20 Hidden Agenda III

"So it was indeed Brother Tian's doing," Rui Zheng said while putting his big hand on his head to hold his long black hair from messing up with the slightly cold morning breeze.

"How could it possibly be someone else's doing when we are talking about my marriage which not even Imperial Father dares to make the call of who I should marry. Though it would have been better if he also didn't dare to impose me to marry as though it is a must do thing. I wonder…" Yin Tian put one of his hands on his chin as if thinking while still staring at the dispersed crystal beads, "if that is what is called to settle one of a father's worries or could it be… that that was just the most Imperial Father's guiltiness let him do."

"…" Rui Zheng closed his dark eyes; Yin Tian's last sentences of speech were troublesome. "I dare not to comment on the latter but is true that Brother Tian is practically free of ruling over his marriage. However…" he tilted his head to a side and crossed his arms before his chest while staring at the sky, "I remember you said you will be marring Ling Ling, the Seventh Princess of the Spirit Water Empire, after stating a few things with her."

"Hmm… I did say that. But well, nothing is defined, variables will appear every now and then, and I... I just took upon one of those variables as it looked a more suitable option."

"A more suitable option, you say..." Rui Zheng lowered his dark eyes and looked at the greyish board, "Well, in terms of status and power…" he raised a hand and covered his eyes while pressing his temples; staring at the crystal beads was nothing, nevertheless, trying to understand something from them when you knew nothing about Destiny Calculation was a bad idea, "the Fourth Prince of this Empire has much less than the Seven Princess who belongs to a Big Empire, is a Mid God and also doted upon by the Spirit Water Empire's Emperor. Therefore, the Fourth Prince may indeed lower better the without-a-base guard of the Second Empress. Nevertheless…

"A Lady Man? You have more to lose than to gain with that. Even the tranquillity and peacefulness you are after will become noisier, I'm sure of that."

"..." Yin Tian didn't give a reply immediately and only stared at the displayed crystal beads. At length, he shook his head lightly and waved his hand, making vanish the greyish board and crystal beads, and in their place appear a white jade table and wine, "What you think isn't wrong but your thoughts about me are flawed. I could care less about the bothering outsiders and what's spoken outside my place… I only want my personal space to remain peaceful."

He put opposite him a white jade cup filled up with yellowish wine and Rui Zheng took a seat there at his invitation.

Yin Tian took a sip of wine before continuing, "No attachments, no feelings, no nothing; just two people using each other as a shelter without bothering the other one with emotional and irrational things but only factual ones that may affect both parties."