klop klop klop klop.
The sound of hooves in the center of the city, itâs the fifth day since BaiYing missing, Luo Xiang and the entourage were tired and almost lost track because of all the locations they could check, and the result was nil.
That morning, the Crown Prince and his entourage would return to the palace waiting for further orders from the palace officials who had helped the investigation.
LuoXiang was limp, he took a deep breath, BaiYing was getting further away from his hand and he couldnât do anything about it, just thinking of him made his breath heavy although heâs tried to take lots of air around him.
The group was passing through the main road when someone suddenly appeared and stood in the middle of the way.
âHeeeee!â
The entourage stopped.
.....
BeiYau, who was in the very front drawing his horse quickly, stopped when someone suddenly appeared and was almost hit by them.
âInsolent! Who dares to block the palace entourage?â Exclaimed BeiYau.
An old man, gray hair and a wrinkled face. The man stood in the middle of the road and lowered his knees to salute the crown prince.
âGreeting Your Highness, please forgive this servant for being insolent and blocking the way, but there is someone who asked me to deliver a very important message.â
Luo Xiang did not move a bit, at this time he really doesnât want to know about others, maybe that just a commoner whoâs like to complain about Palace new policy like taxes increase for the rich and else, however, Luo Xiang catch something in his eyes, something he familiar with on the man hands, without thinking he darted down.
âYingYing!â
He recognized the handkerchief, YingYingâs silk handkerchief thatâs now in the old manâs hand, Luo Xiang took it immediately.
âWhere did you get this?â
The man raised his head looking at the Crown Princeâs worried face, he was the healer who treated BaiYingâs wound the other day.
........
In the hut under the waterfall.
The rushing water descended from the top of the cliff with water splashes to the hut roof so itâs always wet and cool.
YiFang tied the rope around BaiYingâs both hands in front of his chest while the young man was still unconscious.
âWe will go Yingâer, brother will take you far from here where no one will able to find you, brother will protect you and nobody can ever touch you, I promise you thatâ
YiFangâs palms touched BaiYingâs cold cheeks, when BaiYing was still unconscious he changes his clothes with heâs used to wore at his home as HuaBaiYing young master he knew, YiFangâs hands were trembling, he couldnât hold back his tears and cried until his body trembled while holding BaiYingâs tied hand.
âForgive me, ems, brother did it for you, do you know what that senile old man said about you? I wanted to bring you home but he said that brother, ems, donât deserve you at allâ
YiFangâs memories came back several years ago when he first saw BaiYingâs gentle face in the Hua familyâs yard.
That afternoon, his aunt took him to the Hua familyâs mansion, because of the engagement both families arranged since heâs young by his late parents before they died, he had been betrothed to the Hua familyâs daughter, HuaBaiYen, and HuaLie, BaiYenâs father and his first wife welcomed him in front of his beautiful yard.
âHahahaha, what a handsome young man, very handsome little YiFangâ HuaLieâs cheeks widen as his big smile, patted the young YiFangâs cheeks with endless laughter.
That was three years ago when BaiYing was thirteen years old, and he is an innocent young boy with a cute face like a girl, who stands next to his beautiful older sister HuaBaiYen.
YiFang glanced at the beautiful girl, but his attention was distracted when he heard BaiYingâs bowing voice.
âFather! Yingâer wants to play a kite, please let uncle Bao accompany Yingâerâ he sulked as he keeps pulling his fatherâs clothes, HuaLie glanced at BaiYing with sharp eyes.
âNaughty boy, donât you see there are guests here? Just go and play alone Uncle Bao is busy nowâ
BaiYing glanced at YiFang and smiled broadly until all his eyes missed into his smile, YiFang swallowed hard seeing how adorable that beautiful little boy was, the boy could not stop annoying his Father and his Mother, even though his mother often glared at him, with her big round eyes like she ready to chew him, but the boy seems doesnât scared at all.
âBrat!â
âHeheheheâ
Little BaiYing has no friends to play with since there are no other kids around, so he always feels lonely and plays alone while the worker just accompanied him.
Ever since YiFang knew him, he always spares the time to play with him, at that time, in that kid mind thereâs nothing more important than to play since his body is so weak and cant join the agility class as other kids at the academy, so he always skips it and plays around the valley back at his house alone, and at all those time YiFang will always come and accompanied him.
By the time passes the feeling grew stronger for that kid, sweet little Ying, even heâs a little cute rascal, ainât like his older sister who has sharp tongue and is always cynical and harsh, because of that, YiFang just get drawn to him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
YiFang remembers that he once said he would take BaiYing to go around the city, but his father said that he couldnât give BaiYen or BaiYing to a young man who didnât have anything. YiFang worked hard until he came back one day to meet BaiYing, but he was too late, BaiYing was already taken to the palace became one of the Crown Princeâs concubines.
YiFang was furious, how could his own father feed his little son to the tigerâs den? He was such an innocent kid, how could that person sell his own son?
YiFang held BaiYingâs hand tightly and kissed it, he lifted his body stroking helpless BaiYingâs hair, until the young man opened his eyes wistfully, saw YiFang with a look of hatred and disappointment, he tried to turn his face as YiFang face so close to him and try to kiss his forehead.
âBrother, please let Yingâer goâ
YiFang stopped his hand movements, still holding onto BaiYingâs head.
âXiao Ying, brother just ..â
BaiYing turned his head and didnât want to see YiFangâs face, his heart was hurt, his feelings were crushed, a person who he thought he can rely on, but turned out to be a person who hurt him the most, a person who destroyed his life.
âWhy do you do it? Why?â BaiYing voice faintly.
He is so weak and canât even open his trembling mouth to talk, his chest hurts like itâs crushed, full of sorrow, his heart is broken in pieces and his voice is shaking.
YiFang tried to hold BaiYingâs hand but the young man brushed it off.
âBrother did it for you, all of this for you, Brother Fang just want to take you out from the palace so I do all of this, please Xiao Ying has to understandâ
BaiYing stared at YiFang sharply, a gaze that made YiFang speechless,
âThen why? Why should you kill two of my parents? The whole Hua residents? Why are you so heartless and killed all of them, they are innocent, ekh â
YiFang grabbed BaiYingâs hand even though the young man kept pushing him away.
âDonât touch me!â
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