Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

130 A promise is necessary

Li Hua nodded at him but she put forward a condition. “If His Highness shares with me how he lived in the cold palace, I will definitely get into the lake water with His Highness,” she stated.

Lóng Wei squinted his eyes. “Why are you suddenly interested in that?” He waited for her answer.

“Because you are my husband and I must know everything related to you,” Li Hua affirmed. Lóng Wei was amused to hear her answer. Her tone was informal with him and he liked it. This is the second surprise he got from her. Last night, the sudden kiss on his cheek and presently, acknowledging him as her husband.

“Sure,” Lóng Wei said when Li Hua showed him her pinky finger. He cocked his eyebrow, expecting an explanation on that.

“I don’t trust His Highness,” Li Hua said. “A promise is necessary between us. If he lies to me, then he will fall sick,” she stated.

Lóng Wei immediately locked his pinky finger with his. “Great. This promise has bound me to tell you the truth,” he said and again drew her close, gripping her hand this time.

Li Hua, unlike the other times, didn’t avert her gaze. Instead, she kept them fixed on him. He dipped his head and kissed her lips. Looking straight into her eyes, “the promise has been completed now.” He smirked and put their hands down.

“Xu Zifan is waiting for us. Come,” Lóng Wei said and they both left the chamber.

Xu Zifan welcomed them. Li Hua already had pulled her hand away from Lóng Wei’s grasp and bowed before her brother to show the curtsy.

.....

“Don’t do it anymore, Li Hua. You are the Princess Consort who possesses a higher rank than me,” Xu Zifan told her.

“I must show respect to my elders no matter what,” Li Hua said and tilted her head to look at Lóng Wei, “did His Highness greet my elder brother?”

Lóng Wei let out a laugh. “Why would I do that?” He questioned her.

“His Highness is younger than my elder brother. He must respect him,” Li Hua said.

“Li Hua, don’t say such a thing to the prince. Please forgive Li Hua for her clumsiness,” Xu Zifan said as he looked at Lóng Wei.

“Friends do not greet each other,” Lóng Wei cleared Li Hua’s confusion, who had pulled up her face. She walked ahead and sat around the floor table. Xu Zifan and Lóng Wei took seats after her.

As the breakfast was served to them, Li Hua found Xu Zifan using the chopstick with difficulty with his left hand. She found it was trembling. She held the hand of her brother and looked into his eyes. “Shall I help my Elder Brother?” Li Hua asked him as she took the chopsticks from him.

“I can eat, Li Hua. It happens sometimes,” Xu Zifan said when Li Hua brought a piece of cooked tofu near his mouth. Xu Zifan opened his mouth and ate the tofu. He smiled and chewed it.

For five minutes, she helped him eat the meals when Lóng Wei suddenly stopped her. “Let your brother eat by himself. He needs to become efficient with his left hand,” he advised her and asked her to return the chopsticks to Xu Zifan.

“But my elder brother’s hand is trembling,” Li Hua said when Xu Zifan said.

“His Highness is right. I need to become proficient in using my left hand. Don’t worry about me. Eat your food before it gets cold,” Xu Zifan stated. Li Hua didn’t like that Lóng Wei interrupted her. She could see the uneasiness her elder brother faced, while using his left hand.

“Xu Zifan, does your sister pull up her face whenever she gets scolded?” The sudden question of Lóng Wei confused Xu Zifan, and he looked at Li Hua.

“She has always got pampered being the youngest child of the Xu Family, so sometimes she does pull up her face,” Xu Zifan said truthfully.

“Elder First Brother, I never did it,” she affirmed.

“You did,” Lóng Wei said and took the morsel of tofu into his mouth. He chewed it and glanced at Li Hua, who beamed at him for a few seconds.

“Will His Highness leave us, brother and sister, alone after finishing his breakfast meal?” Li Hua requested him.

“Of course,” Lóng Wei said, “if only you start addressing me as ‘Dear Husband’,” he smirked.

Xu Zifan smiled, seeing how flirtatious Lóng Wei was with Li Hua, whereas she gaped at him. She again felt embarrassed and bit her lower lip.

“Xu Zifan, if you marry someday, then will you like your wife to address you as dear husband or the common title the other people use for you?” Lóng Wei asked him.

“It will be good if she calls me dear husband,” Xu Zifan answered and smiled.

“Then, why does your sister always address me as ‘your highness’, ‘his highness’? I have asked her numerous times to call me-” Li Hua pushed a big tofu piece into his mouth, which made him stop.

“One shall not talk while eating,” Li Hua told him, keeping a broad, fake smile on her lips. She turned to look at her brother and said, “Please ignore His Highness’ words.” She stressed the word ‘His Highness’.

Xu Zifan was surprised to find that Li Hua was much more open and comfortable around Lóng Wei. Around Feng Lao, she was shy, nervous, and unable to express her thoughts. He was happy that Lóng Wei held his sister’s hand in the toughest time. However, he was scared of how Li Hua would react once she found out about Feng Lao. He gazed in Lóng Wei’s direction, who was teasing Li Hua.

They finished their breakfasts, and the maidservants came to take away the dishes. Li Hua gestured to Lóng Wei to leave, who shook his head. She had no way to send him away, so finally, she said, “My Dear Husband must go out. Li Hua wants to converse privately with her elder brother.”

Xu Zifan looked at Lóng Wei, thinking about what would be his answer.

“Xu Zifan, will you close your eyes?” Lóng Wei requested.

“Why?” Li Hua was startled to hear his request and, in that second, strange thoughts appeared in her mind. Lóng Wei’s eyes were glued to her, not blinking at all.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Xu Zifan said.

Lóng Wei leaned toward Li Hua, who pursed her lips together. To her surprise, Lóng Wei dipped his head to her ear. “Don’t cry too much. It will hurt me,” he whispered.

Li Hua’s heart fluttered at that moment and her eyes met his. He passed a smile to her and left the chamber, leaving Li Hua dumbstruck.