40 Family Friend

The sound of hooves in the center of the city, it's the fifth day since BaiYing went missing. Luo Xiang and the entourage were tired and almost lost track because of all the locations they could check, and the result was nil.

That morning, the Crown Prince and his entourage would return to the palace waiting for further orders from the palace officials who had helped with the investigation.

LuoXiang was limp, he was exhausted, not his body, but maybe his soul from longing BaiYing too much. He took a deep breath, BaiYing was getting further away from his hand and he couldn't do anything about it. Just thinking of him made his breath heavy although he tried to take lots of air around him.

The group was passing through the main road when someone suddenly appeared and stood in the center of the road. Almost hit by the horse.

The entourage stopped.

BeiYau, who was in the very front drew his horse leash quickly. A man suddenly appeared and he almost hit him.

"Insolent! Who dares to block the palace entourage?" Exclaimed BeiYau.

An old man, with decent commoner clothes, with gray hair, and a wrinkled face. The man stood in the middle of the road and lowered his knees to greet the crown prince.

"Greetings Your Highness, please forgive this servant for being insolent and blocking the way, but there is someone who asked me to deliver a very important message."

Luo Xiang did not move a bit. At this time he doesn't want to know about others. He might just a commoner who's likes to complain about the Palace's new policies like tax increases for the rich and else. However, Luo Xiang caught something in his eyes, something he was familiar with on the man's hands, without too much thinking he darted down.

"YingYing!"

He recognized the handkerchief, YingYing's silk handkerchief that was now in the old man's hand. Luo Xiang took it immediately.

"Where did you get this?"

The man raised his head looking at the Crown Prince's worried face. He was the healer who treated BaiYing's wound the other day.

.....

In the hut under the waterfall.

The rushing water descended from the top of the cliff with water splashes to the hut roof, making it always wet and cool.

YiFang tied the rope around BaiYing's hands in front of his chest while the young man was still unconscious.

"We will go from here, Ying'er, brother will take you far from here where no one will able to find you. I will protect you and nobody can ever touch you. I promise you that"

YiFang's palms touched BaiYing's cold cheeks. When BaiYing was still unconscious he changed his clothes with the ones he used to wear at his home as HuaBaiYing, a young master he knew. YiFang's hands were trembling. He couldn't hold back his tears and cried with his body trembling while holding BaiYing's tied hand.

"Forgive me, ems, brother did it for you. Do you know what that senile old man said about you? I wanted to bring you home but he said that I don't deserve you at all"

YiFang's memories came back several years ago when he first saw BaiYing's gentle face in the Hua family's yard.

That afternoon, his aunt took YiFang to the Hua family's mansion, because of the engagement both families arranged since he was young by his late parents. He had been betrothed to the Hua family's daughter, HuaBaiYen. HuaLie, BaiYen's father and his first wife welcomed him in front of his beautiful yard.

"Hahahaha, what a handsome young man, very handsome little YiFang" HuaLie's cheeks widened as his big smile. He patted the young YiFang's cheeks with endless laughter.

That was three years ago when BaiYing was thirteen years old. An innocent young boy with a cute adorable face stands next to his beautiful older sister HuaBaiYen.

YiFang glanced at the beautiful girl, but his attention was distracted when he heard BaiYing's bowing voice.

"Father! Ying'er wants to play a kite, please let Uncle Bao accompany me" he sulked as he kept pulling his father's clothes. HuaLie glanced at BaiYing with sharp eyes.

"Naughty boy, don't you see there are guests here? Just go and play alone Uncle Bao is busy now"

BaiYing glanced at YiFang and smiled broadly until all his eyes missed his smile. YiFang swallowed hard seeing how adorable that beautiful little boy was. The boy could not stop annoying his Father and his Mother. Even though his mother often glared at him, with her big round eyes like she was ready to chew him, but the boy looked not scared at all.

"Brat!"

"Hehehehe"

Little BaiYing has no friends to play with since there are no other kids who want to play with him. He always feels lonely and plays alone while the worker just accompanies him.

Ever since YiFang knew him, he always spared the time to play with him. At that time, in that kid's mind, there's nothing more important than to play since his body is so weak and can't join the agility class as other kids at the academy. He always skips it and plays around the valley back at his house alone. At all those times YiFang will always come to accompany him.

As time passes the feelings grow stronger. The sweet little Ying is a cute rascal, ain't like his older sister who has a sharp tongue, rude and harsh. Because of that, YiFang just gets drawn closer to him.

YiFang remembers that he once said he would take BaiYing around the city. But his father said that he couldn't give BaiYen or BaiYing to a young man who didn't have anything. YiFang worked hard until he came back one day to meet BaiYing. But he was too late, BaiYing was already taken to the palace and became one of the Crown Prince's concubines.

YiFang was furious, how could his father feed his little son to the tiger's den? He was such an innocent kid, how could that man sell his son?

YiFang held BaiYing's hand tightly and kissed it. He lifted his body stroking BaiYing's hair. The young man opened his eyes wistfully and saw YiFang with a look of hatred and disappointment. He tried to turn his face at YiFang who was so close to him and tried to kiss his forehead.

"Brother, please let me go"

YiFang stopped his hand, still holding onto BaiYing's head.

"Xiao Ying, I was just .."

BaiYing turned his head and didn't want to see YiFang's face. How come a person whom he thought he could rely on, turned out to be the one who hurt him the most? Someone who destroyed his life.

"Why do you do it? Why?" BaiYing voice faintly.

He is so weak and can't even open his trembling mouth to talk, full of sorrow, his heart is broken into pieces and his voice is shaking.

YiFang tried to hold BaiYing's hand but the young man brushed it off.

"I did it for you, all of this for you. Brother Fang just wants to take you out of the palace so I do all of this. Please, Xiao Ying, you have to understand"

BaiYing stared at YiFang sharply, a gaze that made YiFang speechless,

"Then why? Why should you kill my parents? The whole Hua residents? Why are you so heartless and killed all of them, they are innocent"

YiFang grabbed BaiYing's hand even though the young man kept pushing him away.

"Ying'Er"

"Don't touch me!"

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