(a/n : last Friday I updated this story as usual.. those who didn't get the notification, Idk what went wrong. Anyways, if you haven't read last week's update .. visit ch 39 before reading this.
Usually I don't give small update of 1200 words without any trouble but today is the day ..
You and I, we all need to calm down before ... 😁😁)
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Yuzu leans his back on the headrest of Zixuan's bed. After pushing Zixuan to reveal the past, he just couldn't leave the room.
Yuzu's eyes fall on Zixaun's sleeping face. The dark circles under his eyes are giving him a hollow look. Zixuan looks different. Tired , confused and mature mostly.
This Zixuan is nowhere close to the past life Zixuan during this time. Because none of this happened in past life. In past life Jia-Li gave birth , Zhan came , empress dowager promoted Jia-li... Everything went smoothly.
But this life ? Yuzu frowns. How can everything be so different. Is it only because he didn't accept the false blame ?
Yuzu looks at Zixuan's face again. Twin brother ? So Zhan could be Ze-min's son. But he doesn't understand why and how Zhan came here ? What happened to Ze-min ?
Also He doesn't trust that Jia-li didn't have a backup plan ready ? How could she have sex with a man and not notice that he is a different race ? Jia-Li is lying.
Atleast some of her words are pure lie. He needs to talk with Xingchen.
***
"This way .." Xingchen shows the route to the garden with his raised hands.
Yang Xi nods and follows Xingchen. "I heard so many good things about Zi palace's garden. They call it heaven's garden in Yuri."
Xingchen nods "It indeed is."
Yang Xi looks around while walking towards the garden "the palace is awfully quite today."
"The rumours , the news.. everybody thinks his highness is in bad mood. So nobody is stepping out of the limits for caution." Xingchen replies casually.
"That caution doesn't go for consort Yuzu , right ? I saw him stomping in his highness's room yesterday night."
Xingchen coughes. "Well, he is the only noble consort of Zi."
"I heard some gossips. Did you really had an affair with him ?"
Xingchen caughes bad "n..no .. no way."
Yang Xi tilts his head. He stays silent for sometimes "You should move on. Consort Yuzu is not that kind of man who falls out of love. He is stubborn like the saying , either his way or no way."
Xingchen clears his throat firmly "I don't have that kind of feelings towards consort Yuzu. I looked after him on His highness's order. He feared that if he approached consort Yuzu directly, then empress dowager would create troubles for consort Yuzu."
"Then why did his highness ask you to stay away from consort Yuzu ?"
Xingchen shrugs "These days, his highness behaves a little reckless. Also, Minister Bai said his son has grown up enough to face empress dowager. Maybe, that's why .."
Yang xi looks ahead at the garden "I have a feeling consort Yuzu will look for you. Be careful. You may trigger another gossip.
***
Xingchen takes a sharp breath in as he remembers what Yang Xi's words. He didn't realise that Yang xi was actually telling the truth. But now looking at Consort Yuzu standing in the middle of his room.. a fears crawls under his skin.
Concubine Jia-li was just caught for infidelity now if his highness finds consort Yuzu in his room, his highness will skin him alive.
"Noble consort , I don't think it's right time to .."
Yuzu rolls his eyes. He was already out of patience as the court was taking too long and he had wait for Xingchen like forever. "Cut the formalities.. I need your help."
"I .. this servant is always there to serve but .."
"No buts. Listen to me carefully then I will leave."
Xingchen nods. There is no way out.
"I want you to search for prince Ze-min in silence and give me some information. You know Ze-min ?"
Xingchen nods again. It's surprising to him that consort Yuzu knows about Ze-min.. none of the consorts and concubines know.
"I want to know where he is married or not . If married then is he expecting a baby or have a baby ?
If not married then maybe a mistress or concubine .. I mean is there anyone who is pregnant by him ?
Also, is he in touch with Jia-li or Afreen or any other from this palace ?"
Xingchen tilts his head. "Noble consort thinks Jia-li had other plans with the baby ?"
Yuzu shakes his head "I don't think. I believe Jia-li had other plans."
Xingchen nods "I will look after it but I don't think that prince Ze-min has any heir or baby. .
Rumours say, he was deeply in love with someone few years ago. But that woman left him for some reasons and after that he never loved anyone."
Yuzu shakes his head. This can't be.Zhan must be Ze-min's son. "rumours are not always true. You need to look for it, please. "
Xingchen shocks a little seeing consort Yuzu's teary eyes "I will ,noble consort. You don't need to say please."
***
Yuzu walks out of Xingchen's room in a daze. What Xingchen said about Ze-min's love life, if that's true then he will lose his last hope to find Zhan.
He lets out a deep sigh.
"If you like minister Xingchen that much then let it out. His hisness will let you go."
Yuzu looks in front of him with a frown "Yaad ! You never learn. Do you ?"
Yaad snaps. "What do you mean ?"
"You came here as a guest then you ended up in prison. In history of Zi no guest were treated like that. Yet you were. Still you not only have the face to stay here but also poking your nose here and there."
"Who are you, asking me to leave ? This is also my sister's residence."
Yuzu nods "It is. But your sister is under my regulations. I run this harem, Yaad. And if I ever see you again passing comments here and there, you will be out of this harem along with your sister."
Yaad raises his hands "How Dare You ?"
Yuzu stands still with a tilted face. He just waits for the slap. But Yaad seems to calculate his moves this time. He lowers his hand and stomps out of the view.
Afreen looks at the whole scene from the corner. Her premonition was right. Yuzu is showing his hidden fangs which she hasn't seen before.
At first , she was against Yuzu because Zixuan had his eyes on him. Yuzu never mattered to her but now Yuzu has raised his head. She needs to do something.
But now, Jia-Li is out, Yaad is useless , Xingchen is trusted. She needs to think. She needs to think.
Afreen turns around to leave but her eyes falls on Zixuan. She frowns. What is his highness ... Her eyes follows Zixuan's gaze.
And there she sees Xingchen holding the piece of cloth in his hand. It looks like a man's veil or handkerchief. And then she sees the eyes of Xingchen.
Afreen's lips curves upwards. As the saying goes there is no smoke without a fire.. eh ?
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