"Madam, the chamber maids have been executed", said Jie Er politely.

"I understand. You can retreat for now", replied Li Xi Rui. If she guessed correctly, the empress might not backed the chamber maids. After all, they had poisoned an imperial princess. As the little Princess's uncle, the emperor might have been so mad. And if the empress in any way try to interfere, the Emperor's wrath might shift towards the empress. So in this case, it's a wise move on the empress's part. 'Abandoning her people to escape punishment huh?', Li Xi Rui sneered. That is just such an empress's move. In fact, Li Xi Rui might have too much expectations on the empress's conscience. But the empress fell short.

"Ah~ cousin in law. That head is not thinking of our Jie right? Who knows if he found some random woman during war. I heard the military have some prostitutes on hand. Hurmmm... If not women, maybe men are also of interest?", an obnoxious voice travels over the silent courtyard.

"You're here huh? And shut up. Long Jie is not that kind of person", Li Xi Rui has complete trust on Long Jie's loyalty.

"Wasn't that also the case for the crown prince before?", Rui Sheng is getting more annoying by the minute.

"I never even thought about him. Well, his betrayal did come as a shock. But come to think of it, if I were to be the crown prince's consort, I would eventually have to welcome other women to be his concubine. So, maybe I was just shock because he betrayed me too early", Li Xi Rui could take a calm approach in analysing her past relationship. Her tone is also unusually amiable.

"After years of raining, the sun finally shine through huh?", Rui Sheng chuckles.

"Take a seat and your own cup. I need to ask about something", Li Xi Rui points to an empty chair.

"You wanted to know about Jie's past life right?", Rui Sheng spoke bluntly. Usually, he will beat around the bush until even the other person could not grasps his words. But for this occasion, he decided to tell Li Xi Rui clearly of what had happened.

Turning a piercing glare to Rui Sheng, Li Xi Rui asked, "Tell me what happened to Jie after my death".

"Well~ by now, you must have already know that he loves you. Back then, he was also in love with you. That day, when you took your own life, he was there. He saw what you did. I guess what he saw, paralysed him on his spot. Only after you were bleeding profusely that he moved. He was shouting, calling your name in despair. That prison guard was chopped to pieces", Rui Sheng sipped his tea leisurely as if the matter he just revealed was not important.

Something pierced Li Xi Rui's heart. 'How hurt had he been?', thought Li Xi Rui. But she had also been hurt. "If he loved me, then why had he hurts me the way he did?", Li Xi Rui didn't understand what was on Long Jie's mind. Until now, she still didn't fully understand Long Jie.

"Ha~ You are really clueless huh?", Rui Sheng chuckles again. 'How interesting~', he thought. "That stupid cousin of mine was just too prideful to admit that he had fallen in love with his brother's fiancee. Hadn't he always come when you were in trouble?", said Rui Sheng with glint in his eyes.

"Well, he did come. But he came to shout at me of course...", mumbled Li Xi Rui.

"Hahaha! That is such a childish thing to do. My cousin was really naive!", Rui Sheng laughed. For him, teasing the couple is just a happy thing. A break from his mundane world.

"That's true", Li Xi Rui agreed. The two finally have something that they agreed on -that Long Jie was a naive man.

"You know, he was the one who use that orb to revive his beloved; that is you~", Rui Sheng stared at Li Xi Rui. He wanted to look at Li Xi Rui's face.

Li Xi Rui didn't disappoint him. Her astonished face brought joy to Rui Sheng's world. "Whaa..t..?! How did he know about the orb or rather how did he know how to use it?!", for Li Xi Rui, it doesn't make any sense. No sense at all.

"Oh, did I mentioned that it was the Phantom sect that murdered your father and brother? Oh, it seems like Jie didn't tell you. Oh, how terrible of him~", Rui Sheng laughed.

'I swear, if he laughs again, I will smack his head!', hearing that terrible laugh, Li Xi Rui could senses that her temper flared.

"That Wei family was just a pawn for the Phantom sect. The sect master just want that orb too much. Ah~ such a terrible sin", Rui Sheng shakes his head gently.

"Phantom sect huh? The one who killed Jie's parents and yours?", Li Xi Rui wanted to be sure. So the mastermind all this time is that Phantom sect master. Never would she imagine that such a villain would lay his hand on her innocent family.

"The one and only~", said Rui Sheng without revealing any sadness.

"This is getting complicated. I never thought that there was such secret. That Jie!! He dares concealing information from me?", Li Xi Rui is enraged again.

"Yes... That Jie is such a terrible person. You should go see him and teach him a lesson~", Rui Sheng persuades Li Xi Rui to meet Long Jie and maybe beat him up a little?

"I won't be swayed by you - old man. Who knew what are you scheming under that face", Li Xi Rui refuses to fall in Rui Sheng's schemes.

"The lioness finally know how to guard her territories huh? The past Jie had sacrificed everything just to see you again. That look on his face when he saw your cold body... If I must described it, he looks like an old tree swaying in a damp cold place. It was such a sight", said Rui Sheng. His eyes didn't reflect his emotion. The emotion he felt seeing Long Jie wasted away due to love.

"Tell me, at least he did become happy eventually right?", Li Xi Rui asked. In a way, she didn't want to know, least it made her sad. But she must at least know if he did move on eventually.

"Happy? Rather than being happy, he didn't feel anything except sadness. He lived with you in his memory all his life. He was alone till the day he die", Rui Sheng watched Li Xi Rui's face turns pale. "In a way he lived a happy life with just you in his mind".

"Is that a happy life. Was that enough for him? To just live with memory?", Li Xi Rui asked Rui Sheng. Only he knew about everything.

"For him, it might be~", said Rui Sheng. He remembers the heartbroken Long Jie. But he is reluctant to tell her. It would not do to tear the happiness from her in this life too.

"But in this life, he will be. I'm saying that he will become happy this time", Li Xi Rui declared. Whatever it was, that was just the past. Now, everything is changing. She had changed and even Long Jie.

Rui Sheng smiled. It's because he knew, that it might be a rocky start but eventually it all depends on the pair.

'People say, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. The truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you'd lose it'