Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

128 I let him live

Lóng Wei sneered upon hearing Mingquan. “I am surprised to hear that you want to support me. If I am not wrong, you equally want me to disappear like them. I don’t want to know what people think of me. I don’t want you to see me as the worthiest prince. I don’t want to raise their expectations for me. I will go on the path which I paved. Also, I don’t like to be get blackmailed. Tell the Royal Father whatever you know about that day.”

Lóng Wei looked at the teacup and raised it. He gulped the tea from it and plonked it on the table.

“I should thank Brother Lóng Wei for having the morning tea with him,” Mingquan said. “Yesterday was the last time I blackmailed Brother Lóng Wei. I understand because of his mother’s last words to him, he walked on a path that no one would like to. I do hope that Brother Lóng Wei starts to see me as his ally.”

Lóng Wei got up and put his hands behind his back. “Then, I want the Fourth Prince to show me that he truly wants my good,” he challenged him. Mingquan accepted it gladly.

“Brother Lóng Wei, let’s have a friendly sword fight,” Mingquan said, “tomorrow in the morning. I would like to see if Brother Lóng Wei is capable enough to defeat me.” Mingquan wanted to check Lóng Wei’s capabilities. He remembered years ago, Lóng Wei easily lost against all the princes, or was it a deliberate intention of him to show everyone that he was weak.

“I am here to spend the time with my wife, not to play with swords,” Lóng Wei proclaimed.

“My Sister-in-law will like it. She also needs such kind of entertainment. If Brother Lóng Wei is scared to lose, then I won’t pressure him,” Mingquan said.

“I accept it,” Lóng Wei promptly said. “I hope you will use your full strength on me,” he affirmed and smile before walking away.

“He seems confident. I would love to see what he has learned all these years,” Mingquan murmured and brought the teacup near his mouth.

.....

Lóng Wei had deep frowns on his forehead. He halted by the pillar. “He knows everything about that night. Strange! He remained quiet all these years. And why did he ask for this sudden friendly swordfight with him?” His lips twitched. “Li Hua will laugh at me if I lose the fight. However, if I show my true strength to the Fourth Prince then, he would find out that I pretended all these years,” he murmured.

“Your Highness,” a maidservant softly addressed him.

Lóng Wei turned to look at her and asked her to speak.

“Young Master Xu Zifan wants to see you,” she informed Lóng Wei, who hummed and told her to leave first. After a while, Lóng Wei left to meet Xu Zifan.

~~~~~

Xu Zifan greeted Lóng Wei, who took a seat on the chaise lounge. He asked Zifan to settle on the other one.

“Is Li Hua still resting?” Xu Zifan asked.

Lóng Wei hummed. “I didn’t wake her up as she’s tired from the journey. I will bring her later to have breakfast with you. Then, you two can have a long conversation,” he said and smiled.

“I want to converse with His Highness first. It is good that she’s still asleep,” Xu Zifan said.

“What do you want to talk about?” Lóng Wei asked.

“I want His Highness not to let her see Feng Lao,” Xu Zifan requested.

“Why?” Lóng Wei tilted his head. “She must know to open her heart for me,” he opined.

“She will get hurt. It will break her down,” Xu Zifan stated.

“Feng Lao rescued her that day and then asked her to leave Xinshui. What do you think is happening? Why did he play such a trick on her? Shouldn’t she know all this more than anyone? To become strong, you need to feel broken inside-out,” Lóng Wei reasoned.

“His Highness doesn’t know at all how much she-”

“Xu Zifan, I might look like an emotionless being, but for Li Hua, I am not. Why do you think Feng Lao is still alive?”

“Because his residence is highly secured. It is impossible to go in and especially kill him,” Xu Zifan replied.

“Xu Zifan, did you lose your mind when you lost this arm?” Lóng Wei got blunt with him. “I let him live. That is why he is living a peaceful life. Breaking into his residence will only take minutes for me. However, I won’t do it now. Someone is behind him who wiped out the existence of the Xu Family. It is not the King. I can assure you this,” he affirmed.

“I trusted Feng Lao more than anyone. We both grew up together and studied together. Never in my worst nightmare, I thought he would do betray me this way. When this thing can hurt me so badly, then, I can imagine what Li Hua will go through. She will not be able to handle it. That’s why I want His Highness not to reveal the truth to her. I beg him,” Xu Zifan pleaded with Lóng Wei.

“There’s no use in begging me, Xu Zifan. I listen to myself only. What I feel is right, I work on that,” Lóng Wei stated. “The earlier Li Hua knows, the better it will be,” he pronounced. “But I won’t tell her now. I need to enjoy my days here with her,” he stated and smiled.

Xu Zifan nodded. “As His Highness feels right,” he said.

“She will ask you about Feng Lao surely. What will you tell her?” Lóng Wei curiously gazed at him.

“I’ll lie. That’s the best I can do,” Xu Zifan answered. “Your Highness, is my sister not willing to love you? Pardon me for going into this private matter, but as her brother, I must know. Accordingly, I will help her understand. If mother would have been alive, she had told her, instructed her. I, as her brother, have to tell Li Hua her duties,” he said.

“You don’t need to tell her that. I don’t want her to be forced into this. She has started building feelings for me. It will take time for her to reciprocate my feelings completely. Because of Feng Lao, she’s stuck between her mind and heart. She is unable to understand what she wants,” Lóng Wei stated. Xu Zifan nodded and thanked him for taking a good care of his sister.