"Why are you not saying anything now? Earlier you were speaking like scissors," Sheng Li demanded an answer from Ying Lili as he leaned back; his eyes were fixed at hers.

  "I heard your moans two times. Was it that good?" Sheng Li asked another question. Ying Lili was too shy to answer those questions. She saw how Sheng Li had caught a few of her loose hair strands in his fingers and played with them.

  "You make me wait too much! You are turning an impatient man into a patient man," Sheng Li remarked and again looked back at her. "First, you tell me to find the meaning of this butterfly." Sheng Li lifted his hand to show her and continued, "and now you are not answering me about the heated kiss we just had. Is it that tough to explain? I want your participation as well in such things. Since when the Crown Princess started acting shyly."

  Sheng Li's remark and his signature smirk were racing Ying Lili's heart. "I do not know how to explain this feeling," Ying Lili replied after a while. "But it was good," she stated. Sheng Li smiled and let go of those hair strands by tucking them behind her ear.

  "Hmm." Sheng Li was satisfied with Ying Lili's answer. "I will prove to you how romantic this Crown Prince is!" Sheng Li affirmed as his lips moved up to give a smile to Ying Lili. "But I want you to be equally romantic with me. Will you?" Sheng Li searched for an answer in Ying Lili's eyes.

  Ying Lili nodded her head. "Only when you will find the meaning of this butterfly and confess to me," Ying Lili asserted and looked at his wrist. Taking his hand into hers, she placed her palm over his. "Your fingers are so long," Ying Lili said. Sheng Li lowered his eyes and looked at Ying Lili's finger.

  "Are they?" Sheng Li queried.

  "Yes. Look, my fingers are so tiny in front of you," Ying Lili pronounced, looking back at him.

  Sheng Li intertwined their fingers together. He lifted their joined hands and kissed Ying Lili's knuckles. "Your hands are not soft. These are hard, depicting how much you have trained," Sheng Li pronounced and released Ying Lili's hand.

  "Are you hungry?" Sheng Li asked Ying Lili who refuted.

  "I have eaten so much. You shall take dinner," Ying Lili stated. Sheng Li shook her head in refusal. "I am sleepy. I am a little tired and tomorrow we need to leave so let's sleep," Sheng Li stated.

  Ying Lili tried taking off the overcoat when Sheng Li told her that he would help. Gently removing the overcoat and placing it over the table, he blew off the candles there, keeping one remain lit, and came back to the bed.

  Getting into the bed, he laid down beside the Crown Princess. "Sheng Li, how long will it take to reach the palace?" Ying Lili suddenly asked.

  "Since we will use the forest route, we will cross the border by the evening. Then it will take one more day to reach the borders of Luoyang. But, we need to be careful. Assassins were here to kill us, and I think some of them must be waiting for us at the borders," Sheng Li menacingly said.

  Ying Lili placed her left hand on Sheng Li's cheek and caressed it. "We will safely reach the Palace. Together we will overcome everything in our way. Close your eyes," Ying Lili softly said.

  "You close first," Sheng Li whispered. Ying Lili pulled her hand back and did so. A tiny smile formed on his lips and he moved closer to her. He nuzzled her hair, which made Ying Lili open her eyes. She felt Sheng Li's hand on her belly so she tilted her head slightly.

  "Thank you for today. You are a courageous woman who wonders for me. Even if I get angry, you do not leave me. No one makes me feel the way you do," Sheng Li whispered. Ying Lili placed her left hand over his right one. Soon their fingers intertwined once again with each other.

  Ying Lili was happy because Sheng Li was accepting her. For her, he changed a lot, which was visible. This kind of husband she always wanted for her! The two had fallen to sleep, snuggling closer to each other.

  ~~~~~~

  Jian Guozhi could be seen in the Eastern Pavilion. He was looking at the dark cloudy sky and the heavy rain which was pouring. Zhilao Mi came there and stand beside him. She looked at the sky and then at her husband.

  "Jian Ge, may I ask what happened?" Zhilao Mi asked. That voice brought him out of his thoughts and he turned towards his wife.

  "Just looking at the sky," Jian Guozhi replied. "What are you doing here? Isn't this your sleeping time?" Jian Guozhi asked as he moved aside on the wooden bench, gesturing to Zhilao to sit there. "Come and sit here," Jian said.

  Zhilao Mi thanked him and took a seat beside him. "Jian Ge, I was informed by my personal assistant that you are sitting here for two hours. So, I thought of visiting you," Zhilao Mi answered.

  Jian Guozhi nodded and looked back again at the dark sky. The dark clouds were visible as the lightning was traveling through them, which scared Zhilao a little. "I hope the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are safe," Zhilao said. Jian looked at her and hummed.

  "My life is like this dark sky. The only difference is that after every rain, the clouds clear up thus making the sky clear." Zhilao Mi could not understand the words of her husband fully. "As the eldest son, I was always told to do this and that by my mother. And I followed her teachings until I realized that I cannot clear the darkness ahead of me. I cannot even express it." a sigh escaped his mouth.

  Zhilao Mi found that her husband, unlike earlier, had changed after the poisoning incident. What could be the possible reason? She thought.

  "Jian Ge, are you sad again because of the Crown?" Zhilao asked him.

  "No. I don't care about that anymore. I want to be acknowledged for my achievements, which are nil because of the one mistake which I made years ago," Jian pronounced.

  A rumble of thunder was heard which scared Zhilao and she immediately grabbed the hand of Jian Guozhi; her eyes were tightly shut. "Are you scared of thunder?" Jian asked as a smile appeared on his lips.

  Zhilao nodded and hid her face behind his back. "I heard it kills people," Zhilao stated. Jian chuckled seeing the reaction of his wife.

  "But we are inside this shelter, so nothing will happen. You shall open your eyes and look at me," Jian Guozhi softly said. Zhilao gradually opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Jian Guozhi. He patted her back and calmed her down.

  When she was relaxed, Jian Guozhi pulled his hand back and told her that she should return to her chamber. "Are you going to stay here the entire night?" Zhilao asked.

  "I do not know. Maybe till the rain stops." Jian replied.

  "You shall go back to your chamber as well. Staying here in the open is not good," Zhilao expressed her concern.

  Jian Guozhi leaned towards Zhilao and kissed her lips, which bewildered her. Leaning back, he peered at her. "I want to stay here a little longer. Thank you for showing concern for me." Jian looked behind and saw Zhilao's personal assistant, almost ten meters away from them. "Take Lady Zhilao to her chamber," Jian stated and turned back to look at his wife.

  Zhilao could no longer refuse her husband and left from there. Xue Yu-Yan watched all this from the other side and clenched her fist. "I told you to not make me angry and jealous," she muttered and strode away.