Kai started to hyperventilate, and felt like he might pee himself. 'So, this is how my life should end. With my neck being slit?' Kai thought to himself.
There is so much in his life that he hasn't done. Like for instance: going home, that is number one on his bucket list. And furthermore, he didn't get the chance to learn martial arts. Even though Jie and Zhang always laugh at him, telling him that it's impossible. Jie and Zhang are so much alike, they would have become instant friends if they ever met each other. Maybe if not in this lifetime but another, they might even become each other's soulmate. Kai smiles at the thought, but quickly remembers the situation at hand, when the sword pressed deeper into his neck.
'How should I get out of this mess? I can't look weak, Li Jen is everything but weak. So wouldn't it look suspicious if the courageous princess is just standing here doing nothing.
Kai mentally smiled when he had a light bulb dinging figuratively over his head. He started to tremble more than how he already is, making him captor thinking that they have the upper hand, before he chomped down on the conjoinment of the person's fingers and palm and elbow the person in the stomach.
The person dropped the sword, as they dubble over in pain. Kai took this as his chance, and hurriedly, but blindly felt around for the sword. He felt the hilt of it, but he was quick enough and his captor snatched it up before he had a chance to.
Kai took the chance to look up, and he gasped in surprise when he saw the young Prospector, Li Jen supposedly finance and the most stern but handsome man he had ever seen, prince Huang Qing yuan staring at him. He clutched his stomach with one hand, as his other held tightly to the blade of the sword which Kai now realised that still had his sheath over it. His face is still the same with his stern look, but a hint of pain waver in his eyes.
"Why were you following me?" Kai asks, trying not to sound shaky. He was scared, and he had a right to be. Qing yuan is a Prospector, he might be young but from the look of him, you can see that he is really advanced beyond his years. And if he knows his stuff, he might know that he is pretending to be Li Jen.
"I wanted to…talk." He whispered the last part.
"What?" Kai asks, even though he heard him loud and clear. 'What could he possibly want to talk to me about? Is he going to call me out on my lie, or is he going to strike me down? He did held his sword around my neck, even though it is still in its scabbard.'
"I wanted to tell you that, I didn't want to marry you either. But I just have to go with my father's wishes." Qing yuan, or Shui, as he is called, stopped clutching his stomach and took on his serious posture again.
"Oh." Kai mumbled, not knowing what to say.
They stare at each other in a long uncomfortable silence, until Kai cleared his throat. Can't handle the statue like pose that Qing yuan has going on. "S-so why did you cover my mouth and put your sword to my neck? You scared me." Kai said the last part like a little school girl who is pretending to be angry at her crush.
"You hid from me, and honor's strength would not have hurt you." Qing yuan said with no emotion at all.
Kai scratched his head, confused by the name Shui just called. "Who?"
"Honor's Strength, it's the name of my sword." Shui pointed to his sword that was nestled at his side.
Kai's mouth formed an O and he smiled at Shui. He doesn't know why, but his heart suddenly started to beat rapidly. Not because he is scared that Qing yuan found out his secret, no, it is something completely different. Kai's eyes traveled all over Qing yuan's face, then down his body. He had noticed Shui's heart stopping looks from the very first time he saw him, but admiring him right now. He saw how neatly Qing yuan kept himself. His creamy skin clashes with his neatly kept black hair, which was tied into a bun with a white ribbon and a silver guan over the bun at the top, and the back let loose and flowed down gracefully to his waist. He is also neatly dressed in his long white robe, with a transparent design of a snowflake and the symbol that represents water on each sleeve of his tunic. His belt has various jades hanging from it, one of which caught Kai's eyes. It was a jade shape like a Phoenix intertwined with the water symbol. To Kai, it looked so majestic. And he became enchanted by it. He could not just look away from it, no matter how he tried. It was like he had become hypnotized, and the jade was calling out to him. A sense of owning overtook him, and before his brain could register what he was doing, his hand already reached out touching it. But a hard slap snapped him back to his senses.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He whispered yell, as he bowed in apology.
"My apologies as well princess, but this is a precious heirloom given to me by my mother, and I refrain people from touching it."
Kai left his head to stare at Qing yuan, and was just in time to catch a glimpse of sadness before Qing yuan's stern expression took back its place.
"It is very beautiful, but quite odd." Kai utter, still staring at the jade.
"It is, isn't it?" Shui chuckled, surprising Kai. And sure enough, when he took his eyes off the jade and looked up into Shui's face. He was indeed smiling, and that brought a smile to Kai's face as well.
"What is it princess?" Qing yuan asked , confused as to why the sassy girl he had seen a day ago suddenly started to smile like a maniac. To be fair, he had known Li Jen since they were six. And he had met up with her a couple of times at cultivation school, and also at conferences. But the Li Jen that is standing in front of him now, is so much different from the one he knew. Li Jen is more outspoken and doesn't care what other people think. And there is also a playful mysterious side to her as well, and that has Shui's heart fluttering even though he doesn't have the slightest of feelings for her. But she was somehow different, and Qing yuan liked this kind of difference.
You finally showed an emotion other than your stern statue look." Kai laughed, which got Qing yuan smiling even more. And Kai couldn't help but get lost in it.
Oh, I guess I should admit that I am quite serious. But that is.. nevermind that. Why do you think the jade is odd?" He directed the question away from himself.
"Uh, well. The Phenix is one of the symbols of fire, and it is intertwined with water. They are polar opposite, but yet, they embrace themselves together perfectly." Kai couldn't help the blush that invaded his cheeks when he saw the admiring look on Qing yuan's face. That is meant for him, and it made butterflies form in his stomach.
They stood there not saying a word, just staring at each other in a comfortable silence. Which only got interrupted when someone clears their throat, and Kai turns only to see Li Jie smiling smugly at them.
"Did I interrupt something?" He asks in a teasing knowing voice.
"W-what? N-no." Kai stuttered, which made Jie smile more.
"Aww, my little sister is blushing." He cooed, poking Kai's red cheeks.
"No I am not, you jerk!" Kai slapped his hand away, before taking off in a sprint in the direction of Li Jen's room.
"Drama queen, am I right?" Li Jie chuckled awkwardly as he turned to face Shui who raised an eyebrow at him, and walked away with his face blank. "Ok then." Jie mumbled, scratched his head and also walked back to where he came.