Xu Zhi dismisses a formal request to take the prisoners penned by the Minister of Law himself, and sets to leave. “Ignore the letter. Ting Wei merely wanted me to admire his calligraphy. Ah Jiu, I will wait for your good news. Tong Mo, keep the bell safe and make sure that no one touches it.”

At the door, she pauses and turns back to look at Jiu Xing. “Since you will be seeing to my matters in future, follow Jiang Jiu and learn the ropes.”

As everyone leave to do her bidding, Tong Mo pa.s.ses an umbrella to Zhou Wen Wu. Watching her signs, Zhou Wen Wu makes no move to take the umbrella while Xu Zhi dismisses. “It is alright Tong Mo. Go do your stuff and forget about an umbrella for me. How can a short walk under the sun cause my headache to worsen?”

Turning around, she walks off but it is not long before the shadow of a man with an umbrella pa.s.ses over her. “Xu Zhi, once they have cured your headache, I’m going to turn them into mincemeat.”

When she shots Zhou Wen Wu a look of censure, he asks once more on what happened while they were held captive, to which she responds with no expression whatsoever. “There are some things in life that it is better not to know.”

Zhou Wen Wu tightens his hold on the umbrella until she wonders if the handle is going to splinter. “What. Else. Did. They. Do. To. You?”

Xu Zhi sighs and walks towards the lake. “There are people in the study making copies of the books. Let us take a seat by the lake.”

“You know, you are the most useless mistress I know. You must let your servants know who is the boss and if you need to use the study, then they better make sure you are done with using the study before they use the place to copy books.”

“Oh… I am in a rush you see.” Seeing that he has fallen behind, she walks back to him. “Ah Wu, the copies they are making will be placed in my tomb together with me. By the way, you will definitely live to see Zhou Wen Cheng’s ending right? Can you as a favour to me, make sure that you witness his ending?”

Something flickers in his eyes and she reaches out to remove his mask. “I have said before that you need not wear the mask while you are in the residence.”

She has never been good at reading people and she finds that even without the mask, she is still quite clueless to figuring out the confusing man before her. “Ah Wu, can you kiss me?”

Despite the bright sun above, such a request from a beautiful woman like her is hard to resist and Zhou Wen Wu dips his head and kisses her. At first, the contact is brief and light but when he deepens the kiss… he tightens his hold on her waist and starts plundering. When he finally feels her responding, he makes a guttural moan and walks her backwards until her back is to a tree. He left her mouth to trail his lips up to her ears…. and meets her amber eyes.

A pair of watchful amber eyes with just a tint of cloud in them to mask their sharpness. “Xu Zhi, who am I?”

“Zhou Wen Wu.” Looking at his face that is flushed from pa.s.sion, she continues. “It was you last night too, is it not?”

“You know it is me?”

“Of course. I’m not dead you know. The meds may dull my brain but I can still register the feeling that someone is kissing me. I may not know who it is at that time but when I saw you in my room when I woke up, the answer become obvious.” Such simple deduction is still within her capabilities.

But his vigor is a surprise to her. He is over thirty is he not? Why does he behave like a youth when it comes to pa.s.sion? She only responded after a long time but his pa.s.sion seems easily ignited, almost from the start! Didn’t he say that he feels too pressurized to enjoy s.e.x anymore? Perhaps…. “Did you confuse me with Xu Da again?”

“No. Unlike you, I do not respond to simply anyone, much less if it is someone whom I do not know.” His sarcasm trails off as he feels anger boiling up again. Fearing that he may crush her waist in his anger, he forces himself to let her go least he triggers another headache.

“You use to have a stable of concubines. Are you sure you do not respond to them too?”

Her curious question is like a slap in the face and his expression turns ominous as he glares at her. “Xu Zhi, are you telling me that I am only one bedmate out of many?” He grabs her wrist in a death grip. “If you are saying that anyone who can ignite your pa.s.sion is welcome to share your bed, I will tell you straight – don’t you even dare think about it!”

“Then what should I think?” She is always open to suggestions for improvement.

It is at the tip of his tongue to say that she can only think of him, but Zhou Wen Wu swallows his words and forces himself to relax. “Xu Zhi, there is a portrait in the palace that probably belonged to your ancestor. The woman in the painting is 30% like you, 70% like Xu Da. I am not comfortable that the Yi fellow mention your resemblance to a woman in one of their old paintings and I would strongly suggest that you find a chance to destroy that portrait in the palace.”

“Oh… When did you see this portrait?”

“More than 10 years ago, before Xu Da left for Wei.”

Xu Zhi connects the dots immediately. “So you like women who looks like the person in the portrait? That is why you are so hot for Xu Da back then? Because she resembles the woman?”

When he did not answer, she continues along her line of reasoning. “So you are the kind that is love-at-first-sight? You like woman with a certain look? When you pursue me all those years ago, it is because I have the look and when you saw that Xu Da looks even more like your ideal woman, you started pursuing her?”

He tries to interrupt her but she continues. “Although I have no idea you are pursuing me back then had Zai Lin not alerted me…” His face has turned black when she faces him squarely. “Ah Wu, I have seen that portrait.”

“What?”

“I have seen the portrait with His Majesty.”

“When was that?”

“I think it is not long after his coronation. I was asking him to release you to me and he showed me the picture of my ancestor. Let me think, he remarked that I look like her and if Xu Da is still in Xi Xuan, he would love to know who would resemble the woman more – her or me. Zhou Wen Wu, is that what you think too?”

“So you tried to sleep with me because I am the only remaining Xu woman in town? And you are worried that Zhou Wen Cheng may think the same way which is why you suggest I destroy the portrait?”

Zhou Wen Wu is beyond angry that she can misunderstand him like this and he grabs her wrist until she whimpers in pain. He knows that her bone is at risk of breaking but he is so angry, it takes him a few seconds before he finds the will to release her. Unsatisfied, he punches the tree a few times in frustration. With his punches landing close to her ear, he cannot miss seeing her infuriating face and finally, he decides to bury his face in the nook of her shoulder so that he need not see her at all.

She feels a sharp bite on her shoulder and she reminds him. “If you want to bite me, do not bite too hard as it will trigger my headache.” She goes on as if the topic of conversation is very ordinary. “s.e.x between man and woman is a normal, healthy activity. I was wondering if the meds I took yesterday resulted in my reaction but when I tested myself just now, I realize it is not the case. Although it takes me a while and although the pa.s.sion is nothing like the lightning in the sky nor fire in the plains…..”

He lifts his head slowly to glare at her, his eyes a little bloodshot at the corners.

Xu Zhi trails off as she is distracted at the beautiful (angry) face in front of her. He may be a bit old, but when he is caught up in pa.s.sion, he is really a pleasing sight on the eyes. In her opinion, he is far more suited to be a man in her harem than a prince but she knows that if she dares to suggest it now, she is going to be dead the next minute.

She soothes the creases at the corner of his eyes and tells herself that she is purely admiring something beautiful. She is unaware that unlike normally, no on is reminding her that the sight in front of her is beautiful. Under his watchful eyes, she finally smiles and says in all seriousness. “Ah Wu, since we seem to have chemistry together, stay and remain as my harem’s man for as long as I live.”

6-7 years back.

The Second Prince of Xi Xuan listened to the chatter around him as Xu Zhi left the banquet shortly after it started. She was probably the only who dared to do so and could get away with such rude behavior. But if the Emperor condones it, who was he to comment?

“….. heartless, simply cold-blooded.”

“He has served her for years, but when he fell ill and died, she did not show even hint of grief.”

The Second Prince smirked to himself; he liked her cold-heartedness. Every n.o.ble in this room were only serving their own agendas so why should she be any different? Being “the person around her” means that Zai Lin is able to escape the gallows in exchange for looking after all her needs – he told himself not to delve into the details of her needs – so what was there to be sad when each got what they need? If these chatterboxes were not careful, they might just end up to be her next valet, now that Zai Lin was dead.

Furthermore, if a high and mighty prince like himself had no place in her heart, there was no reason why a mere servant could live there.

It occurred to him that the First Prince is no longer at the banquet. Usually, he would make use of his absence to flatter some of the more influential officials but when Xu Zhi was also absent at the same place and time…. His suspicious nature kicked in as he hurriedly made an excuse to leave the banquet hall.

As he wandered along the dark corridors, he can hear the sound of firecrackers in the distance as the festivities begin. He summoned an old eunuch who told him that Da Gu Niang had seemed tipsy and a maid has helped her to either the resting area at the library or to one of the empty guest rooms.

The Second Prince hurried towards the library as he worried after the careless woman. Years ago, someone has spiked her drink and had he not be watchful and reached her before someone else did, lord knows what would have happened. From the happenings tonight, it seemed like she has yet to learn her lesson. She should have been more wary, he thought, for there are many man who wanted her glory for their own.

It was unfortunate that Xu Zhi would never be his – be it from their status or from a destiny point of view. He might be the Second Prince, but he is only a prince whose mother’s murderer was allowed to roam scot-free. He was sure Royal Father knew the culprit to the murder so his action, or lack of, has spoken of his decision. For that reason, he hated his father, his siblings and everyone who lived in the Palace.

At heart, the Second Prince may be a Xi Xuan man, but thanks to his mother’s influence, he is learned on the way of her culture. For her people, they believed that if you look at someone hard enough before you die, the imprint of that someone would linger after death, and there would be a chance for reunion in the next life.   His mother’s people also believed that one could find his true mate through kissing. When 2 pairs of lips meet, they would slowly confirm to each other and if one day they form a perfect fit, that would mean that they are a One True Pairing.

That is why when he came upon a tipsy Xu Zhi many years ago, he has kissed her to see if she could be his potential half. Unfortunately, Zhou Wen Cheng crashed into the room before he has chance to find out anything more besides the fact that her lips are incredibly soft. And after Zhou Wen Cheng left and Xu Zhi threw up all over him… there was never any more chance to find out more.

There were rumors after that incident that he has become Xu Zhi’s first man, or he has became her conquest, but neither lead of the rumor has bothered to clarify matters. Xu Zhi is probably too proud to do so while he has hoped that the rumors would keep her away from the First Prince, whom he knew preferred virgins in his harem.

The past memories played in his head as he hurried towards the library. Along the way, he pa.s.sed the guest rooms where he smelt smoke. Following the smell, he turned a corner and saw that one of the rooms was on fire.

There were already some eunuchs trying to douse the flames and he grabbed one of them. “Did you see Xu Zhi?”

“Your Second Highness, we only just arrived and did not see anyone before then.”

No one? Not even the guards who normally guarded the place? Suspicious, the Second Prince poured a bucket of water over himself and dashed into the burning room before anyone can stop him.

He yelled her name but no one replied. In the distance, he spotted a man’s silhouette and rushed over. It was Jiang Jiu, her newest valet, and he was busy patting out some fire sparks on her skirt. He joined in to help and shouted to be heard above the flames. “What happened to her?”

“Da Gu Niang has a headache and someone has lead her to rest at the guest room. By the time I arrived here, this place is already on fire.”

The Second Prince of Xi Xuan was not one who believes in coincidences but wasted no time in ordering Jiang Jiu to piggy-back her out of the room while he ward off any falling flames from behind. Earlier on, Jiang Jiu has hesitated from carrying her out that way for fear that falling flames would hit her and aggravate her headache but with the appearance of another person, he can now carry her out without such worry.

From behind, the Second Prince busily deflected sparks of falling flames from hitting her head. He had his suspicions about the fire but there was nothing he can prove. At the lack of someone to blame, he started cursing at the unfairness of things. Is she not Xu Da’s sister? Why can’t she share some of her smooth-sailing luck with her! d.a.m.n the woman!