The room is filled with the strong scent of black ink and crushed papers on the floor. Jae-in has been studying hard in this room with Qi Yuan for 3 days, without any leniency, Qi Yuan is surprisingly a strict tutor.

"You are finally back." Jae-in said.

"Yes Missy Jae!" Yu-ji replied.

"Since it's time for lunch, let's head down for a meal." Qi Yuan suggested as he wanted Jae-in to take a break.

Just as the group decide to leave the room, a knock on the door stop their movement.

"Qi Yuan Gong Zi, are you in?" Xuan Di asked.

"Yes, please come in."

Opening the doors, Xuan Di enters the room with his servant following behind him. A gasp escaped from Yu-ji's mouth and her finger point towards the servant.

"Y-you!"

Ignoring the shock face of Yu-ji and an unfriendly glare from Qing Feng, Xuan Di smile and walk towards the table where Qi Yuan and Jae-in are seated at. He extends his fist into a greeting position and look towards them.

"Qi Yuan Gong Zi, Huo Gong Zi, Wang Xuan is here to let you know that my injuries are getting better, and we can continue the trip with no issue. Hopefully we can continue without any delays. Once again, I want to say my thanks."

"Wang Gong Zi, it is good to hear that you are feeling better. Sure, we shall prepare to leave tomorrow, and we can start packing tonight. Hm? I see that you have an additional companion?"

"Ah, I forget to introduce. He is my servant, also my bodyguard."

"You can call me Wu 'Er."

Wu 'Er stand in front of Qi Yuan and Jae-in and greet them by kneeling on the floor. Yu-ji, who is still in shock to see the righteous hero that helped her earlier on, can't believe that they met twice in a day.

On the other hand, Qing Feng felt as though he is ready to attack Wu 'Er and wants to hide Yu-ji away. But, he is confused as to why he is feeling this strong emotion.

"Since we will be travelling tomorrow, it's good to know each other better. Why not you guys join us for lunch?" Jae-in asked.

"Of course! It's our pleasure." Xuan Di replied.

The group sits in silence while they have their meals. With Xuan Di sitting on Jae-in's right and Qi Yuan on her left, an unknown pressure set onto her shoulder. Yu-ji is not fortunate too, having Wu 'Er on her left while Qing Feng on her right.

The whole table is filled with unknown tension for no reason.

"Oh right, you are Wu 'Er am I right?" Jae-in asked.

"Yes Huo Gong Zi."

"Where did you go for the past few days? Your master has been attacked and you as the bodyguard wasn't around?"

"Ah... I have assigned a certain task for him to handle, so he wasn't with me for the past few days." Xuan Di answered on his behalf.

"It is my fault for not being cautious enough and underestimate the safety of Ding City. I thought I will be safe by myself since I know some martial arts and my only goal was to convince you to let me join the group. Well... I guess being a novice to long-distance travelling made me learn a huge lesson."

Xuan Di continued on to subtly explain the situation to erase any suspicious feelings that Jae-in harbour towards him.

"Oh? This is the first time you are travelling? What have you been doing before the post of a Xuan Ambassador?" Qi Yuan curiously asked.

"I was just a normal commoner's kid. Attend to cheap school while helping out for the family crops to attain a living. Finally, I manage to earn enough money to travel to the Capital of Xuan and join the imperial exams. I am not so talented, so I was ranked 2nd and was given a small position to be the Xuan ambassador."

"I guess you deserve what you get from all the hard work you have paid for."

With this little information of Wang Xuan, the group settled into a less tensed atmosphere. Yu-ji, who has been giving side-eye glances to Wu 'Er, bite onto the chopsticks while trying to think of ways to express her gratitude to him.

She knows it will be weird for others to see how she is trying so hard to repay a simple favour of a stranger who help her to get back her stolen money bag. But, no one will ever understand the value the money bag that holds the coins.

It is irreplaceable.

.

.

.

The night was short and the break of dawn arrives. The group of 6 can finally leave the inn and continue their journey to Luo City. To reduce the travelling time, a horse is given to everyone except for Yu-ji, who will be sharing horses with Jae-in.

While Qing Feng secures the food rations prepared by Yu-ji by the sides of the horse, Jae-in pull open a drawn map to have a clear direction of route with Qi Yuan and Xuan Di by her side.

"So we will be going straight all the way and then turn to the right upon seeing the lake then afterwards we will need to ..."

As Jae-in is concentrated on the route to Luo City, she did not realise that Xuan Di is looking at her. Unlike the usual outfit she wore, this time she chose a black and dull dark grey robe, with simple golden leaf design sewn. Simple yet it looks good on her.

Observing her frowning eyebrows with her lips bitten as a habit, Xuan Di knew that she will not notice his current acts of admiring her beauty.

He then looks down at his clothing, he purposely chose a blue outfit mixed with a white inner wear so to have a common colour with Jae-in. Somehow his plan failed, but at least they had the same hairstyle.

Wait... What is he doing? Trying to match outfit colours with Jae-in? How childish.

Though he says that in his head, yet he still choose to do it in his heart. Unlike the natural-born noble aura that Jae-in carries in whatever outfit she wore, right now Xuan Di gives off a playful yet dangerous ruffian vibe.

The group has been travelling on their horse for 2 days, and now they are left with half a day to reach Luo City. Observing the trasition of the dusk orange skies to nautical twilight, Jae-in suggests the group to camp outfield tonight before completing their journey to Luo City.

Experience in camping outfield, Yu-ji and Qing Feng naturally head off to their own assigned tasks without being told. Qi Yuan makes his way to chop off some branches to start a fire and Jae-in's job is to stay at the campsite to prevent anyone from stealing their spot.

This is the first time Xuan Di camp outfield with Jae-in, and so he stood there like a confused child. Wu 'Er excused himself to set up some traps nearby so to know if anyone is approaching them.

Now, the campsite is left with the two of them.

Seeing how Jae-in casually sits on the grass and stares into space, Xuan Di awkwardly take a seat beside her, leaving an appropriate distance between them. Silence filled their surroundings and only the sound of the wind accompanied them.

"So ... Huo Gong Zi, did I do anything wrong towards you?"

Looking at Xuan Di on her right, a confused expression distorted her face, and then she turns away.

"No."

"Then why do I feel as though you dislike me? Or rather, hate me?"

"Probably the 8 characters of our life doesn't match."

"Hm... Why not we start off as friends? Maybe once you know me better, your prejudice towards me will minimize."

"But, I don't want to be friends with you."

"Ha... I never knew you were such a tough nut to crack."

"Same to you. I never knew you were such a dumb rock that doesn't understand what people say."

A moment of pause makes the situation uncomfortable.

"Well ... I ... I am sorry then, for trying to befriend you and get to know you better. After all, I just wanted the group to travel in a more harmonious way and hopefully get a friend out of this trip... since I had none..."

Xuan Di finish his sentence with a low tone and stood up to walk away from the campsite. The ending sentence prick Jae-in's heart and soon guilt filled her as she wondered if her words are too harsh.

Walking pass the trees near him while the skies get darker and darker, Xuan Di finally stop by a lake and took a seat on the rocks. Grabbing a small stone, he flicks his wrist with a controlled strength and see the stone skid through the surface of the water.

'What am I doing? Are the dreams affecting me so much that I am becoming someone that I am not even familiar with?'

Confusion with a blank road ahead, Xuan Di is feeling lost. During the nights, he spent most of his time recalling the memories of the past. The vivid behaviour and harsh tone he used against Jae-in repeat, again and again.

Is he behaving like this because of his strong possessiveness? A common trait of a prideful dominant male that does not want things that is branded his to be stolen, escaped or rewritten?

He never once doubt his feelings towards Jae-in. He knew he hated her. All the pleasant feelings towards her was destroyed the moment she used her father's name and power to threaten him to accept the marriage proposal.

The first impression of an innocent youthful energetic image of hers has been tainted by a scheming, two-face and manipulative persona that has been branded in his mind since the age of 21.

"Brother Xuan Yi! Look here! I am here!"

A young looking flower that has yet to blossom to her fullest potential, waving her hands to catch his attention so to let him walk towards her in the crowded street. The face filled with innocence of a child yet an alluring beauty hidden underneath, yet to be discovered.

"Brother Xuan Yi ... I ... I like you."

Her face is as red as a tomato, fidgeting fingers that shows her nervousness and her cute little bangs that covers her forehead become messy as she tries to adjust them, so to look pretty in front of him. Not daring enough to look at him after her confession as she is busy looking left and right, then she ran away.

"Xuan Yi, I want to offer you a marriage proposal. I can't help it since my dearest daughter, that I held dearly of, is so hopelessly in love with you. Do you accept them?"

A supposedly joyous ambience slowly turn into a heavy atmosphere. The smiling face of the general changed into a threatening state. He too, has his own pride and set of rules that he follows. His refusal shake the pride of the old man.

"Hmph, what a promising ambitious young lad I have here. I shall give you one last chance with this offer. Take it, you will have the full support of the Huo Military house and promised ever-lasting loyalty for generations. Leave it, you will lost a fraction of power and your precious lady in Lai Household ..."

A distateful taste remain in the mouth of General Huo as he looked at this ambitious young lad that he disapproved of. The young lad, who remained in the chair he was seated on, clenched his fist till his knuckles turned white yet maintaining a cold face.

He, hate to be controlled. He, hate to be threatened. He, hate to be influenced.

Yes, he don't deny that he like the innocent flower. He is strangely captivated by her. Everything about her manage to steal his breathe away. Not a single moment with her has been a waste of his time, every moment is memories that he wants to keep for the rest of his life.

A part of him refused to acknowledge the ugly truth. Using the promised days, he dispatched his loyal guards to check on the safety of Xiao Qing. He was secretly hoping that this was just a lie, but the news came back to him and affirmed his doubts.

But, why? Why does this flower that he liked turn out to be a rose filled with torns?

He couldn't believe she restort to such measures just to get what she wanted. Willing to use all methods regardless of the life of a human being, to threaten him and make him give in to her demands.

That innocent image that she portrayed, was it all a lie?

Does she know his true identity?

She steps over all the boundaries just to get to that position?

How ... How could she play his feelings like this?

Ha ... he was such a fool to not see this clearly from the start. All women are the same except for Xiao Qing. All women are liars and scheming evil breed of a demon. This was a known fact but still he fell for it. He laugh mentally and the broken pieces from his heart was kept away into a box.

A box filled with locks along with memories.

He had made a promise with Xiao Qing, and yet he almost broke the promise ever since he met her. Sure, the feelings he had for the vicious rose was completely different from Xiao Qing.

It brought out a different side of him, digging out emotions and desires that was unknown to him.

It was as though the feelings he had for her was l- ... no, it wasn't and it won't be. It was a mistake, it was just a delusional feeling. The feelings he had for Xiao Qing was the right form of love. Yes, that was right.

Ha... Since you want the power, you want the title, then I shall give it to you. But, you will never get my heart ... ever again ...

"Fine. I accept."

_____________________________

Jae-in - 琉光星云

Xuan Di