Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“I didn’t lie,” Lóng Wei replied.

Li Hua averted her gaze from him. “Did His Highness never look at the night sky? It looks extremely beautiful on a Full Moon,” Li Hua said.

“I did but not the way you did. I never knew it feels full and bright with your loved ones,” Lóng Wei stated.

“The Prince has a family, yet he failed to sense it,” Li Hua remarked.

“Having a family doesn’t mean that they are close to you,” Lóng Wei argued with her.

“But they do care for His Highness,” Li Hua stated. Lóng Wei knew everything about her, but she didn’t know a single thing about him. That’s why she decided to talk with him about them so that he could open up with them.

“Nobody cares except the Royal Father and Yuze,” Lóng Wei said coldly. “When my mother never cared for me, then why would others do it?” For the first time, he initiated a conversation about his mother.

“How can His Highness be sure about it?” Li Hua queried and waited for him to reply.

.....

Lóng Wei yawned. “Ahh, I am tired. Let’s sleep.” He pulled his arm away from her shoulder and went towards the bed. He removed the knot holder from the hair bun and let the hair spread down. Removing his upper garment, he got into the bed. Resting his temple on his calloused hand, he asked Li Hua to join him.

Li Hua understood that he ignored her question. She was also tired from the journey, so decided to sleep and not go further deep into the matter related to his mother. She removed the overcoat before getting into the bed. However, she kept a safe distance from Lóng Wei who grasped her arm and drew her to him.

“It is better now,” he said and covered them with the duvet. Li Hua looked at him and asked him to close his eyes.

“Why?”

“Please,” she urged.

Lóng Wei closed her eyes when he felt her soft lips on his cheek. He instantly opened his eyes and found Li Hua had pulled the blanket up, which covered her face. He touched his cheek, and his lips curled up into a broad smile.

“What was that?” Lóng Wei asked, waiting for her to peek out of the blanket and answer him.

“A way to say thank you,” Li Hua said in a low voice. Li Hua, who was hiding inside the blanket, pursed her lips together. She didn’t want him to pull the blanket away. Because if it happened, then she would not be able to hide the blush that had appeared on her cheeks.

“That was an amusing way to say thank you,” Lóng Wei answered. “You almost exploded my heart,” he said huskily. She realized that he had moved closer. Even though there was a blanket between them, she could feel his heartbeat.

“Are you going to play hide and seek?” Lóng Wei asked.

“Eh?” “No. I am unable to sleep in the light.” Li Hua could not believe that she made such an excuse. She opened her mouth and breathed out.

‘Why is His Highness not speaking? Did he fall asleep?’ Li Hua thought. Li Hua thought to take a peek and slowly pushed the duvet down. To her surprise, all the candles were already blown off, except two or three. She saw the shadows of the objects on the wall and wondered if Lóng Wei had left.

“Hhhh,” she breathed out when an arm wrapped around her belly. Of course, it was Lóng Wei’s arm. She shuddered when his hot breath fanned her nape. She tightly clutched the blanket while trying to maintain her breathing. Her body stiffened as his lips brushed on the crook of her neck.

He nuzzled her neck for a while. “You should relax your body,” he whispered in her ear. Li Hua acted on his command and eased down.

“Your Highness,” Li Hua softly said.

“Hmm?”

“My all secrets are revealed to His Highness. However, I do not know anything about him till now- His secrets and his past. I want to know about him,” Li Hua said. It was more of a request.

“Isn’t my present self better?” Lóng Wei questioned. “One must live in the present,” he stated.

“Why can’t he tell me about his past?” She directly posed the query this time. “Please don’t take me wrongly. I am curious to know you more,” she clarified.

“Li Hua, do you love me?” Lóng Wei asked.

Li Hua didn’t expect this question from him. “Why did His Highness bring it?” She was perplexed.

“Because it is important. Make the effort to become mine. I believe in the give-and-take philosophy. Till now, you have seen my good side. My evil side is yet to come out. You probably hate me for that. However, if you start loving me, it will be easier for you to know me better.” Lóng Wei’s words confused Li Hua. What evil side did he talk about?

“I can assure His Highness that I will never hate him,” Li Hua affirmed. “I don’t know what evil side His Highness is talking about. However, I am sure, his evil side is because of an evil past,” she deduced.

“Why do you think my past is evil?” Lóng Wei’s question put her in a dilemma. Did she make him angry? If she would say that it was because of his mother, he might get annoyed, and if she would stay quiet, he might jump to a false conclusion.

After contemplating, she said, “His Highness’ previous statements make me say that. Forgive me, if I stepped out of my boundary and hurt His Highness,” she promptly apologized to him.

“A clever answer,” Lóng Wei muttered. “I am born this way, I think,” he stated. “Is it enough to end your curiosity?”

Li Hua shook her head. “No,” she refused. “His Highness says that he loves me, yet he cannot trust me with his secret, his past, and him,” Li Hua made a big statement. It surprised Lóng Wei.

“I have already entrusted myself with you. If it was not my trust in you, we wouldn’t have been together,” Lóng Wei stated.

“No. There is a difference between love and trust,” Li Hua again disagreed with his statement. “Because His Highness loves me, that’s why he is with me. He has told me this many times. Once the love fades away, everything ruins,” she asserted.