64: Whomever I want to kiss

Whomever I want to kiss

Sheng Li and Ying Lili arrived in the Palace. The Fu Imperial Gates were opened and Kōngqì got in, carrying both the Crown Prince and Crown Princess on his back. Sheng Li got down from the horse, and this time he did not ask Ying Lili to hold his hand. Instead, he encircled one arm around Ying Lili's waist, thus put Ying Lili on the ground.  0

The stableman came there and bowed his head. He grabbed the reins on Kōngqì and walked inside the stable. "Sheng Li, here is the flute of your mother," Ying Lili spoke as she took out the flute from her waistband. She forwarded it to Sheng Li, waiting for him to take the flute. 

"Keep it. I do not know how to play the flute so, it is of no use to me. If mother would be here, then she would have given you this," Sheng Li remarked. Ying Lili smiled and thanked Sheng Li. The two started walking towards the Eastern Block when they were joined by their servants. 

Ying Lili was smiling while looking at the flute. Sheng Li found that cute and ended up giving a smile. "Your uncle has come as well. He lied to you that I killed your father," Ying Lili heard Sheng Li and she turned her head towards him. "I told you to let me kill him there, but you stopped me," Sheng Li pronounced. 

"Uncle will not betray us," Ying Lili affirmed.

"I hope so because you might get in danger. I will not be able to save you then from the Empress," Sheng Li stated with a frown. Ying Lili gulped and blinked her eyes. "You are getting judgemental. Uncle might fear you that time, as we had heard many strange rumors about you," Ying Lili opined. 

Sheng Li chuckled. "Now, your views have changed about me?" Sheng Li inquired from Ying Lili. 

"Hmm." 

"What kind of rumors have you heard about me?" Sheng Li was curious to know. He halted at his place and seeing him, Ying Lili too stopped walking. Sheng Li's both hands were behind his back. "Tell me. I am curious." He leaned closer to Ying Lili with a smirk on her face while Ying Lili bent on her waist, backward.

"Do you not know?" Ying Lili blinked her eyes. 

"If I had known about those 'strange rumors' then I would not have asked you, wild cat," Sheng Li asserted, keeping the grin on his lips.

Ying Lili twitched her lips. "You will not feel bad, right?" Ying Lili asked Sheng Li before answering him. Sheng Li refused and shook his head in refusal. 

"That you kill people mercilessly; You do not respect women, you have a harem of women; you are cruel and many other things," replied Ying Lili. 

"What are the 'Many other things'?" Sheng Li queried Ying Lili as he stepped closer to her. Ying Lili bent more when she felt Sheng Li's hand on her waist. "I do not want you to break your back," Sheng Li stated as he pulled Ying Lili up, making her stand straight. "Now, answer. I am listening," Sheng Li added. 

"I do not remember," Ying Lili replied right away. 

"It means you were never interested in knowing those rumors about me. The first rumor is true. It is just that you have not seen my mercilessness because I do not want you to see that side of mine and yes, I am cruel. The second rumor is not true. I do not disrespect women. I consider them equal to men. The third rumor is also not true. I am not interested in many women. I want only one woman in my life who will be like me in every aspect," Sheng Li pronounced. 

Xing-Fu and Court Lady Xu were suppressing their smiles, seeing the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess in such proximity. 

"Who can be that one woman in your life just like you in every aspect?" Ying Lili questioned, peering into the eyes of Sheng Li.

"I am still searching for her," Sheng Li replied as he moved his eyes over Ying Lili's face and then back to her eyes.

"So, Consort Xue was not that woman? That night you were shouting at me, saying that you love her," Ying Lili pronounced and waited for Sheng Li's response. 

"Wild cat, if she would be that woman then do you think I would have let her marry the first brother? I never loved her," Sheng Li affirmed. 

"Liar," Ying Lili snapped at Sheng Li. 

"You are giving me a very wrong idea, Ying Lili," Sheng Li stated. 

"What?" Ying Lili exclaimed. 

"You like me, right? You can tell me. That day when Xue kissed me, you were so mad out of jealousy," Sheng Li remarked. He was enjoying playing with Ying Lili who was blushing now. Sheng Li used the thumb of his free hand and placed it over Ying Lili's right cheek. "You are blushing again," the grin on Sheng Li's lips fidgeted Ying Lili. 

"I am feeling hot. We just came from outside so it is obvious that my cheeks will turn red," Ying Lili gave a reason. "A-and, how can you say that I like you? I was not jealous. You can kiss whomever you want to kiss," Ying Lili said loud enough and then realized what she had just said. She brought her tongue between her teeth and closed her eyes when she felt Sheng Li's lips on her cheek. 

She widened her eyes and pushed him off, but Sheng Li's hand was still on Ying Lili's waist. "What are you doing?" Ying Lili in bewilderment asked. 

"I did not do anything," Sheng Li cleared himself. "You are the one who challenged me I can kiss whomever I want to kiss. I can't kiss the other people here so, it is obvious that I have to kiss you," Sheng Li smirked and enjoyed Ying Lili's mystified expressions. 

Ying Lili could not believe the words of the man in front of him now. "Get away from me," Ying Lili struggled as she kept pushing Sheng Li using her hands. 

"The more you struggle, the more I want to hold you like this," Ying Lili heard Sheng Li. 

"How could you do that?" Ying Lili shot glares at Sheng Li. The servants were giggling, seeing the crown prince was getting romantic with the crown princess.

"Wild cat, what did I even do? You are grabbing unwanted attention," Sheng Li proclaimed as he tucked Ying Lili's hair strands behind her ear and then released his arm from Ying Lili's waist. "Court Lady Xu, please take your mistress to her inn," Sheng gave an order and walked away from there, smiling. Ying Lili was still baffled by Sheng Li's act as she placed her hand on her cheek where Sheng Li had kissed just a moment ago. 

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