Chapter 186 - Meeting of the Minds (1/2)

The Emperor covertly glanced at Lei Xing's pouting form and knit his brows

{...Her complexion doesn't look too good. Has she been ill? I didn't hear anything about that -...}

Lei Xing raised her head and the Emperor immediately averted his eyes and pretended to be fully concentrating on the doc.u.ment in his hand. He felt Lei Xing staring at him and it took a considerable amount of will power not to look at her. Honestly, she had been tasking his will power since she arrived.

Actually, it was since the moment he heard she went looking for him. She had never sought him out before, he was curious and excited...but then he reminded himself not to get excited unnecessarily. He rationalized reasons why she would possibly seek him out and thought it would be about the matter Chen You's matter. But then she said it was none of those reasons...

And the one thought he had been pushing back all this while came to the forefront of his mind. Perhaps, she missed him as well.

But he could not be confident in that thought and so, he did not allow himself to indulge in it and stamped down the thought. Thinking about that would only make him feel worse when she eventually said what it was she sought him for.

So he asked her what she wanted but she just sat there, frowning and pouting very cutely, torturing him. It was one thing when he could not see her, but having her being right there but feeling so far away was upsetting. But still, he wanted to see her and so could not send her away. He wanted to ask her what her purpose what again, but she seemed so fidgety like she would run off at any moment.

And now she was staring at him intently, he wanted to look up to see her expression but he thought she might really get scared off and run away and so he continued staring down at the doc.u.ment, with no words going in and all his senses focused on her.

After a long time of Lei Xing's silently staring. Lei Xing took a deep breath, let it out and then said, ”I'm sorry.”

The Emperor blinked and turned to her in surprise.

{...She came to apologize?...}

He opened his mouth to speak but before he could speak Lei Xing held a hand up and said, ”Just let me finish.” Then she closed her eyes and took another deep breath, opened her eyes and then said, ”I realize I owe you a better explanation, given the situation...and everything that's happened...” She paused, bit her lower lip.

{...This is awkward and frustrating...But we can do this, just blurt it out! It's not that hard...It's just words, nothing to them and if he's a douche - He won't be so - We can do this!...}

Lei Xing cleared her throat and looked straight at him as her face and ears started to redden. She nervously lowered her eyes again, but then willed herself to look up, glaring at him this time.

The Emperor raised his eyebrows as he observed her. He found this amusing but tried not to smile or laugh. She looked like she was ready to fight a war, she looked fierce and adorable.

”I like you.” Lei Xing finally blurted out with an intensifying glare, shocking the amus.e.m.e.nt of the Emperor. He went wide-eyed in shock and then his face lit up in happy surprise, but again, before he could speak, Lei Xing put a hand up again and said, ”Let me finish.” as she took deep breaths to compose herself as her face quickly heated up.

The Emperor smiled and grabbed her hand and softly said, ”I've missed you.” Lei Xing blinked at him, opened her mouth and then closed it.

{...Ahhh, why do you have to be like this? *>ω

Lei Xing pursed her lips, trying to stifle the smile that was struggling to break free. She drew her hand back and said, ”Don't distract me...Let me finish.” With a pout, red face and crimson ears.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, but complied and waited. Lei Xing closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and then looked up at him with knit eyebrows and began, ”Ah, so...Um, remember I told you I lost my memories right before entering the palace. So just imagine not remembering anyone, and then being taken from the place you call home to enter the palace, you would agree it's quite daunting. Not to mention, of all the few things I remembered, the idea of the harem being a dangerous and treacherous place was the clearest of them all. So you can imagine the idea of being part of it was rather distasteful. Suddenly going from not remembering anyone, to entering the palace and being forced to marry some stranger...”

”Stranger?” The Emperor interjected with knit eyebrows. He did not like that.