BaiYing raised his head and saw a pair of beautiful hazel eyes who now looked at him deeply. The Crown Prince who was now crouched in front of him, smiled and stopped his palms from caressing his cheeks.
"Hey, big boy do not cry like this. Just look at your eyes, those big pretty round eyes, red and swollen. It would take a long time to cure the swelling eyes like this, you look like a frog now"
Even at that time the Crown Prince still annoyed him. BaiYing stopped his tears.
BaiYing raised his hand and wiped the tears that didn't fall from the corners of his eyes.
"Your Majesty "
LuoXiang tried to comfort him, he grabbed the young man's hand and wrapped it around his.
"Heh, I'm so poor, YingYing is my concubine, and now he doesn't want me anymore.
BaiYing mouth is bloated from annoyance, the Crown Prince makes him irritated. Even at a time like this.
"Your Majesty"
He looked at the young man's face so close and could see the water left in his pretty eyelashes. He look so cute even if he cried with red nose like this. He put his large palm on the kid's smooth cheeks. LuoXiang smiles.
"I don't know how can I let you go now and live alone outside. Who's gonna put the ointment if you hurt your legs? Who's going to massage it for you? Who's going to rub your back when you take a bath? You can't do that by yourself"
BaiYing tried to take the Crown Prince's hand off him but that big man didn't even flinch.
"Your Majesty"
The flirtatious Crown Prince looked at him with his playful eyes, who could stand those eyes? BaiYing finally smiles just by looking at the funny stares at him.
"Emm, but I will lose my head if I go back to the palace. Although, I won't regret it. It's funny, now, Your Majesty even can't threaten me again using my family since they are all gone now"
LuoXiang stopped his smiles and saw that unexcited face on the young man's face. He raised his hand holding BaiYing small cheeks.
"YingYing, I'll always protect you, you know that, didn't you? I just being careless for a while"
BaiYing was stunned to look at the Crown Prince's face which was too close to him, even almost kissing him. If not because of someone suddenly appearing from behind him.
"Report Majesty! The entourage of General PoYang has arrived at the town!" cried BeiYau.
It's almost there! LuoXiang bites his lips, that annoying bodyguard of his. He comes at a very definite time and ruins his intentions, damn.
"Erm, we are moving in a while.''
His flat and cold words as BeiYau can hear His Highness mad at him by the sharp glance in his eyes. This is bad, he comes at very bad timing.
BeiYau nodded his head.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" BeiYau withdrew and moved away from the Crown Prince.
BaiYing turned to LuoXiang.
"Your Majesty, do I need to go back to the Palace?"
The Crown Prince nodded.
"Yeah, of course, where else?"
The Crown Prince grabbed BaiYing small hand and led him towards their horse. BaiYing had no choice but to follow him, where could he go anyway? His house is burned to the ground, he can't go back there. But, at least not the Palace, is the same as going back to the tiger's den, wolves' den, or whatever the place is. The Crown Prince held his hand so tight as if he wouldn't ever let him go.
"E bu-but-but"
LuoXiang stopped in his tracks as one of his men led his large horse closer.
"No but, now you're tired. The distance to the palace from here is still far away, we will stay overnight at the inn at the center of the city and will continue our way back to the palace by tomorrow morning. Also, we'll meet General PoYang entourage there, YingYing just has to go back with me"
BaiYing frowned, he's quite familiar with that name, but maybe it's just a coincidence.
BaiYing was a little surprised when LuoXiang totes his body up.
"E Y-Your Majesty"
BaiYing still stuttered but LuoXiang acted fast and carried him to sit at his big horse saddle.
"Hold on tight, YingYing, you may fall"
"Y-Your Majesty, I can ride another horse," BaiYing exclaimed.
But even with BaiYing's loud voice, LuoXiang pretended he didn't hear and just hopped up onto his horse, seated behind BaiYing so close.
"Your Majesty!"
The group moved away from the burial area. BaiYing's loud voice could still be heard until BeiYau, who was already sitting on his horse, ordered his men to move.
"Let's go"
...…...
The Rose Inn. Located at the center of LuAn city. One city right outside the capital city SanPo, where the Lotus Valley is. The place where BaiYing has been held captive for the past few days. It's also not so far away from the outskirts of the city of ChangSan where the Hua Family burial is located.
The entourage stopped and decided to take the rest for a night. While BeiYau men were already moving fast to the palace with the prisoner without stopping. They might have already arrived at the palace by now.
In the large living room of the inn which was rented entirely by BeiYau's party. A troupe with steel armor had gathered in the living room, General PoYang's chosen guards. The old General who was now standing clenched his fists to salute LuoXiang who was standing in front of him.
"Congratulations Your Majesty on finding Concubine Hua, eh .."
General PoYang glances at BaiYing who is sitting alone not far from them at the dining table enjoying his meals. He's too hungry to wait for the Crown Prince to finish the meeting, so he will eat first,
LuoXiang knew what the meaning of that old General gaze at BaiYing. He then turned his head to BeiYau and commanded them all to leave the room. Beiyau nodded. It didn't take long for the living room to be empty leaving the four of them there. There were only the Crown Prince, General PoYang, BaiYing, and BeiYau whom he trusted the most.
General Po asked the Crown Prince's permission before approaching BaiYing who was sitting without noticing anything until the general stopped in front of him.
"Greetings, Honorable Concubine Hua"
The old but still very handsome General Po lowered his head in front of BaiYing, just the right time when the young man's mouth was puffy up from too much-stuffing food in it. He looked at old General Po for a while, really couldn't move even a bit because of the awkwardness he had now. What is he supposed to do when someone greets him like this?
"Eh that's e.." while everybody in the room must have already learned about who he really was, not HuaBaiYen the real concubine, he was just a fake.
LuoXiang smiled and nodded his head at BaiYing who turned at him.
"Eh p-please raise your body general"
The old General raised his head and smiled while looking at him. For a while, confused BaiYing saw him with his teary eyes, he was stunned, somehow the figure in front of him was quite familiar. The food in his hand dropped back to the plate.
"Uh, grandpa Po?" His lips stuttered, afraid that he might have recognized him wrong. But no, the old man smiled at him, he nodded while wiping his tears that had almost fallen.
"Em G-Grandfather?"
The old General nodded.
"Yes, this is grandfather Po."
BaiYing's hands are shaking. He couldn't help himself as the tears flowed fast from his eyes. The old man in front of him, none other than his adoptive grandfather, PoYang. He was his father's senior when he was in the academy and always visited their house when he was younger. He almost forgot about him because the man was getting so old now. If it's not because of that smile on his face, big funny smiles on his round cheek.
"Grandpa"
BaiYing got up fast from his chair and hugged General PoYang tightly.
"Grandfather, grandfather Po"
General PoYang stroked BaiYing's back, he laughed while holding back his tears.
"Hehehe cute little boy, you still remember your grandfather, sweet Xiao Ying"
"Grandpa, Ying'er hasn't seen you for so long, Grandfather"
So, turns out that, General PoYang also knows the truth about concubine Hua, he is a sweet child. The kind and gentle HuaBaiYing whom he loved very much. The boy always smiled and laughed cheerfully even though his body condition did not allow him to do anything even to become a fighter. Don't know what happened now, but General PoYang was a little relieved because the child did not become the victim of his family massacre.
"Heh, my sweet little boy"
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