His Rui

"Your Highness, It's time for the dinner."

Eunuch Zhang whispered quietly from behind of Zhao Zhang Wei. But it seems that Zhao Zhang Wei didn't seem to have heard him or perhaps ignored him deliberately so he could only sigh silently and stand behind him with lowered head.

Both of them were standing behind the dense bushes inside the garden quietly.

Entranced by the woman who was seriously holding the brush in her hands as she looked at the tree in the garden, Zhao Zhang Wei whispered

"What is she doing here in the night instead of resting inside her chambers?"

His intense eyes didn't move away from Yi Huiqing's figure even for a moment.

His gaze was caught by those lips that were forming a small pout as she drew something on the sheet with concentration.

The moonlight falling on her small figure was only making her look more beautiful.

Why is it that every time he sees her he forgets everything, even the fight from the few days ago? His heart was filled with obsessed love forcing him to cage her inside his arms so that she would never go away from him.

His thoughts were interrupted when Eunuch Zhang answered his question.

"Wangfei liked the view of the garden and said that she wants to paint it."

A smile spread on his lips as he remembered the small pig drawn by her. However, it disappeared soon because he remembered everything that happened after their funny bickering.

He sighed as he remembered the previous Yi Huiqing whose eyes used to be filled with love for him.

Where did it go?

At that time, he didn't use to believe it.

He has seen many crafty women in the place and he counted her one amongst them when he had married her.

Her shyness on their wedding night had amused him.

'How long she will pretend? One day she will also reveal her true self.' Zhao Zhang Wei had mocked inside his heart. 

However as time passed, Zhao Zhang Wei found out that his wangfei was a very simple-minded woman.

She seemed to be very happy whenever he visited her. She was sad when he took other concubines in his inner courtyard. 

Perhaps she really loved him.

But he didn't have the courage to accept her love. His battles were endless in this Imperial Palace. He doesn't know just how many sacrifices he had to do to achieve what he wants.

He can't afford a luxurious thing like love. So he ignored her.

It was only when he saw her indifferent self; he realized what he has lost.

Shouldn't he be happy that she no longer loved him? He would not feel guilty for giving her the pain and suffering she had gone through or she would have to go through in the future.

But no, he didn't feel happy at all.

His heart was burning with anger when he saw her laughing freely in front of that Young Physician. Her calm and indifferent eyes pricked his heart like thorns.

When she asked him to visit another woman's courtyard calmly, he wished to kiss her fiercely and then made her speak that she also doesn't like to see him with anyone else.

He wanted those eyes filled with love for him back.

Even if it was fake, he doesn't care.

He could do it. He could force her to submit to his wishes. But he doesn't want to do that.

His heart hurts when he sees her tears. He doesn't want to hurt her because it would hurt him more to see her in pain.

So he was helpless and could only watch her like this.

This was his punishment perhaps. He didn't cherish those beautiful moments before and now he wished to live them again and again.

However, his heart was filled with questions.

What did he do to deserve Yi Huiqing's repulsion?

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.

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Half an hour later, Zhao Zhang Wei turned around and walked out of the garden followed by Eunuch Zhang.

The Concubines were standing outside their courtyard as if they already knew that he would pass from there.

As soon as they saw him, they looked down at themselves and stepped forward. However, Zhao Zhang Wei didn't stop even for a moment and walked past them as if he never saw them.

Embarrassed the concubines just smiled tightly while looking at each other and went back to their courtyard with bitter hearts.

"Everyone was outside but this servant didn't see Concubine Shaolin outside just now."

A maid whispered while walking behind Concubine Lin.

Concubine Lin scoffed at the maid's words and then chuckled

"Why would she be outside? I think she had already given up, after all, Wangye didn't go to her courtyard even once since she had entered Xinhe Palace."

The last sentence Concubine Lin said with a smirk on her lips.

Her heart was now feeling slightly better as she compared herself to Concubine Shaolin. At least, her situation was not that pathetic.

Contrary to Concubine Lin's expectation, Concubine Shaolin was making her own plans. 

Zhao Zhang Wei had just stepped out of the Inner Courtyard when he felt something collided with his body, or rather it was someone.

"Ahh…"

He frowned when the strong scent of body perfume invaded his nostrils.

He never extended his hands to hold whoever it was, instead the person held his waist tightly. It was a woman.

Due to their close proximity, her softness was being rubbed on his hard body.

"Leave this Prince."

He said coldly.

And as soon as the woman left him, he took three steps back.

The beautiful concubine Shaolin who had especially readied herself raised her head to look at him once and then pretended to be surprised. A moment later, she shyly lowered her head.

"This concubine greets Wangye."

She greeted with her cheeks dyed with red-crimson color.

'It will surely make his heart moved. No man can resist such looks from a woman.' She said inside his heart.

However, Zhao Zhang Wei's next words made the smile on her lips stiffened.

"Who are you?"