The teenager kept looking outside the window until he heard the little girlâs voice. When he turned around and saw Ying Bao, his eyes were brimming with vitality again.
âUncle Prince, are you okay?â Ying Bao asked as she ran towards Huangpu Xuanye and hugged his legs.
She had been worrying about Huangpu Xuanye and was praying for him to get better.
âIâm good,â Huangpu Xuanye replied as he lowered his head and patted the little girlâs head. âHow are you?â
âNo, Iâm not good!â Ying Bao shook her head. âI was worried about you! I even ate one less bowl of rice yesterday because of that!â
âDonât worry, Iâm really fine.â Huangpu Xuanye smiled as he tried to hide his laugh.
âThen letâs go to the garden! My grandpa has a lovely garden at his home! I havenât even played there yet!â
Ying Bao pulled Huangpu Xuanyeâs hand, trying to drag him out from the gloomy room and into the sunlight.
âOkay!â
Huangpu Xuanye had not planned to leave; he did not want to meet with anyone. But there was no way he could decline the little girlâs offer.
The sun outside was bright, so bright that it hurt his eyes slightly.
Because he had been hiding inside the dark and gloomy room for too long, the sudden brightness made him dizzy.
He waited until he recovered and walked out the gate.
âCome on! Letâs play in the garden!â the little girl in the blue dress shouted as she ran towards the Rose Garden.
âHey! Donât run too fast or youâll fall!â Jing Xi shouted as she saw Ying Bao running really fast.
âOkay!â
But just as she finished responding to her mother, Ying Bao fell to the ground.
Both Jing Xi and Huo Yunshen saw it and ran towards Ying Bao. But Huangpu Xuanye was closer to Ying Bao than them and reached her first.
âAre you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?â
Huangpu Xuanye offered his hand and pulled Ying Bao up before helping her wipe off the dust on her dress.
âNo, Iâm okay!â
Ying Bao shook her head.
âWhat do you want to play?â
âHow about hide and seek?â Ying Bao suggested and ran away. âIâll hide first, and Uncle Prince has to come find me. Youâll have to close your eyes and count to ten, okay?â
âOkay!â
The teenager proceeded to play with the little girl in the garden.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Jing Xi couldnât help but sigh at the lonely and depressed expression Huangpu Xuanye was giving.
âHowâs the Northern Kingdom?â
âMost of the power has fallen into the queenâs hands. Her identity has been exposed as well,â Helian Qingyu said.
âWho is she?â
Jing Xi still remembered that she had only seen the photo of the queen in her veil from Huo Erqi.
No one knew what the queen actually looked like, and it made Jing Xi curious.
âYou might not know her. Hereâs her picture.â
Helian Qingyu handed her the newspaper with the queenâs photo on it. Jing Xi looked at it and couldnât help but voice her surprise.
âItâs her?â
âYou know who she is?â
âYes! Sheâs Lan Qiwei, Lan Lingâerâs mother. Sheâs also Lady White Camelliaâs sister. I thought she was already dead! How did she become the Northern Kingdomâs queen?â