Still pulling her along, the Seventh Prince’s grip was like iron.
Avoiding the detection of my own hidden guards…so dangerous! If they don’t get to me through her, they will harm her …I have to find out who it is by any means…
“Let go!” she said, trying to yank her arm out of his grasp, but he shoved her against a tree, pulled his dagger out from his belt and held it to her throat. He pushed away the pang he felt as he took in her terrified reaction.
“Stop it!” she cried, eyes widening in fright. “Are you crazy?”
“Who is your Master? Who is he?” he growled.
“You still think I’m a spy? I already told you I’m not! I just chose someone to teach me some stuff…like martial arts…” she mumbled. She wasn’t about to explain that it had actually been the other way around…
“I want a name! How could you get mixed up with someone so dangerous even my own guards couldn’t detect them coming and going out of your home?”
“It’s none of your concern what arrangements I make! So, what if it’s some Master from Jianghu*? They wouldn’t harm their own disciple!”
“Don’t be so foolish! What if they’re only using you to get close to me?”
What if they hurt you? Who is it?
“Why do you think the world revolves around you??” she almost cried in her frustration.
“Why can’t you just answer the question?”
This wasn’t going to way he wanted. Why would she so stubbornly protect this Master of hers? It angered him, but he suddenly realized that he was probably more jealous than angry. Calm down A’Xian. Be gentler with her.
He decided to take a different tact.
“Just stop seeing him. If it’s martial arts, I can teach you.”
“You? I can’t stand your face! Why would I ask you?” she snapped incredulously. What the hell?! What kind of ridiculous arrogance is this? I’m already bound to you with this loathsome contract? Why…?
He stared at her and something snapped inside.
“You cannot get a Master without my consent!” he bellowed, losing his temper again.
“That’s not in the contract! Aside from the things in the contract, what does this have to do with you?” she yelled back.
“Everything. Who is he??” he demanded, gripping her harder.
“Stop! That hurts!” she yelped, jerking away.
“W-Wait!”
“Aagh!” she cried out as the blade sliced into her skin.
“Dammit!” he roared, throwing the dagger in the grass. “XiXi, let this Prince see…”
The cut was long but shallow, and blood dripped into her white inner collar as she held her hand over it. He saw that a mixture of disbelief and anger painted her expression.
“You little fool. Why did you move like that? I wasn’t trying to hurt you…” he shouted at her.
“Stay away from me!” she cried, slapping his hand and scrambling away. “You’re crazy! If you didn’t intend to hurt me, why threaten me with a knife?!”
Indeed…why? he thought. I can’t think straight when I’m with her.
That asshole! she fumed. He could have killed me. What the hell?!
With what seemed like great effort, the Seventh Prince forced himself to take a breath. Why is it that every little thing about her makes me crazy?
He admitted that he had gone overboard, but he had felt an unreasonable surge of rage when she had mentioned her Master. He wanted to apologize, but suddenly couldn’t find the right words. Frankly, he wasn’t sure if he could explain it properly himself. He sighed. Why am I making mistakes like this again and again? When I’m with her, it’s like I’m a crazy person.
Trying to clear his head, he went to his horse and pulled a small jar out of a saddle bag and held it out to her.
“For the wound,” he said stiffly.
Very carefully, like a wary animal, she uncoiled from where she was crouched on the ground, and slowly reached out to take it. Snatching it, she moved out of his reach and glared at him.
The Seventh Prince almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
Gods…she really was more like a little wild cat than a person sometimes. Sighing again, he decided that he would have to draw some very clear boundaries with himself. This sort of thing could not happen again.
Breathing another sigh, he walked back to his horse to unhook a skin of water from his saddle. Then he tore a thick strip of cloth off his own robe, wet it, and handed it to her.
Cui Xi said nothing, but took it, and gingerly wiped away the blood. Luckily, the cut was so shallow that the bleeding had already stopped, but it still stung and she grimaced.
“The salve will help,” he said, in calmer voice.
I’m in a complete muddle. I have to go home. Why threaten me like this and then act like you sorry? If you were just plain evil, it would be easier to hate you…she thought.
She avoided looking at him, applied the salve, then ripped a strip from her own robe and tied it around her throat. Satisfied that it would stay in place, she tossed the salve back to him and moved to her horse. Putting her foot in the stirrup, she settled into the saddle and quietly rode back down the hill.
When she arrived at the bottom, Cui Xi was horrified to find that both Murong Bo and Xiao Hei had their weapons out and were each holding a bloodied arm, glaring at each other.
Great. Xiao Yu is going to kill me. Anger bloomed anew in her chest, but she pushed it down. This is exhausting. I’m exhausted.
“Xiao Hei, let’s go back,” she said, calmly.
“Mistress, you’re alright?” he asked, eyeing the blood-stained bandage around her neck. His heart became cold.
“Yes, I’m alright,” she responded, avoiding his eyes. “Can you ride?”
He nodded, eyes never leaving the Seventh Prince.
“Good,” she said turning the stallion.
“Xi’er…” the Seventh Prince started.
Her head whipped around and the voice that lashed out at him was colder than an artic wind.
“You have no right to call me that! Between you and me there is only a contract. For the rest, we have nothing to do with each other! Send a servant for the horse tomorrow.”
The words stuck in his throat as he watched her leave.
“Your Highness?” asked Murong Bo.
“Let her go.”
“Understood,” Murong Bo muttered, turning to hide his expression.
“Well, what is it?” the Seventh Prince asked, eyeing his subordinate. “What’s on your mind?”
“Your Highness, maybe it’s best if you don’t see that person for a while. You’ve always been pretty wilful, but you never act like yourself where that person is concerned.”
Zhao Ling Xian made a contemptuous noise.
“Is that so?”
“Your Highness, there’s not a single thing that’s normal about that girl. If you’ve made up your mind to continue, then I have nothing to say, but please think it through properly.”
“That’s true. Let’s go back. When you return, make inquiries for me about that girl’s Master.”
“Got it,” Murong Bo bowed, swinging into the saddle.
By the time they returned to the manor, it was late in the afternoon, so they were surprised to find the head steward pacing back and forth with a letter in hand.
“What is it now?” growled the Prince.
The steward looked nervous and handed the letter to him. The Seventh Prince scanned it and then nearly crushed it in his fist. He could not hold back his sudden roar of laughter.
“HAH!” the Prince laughed, wiping a knuckle across his mouth.
Murong Bo watched while his Master folded his arms still chuckling.
“It’s a letter for compensation,” the Prince explained, wiping a tear from his eye. “Apparently, I owe one finely glazed blue vase, one bar of ginger orange soap, the delivery for same, one set of riding clothes, less minor deductions for the use of salve and a strip of silk…”
Murong Bo and the steward blinked.
“Master? Shall I arrange payment?” the steward asked uncertainly.
The Prince waved in the negative.
“This Prince will take care of it. That girl! Hahahaha!”
He supposed she had meant the bill to reinforce that their relationship was a business transaction, but to him it was an invitation to see her again. If she wanted to be compensated, then he would see to it that she was, and he would see to it personally. He turned to Murong Bo.
“That matter…go look into now.”
“Yes!”
With another chuckle Zhao Ling Xian turned to leave, but someone else had just arrived at the gate.
“Your Highness!”
The Seventh Prince turned with a smile, completely forgetting about his troublesome little cat.
“A’Yan!”
“Your Highness…your subordinate has something to report…” he said quite formally.
The Seventh Prince’s smile became razor sharp as he jerked his head toward the study.
So…it’s begun. Time to start moving the pieces.
* Name for the martial arts world. It literally translated to ‘rivers and lakes’
