The Ageless Dream

17.1 Land of Xiang (65)

"Uncle! I need to see Imperial Uncle!" Ying Ziyimg tried to get past the guards standing in the study hall of the governor's estate. His face full of worry when the person he expected walked out of the study hall. "Uncle!"

"Don't delay him. Let the boy in." Ying Zheng behests his guards. They still refused to acknowledge Ying Ziying's existence as his nephew.

"Uncle, someone abducted Miss Hua! I went to her room but she is not there!"

Hurried footsteps rushed into the hallway until a dark chamber's door was opened. Ying Zheng can only see the window opened with the moonlight permitting in which enabled him to see no one is inside the room. His expression turned dark before quickly leaving the place. He passed through a soldier and tossed a tiger tally.

"Give it to Lord Changwen, have his unit search Hann!" he indifferently ordered and used his qigong to search for Dong Li Hua.

Dong Li Hua opened her eyes. She wiped the perspiration on her forehead because of thar dream. Her gaze spun around the carnival where she had rested and the sun is beginning to settle. Her temper when annoyed can easily make anyone angry. That is why she left the airport so she won't hurt her father's good intent. In the end, she slept on a bench which is quite careless of her. It's fortunate no one robbed her though.

"5:20? I need to head back home." she sighed. Evading Summer Basch won't last long. Dong Li Hua just hoped that woman rented a condo to stay at.

She stood up and stretched her arms. Dong Li Hua turned to leave but it's just in time she saw a familiar figure standing nearby a stuffed toy stall. It was the same man that looked like Ying Zheng. He's not wearing a sunglass and his hair was freely flowing downwards. His face made her astounded because of his resemblance of an older Ying Zheng.

"That is..." Dong Li Hua froze on her spot. The man is holding a bouquet of pink roses and a heart shaped box while talking to a girl of Dong Li Hua's age.

"Sorry, I arrived late." he amiably smiled and handed the flowers. "These were freshly picked pink roses and a box of dark chocolate. It's a sorry gift since I sort of messed up."

"Pink roses? Dark chocolate? You still remember my favorites!" the young girl sniffed the flowers with bliss in her eyes. "Alright, forgiven. How can I stay angry at you when you're this pitiful?"

Dong Li Hua took a step back. She doesn't know why but her chest feels a bit suffocated. With her eyes closing, she turned her back and left the place. Why does it bother so much?

That 'Ying Zheng' has many similarities with the eighteen-year-old Ying Zheng the only difference is that he looked older and seemingly in his early twenties. Dong Li Hua can't remove his image in her mind even when she returned to their manor. However, after recalling another problem, she got preoccupied of her own mother whom she needs to deal with. But, Summer Basch is here. Why is she putting up a fight?

"Dad, Im home." she stepped in the main hall to see her father having a conversation with Summer Basch. The three of them stopped once she arrived.

"Xiao Hua, come here." Dong Xu knew she repented from her rebellious attitude a while ago. She is his daughter and he knew how she thinks. The little Dong Li Hua back then would leave him and find a way to vent her frustration whenever she disagrees with his choices rather than shouting back or fighting her him. Dong Li Hua slowly came forward. She chose to sit next to her father without sparing Summer Basch a glimpse.

"Summer came here for you. Speak with her, alright?" he lightly smiled to assure Dong Li Hua and left them for privacy.

"You grew up so fast." Summer started. Though they had few similarities with only the replica of her jade-colored eyes, she is happy to see her.

"I'll be frank. Where were you? Why didn't you showed up or gave a sign for seventeen years? Now that Im used living with only a father to count on, you came back? What for?" Dong Li Hua asked in a low tone. She recalled Ying Zheng's circumstance with Ying Chengjiao. His older brother left him with only his mother to support him. Ying Chengjiao had been his idol since young but when he went to another state, it brought immense vulnerability and hatred to Ying Zheng. Dong Li Hua is feeling the same dismay and hatred Ying Zheng had felt.

"Li Hua, I didn't mean to. Yes, I left China the year you were born but I want to take you with me. One of your relatives threatened me so I have no choice but to hand you to your father and leave. I tried to contact Dong Xu when I came back in States but he won't answer. I tried to send you gifts, letters and contacted you but I can't receive amy response. Believe me, I went here over and over again just to find you. My attempts failed and it got worse when you became a legitimate daughter of Dong Xu. Every time I tried to approach you, there would be a lot of people getting in between. Li Hua, Im very sorry I wasn't there for you in seventeen years..."

"I..." her anger started to dissipate after hearing her mother's explanation. At the same time, realization struck her. "Im sorry I misjudged you."

The moon brightly lit up into a round sphere. Dong Xu silently stood on the veranda before taking out an object out of his pocket. It was a diamond ring that was supposedly for Summer but she didn't give him a chance. Because of his own sister, Summer was threatened to leave him or she and Dong Li Hua will be in trouble.

"Dad." Dong Xu was stunned when he heard his daughter's voice. He hid the ring and faced her.

"How is dinner with her?" he noticed she is stoic. Dong Xu have a bad feeling about hee expression.

"It went well. Sister Zhenzhen and Brother Chun Wu accepted Mom." Dong Li Hua walked forth and stopped in front of him. "Dad. All these years, it was you who stopped every gifts and letters from Mom, right? You lied to me for almost two decades, Dad. Just why...?"