The Cruel Prince

FEI HUNG 2

Absolute silence and stillness.

She felt the tremor of his surprise slide thought his body and into her. Wang Jian stared at her in utter disbelief as if he couldn't believe it's her standing before him.

She tried to collect her face into caution regarding him carefully, respectfully.

Watching him.

Wang Jian looked different, he is without the constant worry weighing on his shoulders, the stress, the need to pretend has left him. He looked refreshed. The dark rim on his eyes are gone, his sunken cheeks are puff and his hair are even healthier and glowing.

He looked better and Ying Yue wanted to turn around knowing she'd been the caused of all his troubles back then.

You look good, that's what she wanted to say but she was afraid of his reaction. Afraid to open her mouth and mutter a single word to him.

She dropped her gaze and closed her open mouth. Let him break the silence.

Here stood the husband and prince who demonized and given up everything for her sake, to keep her safe, to keep her alive while here she is, leaving him for the one who put him in all those turmoils.

How can she? How utterly clueless she is to betray him like she did and have the audacity to walk back in his palace? To show herself after she'd became Banye's lover.

But Ying Yue didn't have a choice and she's willing to make herself look like a fool, and even make a bargain. She needed help so badly that only Wang Jian can provide her.

His gleaming brown eyes stared at her with disbelief, and then a reaction. "What are you doing here, Ying Yue? How did you get here?"

He rushed to pull her inside the door before she get spotted. "What're you doing here? This is the most dangerous place you can be. Don't you know you're being hunted?" He heaved a deep silent and frantic breath.

He paused, and simply looked at her again.

His arms wrapped around her in a longing embrace. "I've missed you."

She didn't know what to say, what to do, how to breath. Perhaps, he's known already she'd been his mortal enemy's lover.

But Wang Jian's face, that face she loved for a long time brought that kind of melancholic memory.

"I've missed you, too." Meaning her words, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't. Her chest ached.

She could end it now, she could stay with him without risking anything to rescue Banye and everything with be over with. But...she'd already been intimate with Banye and it's just isn't fair to Wang Jian any longer.

Banye is trapped and he won't be able to bother them any longer.

"I need your help." She said softly. "I need your help." She said again direly.

"What is it that I can do for you?" He pulled away from his hug, his eyes shifted and poured into her dark endless ones. "Tell me."

She's surprised at how willing he is to help, how eager. After everything that happened, he'd still be willing to risk so much for her. She sucked her breath, readying for his refusal.

"I need to know where Jungjae is, he trapped Banye. I need to find him and free Banye."

Wang Jian's face that was so eager, so excited to see her turned vacant. Swirl of unsaid words slammed on his throat suddenly, aching to get out.

He groaned, his face turned placid. "Why would I want to help you free Banye from Jungjae's capture? Isn't that what we wanted? To finally be free of him?"

She swallowed she has no response, and she didn't want to tell him the reason why.

It seemed like it was a waste of time, coming to see Wang Jian for help. She'd been so determined until face to face with him.

"I'm sorry, I was a fool to come here. I would not waste your time any longer. I was desperate, and I didn't know who else to come to. You are the only one I know who would help me."

"It is because you know I love you so much that I'd do anything even now? Even when you chose to love someone else?"

She didn't answer, she didn't want to delve into the drama between them, giving him only a promise.

"I can promise you that if you help me free him, he will not bother you, your land or any of your people."

"Have you come to know him so well that you can confidently speak on his behalf?" Asked Wang Jian.

Her eyes fell to the floor, then forced herself to bring it back up to meet his gaze. "Because, I know he wouldn't, he would owe you his life and he would be thankful for what you did."

Wang Jian closed his distance again, grasping a hold of her hand. "Just say it, Ying Yue...quit dodging around and tell me why you want me to help you get him back!"

His lips tightened Wang Jian tried to conceal his emotions but is failing miserably, his uneven breathing was evident enough and Ying Yue knew she shouldn't had come, she caused him pain, more pain than he needed to endure.

"Because, I love him, and I will go crazy knowing that he's trapped, and I did nothing about it."

Wang Jian smiled, his smile was masked with pain. "Would you have done the same thing for me?"

And without hesitation..."Yes, you did the same for me, and I would had given my life to protect yours."

"That's all I need to know, Ying Yue." He pulled her into a final hug and let go. Wang Jian sauntered over to the closet as he swung it wide open, fishing for better fitting robes for her to wear.

He also picked up her sword she left in the palace.

"You can't fight Jungjae and his emissaries with that oversized clothing you have. You're going to have to change your clothes."

He came back with a pair robes for her, they have been her old ones. Wang Jian kept them this entire time. He smiled and handed her the robe and her blade.

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Jian. Thank you for everything."