chapter 19*

"What the hell are you doing ?" Yang Xi shouts at Meimei in frustration.

"I am stuck ! I can't move." Meimei tries to wiggle out of the secret passage underground.

"Eat more ! You will be stuck forever ! Come out."

"If I could, I would. I am stuck ! Why isn't the passage big enough?"

Yang Xi was about to retort when Meimei Wiggles out of the passage. "You go ! I will stay here."

"Do we have any other options ?" Yang xi rolls his eyes before entering the secret passage.

He walks through the passage for half an intense without knowing where to go, what to do. But with Xingchen in his new cell, there is no way he can visit this passage.

"What are you doing here ?"

Yang Xi stops as a long sword hits his neck. He looks at his side. A room ? Here ?

"Speak up !"

Yang Xi looks at the masked man "Afreen has transferred Xingchen in a new cell. He can't come here." Yang Xi stops for a moment "Zemin !"

Zemin pulls down his sword.

"Xingchen told me that you died."

Zemin enters the room casually "I asked him to do that. How did you recognise me ?"

Yang Xi rolls his eyes again "You faked to love me, Zemin. I never faked."

"Then you proceed to stab me ? Wow !"

"Well, I am not an emotional fool. You play stupid games with me, you face stupid consequences. Anyways, what's the plan ?"

"Expose Afreen and Le gui !"

"Then what are you waiting for ? If you are alive, go present yourself in the court, release Xingchen from prison then Xingchen can expose them. Easy !"

"No , le gui has someone tailing Zixuan and Yuzu. The moment I come out, they will assassinate them and me. It's not that easy."

"Then kill the tails first."

"We don't know who is/are imposters. It can be more than one. Also there is a involvement of Xi lan."

"No way !" Yang Xi frowns.

"Yes ; he told me."

Yang xi didn't notice there was another person in the room. He gasps "who is he ?"

"Yaad !"

"What happened to he cheeks ?"

Zemin sighs "Xingchen!"

Yang Xi grins "jealousy is a bitch , huh ?"

"Nothing like jealousy. He was just angry because he framed him."

Yang xi scoffs "You are still a characterless bastard. Huh ? Want two fishes at once ?"

"I want nothing!" Zemin shakes his head.

"Yet, you applied medicine to his cheeks. You covered him in warm quilt and even cooked food for him ?"

"I am not cruel like you , Yang Xi. I can't let him die."

"But you have to let Afreen and Le gui die, if you want to live, Zemin. You can't wait for them to make mistakes forever. This way you are risking Xingchen's life."

"We need to calculate our steps. One mistake can be deadly."

"You are just giving excuses !" Yang Xi shakes his head before walking out of the underground room.

Zemin takes in deep breath "Yang Xi, I am sorry. I pretended to love you and put you in all these mess. But I promise, I will take you out of here. Do you trust me ?"

***

Le gui grins at Xingchen "How is your new home ? Comfortable enough?"

"Good ! I feel so delighted that your beloved Afreen is so scared of me that she had to change my cell."

Le gui punches Xingchen's face "Say that again .."

"Afreen is scared of me !"

Le gui punches again "your ego hasn't gone yet. Huh !"

"It wouldn't. Because I am not miserable like you. I am not a pawn in anybody's game."

"Who are you calling a pawn ?"

"You know it better , don't you ? Tell me .. Le gui .. you say Afreen loves you. But don't you think Afreen is using you to do her dirty work ?"

"YOU .."

"Also I don't think you really love her. Nah .."

"I LOVE HER !" Le gui shouts.

"Why ? I am really curious.. have you kissed her ? Have you slept with her ? I don't think so." Xingchen frowns playfully. "She wouldn't do such things. Because she doesn't love you."

"SHE LOVES ME !"

"Oh then, she really slept with you ?".

"She is saving that for our marriage!" Le gui hesitates a little.

Xingchn laughs "Yet , you are sure that she loves you ? Don't tell me , you don't know the rumours."

"What rumours?"

"Rumours about her connection with king of a foreign kingdom ?"

"WHO ?" Le gui grabs Xingchen's collar.

"I don't know .. who .. I was never concerned about her matters before. But I heard the rumours !"

"YOU ARE LYING !"

Xingchen shrugs "As you please."

Le gui glares at Xingchen before walking out of the cell in hurried steps.

Xingchen looks at Le gui's disappearing back. A smile forms at the corner of his lips. If Afreen can plan to feed his insecurities, then he can feed Le gui's insecurities too.

***

Yang Xi puts two piece of gold down.

The prison guard bites it gold with his teeth "How long ?"

"You inform me when Le gui returns."

The guard opens the cell "fourth from the left. There is another two guards , guarding Minister Xingchen's cell."

"Loyal to le gui ?"

The guard scoffs "loyal to money !"

Yang xi grins "I like this kind of people."

***

"I don't care. If you love me, then let me love you tonight !" Le gui stands in front of Afreen.

"What's wrong with you ? Did something happen ?"

"Nothing. Don't you love me ?"

"I do."

"Then let's be together tonight." Le gui smiles.

Afreen smiles too with tight lips "someone said something to you. Right ? Someon has provoked you against me , right ? Who is it ?"

"No one. I just heard some rumours."

Afreen smiles "okk .. ok .. let's spend tonight together. Then we will talk about the rumours "

***

Xingchen looks at Yang Xi. His eyes reflect unreadable expression.

Yang Xi smiles "Your husband is living comfortably and taking good care of his consort."

Xingchen breaks the eye contact",You love him. You want to provoke me against him. And now that you have seen the secret passage...."

"Yang Xi laughs "As you please, Xingchen but let me tell you one thing .. you don't have much time."

"Either you strick now or stay here forever !"

Xingchen looks at the things Yang Xi placed in front of him "You and Meimei double crossed me ?"

"We didn't harm you."

"But .."

"Zemin can only scheme. He can't take actions. The sooner you understand it, the better it will be for you." Yang Xi retorts.

"But Zemin ..

Yang Xi chuckles "He is seeking comfort within Yaad, Xingchen. Now you only have two ways. Either, you strick , get out of here and snatch Zemin back or stay here, watch Zemin falling in love with Yaad."

"Zemin wouldn't love him. He just sympathies with him. Don't provoke me Yang Xi. I am not you."

Yang Xi stands up from his place "It's your call. Zemin used to sympathize with me , as I was a spare prince of my kingdom, just like him. Then we slowly fell in love.

Then I did extreme things in love and got myself a prison sentence and within two months , he fell in love with you while I was suffering in prison."

"I have seen enough in this life, Xingchen." Yang xi sighs "I have a better understanding now. That understanding is that you have to fight your battle on your own. Nobody is going to stand by your side in the end. Your presence, your absence is always fading with time."

Xingchen frowns.

Yang Xi places the glass and blades at one corner of the room. "This poison is enough to kill one person. I stole this glass and some gold from Ze-min's room.

If le gui or Afreen struggles then give some gold to one of guards they will help."

Xingchen shakes his head "I still think we can break them and fight them. Attacking a defenceless is not ...."

"Murdering a murderer isn't a crime." Yang Xi states firmly "anyways, I am not forcing you. I am just keeping these things here. Whether to use it or not .. is your call."

Xingchen stays silent. "If you two haven't used the worms on the snakes, then how did the snake not bite you ?"

"We did as you said. We didn't double cross you. We just extracted the poison before feeding them." Yang xi grins.

Xingchen sighs.

Yang Xi walks out of the cell "You believe you can break Le gui and Afreen. You think Afreen wouldn't sleep with Le gui ? I believe.. tomorrow... Afreen will be here to meet you with le gui.

If it happens, send him to me." Yang Xi points at one of the guards. "We will be here to help you."

Xingchen frowns at Yang Xi in disbelief "Help in what ? Murder ?"

Yang Xi face doesn't express any shock. He just smiles before walking away.

***

Side story 6

"Wake ...up please ... I will kiss you properly... Please.. don't you want a kiss ... ?" Xingchen slowly caresses Ze-min's face. "This is so wrong. I can't lose you.... in my both life. How can my fate be ..so cruel ?

Even his highness and empress Yuzu have a better fate this time ... Why is it only me ? Wake up ! You can't die again ... If you die ... They will kill me again .. they will kill everyone.." Xingchen cries his heart out , cupping ZeMin's motionless face.

"Who is talking inside ?"

Xingchen turns around in fear. Did he just talk loudly ? No no no ! He needs to hide.

Xingchen looks around as he hears the footsteps. Where to hide ? This room doesn't even have a place under the bed. He panics. No ! He closes his eyes as someone walks in.

"No one is here. Your ears are ringing." Xingchen hears another guard's voice from outside. "Let's go. It's lunch time."

Xingchen opens his eyes in shock asthe guards leave the room. "Y.. you awake ?"

"Huss !"Zemin puts his

Index finger on Xingchen's lips.

Xingchen comes out of Zemin's embrace under quilt."Zemin ..."

Zemin pulls down Xingchen "kiss me properly. You said you would."

Xingchen glares at Zemin "You .. bastard... You pretended to be sick."

"I am sick. I gained my senses back last night. And I heard something. Le gui came to see if I was dead or not."

Xingchen blinks "You know ?"

Zemin nods. "I know so many things now. And I can't explain everything to you now."

Xingchen nods "I know. It's risky."

Zemin smiles while caressing Xingchen's cheeks "you said both lives ? So You remember ?"

"Y.. you too ?"

Zemin nods "I have a plan to change our fate. Do you trust me ?"

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