The Ageless Dream

12.4 Handing Invitation (50)

"Zhan jiejie, sorry for waiting. Im truly sorry!" Dong Li Hua opened the door to the main hall, her breathes turning to gasps since she ran here all the way from her courtyard. Though Huang Zhao's mansion is not as large as those of high ranked officials, it still tiring to rush here because she tried moving faster in preparing herself.

"Zi meimei [1]." Zhan Yuling faced her with a smile, she truly looked fascinating like a gentle spring breeze, elegant as always. "No need to be sorry. Its me who is at fault in coming here so early without reminding you."

"Why is Zhan jiejie here at this hour? Is there something wrong?" she calmed her breathing and stood up straight, copying Zhan Yuling's posture.

"Its urgent. Uncle Meng Wu only prepared limited invitations for his first son's wedding. I secretly took one for Zi meimei." Zhan Yuling mischievously giggled before glancing to her servants. One of them stepped forward and brought a res envelope with golden floral patterns.

"Zhan jiejie, thank you. Wont General Meng Wu be angry at this?" Dong Li Hua accepted the red envelope and opened it to read its contents.

"Uncle Meng Wu is always doting on me, even now that Im becoming Cousin Tian's wife, ah. Its fine giving this to you. He won't be angry anyway." she then observed Dong Li Hua's expression slowly turning shocked.

"King Zheng is attending to host the wedding? Sister Zhan, you're so lucky!" Dong Li Hua exclaimed though inside her, she is having doubts whether to attend the banquet or not. What if Ying Zheng is the tyrant ruler now? No longer her cute little bun back then...

"Where is General Huang Zhao? He did not travel here with you?" Zhan Yuling asked whilst staring on a unique small statue in the middle of a wooden shelf. It's a statue made of white jade, carved with fine definition of a woman standing underneath a plum blossom tree and in her hands were like small red strings or so.

"No." she answered. Dong Li Hua handed the invitation to Jie Cui.

"Aren't you two married? Why did he not accompany you? Even if it's just a ploy-"

"Zhan jiejie, the marriage between us was dissolved. Sir General only let me stay here because of a certain reason I can't tell." Dong Li Hua shook her head when Zhan Yuling stared at her with a strange smile.

"A certain reason you can't tell, huh." Zhan Yuling sneered. She thought Huang Zhao must have let Dong Li Hua stay here because he loves her and can't stand it if she lives in other people's house.

"Its not what you think..." Dong Li Hua smiled wryly. She can see through Zhan Yuling's thoughts through her gaze.

"Alright, alright." she tittered and covered her lower face with her purple sleeve. "Anyway, I have another thing to say. Me and my few friends are going to have a small banquet. Why don't you come along with us so I can introduce you to them? Furthermore, they have to know the person who helped Qin become strong. Cousin Tian told me you designed those deadly weapons to defeat Zhao."

"A small banquet? Where?" Dong Li Hua tilted her head.

"You can come anytime during the night, just not midnight of course. Its going to be our little secret. Go to Lord Tianyi's manor. I will wait for you outside their gate." she bid farewell and left the manor.

"Miss, wait!" Dong Li Hua is about to leave the manor when the head steward came to stop her. "General Huang prepared banknotes incase Miss Lizi wants to stroll outside." he handed a stack of banknotes to Dong Li Hua with a single one worth a hundred.

"Oh. Too thoughtful of him." she let Jie Cui hold them then faced the head steward. "Thank you for these. I should go now and please take care of Lan Hu while Im gone." Dong Li Hua entered the carriage that headed to the marketplace and once she arrived, she witnessed how boisterous the city is.

"The wisteria hairpin looks good for Zhan jiejie. I often see her wearing accessories and clothes in the color of purple." Dong Li Hua thought, picking up a dangling head ornament. She just entered a jewelry store, looking for hairpins to gift Zhan Yuling as a sign of luck.

"Miss, this will suit you further." the female attendant standing next to her picked up a head ornament in a different section. It was a red rose made of ruby; green jade petals surrounded the rose. Dong Li Hua froze to see the familiar hair clip but the only difference is that it had no dangles.

"How much is that?" someone suddenly asked. Dong Li Hua curiously turned around to see a pageboy standing there and behind him is another man. Her eyes rounded to see an unbelievable discovery. The young man looked extremely stunning that any pretty men or actors will pale in comparison if they meet him. He was gifted with a mix of manliness and femininity. Starting from his reliable broad soldiers and thin waist, his tall stature is also giving off a young master's bearing.

He had his dark lustrous hair untied which cascaded below his waist. Thin peach blossom lips that are naturally tilted into a faint seductive arc. A perfect nose with white jadeite skin to compliment his femininity. Slender sword-like eyebrows that are not too thin nor thick. Long curled eyelashes that overshadowed his cheeks and those pair of slender phoenix eyes carried a pair of tranquil black orbs. The young man is simply too beautiful. Dong Li Hua almost can't look away and so did the female attendant next to her. He is wat perfect and pretty that his beauty can be defined with a devious charm. In conclusion, he is an embodiment of an incubus.

The young man glanced behind him upon noticing every gaze is set on him. He thought they are looking for someone but he found out he is standing on a wide space with his average pageboy. Clearing his throat, cold sweat started to form on his forehead. The attention is too much. He didn't mean to and its unexpected he made all heads turn to him.

[1] meimei is the opposite of jiejie which means 'little sister'.