built. This servant is not sure, for he was wearing a black robe that hides his figure ...." She kowtowed once more.
Prime minister Amm De narrowed his eye. He knew those three almighty figures. The two were from an unknown background and were known as the guardians of war. And most probably, the other one was the new general known as the god of war. If it was one of the two guardians, he could handle it alone.
'Let's not hope it is not the new general.'
If he was, he would need the emperor. That man's background was complicated. Besides...
"Master! Lady and Master! Young miss Li Amm is in front of the gate!" One of the servants bowed after she yelled. She was elated. Their young miss came back!
Amm De quickly held Lady Lhi's hand, and they ran towards the gate.
During the entire time, Lady Lhi had not said anything to the servants or ask questions. She was so shocked and full of anxieties about the news that her daughter had gone missing. She could not utter a word, for her heart was squeezing. Now hearing her daughter was back, she dashed with her husband with tears in her eyes.
The moment they opened the gate. They saw a girl in plain white clothes. Her entire figure lightened up the surrounding. She looked like a deity in a commoner's clothing.
The girl waved her hands towards them. She was going to run to them to greet them and pay respect when she halted. The girl looked at her parents that were rushing towards her in full strides. When she saw their expression, her bright smile became stiff. Especially when she saw that after her parents, another figure was following, holding a rod followed by a bloody model. She was horrified. So instead of running to her parent's arms, she turned around and ran away from them.
'Waaah!! I'm dead! I forgot Xiao Min!'
If it was only her parents, it was OK. She could handle them with flowery words and a little sorry. But the old witch, remembering Aunt Shao Mei's furious expression, brought a shudder to Liam. Especially that long rod! Is it made of wood or steel?! How she wished plastic to be invented immediately!
So the five figures were running around the De's courtyard.
The couple who wanted to hug their daughter was confused and felt pained inside. Why was their daughter running away from them?!
"Liam, my daughter! why are you running away?!" Her mother shouted and coughed. Running and yelling at the same time was taking her breath.
Li Amm halted a little but still maintained her distance.
"Mother! Father! This daughter is unfilial! Please forgive this daughter! This daughter did not want to worry you! Something just happened! I will never sneak out again!" Oh. How many times did she promise that?
Of course, her parents knew she was talking rubbish. However, they only want to embrace their daughter right now.
"We can talk about it! Come here! Stop running!" His father shouted. They already stopped running, and he was patting his wife's back.
Liam looked at them. She was guilty. She made them worried. They were good parents. She glanced at the rod. And she felt like crying.
'Will it hurt?!!'
Li Amm bit her lips and shouted.
"I'm really sorry! I will not do it again! Please don't punish me with that rod! I will recite the seven virtues of women ten- no twenty times! I don't like rod!" She started her ultimate move by crying. She was terrified of how much it would hurt her. Seeing the bloody figure of Xiao Min, she knew it hurt so much!
'I'm sorry, Xiao Min!'
"What are you saying! We will not punish you! Come here! We are worried about you! Let father see you closely!" Her father yelled.
Li Amm looked at them and then at the rod at aunt Shao Mei's hands.
"You promised?" She had to make sure.
His father, who got used to her childishness, nodded.
"I promised,"
"Even Aunt Shao Mei will not punish me? Do you promise?" Li Amm said while pointing at the rod that Aunt Shao Mei was holding. The old wet nurse had black lines on her forehead.
'This child! Am I really that fearsome?! I'm worried about you too!'
His father just nodded.
"OK," Liam said while pouting. Whew! Being a pampered child was really relaxing! She stepped forward then halted. Oh, she almost forgot!
"Father, I'm with someone. He wants to meet you." Li Amm said.
"Who?" His father raised his brow. His daughter was really naughty and hard to control. Who is the unlucky person that his daughter fancied on? His father thought she met someone whom she wanted to be her servant.
"My husband." Li Amm answered while hiding a smile.
Oh! She was tasting the husband's word in her mouth.
It's not bad!
Mostly that soon-to-be-husband of hers was an impressive figure. Remembering her future husband's almost naked model in the bath with her earlier made her grinned ear to ear. Call her a malicious woman! She doesn't care! Oh, she owned that man. But of course, she was just fantasizing about him. He was still too young for her.
While immersing in her own fantasy, she did not notice how she crumbled her father's world. Prime Minister Amm De's face was turned into a rainbow exhibition.