"So, has your flower is safely tuck in her bed?", Rui Sheng asked as he slowly put his chess piece on the board.

"How many times I should tell you, it was an unintended accident on my part?!", exasperated, Long Jie put his chess piece down with a bit of force.

"Ah! Of course, of course... an unintended accident... like in the hut. Of course everything is an accident. Like when you accidentally passed by Li's mansion and happened to help catch the robber", Rui Sheng nodded his head while looking intently at the chess piece in his hand.

"Fine! It's not accidental! It's my own scheming! I won't go there anymore alright? So stop mentioning it. I just want to see her", Long Jie just gave up all excuses and admit whatever is thrown to him.

"Eh? No~ No~ Long Jie the second prince, the honorable general of this country, the cold faced prince wouldn't do that kind of thing. Of course they were all accidental", Rui Sheng calmly put the chess piece down on the board. 'Ah... I win AGAIN', he thought.

Speechless, Long Jie couldn't retort his cousin anymore. This god like cousin of his has always been like this. 'He should just reprimand me openly rather than go around the subject like this', Long Jie thought.

In Li's mansion~

The Li madam has already heard what happened last night from her husband. So now, she and her daughter is drinking tea and munching Li Xi Rui's snack. It is part of their bonding time activities. Sometimes it's embroidery or zither.

"Xi-er, I heard an interesting story from your father", madam Li began probing.

"Oh... what is the interesting story mother?", today Li Xi Rui is quite happy. The robbery failed and her father should be okay in something happened according to her past.

"It's about the second prince Long Jie", her mother glanced at Li Xi Rui to watch her reaction.

Li Xi Rui stiffened, "What about him mother?".

"Is there something going on between his highness and our family Xi-er?", madam Li sipped her tea.

Li Xi Rui had not been herself these past few weeks. She pastes a fake smile on her face and ignore everyone except her family. Though her calmness is a good thing, but her family couldn't help but be worried. Thankfully, she is still the same when interacting with her family.

"Of course there is none mother. His highness loathes me. Didn't everyone know this already?", she clenched her fists. Everyone in the capital knew she and 2nd prince didn't see eye to eye. After all, there were many times they quarreling with each other. And every time, it's her lost.

"It's good if there was not. But if there is, mother won't interfere. It's better to love someone who love you more than someone who didn't", it's the first time madam Li said something disapproval. Clearly, her mother still is quite bitter with the royal family conduct.

Nodding her head, Li Xi Rui agree to eased her mother, "Xi Rui understand mother".

"Forgive Xiao Xi Madam, Miss. There seems to be a guest for eldest miss", Xiao Xi informed.

"Who is it?", Li Xi Rui knitted her brow. 'She didn't expect anyone to come calling'.

"It's Princess Lan Yun Yue miss", Xiao Xi answered.

"It's little princess?", Li Xi Rui is baffled. With madam Li beside her, Li Xi Rui went to the receiving room. When just stepped through the threshold of the room, Lan Yun Yue come running towards her.

"Jie jie!", Lan Yun Yue hugged Li Xi Rui. She ran unlady likely to Li Xi Rui. She looks so cute running with two small buns on her head. Of course, the little princess does inherit her mother's beautiful look. In the future, Li Xi Rui could see this little princess will become the object of men's infatuation.

"Little Princess? Why are you here?", hugging the little princess back, Li Xi Rui asked.

"I missed you! Last night I dreamt about you. It was a nightmare!", Lan Yun yue looked up at Li Xi Rui with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sure it's nothing princess. Come here let me introduce you to my mother", Li Xi Rui pulled Lan Yan Yue to greet her mother.

"Lan Yun Yue greet the Left prime minister's wife, Madam Li", she courtesy. By rules, the little princess shouldn't be the first one to greet the lesser titled. But as the one she greeted is her jie jie's mother, she decided to be polite.

"Oh no Princess, it is my honor to have you in my residence", madam Li is startled. She wanted to get out of this unfamiliar and weird situation. Usually she would be quite composed but this is the first time a princess being this polite to her albeit it is just a kid.

"It's okay aunty, you are my jie jie's mother of course I should be the one greeting you first. You will be seeing me a lot from now on so its better we start being familiar with each other", Lan Yun Yue said with authority in her words.

But seeing a kid this adorable trying to look authoritative, madam Li find it funny instead, "Pfftt... hahaha!". Unable to control her laughter, she laughed out loud unbecoming of her status as a noble madam.

"Little princess, I will be looking forward on seeing you more from now on", she used the title Li Xi Rui called earlier. It has been a long time since her 2 children stopped being a child. And she kind of miss it. 'It is just Such a pity she was born in the royal family', she thought.

They chatted and making madam Li laughed for a while before Li Xi Rui and Lan Yun Yue excused themselves to go to her quarters.

"It looks like jie jie's mother has taken a liking in me. Great! It's working. Now I could come here whenever I want!", little princess stated her intention loudly.

Li Xi Rui's lips twitched. 'Such a sly kid!'...

***Jie jie = elder sister