Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

"Are you happy that he compared your gaze with a flower petal?" He asked her with annoyance.

Yin Na was perplexed to see Huo Jin's behavior. Earlier, he was behaving so gently with her.

"Yes, I am happy. No one ever said that to me. He even apologized with such a beautiful message," Yin Na answered and thanked him for reading the message for her. Huo Jin kept quiet while Yin Na left his room.

He went to the door to close it when Yin Na pushed it and their eyes met. "What happened?" He queried her. Yin Na pushed the door in and walked inside again.

He turned to her in confusion.

"Were you hurt badly once?" She questioned him.

"Huh?" He arched his brow up.

"Did you ever get punished brutally?" She cleared her question. When she took a peek at him, she ended up seeing his back which seemed full of scars.

"Why do you ask?" Huo Jin put his hands on his waist.

"Nothing," Yin Na said and immediately walked out of his room, bewildering him. She stopped at the other end of the walkway and took a deep sigh. "Did his master even beat him up? Why did he never tell me? Am I not close enough to him?" She murmured and pouted her lips.

It saddened her heart seeing those brownish scars. He recalled how Huo Jin once told her that only Xinyue cared for him. When he used to get sick, she brought medicine for him; when he got injured, she applied the ointment on his wounds.

"That's why he cannot take her off his mind. I want to take care of him, but it seems Huo Jin does not want it. He even said that he's not perfect for me. I wonder, why?" She murmured and moved her foot back and forth on the wooden floor.

But at the present state, she could not either make efforts to go close to him. Her father, Wang Fuxing, would get upset if she tried to run away from the Xu Family's son. And now, she got his apology, so it surely assured her that Xu Wenhai was not bad. He thought of her only. But his trust in him had still time to build.

She stepped forward and left to her room.

Huo Jin, oppositely in his room, sat down on the bed while his fists rested on his knees. He was unable to understand why he hated it when Xu Wenhai sent that apology letter to Yin Na. On one hand, he did not want to become Yin Na's choice; and on the other hand, he did not want her to be with Xu Wenhai.

The reason was obvious but he did not either want to accept it. He relaxed his hands and then laid down on the bed. He pulled the quilt up and covered himself from it. But he was unable to sleep peacefully.

Xu Wenhai's words were still banging his head. He was not worthy to live and got this life in alms! The remark bothered him to the extent that he thought to leave Wang Residence… no but Luoyang. But then running away would never solve his problem.

He tossed and turned the entire night on the bed because of the strange thoughts that had occupied his mind.

~~~~~~

"Master! Master!" Wang Hao's sleep broke upon hearing this familiar voice in the morning, followed by a knock. He tilted his head and found Bai Yaling was still asleep with a serene expression on her face.

He brushed his thumb over her cheek and gently placed Bai Yaling's head on the pillow. He pulled back his arm from under her head and covered her from the blanket.

He stroked her head and then kissed the top of her head before landing his feet on the bed. Covering his upper body with the robe and tied the knot on it. He walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out.

The servants bowed before him when he looked at Yang Ju. "What happened?" He questioned him. Yang Ju came to him and handed him the scroll.

"The spy from Changying sent this for General Wang," Yang Ju whispered in Wang Hao's ear before stepping back. "Forgive me, General Wang, for disturbing you," he then apologized humbly.

Wang Hao took it and opened the scroll. He read the message and a troubled expression formed on his face. "Lady Bai is still sleeping, so let her sleep," Wang Hao commanded Court Lady Dai, who bowed to acknowledge the command.

"Follow me," Wang Hao told Yang Ju and the two walked away. However, before leaving, he instructed the servant to prepare the bathhouse for him.

"Did the spy return?" Wang Hao asked Yang Ju as they reached a private room where Wang Hao stood around the table head. His fingers were rested on it as he had bent a little forward.

"Yes, General Wang," Yang Ju replied. "The situation is indeed tough in Changying. Yesterday evening, a merchant returned and stayed at my rest house. He told me that how people want to get separated from the Han and want an independent region," Yang Ju informed Wang Hao, who furrowed his brows together.

"Did he tell anything about their leader?" Wang Hao questioned him.

"Yes, Master. He said that their leader is a young man," Yang Ju answered. "Since the merchant was new in that place, so he had not seen the face of this young, rebellious leader," he added.

Wang Hao looked at the scroll. "You may leave," he told Yang Ju, who bowed and left. Wang Hao scratched the surface of the table.

"I cannot let the Emperor leave Luoyang. I must go to Changying and help the Princes along with Xiao Zhan and Commander Yang," he made the decision. However, convincing Sheng Li to let him go was difficult.

But before that, the biggest question was who was this Young Man, whom people elected as their independent leader.