Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

224 Kind for only you

Lóng Wei stroked Li Hua’s fingers. They had both gone to the hillside to watch the sunset. Though Lóng Wei asked her to rest, she wanted to watch the sunset with him. She kept requesting him until he decided to fulfil her request.

“Prince Lóng Wei, I have to say something,” she said.

“Hmm.” Lóng Wei peered into her eyes.

“My heart gets warm and happy around His Highness,” Li Hua said.

“Mine too,” Lóng Wei said, and brought her hand to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles while keeping his gaze fixated on her. He turned his head to look at the sun, which was on the horizon.

“Earlier, my day would end with punishment, anger, and frustration. I would be restless the entire night and it was hard to sleep with all those things in my mind. However, my days have changed. The day you entered my life, everything changed. I found someone good in this world,” Lóng Wei stated, and a smile formed on his lips.

“Those days must be tough for His Highness,” Li Hua said.

“Yes. I questioned my existence,” Lóng Wei stated. “I questioned the existence of this entire world,” he said, tilting his head and meeting her gaze once more.

“Did His Highness find the answer?” Li Hua was curious to know.

.....

“Yes. But I will tell you some other day,” he stated. Li Hua didn’t insist on him as it might be something painful for him to share.

“I want to answer your previous questions. First, I again would like to apologize to you for hurting you that time,” Lóng Wei said, looking slightly abashed. He knew Li Hua had forgiven him, but he couldn’t hide his embarrassment.

“If His Highness isn’t comfortable, then he doesn’t have to tell me,” Li Hua said. “Even I didn’t share my complete worries with His Highness. He was the one who knew everything beforehand. He knew more about me than I knew myself. I opened up with him only when I started to trust him.” She didn’t want him to get hurt by recalling those horrific memories.

Earlier, when he told her that his mother never wanted him to be born, she could feel that bitter pain in that voice.

“Li Hua, I wanted her to just once look lovingly at me. She hated her child so much for no reason. I never complained about it to my royal father. However, most or all think that I did because my mother spread it to this everyone. I could not stop hating her from the core of my heart. Li Hua, this hatred can never end and with time, it will only grow,” Lóng Wei stated as his nostrils flared in anger. His ears turned red.

Li Hua leaned against him and circled her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a hug and caressed his back gently. “It must be difficult for Prince Lóng Wei. His Highness doesn’t need to talk about it anymore since it gives him pain,” she stated.

“Li Hua, I killed her. Do you not hate me? Do you not worry that I might kill you someday? This is what mostly think about me,” he asked her. Li Hua pulled away and shook her head.

“His Highness must have his reasons for doing that. I know that he’s hiding a bigger truth behind that. I won’t ask him, but I will patiently wait for him to open up to me. I was scared only once when Prince Lóng Wei protected me. Since I was a palace maid, I thought I would die even before taking my revenge,” Li Hua said with a tiny smile.

“I would not have let that happen. If anyone wants to harm you, he has to face me first,” Lóng Wei stated. The sun had completely sat down on the horizon and the sky was covered in redness.

“We shall return. Royal Father has given orders not to be outside the palace for a while,” Lóng Wei stated.

“What?” Li Hua stood up in shock. “Why didn’t His Highness tell me earlier? We need to return to the palace as quickly as possible,” she panicked when Lóng Wei pulled her down on his lap.

His hands were securely wrapped around her and he kissed her. “You requested me so much that I could not ignore it,” he said, and brushed his thumb on her cheek.

“If His Majesty finds out, then we will both be punished,” Li Hua stated.

“No. Not until I let them find out,” Lóng Wei answered.

“Let’s go then before it gets dark,” Li Hua said, trying to pull away from him.

“We will after you give me a reward for fulfilling your wish,” Lóng Wei said and smiled in amusement.

Li Hua nodded her head and kissed his cheek. “I think it’s sufficient.” Her brows flinched, and she bit her lower lip.

“No. How could that be sufficient?” He asked.

Li Hua kissed his lips and pulled away. “Let’s go,” she said.

“That wasn’t fulfilling either,” Lóng Wei stated.

“I will give the reward to him once we reach the chamber without getting anyone’s notice,” she stated.

“In the chamber?” He arched his brow and smirked.

“Yes,” Li Hua replied.

“I hope that it will be something good.” He let go of her and she stood straight. Dusting off her skirt, he also rose to his feet and left with Li Hua for the palace.

Lóng Wei noticed that Li Hua didn’t even once talk about Feng Lao with her. It seemed to her that she had completely forgotten his existence. However, he could not deny the fact that Li Hua was good at pretending that she wasn’t hurt.

As they descended the stairs downhill, Lóng Wei decided to ask her.

“Will you really not see Feng Lao ever?” He expected that she would tell him that she was hurt by his actions, but to his wonder, her reply astonished him.

“Why does His Highness want me to see someone with whom I had feelings for?” Li Hua asked. “Isn’t he jealous anymore?”

“I do get jealous when he speaks about his feelings for you. However, I think you should hear him out. He wasn’t a part of all that,” Lóng Wei stated.

“His Highness is acting kind,” she remarked.

“Kind for you only,” Lóng Wei asserted. “I know you are hurt by his betrayal, but he rescued you that night. Hear him out once, in my opinion,” he stated.

“I will think about it,” Li Hua said, and her foot slipped over the pebble when Lóng Wei tightly held her arm.

“Be careful,” he said. “You can get on my back for a safe return,” he opined.

“I can walk, Your Highness. I don’t want to trouble you.” She refused to get on his back and lifted her skirt up to run down. Lóng Wei ran after her and asked her not to run as she could injure herself, but Li Hua didn’t listen to him. She kept running while laughing and challenging Lóng Wei to catch her.

Lóng Wei found her exceptionally fast compared to the other days. He never knew that his wife was such a good runner.

Li Hua reached the bottom of the hill earlier than Lóng Wei and jumped in happiness. “I defeated His Highness in the race. Now, he will fulfill my one wish,” she delightedly said.