131 She Has To Flee (2/2)
Lu Tianbi rolled her eyes at his boring joke. ”She's a third-rank Princess sheltered by a Prime Minister and Duchess. One of her brothers is a Minister and the other is a General. Do you seriously think she'd flee her own country?”
”True true,” Hu Dengxiao effortlessly agreed. ”Well, I suppose only time can tell how their relationship will develop. So far, the ocean tides are calm and the ship is sailing smoothly.”
”Except for the occasional disturbances, like that crazy Commander of Wuyi who wouldn't leave her alone.” Lu Tianbi sighed. She pitied the poor girl stuck in the crossroad of a complicated love triangle.
”The tension is high between our Prince and that Commander. If we didn't intervene that night, do you think a fight would have broken out?” Hu Dengxiao asked.
”I hope not. A fight between two Commanders is never a pleasant thing to witness. They won't stop until they tear each other apart. I just know it.” Lu Tianbi scowled, crossing her arms at the unpleasant image of a bloody fight.
”I feel like they would have some restraints though. They understand how valuable they are to their country,” Hu Dengxiao said.
”Well, let's hope they keep that in mind the next time they decide to have a conversation,” Lu Tianbi muttered, ”Or else we might have another war on our hands.” She shuddered at the thought of that. Neither country would let it slide if a brawl was to break out between their top fighters.
- - - - -
Yu Zhen struggled to find Li Xueyue. He had headed in the direction that he saw her wander off to, but when he arrived, she was nowhere to be found. This garden was larger than anticipated and the deeper he went, the denser the trees and flower bushes got. It was a miracle that this place was thriving in such a constrained place like the Imperial Palace.
Finally, he spotted something familiar. Her lavender hanfu and accessories had made her blend in with the light-colored flowers. He didn't realize her hairpin had flowy strings of lilac until she tilted her head and it moved with her.
Another accessory caught the light, a pure white hairpin crafted from jade, and the color of swirling clouds on a glorious morning.
”I know you're there.”
Yu Zhen tensed at her words, quiet and observant. She slowly turned around, revealing the thing that had caught her attention all this time.
”A black butterfly?” he questioned and raised a brow when he saw the flutter of the insect, its wings dark and demonic.
”I've never seen one before,” Li Xueyue said, raising her head a bit so that she wouldn't unwittingly blow any air onto the butterfly resting on a curled finger and frightened it away.
”They're bad omens. You should let it go.” Yu Zhen scowled, stepping closer to her.
”But they're beautiful,” Li Xueyue sullenly said, taking steps back while he continued advancing towards her.
”It's a symbol for misfortune and foreshadows death. Get rid of it.” Yu Zhen huffed, coming closer to her while she continued walking backward until eventually, she tripped.
Her eyes widened as she reached out to grab the air, only to realize her stupid mistake. Yu Zhen rushed to grab her before she fell, only to grab her hand at the last second. Eventually, they tumbled onto a flower bush that collapsed downwards, forcing their bodies even closer.
Li Xueyue held her breath, unable to comprehend their proximity. She could feel the tickle of the flower petals against her face, but the only thing she could focus on was him.
Yu Zhen had toppled on top of her, but was careful to not harm her, his hands caging on either side of her, his weight ruining the plants under his palm. Despite being surrounded by all sorts of flowers, the only thing he could concentrate on was her scent—sweet and beckoning.
Her guard was lowered and her parted lips only stimulated him further.
He was irresistibly close to her now, his scent, a blend of pinecones and the forest, shrouded her. She stared up at him, a light blush traveling from her neck up. He was intensely staring at her, his eyes set ablaze, his restrain reaching its limits.