The Princess And The Lord

Zhao Li Xin met a man in a yellow uniform outside his small courtyard after his meeting with the two Hei Shen Sect spies. It was easy for him to tell who the person was and why he was there. 

The man in the yellow uniform noticed Zhao Li Xin's presence as he shifted his gaze toward him. He had a snobbish look as he asked, "You are Lu Xin?"

"I am," Zhao Li Xin replied with indifference. 

"Miss Nan wants to meet you. Follow me!" The man turned around without waiting for Zhao Li Xin to respond as the man expected Zhao Li Xin to follow without question. 

Zhao Li Xin threw a glance at his courtyard and noticed the array was unused. This meant Lory was safe inside the courtyard. He only followed the man in the yellow uniform once he was assured of Lory's safety.

The man in the yellow uniform led Zhao Li Xin to the Nan Family manor. It was one of the biggest manors in Cloud City. They passed the first and second gates and reached the manor's main garden. A lady in white robes was in the pavilion playing the Gu Qin. Its gentle sound floated through the air. The lady's hair swayed with the breeze as her hands moved gracefully like a butterfly. Her thick eyelashes fluttered when Zhao Li Xin and her subordinate appeared.

The man in the yellow uniform cupped his fist and bowed courteously, "Greetings, Young Miss Nan. I brought Mister Lu as requested."

"You may leave…" Nan Yu Qi raised her hand and waved off her maids and subordinate to give them privacy. She gestured for Zhao Li Xin to sit opposite her once they left. She watched her new disciple do so without saying a word. Nan Yu Qi couldn't help but praise the young disciple's cold temperament. However, it also worried her as she couldn't read his mind or deduce his real motives. Someone like Lu Xin was not easy to control but his astounding power made her eager to take a gamble.

"Have you decided on a master to serve?" Nan Yu Qi asked. She did not want to beat around the bush.

"I don't mind serving the Fourth Master Xie as long as you fulfill everything you said in the practice field," Zhao Li Xin responded calmly. He hinted his service was not cheap.

"Of course…" Nan Yu Qi said with an assertive smile. " I want you to do something for me first. Something to show your sincerity."

"What?" Zhao Li Xin asked casually as he expected her to ask for something.

Nan Yu Qi's face brightened. She was pleased with his attitude. She gave Zhao Li Xin a probing look and stopped playing with the Gu Qin, "Bring me a shadow tiger."

"A shadow tiger is a Saint Level beast…" Zhao Li Xin said in a low voice. He wanted to make sure it was her ridiculous request.

"Yes…" Nan Yu Qi smiled sweetly like she didn't know how absurd her request was. She was firm, "…bring me the cub of a shadow tiger."

Zhao Li Xin knew the damn woman was testing him as she wanted to know his strength. It had been a while since anyone dared to test him and he didn't mind playing with such people before he ended them. His words were calm, "Sure… Anything else?" 

Nan Yu Qi was surprised Zhao Li Xin accepted her proposal without negotiating. The truth was she wanted Zhao Li Xin to feel flustered or anxious as he always had a placid look on his face. She wanted to tease him and make him beg for an easier task but he did not. Instead, her interest in him raised to a whole new level. 

"That's all," She smiled and proceeded to ignore Zhao Li Xin's presence by playing her Gu Qin.

Zhao Li Xin left Nan Yu Qi's presence with a calm expression. He did not look worried as he walked away from her. Unbeknownst to him, Nan Yu Qi sneaked a peek at Zhao Li Xin's retreating back. A soft smile bloomed across her face. 'What an interesting man', she thought.

____________________ 

Lory managed to get herself out of bed after a while. She dressed up and took the time to clean the room. She even changed the beddings with sheets and a blanket from her spatial ring. She had placed them there for as a by the way as it was her motto to always carry things she may need whenever she slept away from home. She never thought she would need to use the new sheets for a different reason. A blush spread over her face as she remembered what happened the previous night. She needed to take a proper bath.

"You cleaned the room?" A familiar baritone voice startled Lory out of her thoughts.

"You're home…" Lory was surprised and happy to see him.

Zhao Li Xin caressed her cheeks, "You don't have to clean the room. We are moving to better living quarters today."

"Today?" Lory was stunned. It was a good thing she didn't need to pack many things. The only things she would take were her new sheets and a blanket. She could not leave them behind as it would be more troublesome if someone else found them as they were made of high-quality linen. Although their fake background was of a rich merchant and his wife, they were not supposed to be too rich to afford such luxury.

"Speaking of the devil…" Zhao Li Xin muttered and headed outside the room.

A young man in a yellow uniform entered their courtyard. Zhao Li Xin greeted the young man with an expressionless face. His facial paralysis was well known so the young man wasn't offended by it. "I am here to escort you to your new courtyard." 

"Hmm…" Zhao Li Xin hummed and turned to Lory. His heart stung as he had to question her with an uncaring tone, "Are you done yet?"

"Yes!" Lory came out of the room in a hurry.

The young man's brows furrow as he confirmed the rumor Zhao Li Xin treated his wife like a servant.

"Let's go!" Zhao Li Xin cued the young man.

"Oh yes, follow me." The young man took them to a medium-sized courtyard.

It was bigger than the previous courtyard as it had a small garden and small pavilion. The room was also much nicer than the previous one and the bed could accommodate two people. Lory was quite satisfied with it but Zhao Li Xin was vexed. He wondered If the Sacred Mountain Peak society was poor as their living quarters were far from his expectations. It also seemed like they saw him as a cheap person.

"Is great, isn't it? You have to be thankful to Miss Nan. She personally chose this place for you," The young man beamed as if Zhao Li Xin was granted a great honor. He misunderstood Zhao Li Xin's reaction and thought Zhao Li Xin was surprised. He opened an inner door and proudly showed it to Zhao Li Xin. "You even have an adjunction room for your wi… ehm… servant?"

The young man was quick to correct himself. The place he opened was a small room with a wooden bench for sleeping and a small drawer.

'Is this supposed to be my room?' Lory lamented to herself.

[Nice room, girl. It is like the hostel you used to live in years ago] Girsha snickered. He used telepathy to speak to Lory.

[The only thing missing is a small electric fan. Only that and we will be in the same boat] Lory chuckled as she reminisced her past. The times when she used to troll around with only Girsha. This was after she left King City, Herriond.

Zhao Li Xin's face was as dark as charcoal as he saw the room. All he could do was scream in his head in disbelief, 'They want my Princess to live in the closet?' Zhao Li Xin was infuriated. He was tempted to bash the smug look from the young man's face.