Bai Lingling was so shocked that she instantly cried so hard. The other nobles often associated her with the crown prince, which she just answer with a shy smile before, but deep inside, she feels disgusted.
At first, she thought that Sangre Pavilion was just repaying her family for what her father has done when the Liu family targeted their trainees. But she is shocked when the masked manager of the Pavilion suddenly took her hand when they arrived in a very enchanting courtyard, filled with different colors of flowers and a serene looking lotus pond. Due to extreme confusion and shock, she forcefully took her hand back and slap the manager's face, forgetting the fact that he is wearing a mask, thus, her hand hurts so much after her little episode.
She once again jumped when the man in front of her took her hand again, but this time, he blew it, as if trying to blow the pain away.
Bai Lingling stares at him blankly. She can't help but to tear up when she remembers how Jin Linkai used to do the same thing to her whenever she accidentally cuts or hurts her hands whenever they secretely ran away from home to play.
The man's eyes met hers, making her stunned, wide eyed. His sparkling eyes are just so familiar that she is even unaware that tears are already falling down from her eyes, one after another. The man wipe her tears, the same way Jin Linkai used to.
" Kai'er", she gently cried his name in a low voice. Her eyes widen when she realized that what she did was inappropriate. The man is not Linkai. No one would want to be associated with someone else's name when they have theirs. And he is their benefactor for goodness sake!
Before she can say sorry, the man in front of her made an ' mm' sound, making her so confused.
" Ling'er", the man called her name with great affection. Bai Lingling froze, aside from the added maturity in his voice, it still remains the sound that has been hunting her for all these restless years she had without him. She can't help but to tear up harder. She immediately took the mask from the man's face, in which he didn't have any objections, and has difficulties in breathing when she saw the face that she has been yearning all these years.
Without any second thought, she hugs him fiercely, afraid that he will vanish from her sight again.
Jin Linkai just let the little girl in front of him cries her heart out. His eyes are gazing at her hair with a very tender gaze, making the servants who knew him for years in that side of the estate involuntarily felt chills on their spines. ' This is just so cringey! Where is our strict and scary manager?', they all simultaneously thought.
Jin Linkai watched the only girl that he has always cherished, aside from his mother, cried as if the heavens betrayed her big time. He kissed the top of her head while stroking her back to at least calm her down.
That's the scene that the single dog, Di Xueyan saw when she carelessly strides in the courtyard, which almost made her puke. She just can't believe that the jerk looks like a proper man at the moment! Where can she display her single face in this estate now?
Her lips can't help but twitch. Now that she sees this kind of scene, she wonders how can she be so unfortunate that for the almost four years that she has been here in this continent, she has never even find a single other worldly handsome emperor or demon lord or something. Imagine in the novels, some protagonists found theirs in the first chapter! Just how behind is she from all those fictional characters?
' At least they are just fiction, so are their baby boys, no need to envy them', she tries to convince herself.
" Linkai, it's time", no matter how she doesn't want to disturb these two lovey dovey couple, they have work to be done. She approached them, making the young lady immediately parts with Jin Linkai, red faced, her face even turns redder when she saw the teasing eyes of the servants around her. Jin Linkai sighed in regret, he glares at his friend who ruined such great moment. Di Xueyan helplessly shrugged at his accusing eyes, who looks like saying that she is just jealous because she doesn't have a lover, in surrender.
" Even though I don't want to ruin your lovely time together, I'm afraid that if I will just let you two act like that until afternoon, your father would likely become a skinless body right now", she reminded them while pointing at Bai Lingling.
Bai Lingling's brow furrowed in worry. She just remembers that her father is still in that wretched man's, who took her Linkai from her, palace! Just a mere thought of that bastard is enough to make her shake in rage.
Don't get her wrong, she knows how to respect her elders, but that man is just so hateful that she can't even bear to look at that shit's face without glaring whenever she attended banquets together with her family in that damned palace!
Her worry turns into rage, and into worry again.
" Will my father be alright?", she asked while choking. As someone very close to General Jin's manor and knew what really happened, she knew just how cruel that old bastard is!
" No worries, we will not going to let anything happens to our father. I assure you", Jin Linkai smiles and winks mischievously while looking at Bai Lingling's eyes, emphasizing the 'our father'. Bai Lingling blushed. She can't believe that he has to say it in front of so many! She looks around, ashamed but very happy inside. Her eyes landed on Di Xueyan, she looks so beautiful but her dress is just too plain. She squinted her eyes as she founds her very familiar.
Jin Linkai saw the confusion in his woman's eyes. He looks at his friend, asking for permission to divulge her identity. Di Xueyan stares back, her eyes saying ' If you trust her, then so be it.' Jin Linkai smiles gratefully, he is very happy that she trust him that much. Everyone in Sangre Pavilion knows that she doesn't want her identity to be exposed so that she can play like a bullied person everywhere she went. She will only use her identity to taunt her enemies who are about to die.
" Ling'er, she is the president of Sangre Pavilion and my dear friend, Di Xueyan. Xueyan, this is my fiancé, Bai Lingling", Jin Linkai introduced them to one another. Bai Lingling is shocked as she suddenly remembers the portraits all around the kingdom. She can't believe that the mysterious owner of Sangre Pavilion is actually the girl who has been causing havoc around the kingdom.
Di Xueyan saw her stunned reaction. She just shrugged and said hi then sets off, leaving the stunned girl and the lovestruck fool behind her.
***
" Empress mother, where are we going?", Xiao Yulin looks so confused at his mother's actions. She said that they will going to visit his grandfather, but why would she do it if the kingdom is now on chaos and can't be left alone?
Mu Wanxin is still cursing in her head. She also doesn't want to go, but that damned shadow guards made her say an oath that can't be defied. If she will, she will be attacked by 99 lightning tribulations. No matter how she loves the emperor, she still loves herself more.
How would she knows that her dear father already arranged for it in the very beginning when he heard about her husband's idiotic plans? Now, she doesn't know how she should explain this to her sons. One is the crown prince of the country while the other is the apple of the emperor's eyes.
" Father said that it will only take up to 3 days, he just wants to say something important ", the empress lied with a straight face. How can she tell her son that they are not coming back?
" Have you already talked to emperor father about this?", Xiao Yulin furrowed his brow. No matter how calm his mother acts like now, he can still feel that something is off.
" Yes, and he permits", she froze for a second before straightening herself out. She took out three gate passes that every royal family member should have whenever they will go out of the kingdom. And of course, it was faked by her father. Who in the whole kingdom can say that those gate passes are fake though? How could a mere small kingdom can compare to a big power in the central region?
Mu Wanxin led her son to a big but unadorned carriage where her other son is in. Xiao Yulin squinted his eyes in suspicion. How can he maintain the position of a crown prince for so many years if he doesn't know how to scheme?
" Mother, you have never been out without your grand carriage before when we used to visit grandfather, what exactly is happening now?", Xiao Yulin voiced out his suspicion. He knows that his mother's maiden family is powerful but he is uncertain if they are powerful enough to copy an ancient skill by the kingdom that is used to make a royal gate pass.
If he'll know that their kingdom's so - called ancient skill that he is so proud of, is just a so - so writing skill in central region, he'll definitely puke his internal organs.
Mu Wanxin knew her son best, she knew how the kingdom matters to him most. She can read exactly what is on his mind right now no matter how he keeps up a straight face. She can see the obvious suspicion at the back of his mind.
Xiao Yulin saw his mother's slip of emotion in her eyes. He is about to say something when he feels an extreme pain at the back of his neck and his world turns black.
***
General Bai refused to yelp in extreme pain. He was very determined to kill his way out of the palace. If the emperor did not shed all their pretenses, he wouldn't have thought of such solution.
But then, no matter how many wars he has been in, he is just one person. After killing all the shadow guards that he can, his energy got depleted big time, causing him to fall.
Now, he is being tortured by the emperor's shadow guards in front of the bastard.
" Will you give it or not?", the emperor asked maliciously as he slices a little skin of general Bai's right cheek,making his already bloodied and wretched body gain another injury.
General Bai spits at the emperor's face while glaring fiercely, clearly not backing down. He miscalculated, he knows that the emperor is powerful, but he never imagined that he has an army of people behind him. It made him extremely curious as to why the emperor still needs the military seal.
The emperor wipes the spit disgustingly, no one has ever treated him that way! The enemies that he held captive before are either begging to let them off or begged to just kill them directly. Generla Bai saw his reaction and smirks with satisfaction
His already malicious eyes turned even diabolical, as he is about to just kill the general in front of him then just search his house and properties for the seal, even if it'll make a very big commotion and earn suspicions from the people, - - he heard the door opens with a significant force, as it flew dramatically and landed behind his back.
The emperor saw a very enchanting girl clothed on plain white, looking at them curiously. The white diamond ornament on her forehead glistened when she tilted her head, as a ray of light from the gap between the alabaster beams on top of the emperor's chamber, reflects in her small beautiful face.
" Ahm, have I gone to the wrong room? ", she asked innocently, making anyone who sees her can't help but to have an urge to pinch her little cheeks.