The Ageless Dream

20.3 A Secret Picturesque (81)

A smile of relief formed on Dong Li Hua's face when they arrived in front of Daliang. This is the first step of her so-called mission that the stupid trinket granted. However, her smile froze upon recalling something.

"Li Si, I want to help in protecting Ying Zheng but I don't want to be his maid or get recognized by him. What should I do?" Dong Li Hua turned to Li Si who made the steed stop.

"You want to be incognito?" he accurately guessed and she nodded. Li Si thought for some time and he quickly came up with an idea. "Your eyes can make him recognize you."

"I know." she looked down but Li Si pinched her chin to make her look at him.

"I have a plan."

The wind howled atop the tower. Mid-winter's cold breeze made the soldiers stationed outside shiver slightly.

"Eh? Someone's coming!" one of them noticed a dark figure coming out of the withered forest. It was not long before they recognize it was their great tactician Li Si but there is a girl set in front of him.

"Sir Li, where have you been? Miss Xie searched for Sir Li yesterday but a group of wolves made her retreat."

"Is she alright?" Li Si worriedly asked.

"Miss Xie is unscathed but she did not sleep the whole night in order to wait for Sir Li's return." the soldier replied, secretly taking a glance at the strange girl. It was Dong Li Hua. Li Si tied a black satin bow around her eyes to make her look like a blind person. In that way, no one will question if she is related to her identity as Ying Zheng's lost lover. Rumors circulated in Qin, Hann, Wei and even Zhao that Ying Zheng attacked them in order to find a girl named Dong Li Hua. Teahouses and inns, every storytellers made a tale about them with different endings and mixes of lies and truth.

Since she doesn't want Ying Zheng to recognize her until she uncover who is Chu Ren, she used her fake name Fei Yu instead, a blind girl that escaped Chu.

"Tell her to go to my residence tonight." Li Si said before proceeding to enter Daliang. Although they aroused suspicions all the way, none of them said a word.

"He's safe?!" Xie Er stood up from her seat. She has been waiting for Li Si the whole night that she looked like a panda. It was his fault since he took initiative to chase the traitor they found yesterday.

"Rest assured Miss. He even asked for Miss Xie to meet him in his courtyard." Lieutenant Sang Jiaolu reported. He is Xie Er's subordinate from the group of male elite imperial guards. He was sent here as a lieutenant. As for Xie Er, she is ordered by Ying Zheng to guard Li Si.

"Great! Let me see him!" she is about to pass through the door when Sang Jiaolu grabbed her arm. Xie Er looked up to him in confusion.

"How long?" he asked.

"What?"

"How long are you going to wait for Li Si's response?" Sang Jiaolu gazed at Xie Er.

"Don't know. Maybe for a lifetime? Eternity?" she shrugged her shoulders ang gave a vague answer.

"Xie Er, Li Si brought a girl back here. She is blind, an escapee from Chu. Even if she have disability, Li Si is very considerate to her." he slowly said but every word stabbed Xie Er's heart.

"Third Elite Imperial Guard Sang Jiaolu, we have a rule don't we? Never to end up with the person you love. The same goes to you." she harshly replied, taking her arm back and leaving him behind. Xie Er never saw the pain from his dark eyes.

Without a word, Xie Er entered Li Si's residence only to see delicacies set on the dining table. She was stunned when a familiar voice made her stiff.

"Xie Er?" Dong Li Hua have long removed the blindfold on her face. She can hide her identity from Ying Zheng but not to Xie Er and Li Si. "Li Si! Xie Er arrived!"

"S-Sister Hua?!" she took a step back in shock. It was like heaven's will is purposely fooling Ying Zheng. Now that he left, Dong Li Hua showed up. What's more, she still looked the same like four years ago!

"I... I should tell this to Ying Zheng!" Xie Er turned her back but Li Si is already behind her.

"Don't." he warned. She threw a confused look at the two. "Li Hua is hiding her identity. She will explain everything."

"Oh my." Dong Li Hua cant speak after seeing the Xie Er that is in her early twenties. She looked more seductive than her eighteen year old self back then. It cant be that Li Si can resist such authentic dish in front of him, right? If he can, then Dong Li Hua will suspect if he is into a cut sleeve (boys love) romance, ah.

"But Ying Zheng has been waiting for four years! He needs to know Sister Hua is back! You saw how he-"

"I know." Li Si interrupted Xie Er. He doesn't want Dong Li Hua to hear what Ying Zheng have done for her.

"Xie Er, you're so irresistible! Hey, Li Si, don't you find her pretty?" Dong Li Hua suddenly asked, making the two stunned. They directed their gaze on her who is staring at Xie Er as if she is a man.

"Xie Er has always been enchanting. Why?" he frowned but his little comment made Xie Er blush furiously. Li Si noticed she faced the wall on the side and her hands covered her face. His brow raised it was as if he cant understand why she reacted like that.

"Always? Always enchanting? Holy mother of Chang'e [1]!" Xie Er thought while she started to get dizzy.

"Isn't she a peerless beauty? Right?" Dong Li Hua knew why Xie Er became like that, she found it fun teasing the young lady.

"Yes...?" Li Si reluctantly answered. He admits, Xie Er has grown more beautiful but the question Dong Li Hua is throwing him made Li Si tilt his head slightly in confusion.

[1] Chang'e, the moon goddess