"Just like them, I believe it is my duty to serve you thus it is inevitable that I deliver the news myself, is fourth prince not happy with this?" her tone sounded downcast.

"You think too much Miss Meixiang, I just hope you don't think of yourself as a servant in the blossom pavilion, as for your master, tell her I will see her when I return and she can resume the business, if there is nothing else then you can take your leave,"

​​

"I will take my leave," she bowed her head then exited the chamber, after closing the door, she turned around then sighed deeply, she could tell that the fourth prince doesn't intend to fully give her his trust as he is still being courteous with her.

{I hope one day, you will be able to fully give me your trust}

She walked away downheartedly.

During her stay in the blossom pavilion, she found herself wanting to become closer and get his acceptance, although he has given commands to treat her as an esteemed guest and also give her freedom, she could still feel that he is putting a boundary between them.

Meanwhile, after she left, the wall in the chamber separated, revealing Xiaodi cultivating in her fox form with her fluffy long nine tails out and her fox form bigger than it was months ago. She calmed down her internal energy then she stood up from her lotus position.

As she entered his chamber, the wall closed again.

"Master," she called as she squatted beside him, clearly wanting his attention.

"Ssssh..."

"Master..."

"If you are done with your meditation, does it mean you can disturb mine?" he questioned as he calmed down his internal energy then he opened his eyes as a blue glint flashed before turning into his black orbs.

"You have spent more of your time this past few months in this chamber and you even forced me to do the same, does master really think I have that much patience," she sulked with her arms folded on her chest.

He flicked her forehead causing her to wince in pain and pout her lips.

"Master...I thought you have long forgotten I am your master, if someone else were to see, they will think you are my master,"

She straightened her scrunched face then she linked her arms with his.

"I don't care what others think, you are my master, my father and my brother," she proclaimed as she snuggled against his arm, he couldn't help chuckling then stroking her hair.

To him, she is his friend, his sister and his daughter, someone who will spend this immortal lifetime with him as the saint of the ice clan unless he has a child, even though she is not immortal, spiritual beasts have a long lifetime compared to humans.

She lifted her head from his arm then she made a serious face.

"I thought you were going to fully trust Meixiang but why does it seem like you are trying to push her away," she asked out of curiosity, knowing what her master is like, she knows he will never do that unless he has good reason.

"My ability to read people might not be very good but I can tell that Miss Meixiang desires power, as of now, I still don't know if her intentions are good or bad but if the power I have to offer her is not enough then she is not to be trusted,"

A deep frown formed on her face at the thought of someone betraying her master.

"If you think so then I can just kill her now to avoid future trouble," she tried to stand up but he pulled her back down.

"I thought your patience would have improved from months of meditation and cultivation but you are still the same," he chided.

"If anyone tries to betray you then I certainly won't let that person off no matter who it is," she responded, not caring about his scolding.

"I really don't know what to do with you, we will be returning to the capital very soon, by then, I will make sure to marry you off to any eligible bachelor,"

"Master! If you dare do that to me then I will expose my fox identity then I will see who dares to marry a nine-tailed fox,"

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am just giving my master a friendly reminder...hmmph," she stormed out of the chamber at the threat.

He can joke with any other thing but not abandoning her or making them get separated, even the thought of it makes her angry.

He sighed as he closed his eyes to continue his meditation, after the overuse of his power to help Huo Lan his mind has been in disarray.

After leaving the chamber, she decided to take a walk in the blossom garden with the servant assigned to her by the fourth prince.

Her pink dress and the scarf around her shoulder made her blend among the blossoms in the blossom maze.

With many thought in her mind, every step she took were heavy, she couldn't help feeling that there is a lot she doesn't know about the fourth prince and everyone in the pavilion.

In her eyes, the pavilion seems like a normal place but she still felt something amiss.

Having no other choice, she decided to try getting answers from the young lady following behind her.

"What is your name?" She asked to build a sense of closeness with the lady as she needs answers from her.

"A'Li," the servant replied

"How did you enter the blossom pavilion and how old were you then?"

"I am not sure of that but I just know master saved my mother who is a runaway slave from being killed, my mother died in the pavilion when I was three years old,"

"You seem to be almost the same age as me, this means you have spent your entire life in the pavilion, tell me, what is it like to live here all your life?"

A wide smile formed on the girl's face as she asked the question.

"Most of us never leave the pavilion but it is not because we can't leave, it is because we will rather spend the rest of our lives in the pavilion than go into the harsh world, Mater has been very kind to us and we have never been treated as servants but free-willed people who have the right to make their choices, everyone living in the pavilion has been trained in martial art to protect ourselves and also protect the pavilion, even though we are all willing to lay down our lives for him, master always says that the only payment we can give for his kindness is our loyalty and safety," the girl responded still maintaining that smile on her face, she was so engrossed in answering her that she didn't realise she is now walking ahead of the person she is supposed to be attending to.

When she finally raised her head to see the person she is talking to, she realised that is walking ahead, she quickly stopped them turned around.

"Safety and loyalty...I have never heard of such a master but earning his trust seems to be very challenging,"

"Master never trust anyone easily, even though we have all been here for a long time, there are very few things we know about him, the elders in the pavilion says he has another identity but none of us knows of it but if master let you live in the pavilion then it must mean he is willing to give you a chance to earn his trust," the girl blabbered on.

She could hear the excitement in her voice as she spoke of her master.

{If only he bought me instead of Ruyi pavilion, I might not live a luxurious life but living a life surrounded by lakes, waterfall and flowers that bloom all year round is enough for me,}

"Ah..." the girl exclaimed

Meixiang turned to her with a quizzical look on her face, she could tell that the girl seemed to have forgotten something.

Seeing that Meixiang seems to be expecting an answer from her, she turned to answer her.

"Miss Meixiang, I forgot about the maze,"

"Maze, what do you mean?"

.