1.5

 

After Wei YunXiao had explained everything to him and assigned him his task which was simply to expose the truth about his birth after the Empress was exposed as the originator of the curse.

 

“The timing is very crucial, it has to be right after Song LingLing speaks. Do you understand?” The Second Prince looked at him steadily. “You have said that you don’t want to bring calamity upon the world, it is time for you to prove your words. Are you prepared?”

 

“I am… prepared.” Liu Yue sighed. Then he added, “But I am a little bit frightened.”

 

The Second Prince frowned but Song LingLing’s reaction was stronger. She directly scowled before quickly hiding her face. But Liu Yue wasn’t finished yet, “But perhaps some wine will bolster my courage. What do you say, dear brother, shall the three of us drink this evening together?”

 

If he couldn’t tell them then he would just have to save the female lead from her fate.

 

When you realize what happened please regret your thoughts and thank me well! Liu Yue thought as he looked at Song LingLing’s sour face.

 

***

 

“Second Prince, are you really sure, the Crown Prince will not betray us…?”

 

Her voice was very soft and Liu Yue was supposed to be asleep but in fact he could hear everything. He was a cat demon after all. He wondered what the previous Crown Prince made of his superior agility and hearing. He was a fool so probably he just thought it was because he was specially chosen by Heaven or something like that.

 

He had pretended to pass out after three cups to give the female and male lead time to have their scripted romantic moment. This was an important emotional scene after all!

 

“He has been honest thus far with me not to mention he has saved my life. I think perhaps the shock of finding out his true heritage has finally knocked some sense into him.”

 

“But the Crown Prince’s reputation…”

 

“Don’t worry LingLing. If you trust me, then believe me. I will expose the truth of your family and return justice to them.”

 

A pause. “I… believe you.” Song LingLing said quietly.

 

This was a big psychological step on behalf of the female lead. A iron-willed girl who had spent her entire life trusting in only herself, putting her life and her family’s honor in the hands of this man. It really spoke to the Second Prince’s charisma.

 

Not only her, I’m putting my life in his hands too! Liu Yue thought. Don’t let me down, male lead!

 

“You hold your wine well,” The Second Prince observed.

 

“When I was young… my parents raised me as they would a boy. Both of them were soldiers.”

 

“I have heard of General Yu and his wife. They fought a cunning battle at the Siege of Delun, and won over a force twice their size. They were great warriors.”

 

There was a flashback about this in the movie, Liu Yue remembered. The female lead also had good foundational knowledge of martial arts from her childhood. 

 

“But even that could not save them when the assassins came.” Song LingLing said bitterly. “But of course they weren’t normal martial artists, no mother and father would have destroyed them. Instead they were creatures of darkness, evil demons who kill without mercy…”

 

Liu Yue remembered this scene. Song LingLing’s description was vivid and brought back the images to his mind of the flashback scene from the movie. The little girl waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of screams and steel. The demons leaping climbing over the walls and hanging upside down from the roof; fangs barred and claws extended. It was truly a horrific scene.

 

“It was only because mother protected me. She wrapped her body around mine and I was only small. I must have smelt like a dead thing. I stayed like that, under her corpse, for two days. I was too scared to come out, I wasn’t sure if the demons were still there.”

 

There was no trace of fear now in Song LingLing’s voice. Only hatred and determination.

 

“Have you… ever fought a demon before Second Prince?”

 

The Second Prince sighed. “Three years ago in a war with the Ayam, the General unleashed a golden haired lion-like demon that stood on two legs and towered above the troops. It killed a hundred of my best warriors before we finally brought it down with a catapult. When I put my sword through his chest… I was surprised to see blood running down my arms. It was hot, just a human’s. After it died, it turned into a normal lion.”

 

“They were all only objects and mundane objects once! They chose to go down a demonic path for power or merely to just pass themselves off as human. They are full of tricks and lies. If the Empress was able to summon a dozen of them then we have to be prepared.”

 

“It is likely not she who summoned them but Master Xu Yuan. I have heard that Celestial Masters can also easily turn to the dark side, using demon servants to enhance their power.”

 

“Someone like that must be both deranged and crazy.” Song LingLing’s voice was disturbed. “Second Prince, you need to be careful.”

 

“Me? You will also be present. Are you not worried about yourself?”

 

“I have already made up my mind and prepared myself for my death should it come. If I can avenge my family, then I will have no regrets.”

 

“You…”

 

The ‘sleeping’ Liu Yue really wished he could be somewhere else right now. He didn’t open his eyes but he knew exactly what was happening. The cold-hearted Second Prince was touched by the young girl’s strength and sacrifice, he put down his wine cup and turned towards her. His long fingers touched her face and her eyes grew wide and her cheeks flooded with color…

 

I feel… very irritated right now. But there wasn’t anything he could do.

 

Several moments passed. And then Song LingLing’s voice said, with a before unheard of gentleness, “Second Prince, shall I clear away the table?”

 

“No you go first. You must rest well. I will have the other servants do it.”

 

“Very well, then your humble servant retires first.”

 

Liu Yue felt her step beside him and then down the stairs from the pavilion and away. 

 

Well what should I do now..? Liu Yue thought. I need to stay here to save the female lead. I suppose I should just continue to pretend to be drunk. Hopefully he can stuff me into one of the guest rooms and I can go from… ah!

 

If it wasn’t for his formidable acting prowess and control over his facial features, Liu Yue really would have jumped out of his skin. The hot breath on his cheek and the faint clean smell of jasmine assaulted his nostrils.

 

Too close… you’re too close!

 

Liu Yue didn’t have a touch phobia per se but he really didn’t like being surprise touched by someone else. Perhaps it was a residue of living in the orphanage but he really didn’t like it when people came too close to him or touched him unexpectedly. The only exception was a friend he had as a child, and Mrs Dong. But even with the older woman it took him a few years because he was able to fully accept her sudden hugs and pats on his head. 

 

As an actor he would be able to overcome this of course but only because every action was clearly dictated by the script and he could anticipate it. If he was emotionally prepared then it was fine. This kind of unexpected closeness really triggered him however!

 

The Second Prince’s position was strange too. He had obviously come to check on him but instead of shaking him on the shoulder or calling his name like a normal person, he had suddenly come up behind him and and supporting both hands on the table either side of where Liu Yue was lying prone with his head pillowed in his arms, had leaned his face in so that it was close enough to Liu Yue that he felt tickled by his hair.

 

What is happening? Is he… going to kiss me?! 

 

You can’t blame Liu Yue for having his thought because why else would someone bring their face in so close to another person’s? Following this stray thought, his heartbeat sped up like a racing car’s.

 

Do I want him to kiss me?!  Liu Yue thought crazily. Am I attracted to him?

 

Well duh! The answering voice in his heart told him. You’re gay to begin with and where have you met a more incredible man. You’re a fool Xiao Yue, if you don’t seize this opportunity!

 

Hang on a minute, Liu Yue pushed this voice away. That’s not right. He’s the male lead right, interested romantically in the female lead! And I’m kind of in a life and death and turn into a demon situation here, not really a good time for romance!

 

His internal struggle went on like this for several moments. The whole time the Second Prince’s face hovered above his and just when it looked as though he had come to his own decision about what he was going to do, Liu Yue’s rational voice won out and he opened his eyes and looked into Wei YunXiao’s.

 

The Second Prince froze, startled. The long dark eyes had the familiar flecks of gold and the cheeks were flushed with wine. The whole picture of alluringly beautiful, almost impossible to resist.

 

But now that Liu Yue was awake and staring at him with an adorably confused expression, he couldn’t do anything. Instead he leaned back and said, “Will the Crown Prince be returning to the Palace tonight or does he wish to stay here?”

 

“I feel a bit dizzy,” Liu Yue confessed. “Will it be okay if I borrow a guest room tonight?”

 

“The Crown Prince in a guest room? What will the people think? No, you will stay in my room. I’ll stay in the guest room.”

 

Liu Yue couldn’t find any objections to this.

 

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