Chapter 161 - Flailing Aspirations (2/2)
Chen You felt a shiver run down her spine and she immediately lowered her head and clasped her hands together to hide her shaking. She now knew that even if Lei Xing's matter was concluded in her favor, she would still be in trouble because of Monk Du.
As the long-awaited witnesses walked in, Lei Xing's ears honed in to sound of their shuffling feet as they drew closer. She felt a range of emotions, fear, anger...and a great sense of guilt. Despite the fact that she knew for a fact it was not her fault, the nagging sense that she had done some great wrong kept eating at her as Prince Yi's presence drew closer. Lei Xing took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.
{...Calm down, we have to look at him, calmly and confidently. Otherwise, this whole thing falls apart. I did nothing wrong and -... Just look up and stop being a wuss! >_
Lei Xing braced herself, straightened her spine and looked up at the approaching trio calmly. She met Prince Yi's eyes and her eyes wavered a moment but she held on and turned her gaze to the other two. Prince Yi gave her a subtle nod while Princess Nalan looked at her somewhat curiously, which somewhat unnerved Lei Xing but she kept her head up.
Prince Yi's eyes lingered on Lei Xing's face for a bit and on her smile and then he looked forward to see the Emperor's icy gaze on him. Prince Yi knit his brows and slightly narrowed his eyes back at his brother with an equally icy gaze.
{...If I am going to die it will be with dignity and not cowering in front of you...}
Since the Emperor's guards had found Prince Yi at the flower field, he became aware that the Emperor knew about what he had done. Even though the Emperor seemed intent on covering it up, Prince Yi did not believe that the Emperor would simply spare him...He also never expected the Emperor's feelings for Lei Xing to run this deep that he would actually cover it up. And this realization both relieved and angered him at the same time.
The trio stopped and bowed to the front and then stood in silence, waiting for the two royals above to speak, but instead, the Emperor and Empress dowager just sat there with their eyes fixed on them.
Prince Rui eventually spoke up and said, ”Your majesties, I was informed that you required the assistance of my sister and I with some matter.”
The Emperor did not seem inclined to speak and so the Empress dowager jumped on the issue, trying to get some good out of her morning's venture and vaguely ordered. ”Narrate the events of your time at the merchant festival yesterday.”
Prince Rui knit his brows at the odd request but complied, ”We enjoyed our time at the festival. There were various interesting performances. The selection of both items and food were vast and spectacular...We even found some things from our home country, as well as several novelties we had never encountered before...It was a very -”
”Not that!” The Empress dowager irritatedly interrupted, ”Were you all together with her the entire time?” The Empress dowager directly asked pointing at Lei Xing. Prince Rui raised his eyebrows and glanced at Lei Xing, who was trying to keep her expression as calm as possible.
Lei Xing trusted that the Emperor must have briefed them or done something because otherwise, they would not be any help at all. She had no clue if they actually witnessed the kiss scene but they would at least know that she and prince Yi were out of their sights for quite a while, which would contradict what Lei Xing had said.
Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor to find him staring fixedly at Prince Yi, who was also staring back at him, mirroring his anger...which made Lei Xing confused. She understood the Emperor's anger but could not fathom why Prince Yi seemed angry with the Emperor who was saving both their hides from the bloodthirsty Empress Dowager.
{...I can understand him being angry with me? But what is he be angry at this guy for?... Shouldn't he be at least repentant, or feel guilty...And to think I was feeling bad to have caused him trouble, he doesn't seem to know how to keep his head. What the hell is he challenging him for?!... Also, why should he even be angry at me? I may have ”started” it, but I don't remember him protesting At All!... Frankly, I remember him with his hands all over me-...O_O)...Forget! Forget! Forget! >_
Lei Xing would have slapped herself if not for the onlookers, she forced her mind out of that scenario before she started to blush. To get her mind off the incident with Prince Yi, Lei Xing faced forward and fixed her eyes on Chen You to find her cowering for some reason. Lei Xing expected to find a gloating or glaring Chen You, which would have both sufficed to make her irritation and anger bubble. But this scared Chen You just made her confused.
{...What the hell is your problem? I should be the one cowering courtesy of your wonderful self -_-)...}