After Yang Xi Ying left the villa Lory went to the study room but she didn't find him then the servants told him he is in the west garden Lory thanks the servants then she continues to search for him. Zhao Li Xin's villa building is not as big as the Ninjing or the Xinjing manor but the courtyard was larger than the two manors so it takes time to find him.

Lory found him playing Guqin alone inside the pavilion she only sees his back cover by long dark ink hair that moves slowly when the wind blew, then a melodious sound filled the air, the sound was clear, sharp but tender.

​​

Lory never heard Zhao Li Xin played a musical instrument before, but she had heard other people played Guqin in the Lao manor before, many women at Lao manor able to played Guqin well because Guqin was a part of the four arts they needed to learn, however, in Lory opinion they all paled in comparison to Zhao Li Xin played.

"You here" his hands paused and he lifts his head.

Lory took a seat beside him then she leaned her head on his shoulder while staring to the giant pond in front of her "Why did you stop?" she nags at him.

"So, I can hear your voice," he calmly said.

Lory blushes at the same time the corner of her mouth lifted, she must admit is a good answer. With a face like that and combine with sweet words, Zhao Li Xin is like a double threat if not three if she remembers how rich he is. Lory sighs inwardly, she just realizes how deathly Zhao Li Xin could be, it would be a miracle if she didn't fall in love with him. Lory then wrapped her hand on his arms "Can I go tomorrow with Yang Xi Ying?"

"Hm….." he replies vaguely without looking at her.

"We want to go to Xiling, I thought she wanted to do something fun so I thought I would like to come along," her pupil dilated from excitement.

Although a woman like Lory would never ask a man to do anything she wanted, but since they are in a relationship, she knew she should give him some respect moreover she lives in a different world with a different culture so she must do some adjustments or she might give Zhao Li Xin unnecessary trouble.

On the other hand, Zhao Li Xin was also trying to adjust his attitude, because he knew Lory didn't grow up in a different world with a different environment and different culture so he must become more tolerant towards her.

However, the problem is, she wanted to go to Xiling, that place is famous for young men and women to interact and know each other in short that place is a place to look for a companion so how could he let his future wife go to that kind of place.

"Can I go, it's for tomorrow?" she pleads earnestly.

"Uhm…." His expression as placid as the pond in front of him but his brain is running thousands of miles an hour he looking for any kind of plausible reason to stop her to go that place.

"Why you seem reluctant?" she looks dejected, she wants to see how Yang Xi Ying retaliated for Li Mo Zhen.

"Fine I will come with you…" he had no choice but accompany her.

Lory's eyes widened "What? No, you can't!" she rejects him strongly.

For someone who never been rejected before he took it hard "Why not?"

"Because I think we need to be lowkey," said Lory.

"I can't be lowkey!" he insisted.

"Aww, sweetheart…" Lory feel bad for him, she cupped Zhao Li Xin's face then she gives him the look as if he is the most pitiful person in the world, then she says: "You can't…."

As someone who excels in every area, such as cultivation, armament master, array master, and he also a talented musician and painter. Zhao Li Xin is a person who has it all as if the god was in a good mood when he created Zhao Li Xin and he decide to go crazy and spends all his blessing to this one person only.

Zhao Li Xin never thought he would adequate for something but after he met Lory he realizes there's a lot of things that he can't understand, and he had many things he couldn't do. it was such a humble experience for the great Lord.

"That's why you can't go and after all aren't you busy with Lao Min Na and that lake something…." Lory patted his shoulder.

"Misty lake…" he reminds her.

"Yes, that…tell me how this misty something related with Jin Hao?" she curious about all this connection between Jin Hao, Misty lake and Lao Min Na, Lory always aware of how ambitious Lao Min Na could be that woman seems obsessed with power like she needs to prove herself to the world how much her worth.

"Its a common story of a rivalry between brothers," said Zhao Li Xin indifferent "One is wanted so much but lack of talent the other didn't care but blessed with so much talent"

"Let me guess, Jin Hao is the talented one," Lory said with complacent smiles.

Zhao Li Xin stifles, Lory puts a small table between her and Zhao Li Xin then she pours wine for Zhao Li Xin seems like it's gonna be a long story "Then what happened?" she shifts the wine cup in front of Zhao Li Xin.

"Even though he didn't want to become the head of Jin clan, unfortunately, his talent is hard to ignore, the elders of the clan were more inclined to Jin Hao to be the next leader than his stepbrother Jin Kai" Zhao Li Xin lifts the wine cup gracefully.

Lory frowned "So he's the brother from a different mother?"

'I never thought someday I would actually say this'

Zhao Li Xin halts his wine cup in the air "Their mother was Sisters" he said nonchalantly.

'Oh my God, that's so messed up…' Lory shrinks her neck in disgust.

She can't imagine how awkward when they got a family reunion, Zhao Li Xin didn't know why Lory look so disgust is it because of polygamy? he knew Lory put loyalty above all, especially in a relationship. Lory didn't know that is normal in polygamy practice to married sisters especially when the man has a high position, the Father of the brides would gladly give both of his daughters to secure his position.

"Is Jin kai is that bad?" Lory pushes her disgust behind her back.

He sips his wine then gently puts down his wine cup gently on the table "Compare to Jin Hao he is quite ordinary" said Zhao Li Xin.

"Why Jin Hao didn't want to be the head of his family?" she asks confusedly.

"The same reason why I didn't want to become Emperor…..it's boring" he scoffed.

"So, he chooses to work for you instead" Lory tilted her head.

"simply because I could give what his family couldn't give to him…a freedom" Zhao Li Xin casually says.

Lory nodded in understanding, so that's why Jin Hao ended up being Zhao Li Xin subordinated 'Freedom' is not easy to gain especially for someone who lived in an influential family like The Jin clan, he must have been controlled since the day he was born and even if he becomes the family head clan he would be constrained by family rule and pressured by everyone expectation for the rest of his life, no wonder he can't resist Zhao Li Xin offer.

"Then how about Lao Min Na? how could she get in touch with Jin Hao's brother? He even personally came to save her" the relationship between Lao Min Na and Jin Kai seems very close he even gave her the baby phoenix but then "Where is Zhao Yi Chen, are they still engaged?" Lory was baffled by the situation, how could the third prince let his fiancée seduce another man, and why wasn't he there to save his beloved consort?

"The rumor said that Zhao Yi Chen's condition was unwell that's why she is seeking help to the Misty lake," said Zhao Li Xin.

"The third prince is sick and the great alchemist Lao Min Na can't heal him?" Lory frowned in doubt.

Zhao Li Xin smirk "The rumor said, that Lao Min Na painstakingly looking for a cure for her fiancée"

"Wait, she just left like that, what about the Empress position, I thought she wanted that more than anything else?" Lory flabbergasted.

"Did I told you her ambition is insatiable, maybe eventually she knew that title only restrict her real ambition" Zhao Li Xin twist the empty wine cup on his hand.

"If Zhao Yi Chen dies than Zhao Mu Fan would become the Emperor, I thought they're relationship is not good so how could she switch side with him?" Lory feel a shiver down to her spine, she knew she was ambitious and calculative but she never knew Lao Min Na would be that cold.

"Is a small price to pay for a better future and afterall Zhao Mu Fan is easy to control is not hard to make him a puppet emperor if you have sufficient power" Zhao Li Xin sneered

"Actually, is not a bad plan, she used Zhao Yi Chen because at that time she was weak and she can't handle Zhao Mu Fan and her Father at the same time so she needs to buy some time to strengthen her power," said Zhao Li Xin.

"So, she used Zhao Yi Chen?" Lory feel sorry for Zhao Yi Chen then another question arose, "didn't she ever wanted to become Empress?"

Zhao Li Xin chuckled "Maybe at first but when her power increased so does her ambition, something that might look good before become less tempting and she wants more, as simple as that…"

She let out a long sigh "And now she wants Misty Lake"

"For now....." Zhao Li Xin said with a meaningful smile.