Wang Li Xun, the Crown Prince, goes out hunting for the Celestial Flower to save his mother from a terminal illness. When he nearly dies from the attack of a mythical beast, he is saved by a mysterious boy who lives in the mountains.
To repay his ki...
Having completed the two weeks of intensive training, the guards wanted to head out of the palace that night for a celebration. They were given a day of rest, before they would officially join the rest of the team and begin their duty of safeguarding the Crown Prince.
Hence, it was decided that they would go to the most popular courtesan house in town that night and drink till their hearts' content.
After countless attempts of insisting to Long'Er that she should join them in the fun, she couldn't find any more excuses.
Left without a choice, she dressed herself in casual robes and stepped out of her room, bitterly. She strode off to the agreed meeting point, which was none other than the entrance of the palace.
Throughout the entire time, her mind was trying to concoct a plan of slipping out of the courtesan house once the guys were drunk. She couldn't possibly be flirting and drinking wine with women, when she was one herself.
Deep in her thoughts, she almost missed the movement from the corner of her eyes — a fleeting moment of a shadow disappearing behind a wall on her right.
It may have been her eyes playing tricks on her or simply a cat, but she decided to investigate anyway, out of curiosity. Following the path that the shadow took, she realised that she was going through a small, dark trail that would eventually lead her to the back of the horse stables. There were no servants or guards in sight, which made it a perfect place for a misdeed to happen.
Long'Er treaded lightly through the area, pausing at a corner before stooping low. Taking a quick peek, she spotted her target – a petite figure cladded in a dark blue floral dress. When the person turned around, Long'Er immediately ducked behind the wall to avoid being seen.
What was going on?
Why did everything about this situation...felt familiar?
Long'Er kept observing the mysterious girl. After tossing quick glances around to ensure that nobody was looking, she continued stacking wooden crates against the high, stoned walls. With bated breath, she placed a foot on the box and proceeded to climb.
From her bizarre actions, it seemed like she was attempting to cross over the wall and sneak out of the palace.
Her plan had almost worked, except for a flaw. Her hands could reach the top but she didn't have the strength to pull herself up. In the midst of jumping, she accidentally slipped off the crates. A sudden thwack to the ground was heard, followed by a loud yelp.
"Ow! It hurts!"
Worried, Long'Er emerged from her hiding spot. But when it seemed like the girl wasn't injured, she lingered in the shadows, watching on in amusement.
Muttering a string of unintelligible curses under her breath, the clumsy girl brushed the dirt off her knees and arms with a scowl on her face. She glared at the wall, seemingly determined to go for a second attempt.
"Need a lift?"
Long'Er's voice startled her, and the girl immediately struggled to her feet. "Who's there?!" she demanded, her voice stricken with fear knowing that she was caught red-handed.
When her eyes met Long'Er under the dim moonlight, recognition lit up in them.
"I-It's you again," she gasped. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to kidnap me?"
Long'Er blinked in confusion. "Of course not, why would I do that?"
She crossed her arms, clearly thinking that she was lying. "I don't know. Perhaps you wanted a ransom for kidnapping me, or you are so bewitched by my beauty that you want to make me your bride?!"
At these outrageous accusations, Long'Er was in disbelief.
"My lady, you may rest your fears. For the record, I'm one of the Prince's bodyguards. And in case you didn't notice, you were doing a terrible job of sneaking about in this palace," she pointed out. "So, do you need a lift or not?"
"The crates are slippery!" the girl snapped, knowing that Long'Er had witnessed her fall. It was obvious that her angry facade was a way of trying to hide her embarrassment. "But if you insist, I'll take up your offer."
"Besides," she continued, "are you always this rude? I should order my guards to punish you with twenty strokes for your impoliteness to a royal princess."
"Princess?" Long'Er repeated in surprise. Her eyes flickered up and down, arching her brows in pure scepticism. "You are the Crown Prince's little sister?"
"You–" The princess spluttered in annoyance, clearly offended that she wasn't recognised by a guard. "Come here, you obnoxious brat! I'll tell my brother how disrespectful you have been to me."
Lifting a brow, Long'Er brushed aside her threats easily. "You know, if you really do that, others might find out about your attempt to sneak out from this palace. Do you honestly want that to happen?"
The princess gaped at her in horror, unable to find any words to retaliate. From the looks of it, she most definitely didn't want anyone to find out about this, much less the Emperor and Empress.
Growing beet red in the face, she clamped her mouth shut in defeat and stomped her feet like a child.
"Fine, have it your way. But I'm still leaving the palace and you're coming with me as my bodyguard, understand?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No." She turned back to the crates with a resolute look. "Come here, bumpkin. Lift me up and catch me over the other side," she ordered. "Quick, we don't have much time before someone catches us."
Shaking her head, Long'Er did as she was told. As much as she wanted to ignore the princess and her tantrums, she couldn't leave Li Xun's sister vulnerable and alone in the dark.
Who knew what kind of trouble she would get herself into?
Long'Er climbed up the crates, pulling the princess along with her. Given the fact that she was taller and stronger, she heaved herself up to the top easily. Holding out a hand to the princess, she lifted her so that she was securely seated at the top of the wall. From there, Long'Er leaped off and landed on the other side. She turned and spread out her arms wide, nodding at her assuringly that she would catch her.
When the delicate girl jumped and landed in her arms, the princess's cheeks flushed instantly, embarrassed that she was carried by her brother's bodyguard. She scrambled out of Long'Er's arms and busied herself with brushing the creases of her dress, avoiding any form of eye contact.
"Come on, bumpkin," she muttered. "It's this way."
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