"How wild, like a comet, you cross the path with no sense at all. No eyes like a potato, you dare to run into me with such a disgraceful walk," Xuan Cheng cursed as Huan lifted her up. Her face turned crimson from fury, she never experienced such a fall in her life and she didn't expect anything like that in the palace.
Huan brushed off the dust from her precious dress, as Princess Cheng straightened up, restoring her composure. "I know the tricks, do not play with me," a strong and angered voice of a man reached her ears, in turn enraged her. A man in the harem? It is not a common thing.
"I would rather play with a dog than-" As Xuan Cheng refocused her vision and raised her head to see the person who was bold enough to speak in such a tone, he not only bumped into her but also condemned her.
Xuan Cheng raised her eyes, studying the appearance of the person before her. From his elegant regal robe, she knew he must either be a prince or a relative of the empress, and from his physical features, he appeared to be young. Meanwhile, her eyes halted at his waist, and a white jade pendant on which the character 'Ming' was delicately carved sent shivers down her spine.
Shuddering veins warned her that she had offended someone she shouldn't have, but then, what was she afraid of? Wasn't he the one who needed her help? Reasoning herself, she again ran her eyes up.
As soon as her eyes met his, she softly yelled and staggered backward. Before she could fall again, Huan supported her. Her maid, Huan, couldn't understand why her master behaved in such a manner. She dared to look straight up at the person before her and found nothing unusual. He was a man of flesh and bone, with imperial grace.
'Perhaps, Her Highness has never seen a handsome man like him, and she must have been scared, mistaking him for an angel.' She thought to herself as she attempted to make Xuan Cheng stand on her own two feet.
"What happened?" He curled his eyebrows. He stepped forward to help her, but Xuan Cheng's wobbly feet regained strength, retreated again.
"Demonic energy…" Xuan Cheng mumbled as she pointed her fingers at him. His expression changed from confusion to astonishment. His mouth opened and eyes widened, "You…"
Before he could say anything, Xuan Cheng became overwhelmed, and her eyelid fluttered, her vision blurred, and in a matter of seconds, she lost her consciousness completely. This time, Huan failed to react in time.
However, he caught her as she fell in his arms. Huan covered her mouth from shock, as he lifted her up. She knew very well that if anyone saw them in such a situation, they would surely make a big deal out of it.
…
"Demon!" Sweating profusely, covered with a thin blanket, Xuan Cheng woke up in a room filled with the strange aroma of citrus. As her vision became clearer, she saw an enigmatic figure standing against the wall, staring at her.
Her eyes soon noticed the darkening sky, the stars had started to appear even though the sun had not fully gone down. Xuan Cheng tried to get off the bed, but her metallic chains attached to the sophisticated bed, restrained her.
"What is this?" she yelled; the anger had turned her eyes crimson. Her pupils fluttered as she could still feel the 'thing' that made her faint, but waking up after long hours had given her enough energy to stay strong.
"You change colors often," he grinned viciously, crouching slightly towards Xuan Cheng, "You should change it if it is your habit," he smirked, leaning back against the wall again.
Xuan Cheng didn't listen to him; all she was focusing on was getting herself free. She was worried about what he might have done to Huan. Besides, the passing time made her anxious, since it was about time the sleeping empress would wake up and find herself in pain again.
Rubbing her fingers against each other, she created silver energy, and the strings of silver energy glitched in the direction of the chain that was attached to the bed, however, it didn't break, instead, she felt a current backlashing her. "What are you? Did the Evil Lord send you here to kill my mother?" He asked as he witnessed her failed attempt.
"You are her son? Her real and biological son?" Xuan Cheng asked, softly grunting. She thought he was the one who in disguise of the prince had given poison to the empress. "Don't act smart," he scoffed, and pulling out a whip from his wide sleeves. It was no normal whip, but it engulfed a red burning aura.
"I want to skin you alive and make a coat to warm myself in winters. But I need a messenger who can bring my letter to that trashy Lord," His footstep tapping against the tapestry surged the feeling of fear inside Xuan Cheng.
'He has misunderstood me. He is wearing the pendant with character 'Ming' which means he is the prince, Zhao Ming. No, this cannot be real. He has demonic qi. How can he be a son of two human.' Xuan Cheng weighted the consequences and tried to guess.
"You are the one acting smart; how can the empress have a demonic son like you?" she provoked him. His eyes turned red from anger, and he jumped, landing close to her, and then grabbed her chin, cupping her mouth.
"Ask this when I send you back to his Evil Palace." His eyes burned in fire as she threatened her, seriousness plastered on his face. Infuriated with her words, he raised his hands to slap her, but he stopped.
"Why did you stop?" Xuan Cheng asked as he let her go. "You should be grateful and not question me," Zhao Ming said, clenching his teeth in anger. Something had stopped, when he had peeked into her eyes.
"You have misunderstood me!" Xuan Cheng yelled as she noticed that he was about to leave. He turned back and frowned at her, "Okay then, let's hear you out since I have a lot of time. to waste." He retraced his steps and sat close to her on a stool. His gigantic body was torturing the little wooden chair.
"Let's start with the introduction first," Xuan Cheng suggested, she had to hurry up before it was too late. She needed his help, and she knew he needed her. In a situation where she thought only the Grand Empress Dowager could support her, she found him to be her only hope.
It wasn't that she could not go to him directly, since she knew she had to cross paths with him sooner or later, but she wanted a regal presence backing her up. People can easily spread rumors and taint her reputation, but she saw how muddled her great grandmother became when Consort Xin appeared.
There was no way out, but to meet the empress and check on her first, to see if the situation isn't bad enough to need his blood, but it was truly bad. She had decided to visit him secretly but who knew she would bump into him and learn that he has a demonic aura. It must have been him, when she sensed it in the palace.
The mystery surrounding him could wait, but first, he was looking for her to cure his mother, and she was looking for him for the same reason. Isn't the same interest make them ally?