XH 182

"How...How much have you heard?" Xiao Hua asked anxiously, not daring to move.

Once again, the Third Prince became Xiao Hua's personal carriage and carried her around. Embarrassment was no longer her companion when she was too worried about the Third Prince's mood.

"Enough to know that Xiao Hua has a great liking to Duke Heng."

His voice does not fluctuate much, but the aura he emitted was strangely chilly! Under such unnatural force, she could only shiver like a weak, tiny leaf under the great, merciless wind. "I-I don't! I just admire his face!"

"Really? But I remember that what you praised was his chest, not his face," The Third Prince said frostily.

Xiao Hua: How do I appease this great ancestor ah! Help me, Google-sama!

"That... that does not make sense! I have not seen his chest before!" This young lady can only imagine it ah~ ('♡‿♡')

Long Zhu was not really angry when Xiao Hua often stared at Duan XiYing and An Jing's body. He could look over it because Xiao Hua told him she only appreciated their body and wished to have a body like theirs.

But that was not the case when Xiao Hua talked about Duke Heng's body! He had not been attentive to what his Eighth brother and Xiao Hua talked about during their meetups, but could this be what they usually talked about?

Long Zhu was really angry when he thinks of that!

For the first time after his rebirth, he was glad to have an attractive face as a weapon to hook his little flower that likes pretty face to him. But when it comes to chest... Long Zhu was soundly defeated by Duke Heng!

As a full grown man that was also a cultivator, but the later was only known to a selected few, Duke Heng has a body hardened with muscles that could withstand plenty of damaging attacks! His clothing had hidden his imposing form well and maintained his scholarly air that many females appreciated!

Yes, Long Zhu had seen Duke Heng's naked chest before a few years ago, and immediately felt a sense of loss when compared to his own lanky body! The older man's chest and waist were thicker and wider than his after all!

It was not that Long Zhu's body does not have muscles, but it was harder for Long Zhu to build more muscles, because no matter how much he trained, he was unable to build thick muscle. His talent lies in his QI manipulation and was only average when it came to physical strength.

Never once did he felt admiration to his eldest brother and Tian Liang's robust body, very satisfied with his own talent in QI manipulation that was better suited to be a silent yet lethal weapon.

But his little flower prefers a muscular man. What to do? (╥_╥)

Even if Xiao Hua does not know what he was thinking, she knew that she had to quickly appease him to scatter the thickening dark clouds above his head!

"I look at Duke Heng just the way I did towards XiYing. Both of them have an attractive appearance and I can't help but look at them for a few times." Finally freeing her frozen limbs, she boldly reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, plastering her face to his neck. She also took this chance to slowly breathing in his calming mint scent.

Long Zhu had to stop walking because his little flower's lips keep on rubbing his neck at every step he took! Her action lit a fire to his heart and his neck itches for something that would shock his etiquette teacher! Since that wild night, he could not forget that great pleasure, the feel of her soft, small hands, and the fierce, possessive look in her eyes.

It took him a very great effort to chain his beast down and acted like a model gentleman that would make his etiquette teacher proud!

Happy that he stopped and willing to listen to her, she quickly continues what she wanted to say to soften his anger. "I would only look at them and won't touch them! I won't even flirt with them!"

"Oh?" Just remembering what Xiao Hua said about Duke Heng's body dampen his mood. "When you praise a man's body, that is flirting."

"No, no, no," Xiao Hua vehemently denied. "That is just praising!"

His mood was still black so Xiao Hua decided to take another step to cool down his anger. She let her body stick to his and slid down from his arm, standing on her own feet. She purposely rest her head on his chest, hiding what she was about to do from other's view.

Like a rich and lecherous playboy, she slid her hands down his chest, naughtily groping him all the way. She cheekily grinned as she peered up at his face as she was able to feel his body tensed up and the muscular chest under her hands tightened. His breath hitched as he gave her a warning look, but he did not stop her naughty hands.

Behind them was An Jing, holding onto snack bags and pretend to be invisible and blind. Her sons were hiding at the corner in the shadow and from her signal, the children keep anyone away to give their master some privacy... because they were standing in the middle of the path where people can pass by anytime!

"You are the only one I want to do this to," Xiao Hua confessed. "Please don't be angry."

When he was still not pacified, Xiao Hua coaxed, "I will do what you want, so please forgive me?"

Finally, his expression improved slightly. "You will do what I want?"

Xiao Hua nodded while silently thinking that the heroine was indeed a heroine. She had used the same method Liu Fhu Chu had used to appease the angry hero from the novel and it worked on the Third Prince as well! This offer was risky, but if it could soothe her angry boyfriend, she does not mind taking the risk. She believed that the Third Prince would not ask her to do something dangerous.

"You will stay in my arms for the rest of the day."

"This...is this what you really want?" Xiao Hua asked doubtfully. She could not understand what he was thinking.

"Yes." He wrapped his arms, hugged her and pressed his face onto her neck, tickling her with his breath.

"You want a hug?" Xiao Hua decided to be more compassionate to the Third Prince.

The Third Prince shook his head. "Carry you, not hug."

Xiao Hua: '...' So he is just that weird!

Taking her silence as agreement, he picked her up again and continue walking. His pace was even as if he was carrying a baby in his arms instead of a teenage girl.

"Where are we going?" Xiao Hua asked, docilely letting the Third Prince carry her around in his arms. She recognized this path was not towards the guest compound but to the royal harem quarters.

Her nose itched from the concubines' perfume that was so strong she could smell it from far away!

"To visit Mother Empress and pass on some snacks."

"Oh. Then you should let me down."

His grip on her tightened. "Are you taking back your word, Xiao Hua?"

Xiao Hua quickly shakes her head. "I enjoy being carried around by you, but that would make your mother angry. No mother likes seeing their son being someone else's horse."

The Third Prince's lips curled up. "Are you calling me a horse?"

Xiao Hua flinched. She had not guarded her mouth! "This servant does not dare!"

The Third Prince sighed. "Xiao Hua, you are no longer a servant so do not refer to yourself like that again."

"It's a habit. Sorry."

A hand much larger than hers rubbed her head and Xiao Hua wondered how much of his actions and habits were learned from his teacher. "Mother Empress would not mind seeing us being harmonious."

Xiao Hua: This young lady doubts it! You underestimate a mother's love too much!

In the end, the son truly overestimated his mother's goodwill. The Empress did not bother hiding how she felt as she stared at Xiao Hua in her son's arms disapprovingly.

The Fourth Prince was there as well, just so happened to pay respect to the Empress with his baby daughter in his arms. Even he felt that his relationship with his wife was not as loving as his third brother and Miss Bai's relationship!

To diffuse his mother's irritation, Long Zhu coaxed, "If Mother Empress wish to, I can carry mother around for the whole day."

The frown on her face eased and a small smile graced their presence. "Don't be naughty. Your strength is not something to be proud of. What if you accidentally sprain your back?"

"Mother Empress is right. It has to be Father Emperor with great strength to carry Mother Empress."

"The Emperor is busy governing the country. How can he spend his time doing this childish thing?" The Empress scolded her son lightly.

Her response whenever the Emperor was mentioned was a far improvement than before.

The Emperor's words from before were truly hurtful and the Empress that had genuinely gave her heart to him felt that it was ungratefully received and treated poorly. To hear about his true opinion about their marriage had wounded her deeply.

However, if she could not bounce back from this matter, she would not be the same Empress that managed to control the imperial harem without a strong backer behind her. Duke Heng had only lent his strength after he became Prime Minister, which was a few years after she had became the Empress.

"Then Mother Empress had to forgive your son for being childish to carry around my intended while she is still small enough that my limited strength could effort."

Xiao Hua that was still small: '...'

"It is fine to do so within family's sight, but make sure not to embarrass yourself in public," The Empress advised, allowing them to do as they wish.

"This son will listen to Mother Empress."

"Why are you here today, when you have spent time with me the previous day? Doctor Bai will be leaving soon, so spend more time with your teacher," the Empress chastised.

The Third Prince smiled and motioned An Jing to step forward to pass the bigger bag of snacks to the Empress' maid, Xin Lin and a smaller bag to the Fourth Prince's servant.

"These are the snacks that Xiao Hua had chosen from the street shops yesterday," The Third Prince said, ignoring Xiao Hua tugging his clothes to let her down.

Xiao Hua: '...' Fine, I will treat this as training to acquire thicker skin!

"I merely gave a suggestion to the Third Prince," Xiao Hua quickly spoke up, not wanting to take the credit. "It's the Third Prince that is thoughtful to buy snacks for the Empress and Fourth Prince to enjoy."

The Empress had Xin Lin place down the bag of snacks on the table and personally untied the knot. The snacks were only held together by a large piece of cloth, which make Xiao Hua embarrassed for not using pretty boxes to store the snacks before gifting them away!

After the knot was untied, the cloth loosens and fall flat, weak to the gravity force. Without support, the snacks tumble down and scattered all over the table.

The Fourth Prince's baby Princess let out a sharp excited squeal when she saw the colorful packaging of the snacks and waved her small, chubby hands at the snack's direction.

The Empress does not mind the packaging when she was happy to receive the snacks! After being an Empress, she was no longer allowed to freely step out of the palace and only dined luxurious food befitting of an Empress' status.

Her long slender fingers touched the snacks fondly, the familiar looking snacks brought up fond memories from the past.

The others wisely looked away, pretended to not notice the Empress' especially bright eyes with a layer of mist.