Chapter 172 - Contradiction (1/2)
The Emperor sat down in his study waiting for Lei Yong to arrive.
He had arrived at his palace a while ago, feeling irritated and worn out. Then a servant from the royal study came to inform him that apparently Lei Yong was still waiting there and refused to leave despite the servants urging him to leave. He insisted until waiting there until the Emperor was able to see him. And so, the Emperor made a concession and asked for him to be brought to his palace.
The Emperor sighed, he was very tired. Lei Xing made him...tired, his heart was heavy and her pale face and red eyes were stuck in his mind, which only made him feel even worse.
{...Is she crying now?... If it hurt her, then why did she-...}
The Emperor sighed again and massaged his head.
{...She's the most confusing, most difficult person I've ever met...I don't understand her...}
Lei Yong finally walked through the doors and immediately launched into his questioning, ”What's going on with m- What happened to your face?” He exclaimed as his eyes settled on the Emperor's face.
The Emperor blankly stared at Lei Xing for a bit and frowned.
{...Why can't she be more like him?... Simple and easy to understand...}
The Emperor sighed and then said, ”It's nothing.”
”It doesn't look like nothing...” Lei Yong said but before he could continue, the Emperor asked, ”Why are you here?” He was not in the mood to discuss his brother with anyone right now.
”Oh, yes... My mother sent someone to inform me that a messenger from the palace came to inquire whether Xing er' was in our manor? Did something happen to her?” Lei Yong asked with a concerned frown, then he added, ”Also, is it because of your face you didn't attend court this morning? Why was the Empress dowager searching Prince Yi's manor?”
The Emperor sighed again, feeling annoyance toward his mother and all the people behind these troublesome events. Then he casually explained, ”Your sister and I stayed out all night and your cousin went to fill my mother's head with stupid conjectures. So my mother got angry and started an unnecessary fuss...” He frowned and then sarcastically added, ”I was not aware I had to report to anyone if I planned on staying out with my wife...That's the situation.”
”Chen You did?” Lei Yong asked blinking in surprise, ”Why would she start trouble? She seemed like a sweet girl.” Lei Yong said more to himself, and the Emperor gave a humorless snort, ”Well, the palace changes people...”
{...I wish it would change Xing er - What nonsense am I thinking? She's fine the way she is...But a bit more forthcoming will be nice...Will it be so bad if she liked me for my power? No, I would hate that...But like this it's...tiring...}
The Emperor frowned and let out a long weary sigh. Lei Yong looked at him and knit his brows, ”What's wrong with you?” The Emperor's usual relaxed, pleasant demeanor was gone, leaving a tired, possibly stressed-out man in its wake.
”Nothing.” The Emperor responded, averting his gaze.
Lei Yong narrowed his eyes at him, ”Was it Prince Yi who did this to you? I heard he was in the palace...” He saw the Emperor's frown deepen and then said, ”He's getting more and more brazen, you need to do something about him.”
The Emperor leaned back in his chair and lightly rest his head on a hand and closed his eyes, and then asked, ”Since we've returned has any attempt been made on my life?”
Lei Yong swiftly responded, ”That's because he hasn't found an opportunity yet”
The Emperor opened his eyes and looked at him for a bit, and then in a bid to divert the conversation, asked, ”Have you found Governor Tung's daughter?”
Lei Yong's knit his brows and then let out his own weary sigh, ”No...I believe she will turn up when she's ready but...It's worrying.” Lei Yong said folding his arms, worry etched into his face. He had not seen Tung Mei since that night she ran off after their dinner with the Emperor and the others. No one has.
She did not return to the Lei manor, she also did not go to her relatives. Considering this was not the first time, he was not sure what to do. He wanted to believe she was fine like the last time and just needed some space, but then what if she was not and needed help. So he had men searching around just in case, but still, they yielded no results.
He considered that she might have decided to return home and actually sent people to go through all the routes that would lead back to Xia Zhou province, but still, nothing. He was beginning to contemplate writing her father about this, this was unusual and dangerous behavior. But he was hesitating because he did not want to alarm her father and get Tung Mei in trouble, so he was feeling really conflicted on the issue. Lei Yong frowned.
{...When I find her this time, I am not going to give her a good scolding...The world is a dangerous place, she can't just keep disappearing like this...What if something happens? What would I tell her father?...}
”It seems you really care about her...” The Emperor said as he observed Lei Yong's brooding expression.
”I worry about her...” Lei Yong said with a sigh.
”So when are you going to marry her?” The Emperor asked. He was being nosy but he did not want to think about his own complicated life at the moment and so this was a welcome distraction.
”Marry? I'm not marrying her.” Lei Yong said looking at the Emperor with a completely taken aback expression as if what he just said was completely ridiculous.
”Why not?” The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes, suddenly feeling defensive for Tung Mei.
Lei Yong looked at the Emperor curiously but responded, ”I like her...but not like that.”