LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 89 The Dark Sky

Shengli didn't know how long he was staring blankly but Lin Mubai's loud nagging voice brought him back,

"Big brother Wolf, you are here! I searched for you everywhere. You should have told me you'll be here. See! I even brought you some tea", he gave him a bamboo flask and Shengli wordlessly got it from him when Lin Mubai continued,

"You should accept me as a page, big brother! See, you need my help always....", he continued on his rambling.

"I'm no Lord to have a page! And aren't you too rich to be just a page?", Shengli cut him off with his usual cold voice.

"Aww! Big brother! How could you say that? What little I have is what you gave me. If you didn't save my sister back then and took me in, I have no idea what might have happened to me...", he continued on rambling reminiscing the past .

That night their parents had sold off their daughter for their debts and the twelve year old him tried to save his sister from those men who tried to violate his sister right in their home and with their parents permission. But before he did anything, the Lone Wolf appeared there and killed all the men and saved his sister. His sister is now married with children living happily and he followed the lonely wolf. He always thought he owed his life to this big brother wolf.

Shengli who was in no mood to listen to his ramble, stood up to leave.

"Big brother Wolf! I know you are worried that sister-in-law would be angry with you, right? Sister-in-law didn't get angry when you didn't even meet her for years! So she won't be that angry anymore just because you lost your temper a little! I know how to pacify women.. ", Shengli who was already starting to leave paused his steps hearing him say that knowing Mubai knew his way with women.

Seeing Shengli pause his steps made Mubai happy and he skipped to Shengli's side,

" Women love money! ", he grinned and Shengli gave a burning glare at him and walked in fast paces trying to shrug off Mubai but he followed him.

" Big brother!" he sulked, "I know! Sister-in-law has a lot of money so she won't like it. But gifts like jewellery and flowers are a sure shot. All women love it! ", Mubai was confident.

Shengli gave a dry glance at Mubai as he remembered how she looked at jewellery and swords. Swords would be better but judging by his colossal screw up, it is doubtful even the sword of Tianshi Emperor would pacify her.

Shengli waved Mubai off who whined about his cruelty and took a deep breath. Even though he knew she won't talk to her or let him near her courtyard, he could just stand before her and beg for forgiveness.

These things cannot be put off, Shengli decided and he walked towards the Prime Minister's Manor. On the way there was a little girl selling lanterns with beautiful plum blossoms painted on it and in one look he realised that was of good quality and he bought it to try if gifts will work on her.

Xing who went home didn't even know what to do. She felt angry, humiliated and extremely sad by his behaviour and decided to never meet him again. In fact she was scared to look at those eyes that looked at her with coldness. She didn't think she would get over it anytime soon. And all those things happening around her lately made her more scared and she did what she did best - box it all up and store it in the back of her brain where she does not look often!

Xu mama was stupefied by her young miss' behaviour from the moment she returned from outside. She had a dejected look when she came back and went to take a bath and didn't come out until the water turned cold. Then she was sitting in a trance for sometime and now she looks... as usual? Is everything fine? But why is the room feel a bit chilly?

Xing who felt a better after pushing her thoughts away, went to the dining hall as it was dinner time to see Rijun's left hand bound with bandages.

"What happened, brother?", Xing asked concerned.

Rijun gave a sheepish glance and Xing got furious, "It was him, isn't it? That day he hurt your shoulder, this day your hand, what is he thinking? Don't work for him anymore", she started to unwound the bandages in his hand cursing the Emperor while her brother tried to calm her down.

What surprised her was to see frostbite in his hands... Eh! How did brother got frostbite?

Xing's mind wandered off to various thoughts involving her brother and the Emperor where Rijun might have gotten frostbite as she was dressing him with the salve she had with her that is highly effective for all wounds.

Actually Rijun and Huojin were summoned by the Emperor that day and he looked deep in thoughts. He asked both of them to each hold one of the Yin-yang Swords to their shock.

'It's a punishment', he said 'for being stupid and for lying to me', he pointed at Huojin and Rijun.

So both of them had no other choice but to hold the sword. Rijun picked the black one and Huojin the white one. Rijun felt cold seeping from the sword into his palms and his entire body and he could not let go of the sword as if the sword had stuck to him and won't let go until he was dead. Similar thing happened to Huojin too but he felt a burning feeling.

The swords ⚔️ let them go only when the Emperor pried it out from their hands.

'So this is the original and it's not because she is a Huang', the Emperor said rubbing his temples and Rijun realised his over-zealous sister must have touched this sword... and left unaffected and sighed . Even Huojin realised that this was something related to Huang Mingxia and asked the Emperor but he refused to say anything. And the Emperor advised both of them not to leak this matter.

Rijun who came out of his thoughts, saw the weird look on his sister's face and he remembered the picture Shengli showed before and he knew his sister is having that perverted thoughts and knocked on her head hard making her scream.

"Why did you hit me?", she pinched the affected area in his hand and he screamed.

While the siblings were in their usual banter, Shengli entered with the lantern in his hands followed by AoTian .

AoTian had gotten used to Shengli's presence in his home these days and he saw the lantern in his hands and got reminded of the festival coming up. But too bad, his daughter won't be here for that. As much as he wanted to spend his days with his daughter, her safety is more important.

Xing who had decided not to address the issues with Shengli gave a polite smile and accepted the lantern. She even appreciated the lantern eloquently almost short of a published poem and even asked Xu Mama to hang it in her courtyard.

AoTian who considered his daughter as a sweet little girl didn't find her behaviour unusual but Rijun was flabbergasted.

My sister is acting like a girl.. an elegant lady! Did I hit her head too hard?

Shengli who was silently observing her let out a deep sigh. It would have been different if she didn't talk to him at all but she is acting like an elegant lady completely different from her temperament. She noticed the wound in his knuckles and even applied medicine for him.

I should be happy that she does not seem angry at me, right? But why do I feel distant from her?

Then he remembered all the women in the inner palace acted like this around the Emperor even if they had disappointments and his heart started to hurt more! What have I done?

Just then AoTian explained the plans for her departure to their Ancestral Manor in Dajing. To everyone's surprise Xing agreed to it readily with no refusal surprising everyone and She even ate her dinner properly and said her bye to Shengli politely and got to her courtyard followed by the perplexed Xu mama.

Why is young miss acting like a noble lady suddenly? Wasn't she energetic with Young Master Rijun before? She changed after Young Master Shengli arrived? Are they... Fighting?

Xing went to her bed chambers and sprawled on the big bed and gave out a deep sigh.

Why can't I act normal around Shengli even though I thought I'm fine? I'm not fine then? I even followed all the etiquettes there is! What kind of defence mechanism is that.. acting like a lady? Am I trying to say that I'm fine to him? But I'm obviously not!

Xing could feel Shengli waiting outside her room and Xu mama confirmed it but she didn't get the urge to meet him or let him in and that surprised even her. She had always thought that she would forgive her prince no matter what he does but turns out she cannot forgive him for treating her coldly.

Xing didn't want to think anymore and just drifted to sleep. From her 'abundant knowledge' about romance from the novels Lady Zhong gave her, it is the duty of the man to find out what he did wrong each time the woman was angry and find a way to coax her. The woman just have to wait for the man to properly coax her and only accept him when her heart feels pleased!

So Xing who didn't realise that her pride as his woman was hurt by him hiding things from her and act like he was being intruded by her questions about him went to sleep just like that leaving the lonely soul outside to rot.

Shengli who was leaning by the door of her room, could not fathom her indifference towards him understood for the first time what Haru meant by Xing having walls of defenses around her and only those who are allowed could cross it. Right now he felt like he was in the outermost area where she won't be able to even look at him.

What should I do to coax her? Shengli was wondering, how could I get close to her again? What do men usually do?

He looked at the dark sky and sighed, At least you have the hope that the sun will rise in the morning and even you moon will comeback in some days! What hope do I have if my moon turns away from me? She is not even looking me in the eye any more!

Chapter end

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