The Ageless Dream

18.3 Xiang Gongzhi's Favorite (72)

"Sister Yu, Xiang Gongzhi ordered a daiko and a lotus congee." a steward of the restaurant reminded and brought her a wooden tupperware.

"It's Monday. Xiang Gongzhi is not around the winehouse this day." Dong Li Hua creased her brows. After having enough of his visits, she started to count and mark the days when will he come or when will he not. Every Monday to Wednesday, Xiang Ji won't come here.

"Aiya, Sister Yu doesn't know? Xiang Gongzhi is studying swordsmanship, literature and archery from the second day until the fourth. He specifically asked the manager that Sister Yu is the only person allowed to bring his orders into the manor." the young man scratched the back of his head. He felt sorry for Dong Li Hua. She has to walk from Xiangmi Winehouse until the Xiang Clan Manor. Furthermore, the estate is quite large and the Xiang Family overlords are living there.

"Alright." she accepted the tupperware and bid her farewell. Dong Li Hua grabbed a winter cloak to get herself ready. Winter solstice is now around the corner. The weather and temperature are getting worse. She is amazed though that the gigolo actually practices those three skills during this month. Three days without him is enough to keep her sane from four straight days of annoying her. Sometimes she thinks flipping a table is not enough to quell her anger but only kicking his a*s will do. If only Xiang Ji, the future great monarch were to hear her words, who knew what sort of distorted expression will he make?

"Eh? Miss Fei Yu?" a familiar voice greeted her. Dong Li Hua raised her head to see a young man riding a steed while in clad.

"Huh? You know me?" she blinked her almond eyes as the young man nearly tripped over when he jumped down after hearing her question.

"Im Ze Shuai, Xiang Ji's friend." he brushed his hand across his curly locks of hair upon removing his helmet. Dong Li Hua felt like she is seeing modern man instead. He has shorter hair that is curly, blond in a pale way that it'll turn gold if the sun brimmed on it.

"Ah, its Sir Ze Shuai." she finally remembered. The saying 'birds of the same feather, flocks together' does make sense. Xiang Ji and Ze Shuai were both a gigolo in her eyes from the very first day they all met.

"It has been weeks. Where are you going? I can offer a ride." Ze Shuai pats the steed that gave a low neigh.

"To the Xiang Clan Manor. Its only few blocks away. I can make it there." she politely declined. Ze Shuai may look friendly but they are still strangers after all.

"Really? Im going there too. Every Monday, Uncle Xiang asks me to go there and spar with Xiang Ji. No worries, Im not going to do anything to you." he waved his hands to prove his innocence. From Dong Li Hua's eyes, he can guess what she is thinking. Being friends with an amorous and frolicking Xiang Ji gives him trouble too. Most people thought of him having the same personality with Xiang Ji, thus, some ladies would pin him down without consent. Ze Shuai does lives a life full of unjust because of that playboy young master...

"You're friends with Xiang Gongzhi, how are you not the same as him?" Dong Li Hua straightforwardly asked. She started to walk while Ze Shuai followed her as he held the steed's rein.

"Sure, me and Xiang Ji are friends but our personality, we have nothing much in common. Im not like him, believe me." Ze Shuai helplessly smiled and secretly massaged his nape to ease his tense. A pretty young lady thought of him like that all because of Xiang Ji, ah. How embarrassing!

"Then without anything in common to share with, how did you two become friends?"

"We have the same ambition. From that point, the two of us vowed to work with each other. Im the one keeping him restrained sometimes. Xiang Ji can be a reckless man if not for me providing him reasonings." he crossed his arms in frustration. Though Ze Shuai is not in favor of Xiang Ji's playfulness, they were friends and he can only try to understand Xiang Ji.

"Good luck in training Xiang Gongzhi." Dong Li Hua lightly smiled. She entered the gate without a warning and only then did Ze Shuai notice they had arrived. He lightly pinched his chin while a trace of interest was written on his face.

"Ah, more like a good luck for Xiang Ji. How can he win over you since you're difficult to tame?" Ze Shuai muttered. He rode on the steed and entered the mansion but there are no traced of Dong Li Hua at all.

On the other side, Dong Li Hua is being led by a eunuch to the inner court. Xiang Ji told the eunuch to bring her to his residence and wait for him. She sighed at how persistent Xiang Ji is. There is no sort of beauty that can charm her any longer aside from the devious pretty boy Ying Zheng.

"Any news in Qin?"

Dong Li Hua stopped upon hearing that voice from a man. She frowned in suspicion. They are talking about Qin. Looking ahead, the eunuch didn't notice her pause.

"Sir, Sir." Dong Li Hua called out. The eunuch glanced at her with an inquiring gaze. "I forgot the bill. I think its somewhere else but I can't remember the way. Please help me look for it."

"Sigh, alright." the eunuch nodded and went past her. Once the eunuch was out of sight, Dong Li Hua leaned closer to the courtyard. She saw General Xiang Liang talking with a man in his late thirties, he is surprisingly wearing a dragon robe. From that moment, Dong Li Hua knew he is the king of Chu.

"The spy is still unwilling to move." Xiang Liang responded and stood behind the emperor.