LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 170 Shihong's Your Father's Child

Xing felt her scalp go numb. Didn't he get tortured when he joined Shihong's gang for the first time? And now wasn't he hidden for months and then forced by a spell to kill his own brother?

Shengli felt her body stiffening up and hugged her back realising she is scared for him.

"Xing, I'm going to help him against you"

"Mm? ", she was confused at first by his words but after realised what he meant, she had a smile in her face.

He does have the right to avenge for me!

"Do you remember everything I say to you?", she asked placing her cheeks in his arms that were hugging her.

"Mmm", his voice along with his hot breath tickled her ears.

"Then what I said about WanRou when..."

"How could I forget you being an adorably jealous kitten? 'Do not think about other women even to avenge for me'. Isn't it what you said? ", he imitated her voice and chuckled in her ears. She really was cute being jealous that day!

Xing buried her face in his arms as she was blushing red, How embarrassing!

But now I cannot tell him that Shihong is a woman right? But my Prince is smart, could he have doubts about it? He knows Shihong for long too, right?

"Back when you were with Shihong in the gang, did you take baths together?", she tried to ask in a roundabout way.

"What?", he slightly bit her earlobes and she pushed his face away, "Men don't behave like those weird boys in those weird erotica books you read. We don't walk around naked commenting about our body parts in a hot spring Inn, you know.. " ,he laughed.

"Shut up", Xing stopped him but he still kept on talking.

So he has no idea?

"Chenglei, Shihong is your father's child", she interjected him and she could feel him frozen up.

Xing turned to face him and looked at the perplexed face of Shengli, "He is your father's bed mate's child. Your father sent away his pregnant bedmate blaming her of adultery. I read about it in your father's journal and he was pretty proud about it. He had written that he had lost track of the child but I can bet my head that Shihong's that child"

Xing knew the previous Emperor mentioned his first child was a girl and the timing and age of Shihong fits along with her speculation about him being able to use spells. Shihong is a Lu!

"Didn't you think that he is in love with me?", Shengli was cringing hard. How could a brother be 'in love' with his brother? He was planning to use his love for him as a means to get a place near him and trying to bring him down in the guise of helping him.

"Well.." Xing shrugged. She knew for sure Shihong is in love with Shengli and Shihong's his half-sister. Who knows what goes on in that twisted mind of Shihong to have made him that way? Shihong's a woman who does utmost cruelties to other women and he medicated himself to not be a woman anymore. Who knows what happened to him as a child or if it is the result of years of marrying relatives in the Imperial Palace to preserve their bloodline?

Xing leaned on Shengli's chest and gently rubbed the wound on his chest made by her. It was a flesh wound but Shengli refused to apply medicines to prevent scarring. 'Now both of us have scars in our chests made by each other', he smiled when she asked about it. Odd thing to be happy about!

"You still want to join Shihong now?", she asked. Judging by his reaction he seemed to be too shocked by this reveal. She knew if she tells him Shihong is his sister, he'd definitely won't even get a hundred feet near him. But she herself wanted him to avenge Shihong for her.

Shengli silently deliberated for a while Xing just leaned on him lazily. It had already been noon and she felt a bit hungry too.

"I sent a couple of my best people to infiltrate Shihong's network a couple of years back but failed. The only one who can easily enter there is me as he has this weird obsession towards me", Shengli spoke fiddling with her long golden hair.

He had already decided to give the ultimate betrayal to Shihong. He had decide to make Shihong trust him deeply and then one day he'll destroy everything he has and make him realise the agony of loss. How dare he try to touch his wife and hurt her? How could he poison her and cut his bloodline to become extinct? Shihong should face similar pain and then only he can die!

"Hmm", Xing acknowledged his idea, "But be safe!". That's all she wants. She knew Shihong cannot be faced alone as he seemed to have a lot of help from some gods too and Shengli could be the trojan horse from their side to there bringing down Shihong's empire from within. There is no one else she could trust in this other than him. Also won't it be hard for him to watch her with his brother? It would be better if he stays far away from here too, right?

"Chenglei, do you think I am beautiful?", she asked after a while. Is she that beautiful that even the Heavenly Emperor felt the need to mention it?

Shengli felt surprised by her sudden change of topic and he lifted her chin to talk a good look at her face. Her face was small and pretty as if it was sculpted carefully, her two dark orbs were shining and animated with full of life with her long lashes curled up making a shadow on her cheeks and her cheeks were blushed by the hot water and her little pouty lips were red like cherry making anyone want to have a peck on it.

"Extremely", he answered. How can anyone find her not pretty?

"Is that why you fell for me?", she was curious to know as he never talked about it.

Shengli slightly pecked on her inviting lips and wondered why he is in this deep love with her.

He remembered him considering her as the most beautiful one he had ever laid his eyes on when he saw her playing with those tiger cubs. When she ran towards him shouting 'Don't die', she looked like a moon in the dark sky. Someone unapproachable, untouchable and certainly someone he doesn't deserve. But when he started spending time with her he found her more adorable, like a little kitten. Someone he cannot part with, someone he wanted to possess and not let go, someone he loved more than himself.

He also remembered how extremely mischievous she was when she was little making her mother enraged. She would climb trees almost as fast as monkeys, ride in predatory animals and those gods appearing and disappearing before them... She was intriguing. There was never a dull moment with her. He was a bit jealous when she learnt everything, especially to write Guyu language in just two months when it took him two years to learn and he was called a genius by his tutors. A completely different girl from his opinion of girls.

Also the way she held on to him and tried to share his burdens, her smile, her constant nagging, her beautiful hands that comforted him... No one can rival that!

His love for her deepened for her each passing day since he met her and even after he knew about the troubles around her his love only expanded.

He knew her beauty may play a part, who doesn't like beauty right? Although her transcendent beauty is troublesome! Too much rivals... But he wouldn't have done all he did just for her beauty, right?

Yep! He loves her! Not just because she is beautiful but also because she is... Well.. His adorable one! His Moon! His wife!

He couldn't put a solid reason for it, but he knows he loves her and won't give her up for anything else. He'd love her no matter what.

"A little, yes!", he looked at her curious, shining eyes, "So why did you fall for me?", he asked back holding her chin.

"Because you are handsome and you are a prince", she replied plainly making him chuckle . How typical of her!

She was six! She didn't know much better! But I was old enough to know better!

When Xing thought about it, she might have liked him a lot when she was little but she fell in love with him only after she came to the city. She didn't realise it till now, but now as she could differentiate the feelings she had for him when she was little and the deep feelings of love she has for him now, she could say for sure that she fell in love with him after her mother's death. After she was close with him realising everything he was doing for her.

Honestly, his love is so precious and invaluable! I always feel so little in front of your love!

Xing knew that Shengli won't be too pleased with her decision to stay here inside the palace but he knew it needs to be done and he is only accepting it because it was her decision too. And she accepted his decision to join Shihong because it needs to be done too and she knew he can pull it off.

But the thought of him being with another person she knew to be a woman was a bit irritating. He would feel the same way too with her staying with his brother who clearly has connections to her by fate. Even if her end of fate is broken, his end isn't. It would definitely worry him. She now understood why Shengli always got jealous whenever it comes to the Emperor and her. He always knew! How worried and irritated he'd have felt? Still he trusts me!

Xing wanted to assure him that her feelings for him would never change no matter what. This life in all the lives to come, she'd only love him and him alone.

" Lu Chenglei, You'll be the only one I'll have these feelings for, I swear! ", she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Whatever the future may bring, wherever she may be and whatever he does, that won't change.

Shengli was surprised by her sudden attack. Her skin was almost translucent staying in the water for long and her face had that slight blush and her lips were red making her more alluring. She was close to him and the soft, smooth and bouncy flesh of hers pressed on him and her scent permeated his senses and he could not hold himself back and his lower body started reacting.

"Táng JiaXing, You Vixen! ", he hissed.

Does she realise what she is doing to me? Saying all those things and doing this now when she is entirely naked? Seriously how long should I hold myself back? He was slightly pissed. Back then she was too little and then there was her father who stopped them and now... The Gods... Is it for her blood? He knew those gods have a weird thing about 'virgin blood' as he had read in some legacies. Is that why they are interrupting each time they are together as they had told that they need her blood?

And this foxy woman, why is she this adament on provoking me knowing it won't lead anywhere? Does she realise how bad it is for me afterwards?

He looked at her all flushed and alluring. How beguiling can she be? Damn vixen! He didn't have the confidence to be rational anymore and tried to push her off. He didn't want to be interrupted halfway again. He had almost become what his Xing would say.. A man who is ruled by his winky! And he had cussed her too! How uncouth of someone raised as a Prince!

Xing saw the extremely uncomfortable look of Shengli as he cussed her and she could see through the clear water what the problem was and...

She laughed!

"Is this so amusing for you?", he grunted. Why is the man is the only one who had to suffer through this? Women just walk it off! They run behind an owl, literally!

Xing held her laughter and inched close to his ear, "I'll help you", she whispered and his pain only got worse by her husky, ambiguous whisper and her entire upper body was glued to him.

"Do. Not. Play. With. Fire. JiaXing", he gritted his teeth.

"I'm serious", she whispered again as her wet hair fell on his shoulders made him more turned on.

Xing didn't waste her time when she proved to him the 'skills' she boasted to have learned from the courtesans of the Heavenly Flowers Palace. How to please a man without actually doing the deed the traditional way. She knew if they do 'it' they might be interrupted again but she wanted to give him something to remember by for the time they'll be separated.

"Táng JiaXing, I really love your hands! Oh, the things they can do!", said the man who got his 'stress' released as he rested on her chest relaxed.

" You must consider yourself lucky, mister! Noble Men spend a lot for this in brothels since their Ladies won't do this for them at home ", she said smugly caressing his hair that had grown a little than its usual shoulder length.

"Oh! I'm blessed... I know that! My love!" said the man as he was satisfied.

Honestly, how could he give this adorable little kitten up? Isn't she the whole package? She is definitely worth every last thing he has. Who else could rival her in everything?

Chapter end