24. Meng Hua

"A'HUO!" a petite girl with big brown eyes and black long hair exclaimed and threw herself on Meng Huo, hugging him with all her might.

Meng Huo returned the hug and started to cry with relief. Finally her sister was safe and he could hug her as he wanted. The scene made Han Xin emotional and in order to give them some privacy, he gestured to his spy and Zhu Lei to exit the room. Then he sat on the farthest corner and pretended to read a random piece of paper he found on the book shelf while thinking how come Meng Huo was more beautiful than his sister, a girl!

"You are alive! I can't believe it!" Meng Hua said lovingly as she cupped her brother's cheeks, "I thought you were dead, but you are here, looking gorgeous! How did this happen?"

"It is complicated," Meng Huo answered vaguely, his gaze on the sitting prince, "it is better if you don't know."

Meng Hua followed his gaze and saw it was on the prince. With a frown, she turned her brother's head and made him look at her again, "something bad happened, right? The guard who saved me told me that my life was in danger. Don't tell me you did something bad?"

"Of course he didn't do anything bad! What kind of question is that?! Don't you know what kind of a man your king is?!" Han Xin forgot about his indifferent attitude and snapped at her, feeling the urge to defend Meng Huo.

"I-I didn't mean it... my prince," she shook her hands, intimidated by the prince's anger while Meng Huo was touched by the caring gesture.

"No, sister... you are right, I did something terrible, but I swear I didn't mean it," Meng Huo replied to her, but his eyes were on Han Xin as the words were actually directed to him.

"I know, A'Huo," she hugged him again, "you wouldn't do anything bad intentionally, you are a kind young man, I know you. But, what will happen now? Should we run away?"

"No need," Han Xin interrupted again, "Meng Huo is my wi...husband now, so I will protect both of you."

"What?!" Meng Hua was appalled. A prince married to a slave?! The audacity! She kept shifting her gaze between her brother and the prince, but couldn't read them. There was a weird tension between them, yet she could see the furtive glance they stole. Her brother was right; it must have been complicated.

"The prince surely knows about our status, right?" she asked hesitantly with a low voice after the initial shock.

Han Xin looked at the siblings in turns and nodded firmly, "of course I do."

"Well... it is okay then... I guess," Meng Hua mumbled, having difficulty believing the prince's courage.

"Shall we have some tea then?" Han Xin broke the silence as he saw Meng Huo was fidgeting rather uncomfortably next to his sister.

"Three of us?!" Shock after shock.

"Yes, of course, we are family now," Han Xin reassured with a smile while Meng Huo clenched his fists with the guilt of another lie.

When they finally seated with the tea cups in front of them, Han Xin took the word. Looking at Meng Hua, he said "as you are family, I have to share some of our problems with you."

Beaming at the word 'family', Meng Hua nodded whole-heartedly.

Han Xin gave her a smile, "as you may guess, we have some problems with your king; therefore, we wish to keep your existence as a secret until we handle the problems."

"Oh," she exclaimed, wondering about those problems, but by looking at her brother's agitated face, she felt it was better not to ask. Squeezing Meng Huo's hand under the table, she said "anything for you."

"Thank you, sister," Han Xin replied with a charming smile and Meng Huo felt like fainting.

Sister, really? Did Han Xin have to exaggerate the act that much? What would he say to Meng Hua when the revenge was taken and the royalty sent them away? Would she get too sad learning there was no family at all; that she was deceived from the very beginning?

"I... don't feel very well, so I will be leaving first," Meng Huo managed to say as he rose to his feet. Even if Han Xin continued with those lies, he didn't want to be a part of the plot. If he wasn't present, maybe his sister wouldn't blame him too much later.

"What's wrong?" Han Xin also jumped on his feet and put his hand on Meng Huo's forehead to feel his temperature. Though he didn't have a fever, he was indeed paler.

"Just tired," Meng Huo swatted his hand away and almost ran out of the hall.

"Please don't be angry with my brother, my prince," Meng Hua said very politely when the door was closed again. She was highly afraid that Meng Huo offended the prince, "my brother's health is really not good because of living-"

She stopped abruptly as she realised what she was saying. Han Xin also noticed it, so he gave her a knowing look.

"His life in the East was very hard, right?"

Meng Hua nodded with a bitter smile, "it is a miracle how he managed to survive."

Han Xin felt a current of sadness wash over him. After what he lived through, Meng Huo really deserved a happy life, but unfortunately, he was dragged into another plot.

"But now, he has the prince as his husband, so he will be okay, right?" Meng Hua asked hesitantly, seeing the prince was silent all of a sudden.

"He will be, I promise. I will never let him hurt again... even if it costs my own life."