Lao Min Na couldn’t believe her ears. How could he refuse her? She gave him the best offer he could ever get. Was he kidding? Lao Min Na’s dream was suddenly shattered. ‘This can’t be!!’ She was stunned. Her perfect plan was ruined just like that. No, she would not accept it. There must be something else she could do to make him change his mind.

“Why? Without me, you will die…” She said with anger and dejection.

​​

Zhao Li Xin sighed indifferently as though to relieve his boredom. A chuckle burst from his lips as he mocked. “Who said I’m gonna die without you? You think very highly of yourself.” 

Lao Min Na became more upset. She clenched her fist and glared at Zhao Li Xin, “What do you mean?”

“What makes you think I need your help to survive? Do you actually think I need you to conquer this world?” Zhao Li Xin laughed wickedly. His loud voice was cold and sinister. He released his Qi which spread like wildfire. “Who do you think you are, woman?”

Mong Ki’s back was drenched in a cold sweat. It seemed Lao Min Na was crazy to prove the Sixth Prince. He watched as Lao Min Na was pressed down to the ground by Zhao Li Xin’s powerful Qi. She looked pale and started coughing blood.

“The world can only comply with this lord’s wishes if I wanted… Why would I need a mere woman with above-average talent when I can have a hundred more like you?” Zhao Li Xin taunted her mercilessly.

Someone like Lao Min Na was proud and overbearing. She didn’t think there was anyone else more talented than her, yet Zhao Li Xin easily smashed her confidence.

“You will be dead without me!” Lao Min Na screamed with rage.

Zhao Li Xin scoffed as he waved his hand with annoyance, “Get her out of here. She’s wasting my time.”

Mong Ki dragged Lao Min Na out of the room. Lao Min Na, who was still in shock, snapped out of her daze when she was outside. She grabbed Mong Ki’s robes and pleaded, “Please give me one more chance. I need to talk to the Sixth Prince again.”

Mong Ki snapped his robes from Lao Min Na’s hand and said with a disinterested voice, “My Lord is not someone who likes to change his mind. Your persistence is unnecessary.”

“But… He’s really gonna die without me. Won’t you care if something happened to your Master?” Lao Min Na still tries to bargain. She refused to give up. If she couldn’t convince Zhao Li Xin, then she would try and convince his subordinates. He would listen to his subordinates, won’t he?

Mong Ki looked at her with disdain. It was no wonder his lord kicked her out. This woman was beyond shameless. She didn’t seem to understand what ‘NO’ means. Mong Ki ignored her as he led her to the front gate. He gently pushed her out and shut the gate before Lao Min Na could turn around.

Lao Min Na stood there in disbelief. She wracked her brain as she tried to understand her current situation but nothing good comes out of it. She could only give up for now… at least until she could concoct a new plan. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. ‘It’s was not over yet’ she chanted to herself and left Zhao Li Xin’s manor after a few minutes had passed.

_____________________________________

  “Has she left yet?” Zhao Li Xin sipped his wine with an annoyed look.

“Yes, Mi Lord.” Mong Ki replied.

“Find out who gave her information about me!”

“Yes, Mi Lord!”

Zhao Li Xin leaned into his chair and sighed. He hated people like Lao Min Na the most. She is too ambitious, too proud and most of all she was too ruthless. She was the kind of woman who would do anything to get what she wanted.

Actually, Lao Min Na was quite like him, but Zhao Li Xin didn’t want to spend his life with a female version of himself. That would be boring and… terrifying. Why would anyone want to spend their life with someone like themself? Someone who talked and thought like them. Zhao Li Xin scoffed with disgust as he imagined such a scenario.

He would rather have someone who was the opposite of him. Someone who was kind but not oblivious. Smart but not arrogant. Cunning but not wicked. Someone who was strong but magnanimous. Someone who was unpredictable and an enigma to him.

He tapped his table in monotone sound as his gazed stop at the mysterious blue flower in the pot. A face crossed his mind. Someone he had been waiting for but who didn’t come looking for him… He wondered why she hadn’t contacted him yet. She could easily make up an excuse to see him. He won’t mind if it was her. But then again, who was crazy enough to make excuses in front of a prince.

  “I’m leaving…” Zhao Li Xin abruptly raised from his chair and walked towards the door without looking back, “Don’t follow me!” 

“Yes, Mi Lord” Mong Ki could only comply as he watched his lord’s figure disappear behind the door.

________________________________

  Lory sat on the small porch in maid quarters as usual. Her eyes were glued to the night sky. The wind was more chilled than the previous night. It seemed winter was about to come. Her cheeks felt cold. She could almost see the white breath from her mouth. She tightened her small thin blanket around her shoulder.

“You will get cold covered in only that….”

Lory was surprised by the sudden baritone voice near her. Her eyes unconsciously searched for the voice and found Zhao Li Xin sitting above the wall fence in a lazy manner. She gasped, “Your highness!!”

Zhao Li Xin frowned and said sternly, “Call me Zhao Li Xin!”

Lory sighed helplessly and yielded. This man was very stubborn, and she could never win over him. “Right… Zhao Li Xin…”

“That’s better,” He smiled brightly with surprise. He felt delighted hearing her call his name.

His devilish smile make her heart race. She quickly averted her eyes from him. She shook her head to calmed herself, “Why are you here… Li Xin?”

His smile grew wider as his mood lifted once again when she called his name.

“This Lord got bored, so he decided to visit my… you…” He still didn’t know how to call the relationship between them. Savior? No. He would just compensate her to repay her kindness, but he didn’t want to do that. It seemed so impersonal. Friend…? He was not sure either if it was the right word to use. Lover? Well… They had only met a few times so that was also not right… What to do?

Lory didn’t think too much. She was quite easy going and she didn’t feel anything wrong with his words, “As a prince you are quite relaxed, aren’t you?”

“You are not the only one who likes sneaking around….” He teased.

“You are quite energetic, aren’t you? Especially for someone who just got healed from a terminal disease,” Lory chuckled. She sipped the tea from her mug then took a deep breath as the warmth spread through her body. She casually added, “You should be more careful. I can’t heal you again if something was to happen.”

Zhao Li Xin was curious but pretended to be indifferent as he asked, “Why not?”

Lory was immersed in her sweet lemon ginger tea. She ridiculed herself as she said, “Because I’m gonna be dead.” she laughs.

“WHAT!!” Zhao Li Xin furrowed his eyebrows.

“What what?” Lory questioned him innocently.

“Are you hurt?” Zhao Li Xin jumped from the top of the wall and approached her with an anxious look. He didn’t realize how distressed he was at that moment. He examined Lory’s face closely to make sure she was not hurting or anything.

Lory was baffled by his sudden concern and how close he was to her. She saw the need to reassure him, “I’m fine. I’m just joking…”

“You are sure? Don’t make jokes like that again…!” He didn’t completely believe her. She had mysterious cured a poison that even his King’s Palace couldn’t fix. He didn’t know how she did it or what method she used on him.

He was not very curious at first since the result was amazing and didn’t want to probe her business. However, he couldn’t help but worry now. What if she used a dangerous method that would harm her in the end?

“I’m fine… really… I’m here, aren’t I!” Lory reassured him once again.

Zhao Li Xin nodded slowly, “That is good… As long as you promise you are fine.”

“I swear!!” Lory made a ‘victory sign’ but Zhao Li Xin only squinted his eyes as he didn’t understand what the sign meant. Lory realized she made a weird gesture and waved her hand awkwardly, “So… Honestly, why are you here?”

“Well, I’m not so sure…” He had the urge to meet her but didn’t understand why. “Hmm… you haven’t told me how to reward you for what you did?”

“Huh…” Lory tilted her head with a blank look before she remembered, “Oh, you are talking about the day I saved you?”

Zhao Li Xin was perplexed. She forgot… How could she forget? He chuckled at how hilarious or perhaps how dumb she was. She saved him without thinking of how she could benefit from it. Was she genuinely selfless or just stupid?

“Yes, that what I mean…”

“Oh…” Lory stares at him blankly. She didn’t know what she should ask for. The only thing she wanted was to go home, but that would be impossible unless he was a god. She shrugged her shoulders, “Well… I have no idea. I will be fine with anything though.”

Zhao Li Xin knew she was not pretending. Others would have taken this as a chance to exploit his power for their own benefit just like Lao Min Na planned to do. He only needed one look to see Lao Min Na the greed and ambition in her eyes.

The woman’s ambition was insatiable, Zhao Li Xin knew that even ruling the Jiang kingdom would not satisfy her soon she would swallow the whole world and stood at the top of the world and she wouldn’t stop until she got what she wants, or untill someone stopped her.

People like Lao Min Na were not rare. He had met a few people like her before and that was why he was not impressed by her. However, the woman before him now was different… He really couldn’t understand her.