20 Lunar New Year (VI)

The moment I realize,

When everything had been materialized,

It's as if I am a Queen in a past life,

And I saw how I ended up being his wife.

***

THE YEAR 1904, a century away from the present time.

"Chen Li?!" She raised her voice as she saw that face. His eyes were of almond color and narrow in shape too, but it was not gleaming with delight. He also has brown hair, had bristly eyebrows, a pointed nose, and defined cheekbones. He looked like Althea Xi's editor at the Hanzi Times!

"Your Highness, the destined Queen, Fang Ying Yue! It's such a matter of months and a pleasure to meet you again!" Zhu Xiaojun exclaimed as he knelt down with one leg in front of Althea. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around at the people. They were also doing the same, and Qing Long was hiding in the bushes.

"For all I know, she would be confused about what happened. I should not have let her step foot inside the empire's square," Qing Long whispered as Althea licked her pale lips. The wind blustered in the trees as she sighed and furrowed her eyebrows. Zhu Xiaojun, the head of the bodyguards, stood up from the sand and smiled at her.

Althea creased her forehead and pretended to recognize him. She doesn't have any idea what was happening, she doesn't know where she was, and she doesn't know what to do. Zhu Xiaojun looked up with that shining forehead and hairline and flashed on his delightful smile, which made the women on the side fall from his charm. Althea looked at Chen Li, or better yet, she should call her Zhu Xiaojun, since it was his name.

The people rigidly and hastily stood up from their seats when they saw the Crown Prince Li Lei Jie at the entrance. He looked at the wrecked house by the side and saw that his destined Queen was talking to the head of the bodyguards. Althea just pursed her lips as Zhu Xiaojun said, "It's been a season not seeing you, Your Majesty. Where have you been? And... why are you..."

He had been cut off from what he will do when Crown Prince Li Lei Jie walked past ahead of him. His expensive robes and a headdress were not going out of style as he stood in between his destined Queen and the head of the bodyguards. Wang Qing Long was hiding in the bushes, not intending to be seen. He hid his body as much as possible.

Li Lei Jie pursed his lips as Althea looked at him in a befuddled way. She averted her eyes towards Zhu Xiaojun and saw that he was raising his eyebrows. Li Hong She smiled a little as he mumbled, "I am pretty sure I should be the one who should accompany the destined Queen through her chambers."

Zhu Xiaojun put his hands on the handle of his sword without no one noticing and said, "I am pretty sure too, Your Highness, that I am the one who should accompany her since I am the head of the bodyguards to the royal Fang clan."

Li Lei Jie raised his eyebrows as he doesn't answer that and turned to Althea. He sighed as he looked down once again and was going to say something. But the palanquin of the Emperor came. The people gave their way as the cymbals stopped resonating all over the square to pay respect to Emperor Li Jing.

Zhu Xiaojun and the Crown Prince both bowed down his head as the Emperor went down of his palanquin. He put his hands on his front and folded them underneath his robes. Althea also did the same thing as the Emperor was surprised to see that it was really Fang Ying Yue.

Qing Long licked his lips and shook his head. He turned his head to one side and closed his eyes out of annoyance. The Emperor widened his eyes as the eunuchs followed him on the side. He swallowed as Zhu Xiaojun and the Crown Prince both make a way for the Emperor to see her.

"Your Majesty, Fang Ying Yue...," Althea heard it as she looked up and the Emperor gasped as he saw that azure eyes. Qing Long didn't know what to do as he let himself onto a bigger problem. Althea didn't know what to do and just swallowed.

"Where had you been?" Emperor Li Jing asked him anxiously as Althea opened her mouth to say something, but was lost in her thoughts. She rather and decided not to shake her head, still have a little dignity for this body not be on shame, and she doesn't know what to respond.

"Your Highness, I think the destined Queen should have a lot of rest for today. I think she had gone a long way for her to know the way back," the Crown Prince suggested as he looked up and pursed his lips. Emperor Li Jing shook his head while he was still staring at her physique. The people were also quiet in their places too, surprised to see the destined Queen once again.

Emperor Li Jing bowed down her head to Althea and she did the same thing. She was so baffled about what happened, and she said, "It's an honor to meet you again, Your Majesty."

Zhu Xiaojun ushered the people to come inside the square once again so that they could talk in private. He let the people come in again while he motioned for them to follow the flow. The Crown Prince grabbed this chance to hold Althea's hands and Qing Long was surprised at what he saw. He looked away as he swallowed and felt that the beating of his heart skipped a beat.

He held the Jian a little bit tighter on his side while the Crown Prince bowed and dragged Althea out of that wrecked house. Emperor Li Jing was left alone with Zhu Xiaojun. Qing Long concealed himself in the dark as he doesn't want to get caught.