chapter 11*

"Where did you go with Yaad ?"

Zemin who was lazing around peacefully looked up. He didn't expect Xingchen anywhere in his new palace. "Lunch outside."

"Where ?" Xingchen walks in with big steps. "What did you two talk about ?"

"Can I ask the reason for these questions? Didn't you say that you have no connection with me ? What I do with my consort is none of your business?" Zemin stands in front of Xingchen with a serious face.

"I don't care about you or your consort unless it's about Zi kingdom and his highness Zixuan. But if you two plan .."

"What will you do ?" Zemin cuts Xingchen's words "let's say , we were planning against my brother. What will you do ? Kill me ?"

Xingchen frowns a little. He doesn't like the tone Zemin used "I would. Don't have any doubts about that."

"Well, now I don't. After all , I can see your intentions pretty clearly." Zemin retorts before turning around.

"What do you mean by that ?" Xingchen asks seriously this time. There is something in Zemin's tone...

"Can you please leave ? I am tired. I want to sleep." Zemin plops on his bed again.

"W...what ..." Xingchen hesitates. But before he could find his words back Yaad enters the room in happy steps.

"I cooked the fish !" Yaad shouts happily.

Xingchen blinks. "what are you doing here ?"

Yaad holds the plate of fried fish in front of Xingchen "his highness caught this today. You want some ? I cooked them myself."

"W.. what ? You can cook ?"

"Of course I can." Yaad beams in happiness "you know, he is an expert in fishing."

Xingchen looks at Zemin who is back to lazing around with a fried fish in his hand. He noticed how Yaad passed a big fish to Zemin while talking. He frowns harder.

Something is wrong. He turns to leave.

"Are you leaving already ? At least try one fish ?" Yaad calls from behind.

Xingchen looks back with a complex expression in his face "I don't eat fish." The words came out automatically from his mouth.

***

"So, Zemin went out on a lunch date with Yaad and when he came back he asked you to leave because he was tired ?" Yuzu asks to confirm what he has listened.

Xingchen nods.

"I don't see anything wrong in it , Xingchen."

They have planned something. They seemed.... intimate." Xingchen insists.

"Because they are intimate. Yaad is Zemin's consort !"

Xingchen shakes his head "you are not understanding the situation. They really have planned something."

"Xingchen, you are overthinking. You can't just blame him like that."

"But ..." Xingchen takes in a deep breath "what if he catch them late ?"

"Catch for what ?"

Yuzu looks up hearing a sharp voice from the entrance. "Yaad ? What are you doing here ?"

Yaad walks in the room with a side glance at Xingchen "I was coming to meet you, empress Yuzu. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but you were talking about me so...."

Yuzu tilts his head "why do you want to meet me ?"

"We bought some clothes and toys for Zhan today. I thought I would give it to Zhan personally."

Yuzu looks at Yaad with raised eyebrows "We ?"

"Me and my husband." Yaad replies looking at Xingchen "whom minister Xingchen was describing as criminal just now."

"I didn't describe him as a criminal, prince Yaad. Mind your words." Xingchen stands up from his seat.

"It's consort Yaad now and it's not me who should mind the words."

"Enough ! Zhan is sleeping. You can leave your presents here." Yuzu cuts the argument.

Yaad smiles immediately and passes the presents to Yuzu. "Then I shall take my leave."

Yuzu nods with a frown. There is something different in Yaad's appearance today. He can't place exactly what?

***

Yaad stops Xingchen as soon as he comes out of Zixuan's main palace. "Why do you hate me so much ? It's not my fault that his highness didn't repeat the vows to you."

Xingchen looks at Yaad coldly "I don't care about his stupid vows. You can have him for all that I care."

"Then what's the problem with our lunch date ? First you went to shout at his highness himself, then when you weren't satisfied with the result .. you came to Yuzu ? For what ?"

"Don't act like it was a simple lunch date. Don't act like he is your lovely husband whom you love from the core of your heart. Because he is not."

Yaad scoffs "How do you know that ? We had a good time together. We had lunch then we went fishing  and shopping. Just what you used to do when you pretended to love him."

"And you are pretending too." Xingchen almost shouts.

"So what ? What makes your pretence good and mine bad ?"

"My pretence never harmed anyone."

"It harmed Zemin, his emotions." Yaad looks straight into Xingchen's eyes "he was hurt. So, don't come here shouting I am bad because you are not different than me."

Yaad turns to leave but Xingchen holds Yaad's arm to pull him back "Why.... Why are you pretending to love him ?"

Yaad rolls his eyes "leave me. I am not obligated to answer you."

Xingchen's grip becomes stronger "I wouldn't let you use Zemin for ....."

Yaad laughs without letting Xingchen finish. "What will you do ? Did you forget your position ? I am the consort of Zemin and you ... you are just a concubine. you think you can stop me ?"

"You think I can't ?"

Yaad chuckles "Fine then, let's play a game. Let's see who wins."

Xingchen frowns "I am not into any games."

"Too late now." Yaad pushes Xingchen back by the chest before dropping on the ground with a loud scream. "Agrh!!!"

"What are you ..." Xingchen was about to pick Yaad up when ZeMin runs in the scene.

"What happened ?" Zemin looks at Yaad confused.

Xingchen widens his eyes. No way.. did Yaad deliberately frame him just now ?

"We were talking and I fell."

Xingchen comes out of his thoughts hearing Yaad's reply. He fell ? He dropped himself.

"How could you ? Just like that ?" Zemin picks Yaad up by his wrist.

Yaad subtly looks at Xingchen like he is scared of him.

Zemin's gaze moves towards Xingchen "Did you.... push him ?"

Xingchen scoffs internally "what do you think ?"

Zemin frowns "I am not thinking or doubting you Xingchen. I am just asking you .."

"He didn't. We were talking about our lunch out. The talk just got heated but he really didn't push me. It's just he suddenly loosened his grip on my arm and I lost my balance."

Zemin looks at Yaad "talking about lunch out ? What talks ?"

Yaad smirks subtly"he thinks that we are planning .."

"Not again." Zemin closes his eyes before he looks at Xingchen "What exactly do you want Xingchen?"

Xingchen tilts his head.

"Tell me. You say that you hate me, you don't want to do anything with me, then you suddenly decided to marry me , and now you even want to monitor my every moves. What exactly do you want ?

To stop me from scheming? How many times I have to explain to you that there is nothing to scheme ? Why are you still insisting ? Isn't your concern for my brother crossing the limits ?"

Xingchen clenches his fists in disbelief "What. Do. You. Mean. By. That ?"

"I don't know. I am just saying the meaning of your actions."

"WHAT ACTIONS ?" Xingchen shouts suddenly.

Zemin shruggs his shoulders "That you know better than me. By the way, my brother seemed pretty upset because I insulted you by not repeating the vow."

A vein pops in Xingchen's head "mind your words, Zemin."

"Also he was pretty confident that you would never love me after what I did to you."

"Zemin .." Yuzu walks in with disbelief in his eyes "do you have any idea what you are saying ? I am surprised how ..."

"Why are you so surprised, empress Yuzu ? You out of all people shouldn't be surprised. My brother has a good knack of having the things I want. You  already know that."

****

Side story 3

"So, what did you want to know ?" Yaad asks as he sits in front of Zemin for lunch.

"I wanted to know something about Afreen. You visit her everyday."

"Yes, I do."

Zemin nods "you used to visit her two times before. Then you started to visit her only once in a day. And today you said you wouldn't visit her from tomorrow.. why ?"

"I used to visit her two times until Yang Xi's escape. When he escaped, everyone's doubt came at me. Like I was the only one who visited prison from palace. There was a long investigation against me.

So when it was proved that I didn't release Yang xi, Afreen asked me to visit her only in day time."

Zemin raises his one eyebrow "So, there was an investigation."

"Yes ! Even though, it was biased, there was an investigation."

"Why do you call it biased ?"

Yaad scoffs "like you don't know."

"Umm.. I actually don't know."

"It was biased because I was the only one who got investigated. There were others from the palace who also visited the prison that night. But since he was your favourite and emperor Zixuan's favourite, nobody asked him to present an alibi or give details of his visit."

Zemin's face becomes serious this time "who are you talking about ?"

"Minister Xingchen. He visited prison that night too."

Zemin frowns.

Yaad laughs "look, you don't trust me either. Why don't you visit prison yourself and ask the prisoners there."

"Xingchen was with Zixuan that night. They were discussing about a meeting."

"In the middle of the night ? What kind of discussion happens in the middle of the night ? Either you think I am a fool or you, yourself is a fool to trust this nonsense."

Zemin frowns harder. "I heard it from Zixuan himself. Why would he lie to me ?"

"To protect Xingchen. Emperor Zixuan doesn't treat minister Xingchen as only his court official, neither Xingchen treats Emperor Zixuan as only his emperor." Yaad stays silent to let the words sink in.

Zemin clears his throat after long time. "I think, we should leave now."

Yaad nods but before they leave he throws one more question towards Zemin.

"Have you never questioned their loyalty towards each other ?"

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