150. A Big Belly For Stomaching All The Secrets

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Leaving the capital, two inconspicuous carriages are crossing the forest that is dividing several regions. Two old looking guys are acting as the coachmen of these carriages while four young men are riding on top of four strong horses. If one is watching this scene, one would not expect that one of this carriage is carrying a princess and the only sister of the Left Prime Minister of the Qi kingdom.

Li Xi Rui could grandly use her own white carriage and bring strong men to act as her guards. But, this isn't a good idea as it would reveal her identity. She could take another approach like disguising herself, QiQi and the shadow guards as old men or women. One might think that doing it this way, one could conceal her identity. But, this is also a form of invitation to the roadside bandit. It's like saying, 'we are only old people and cannot retaliate if you want to rob us'. Then, when the bandit come, if the old men would suddenly 'transform' into cultivators with strong body, their disguises will just fail. By that time, more and more people will be interested in finding out who are these 'old men and women' are.

So going to the border grandly or poorly, both are not the routes that Li Xi Rui could take. In the end, Li Xi Rui settles by going normally. Not too grand and not too poor. Six of the shadow guards will be accompanying her openly while the rest of the shadow guards will stay in the shadow. Even if the bandits do come and attack them, their real identity could stay hidden. No one would be shocked if the four young men could fight. All in all, this is a better solution.

***

Inside the carriage~

"QiQi, I forgot to ask. Have you told your brother about you going to the border?", in the midst of chaos Li Xi Rui had forgot to remind QiQi to tell her brother about their plan.

"...no...", QiQi seems to be hesitated. She is avoiding Li Xi Rui's gaze.

"Confess. What happened?", asked Li Xi Rui. 'There must be something wrong', she thought.

"I'm running away from home", QiQi confessed. Her head down and seems to be turning away from Li I Rui's prying eyes.

"Did you quarrel?", Li Xi Rui asked that young female doctor.

"No... I just... I just wanted to get away from my brother for a while", QiQi's voice turned softer and softer.

"Why? You don't love your brother anymore?", Li Xi Rui held QiQi's hand. Ah~ innocent young love. Isn't that just endearing?

"No~", but QiQi kept being silent after answering with that one word.

"Are you just going to answer with no?", at this rate from the capital gate all the way to the border, QiQi would just say no; no matter how much Li Xi Rui pestered her.

"N...o...", QiQi clamped her mouth shut with her hand immediately.

"QiQi, I am not a person that should be giving advice regarding love. As you could probably see, my love life was a mess", said Li Xi Rui. 'Even with Long Jie, it's not until recently that I realized I have fallen in love with him', she thought. "But in a relationship, it's better if both the individual to just be truthful", at least misunderstanding could be avoided.

"We are not in a relationship. Broth... Brother only see me as a little sister", QiQi seems dejected.

'Ah... Isn't this that case of 'a person that is clearly a smart person but when in love they just turn into a dumb person'?', thought Li Xi Rui. "Why did you think so?", asked Li Xi Rui. According to what she had seen, Bai Wu Chen's clinginess has gone through the roof. If that what QiQi called; 'see her as a little sister', then weren't the rest of the siblings in the Qi kingdom are the abnormal ones?

"Well, I asked brother what he feels about me? I wanted to know if his feeling is the same as mine", QiQi looked down. Dejected and unwanted- that is what she feels now.

"Did he say that he looks at you like a little sister?", Li Xi Rui inquired.

"Yes! He said I am his precious little sister! Moreover, he brought Princess Long Ruolan home! He never brought another lady home before", remembering the thing occurred at Bai Wu Chen's residence, QiQi couldn't help but shedding a few drops of tears.

'Ah~ this is jealousy', thought Li Xi Rui. She is familiar with that emotion. "Maybe Ruolan have something to ask your brother. Don't think too much", Li Xi Rui patted QiQi's head. No matter how smart QiQi is, she is still a young maiden. Her heart is still fragile.

"But it's different this time. The princess is beautiful and elegant. While me, I looked like this...", her heart keeps on getting hurt remembering the princess's cheerfulness and easygoing attitude. How could she be compared to the daughter of the son of heaven?

"What's wrong with looking like you? You are cute", complimented Li Xi Rui. Looking at QiQi's big teary eyes, she suddenly got the urge to bully the little lamb. She has a hunch that Bai Wu Chen might be messing with his little sister by saying that. As clever as Bai Wu Chen is, it's impossible for him to not understand what QiQi had been implying. QiQi's appearance is not helping either. Her big watery eyes, her small pouty mouth and small button nose, she looks younger than her age; no wonder that Bai Wu Chen is smitten with his own little sister.

"I rather look like you, madam...", said QiQi while staring at Li Xi Rui intently. "Your beautiful eyes, beautiful hair, beautiful body, your calm demeanor, your authoritative aura it's no wonder that master fall in love with you. If I'm a man, I will also fall in love with you!", this is true, Li Xi Rui is QiQi's biggest idol.

Li Xi Rui didn't know whether to be offended or pleased. "I must be a very overbearing person", said Li Xi Rui. How did a conversation about QiQi turns to her all the sudden?

"Far from it. All the shadow guards and disciples in Qilin sect admires you, madam! There is no one more perfect to be the master's wife except you, madam!", QiQi tried to convince Li Xi Rui.

"Ah... is that so", Li Xi Rui have never thought about how they look at her. Maybe, she had been rather selfish for thinking of only herself all this time.

For a long time after that, QiQi has been incessantly chattering about Long Jie, about her uncle, about her life and more about her brother. Because the shadow guards have high level of cultivations, they could hear every words from inside the carriage. Sometimes when they agreed on something QiQi had said, they would unconsciously nod their heads.

Meanwhile, in Jian Palace, a certain young Left Prime Minister is causing ruckus. "Where is QiQi?", asked Bai Wu Chen. Usually his smile would have offered a sense of comfort to the people around. But today, his smile is just menacingly frightening.

"Miss Bai is accompanying the Princess consort to the border", although Bai Wu Chen's aura is frightening, steward Wang didn't even bat an eyelash.

'So QiQi is running away to the border to a dangerous area just to get away from me?', thought Bai Wu Chen. For so long he had been trying to keep his hand off QiQi but now his QiQi is trying to escape his clutches. Due to many families coveted his little sister, he has been a little impatient lately. His plan to wait for QiQi to reach adulthood before making her his, has long been gone down the hill. He cannot wait while people keeps on coming to propose to QiQi. How could he give them his little treasure? They must be out of their mind!

Laughing softly, Bai Wu Chen decided to let his QiQi go on a journey for now. He believes that Li Xi Rui could protect his little sister. But once his QiQi comes back, he will be waiting for her. 'Now, how to punish that little lamb?', thought the big bad wolf. He will have fun coming up the way he could punish that little lamb.

Leaving with a light laugh, steward Wang looked on that young man's back. Yes, how could he not have known? That pair of brother and sister are in a twisted relationship. He, the steward in Jian palace have been trying to keep the maids and servants away when Bai Wu Chen visits his little sister. Although this kind of thing is immoral, Bai Wu Chen and QiQi are still the guests in Jian Palace. So he must try to keep their reputation from falling into the mud.

Life as a steward is not easy.

He has a tyrant master; a beautiful but misunderstood madam; occasionally disappearing guests; childish personal maid of the madam and now immoral guests of the master.

Yes, life as a steward is not easy; more over if you are a steward in Jian palace. One must have a big stomach to keep all those secrets down one's belly. If not, all those secrets would long escape his lips.

P/s: I was planning to publish this later but seeing the reader count has already pass 1million, I decided to release it now. So enjoy this chapter for now.

The last few weeks have been hectic. With me coming down with the cold (ended up missing classes), my teacher decided to give me tasks (presentation) for three days in a row, I really didn't get enough sleep.

Now hopefully I could get back on track before my exam next month...

And then, holiday!!!

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net