Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

"Prince Wanxi can complain whomever he wants to! I was wrong. I liked the ideal qualities of the Fourth Prince, but the person I like is you!" Zhu Lin confessed her feelings to Lei Wanxi, who knitted his brows and gulped. 

"But I do no-not like you," Lei Wanxi stated. 

Zhu Lin smiled and stepped closer to him. Seeing her getting close to him, Lei Wanxi again stepped back. "W-Why are you taking forward steps?" Lei Wanxi stuttered and continued to take backward steps. His back hit against the bedpost and fell on the mattress when Zhu Lin grabbed his hand.

She pulled him towards her but Lei Wanxi did not want to hold her hand, so pulled his hand back. However, Zhu Lin did not leave his hand. The two fell on the mattress– Zhu Lin on top of Lei Wanxi. "Ahhh," Lei Wanxi screamed as the two fell on the mattress. 

The maidservants who were outside the chamber ran inside upon hearing the scream of the Sixth Prince. "Your Highness, are you okay?" A maidservant asked but shut her mouth as she saw Lei Wanxi and Zhu Lin on the bed. She instructed the other maidservants to lower their heads. 

Lei Wanxi curled his fingers as Zhu Lin's face was just an inch away from his. He could feel her breathing against his lips and could feel her heartbeat. Similar happened with Zhu Lin. The way her heart was beating, the same way or even more intense Lei Wanxi's heart was beating for her. 

'Do I really like her? Why? My heart never acted this way! How can I fall for the woman when my mind isn't accepting her?' Lei Wanxi questioned himself. 

Ying Lili after completing her work headed to Lei Wanxi's chamber. Upon seeing no maidservant outside the chamber, she got concerned. She told Court Lady Xu to stay there and walked in. Seeing the six maidservants standing with their bowed heads, Ying Lili panicked. 

"Brother Wanxi," Ying Lili called his name but halted at her place seeing Zhu Lin and Lei Wanxi on the bed. Lei Wanxi heard the voice of Ying Lili and pushed Zhu Lin away from him. He moved her legs away and quickly stood up. 

Ying Lili suppressed her smile as she did not want Lei Wanxi to feel embarrassed about that. Ying Lili ordered the maidservants to leave the chamber and herself walked ahead. 

Lei Wanxi had lowered his eyes. It is the first time he was avoiding the gaze of the Crown Princess. Zhu Lin had also stood up and bowed in front of the Crown Princess. 

"Princess Zhu Lin, could you please give us a moment?" Ying Lili requested Zhu Lin, who nodded and walked out of the chamber. Lei Wanxi did not like it at all. He was embarrassed that the Crown Princess saw him in that state with Zhu Lin. 

"Sister Lili, that was not…" he paused and looked at his fingers. Fidgeting with his fingers he continued, "It was a mistake. There was nothing wrong going on, Sister Lili." 

Ying Lili walked towards Lei Wanxi and took his hands in hers. Caressing them, Ying Lili said, "I know there was nothing wrong. Brother Wanxi shall not feel embarrassed." Lei Wanxi's racing heart had calmed down when Ying Lili solaced him. 

Ying Lili made him sit on the mattress and went towards the table. "Sister Lili, I will ask the servant to give me water," Lei Wanxi stopped Ying Lili from pouring water. 

"I want to pour water in this glass for Brother Wanxi," Ying Lili stated and brought the water glass to Lei Wanxi. "Drink it slowly," Ying Lili said after handing the silver glass to Lei Wanxi. 

She went towards the chaise and sat on it. Ying Lili waited for the Sixth Prince to finish drinking the water first. Lei Wanxi finished drinking water and put it on the bedside table. Taking the handkerchief out from his pocket, he wiped his mouth and put it aside. He didn't speak anything for almost ten minutes. 

"Brother Wanxi can tell me what is going on in your head? You never avoided my gaze that way? It seems you are embarrassed for no reason," Ying Lili deduced. 

"Sister Lili, my mind tells me that I do not and can never like Zhu Lin, but my heart...it says otherwise. It reacts differently, Sister Lili. There's this saying– 'A man shall listen to his mind before his heart.' But then there's another saying too– 'You shall not ignore what your heart tells you.' What shall I do, Sister Lili? I am confused," Lei Wanxi explained his uncertainties to Ying Lili. 

"What is Brother Wanxi's heart and mind saying to him?" Ying Lili queried. 

"My mind says that I do not like Zhu Lin. I hate her but then my heart acts strangely. It is not acting synchronously with my mind," Lei Wanxi pronounced. "My mind says that I cannot fall for a woman who was violent to me. I have imagined myself falling in love beautifully. Is it infatuation, Sister Lili? Shall I leave Luoyang for some time to let go of this odd feeling?" Lei Wanxi did not know what he was saying. 

"Leaving the Capital will not rest the heart of Brother Wanxi. So, according to me, it is best to find the solution to this," Ying Lili advised Lei Wanxi. 

"How, Sister Lili? I am confused," Lei Wanxi drew his eyebrows together.

"Brother Wanxi has created a wrong image of Princess Zhu Lin in his mind. That is creating the hindrance in all this," Ying Lili stated. 

Lei Wanxi acknowledged what Ying Lili told him. The image of Zhu Lin in his mind was something else which changed after he spent a little time with her. However, his mind dominated and kept the grudges in him. No one ever scolded him, or got harsher on him the way Zhu Lin. That was one reason for his hatred towards her. However, the day Zhu Lin told him about his weaknesses, he self inspected himself. Zhu Lin was never wrong.

"Sister Lili, I am still confused. I do not have any reason to like or maybe I do not know. I have many things in my head and then she confessed-" Lei Wanxi stuck out his tongue between his teeth and glanced at Ying Lili, who was smiling. 

"Does Princess Zhu Lin like Brother Wanxi?" Ying Lili asked to confirm.

Lei Wanxi nodded his head. "Why does she like me? How can she? She called me a brainless person yet she likes me! Isn't it ridiculous?" He skeptically peered at Ying Lili. 

"Brother Wanxi, when you like and fall for someone, you even fall for his or her flaws. Do not run away from these feelings. Love happens at the most unexpected time," Ying Lili affirmed. 

Lei Wanxi understood the words of Ying Lili but he was not understanding his mind and heart. Ying Lili read his facial expressions for a few seconds before standing up from the chaise. "Brother Wanxi, I shall take my leave. Try conversing with Princess Zhu Lin. She is in Luoyang until tomorrow morning," Ying Lili informed Ying Lili to Lei Wanxi.

"Morning? Wasn't she supposed to stay here till evening?" Lei Wanxi immediately asked. 

Ying Lili shook her head and replied, "She will leave in the morning after giving me birthday wishes." 

Lei Wanxi got dejected to learn about that, yet he didn't say anything.. Ying Lili passed a tiny smile to him before leaving the chamber.