Chapter 96 - Affirmation (2/2)

After a while of this awkward atmosphere. Zhao Lan finally spoke up, ”Your majesty, since we are all here. We should be on our way.” The Emperor's expression fell, he narrowed his eyes and glanced her way.

Zhao Lan immediately looked down, feeling a bit of a shiver. Despite her father's reassurances, she was still getting a sense that the Emperor held some hostility towards her. But regardless of her discomfort, she still had to try to win him over to meet her father's expectations. It did not help that he made it difficult for his wives to meet him. The fact that Lei Xing managed to fall through the cracks and gain his attention made everything worse.

The Emperor got up and they finally left to the training field which had now been converted to a banquet hosting ground. After they were seated, Lei Xing scanned the guests below looking for Tung Mei.

She found her next to Lei Yong and her eyes lit up. Since this was a formal banquet, Lei Xing could not directly walk up to her, so she signaled for Ah Jin to come forward. Then told her to go arrange with Tung Mei for them to meet in a corner somewhere. That way Lei Xing could excuse herself and quickly return the bracelet.

Below, An Hao was closely observing Lei Xing since she arrived. He watched her scan the crowd and light up at the sight of Lei Yong and then narrowed his eyes.

{...Coincidence? Unlikely, the more I look the more similar she is...}

When An Hao saw Ah Jin come up beside Lei Xing, he squinted, blinked several times. rubbed his eyes and then squinted again.

{...Okay, I'm really not seeing things now...One of them, it could just be me but two of them? together? They're REAL! I'm not crazy and I know what I saw!...}

An Hao then determinedly made his way towards Lei Yong. When he arrived, he found Lei Yong standing on his own, Tung Mei had apparently left at some point. He pulled Lei Yong to the side and sneakily pointed towards Lei Xing and quietly asked, ”You see that consort in blue and silver, you know her, right?”

Lei Yong followed his directions and looked at Lei Xing then answered, ”Yes, she -”

”I knew it!” An Hao excitedly said, raising his voice a little and then lowered his voice, ”So what's your relationship with her? Huh? You can tell me, I'll keep your secret. Trust me.” He finished smirking and wiggling his eyebrows.

Lei Yong knit his brows and snorted, ”You've not even come to greet me properly and you're up to your stupid jokes again. You must have been very bored these last few months.”

An Hao frowned, ”I'll come later. Just answer the question for now.”

Lei Yong snorted and then humored him, ”She's my younger sister.”

An Hao knit his brows and mumbled, ”Sister?”

Lei Yong nodded, then raised an eyebrow, ”Why?”

”Not as exciting as expected.” An Hao mumbled and then frowned, ”I have a score to settle.” Then he strutted off.

Lei Yong watched An Hao's departing with a confused frown, eventually dismissing it as An Hao's usual odd behavior, then he started looking around for Tung Mei.