5 Inviting The Cheater

"Your highness!"

"Master!"

"Your highness, lord Wei!"

As soon as the sun had set and the owner of the mansion returned, a swarm of men and women gathered around Wei Xia Ri like a moth to a flame. The woman furrows her brows but kept silent, waiting for their intentions to leak out.

All of them lowered their heads and kneeled down.

"Young lord, these humble servants welcome you home," they say in unison. Such harmonious greeting sounded so elegant, Wei Xia Ri could not help but guess how many times they practiced. Nevertheless, she nodded in acknowledgement.

With a pair of anxious eyes, she scans their faces that were lowered at a 45-degree angle. In ancient worlds, it would be possible that some of these people were spies sent over by enemies, and even the emperor himself provided that the tyrant was thought to have not been the brightest and considered to be among the top most threatening authorities living in the capital.

"Forego the formalities, lead my guests to the dining hall while one can take me to my chambers." Her command was clear and frank yet with a tone of arrogance dripping like an aftertaste. If she could remember, the original had her nose lifted to the sky all the time paired with eyes that narrowed as she looked down on others. Not that Wei Xia RI was willing to do the same. Instead, she sighs loudly and started walking with her back towards them and her feet going towards a familiar road.

Such an act deserved some recognition. Inside, Wei Xia Ri felt her heart hammering against her chest with a pair of ears ringing. She felt too scared to be caught. And in reality, every single word came straight out from a novel's protagonist from the Huaxia romance books she read. And it seemed so convincing, the servants did not bat an eye.

Dinner with the matchmakers did not do much to help the bride feel any happier.

So when the moon had shown itself in the night sky surrounded by luminous stars, one lucky transmigrator used the body's muscle memory to sneak out past her guards towards some empty entrance to the woods from across the capital's square.

It was outside the walls of the capital towards an uncrowded area. It was a good spot for Wei Xia RI to concentrate and understand this new identity more without any interruptions. However, who knew about a couple flirting in the woods at this time?

She immediately stops from a few tens of meters away and decided to watch a show.

"Hehe, your highness, fifth prince, don't you want to find out what Xuan-er has for you? Zhong Lei... Ahh! What are you doing? " a lady's high-pitched but squeezed voice was heard from around the corner. Just as how novels used to describe the female leads, she was really young and around the age of fifteen or sixteen? White skin, long black hair, phoenix eyes, and dazzling beauty. 'Still, it's like robbing the cradle! How old are we again, fifth prince?'

"Xuan-er, you are mine. No matter what tricks you have up your sleeves, I, Zhong Lei will continuously conquer you over and over and over. Just stay in my arms."

For the first time in her life, Wei Xia Ri was still quite in shock having heard the so-called sweet, gag-inducing, cringy words that sounded so much like those novels' protagonists she enjoyed. Yet at the name Zhong Lei and the title of the Fifth prince, her chest tightened. Wei Xia RI instantly knew that the original had feelings for this person that even if she was gone, the body had reacted to that man in the strangest way as if hurt. Of course, the transmigrator frowned in disgust. Why of all people did she like the cold-blooded, black-bellied prince?

'Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!' She clicked her tongue. In novels, characters like the tyrant lover of the cold-blooded prince are followed by misery and demise. Wei Xia Ri who was granted a new chance obviously disapproved of the man, his behavior, and also the woman in his arms.

She decides to 'accidentally' walk into them acting surprised.

"Your highness, fifth prince?" her long, dark lashes fluttered as she blinked like an innocent, clueless woman. She focused her gaze on him attempting to see if it might successfully make this man uncomfortable.

'She is really alive!' The cold man's rare warmth immediately froze on his face when his eyes left the woman pressed against his chest to the woman who was his ex-fiancee. The general's facade of confusion irked the prince making his face grow stiff and raged. Little did they know, the man's heart was also thumping hard as if he felt anxious! Why was she looking at them like that? Why is she acting like that? This woman seriously still loved to play stupid. An urge to swing his sword and slice her clean roared in his head. 'Just to make sure.'

Her gaze was too provoking.

Wei Xia RI, on the other hand, sighed, unable to comprehend the conflicted prince and the cold gaze emanating from the woman in his arms. "Your highness, this general did not expect you to be here. I shall take my leave immediately."

Zhong Lei furrowed his brows. It felt too weird that she would just leave them be. No, not if it comes to this person.

"Halt on your steps Wei Xia RI!"

The transmigrator did and faced them. This time, her gaze stayed on the woman who stared at her with disdainful eyes as if to say that such a mere person like her was nothing more than pebbles on the side of the road.

"Your highness, how can I be of service to you?"

"Why are you following us? Do you intend to lose face once again?"

Get humiliated? Wei Xia Ri mentally shook her head. Was she the type of person to be stepped on? He was not holding any of hers that she needed to be timid. A pair of clenched fists lands on a hilt of a sword. "What merit will I get for following you? That is too much. I am actually busy looking for someone so go ahead and keep going!"

"You-" the couple spouted in shock at the same time while sounding as if offended.

"Heh, Wei Xia RI, you have never changed even after losing your army. What a shame," he stated to remind her. Luckily, the woman by his side kept silent believing that her man was more than enough to deal with the said tyrant.

On the other hand, Wei Xia RI felt fortunate that their ego were too high, they could not be bothered and it spared her the headache.

Such condescending couple are meant to be! How can a prince make fun of the dead? Those were the lives of the empire's soldiers. Even that girl did not disagree?

"My army have fought for the empire and did not die in vain. At least my brothers... did not die after being downgraded to bodyguards to a dainty couple."

Zhong Lei tilted his head in confusion with a frown disgracing his smooth temples. Those men were his servants. As the general, he had the authority to order them as he wished. 'For the sake of Yu Xuan Xuan, would it not be an honor for the soldiers to guard my woman? Even if it is Wei Xia Ri, how can she say that?'

Because his precious wife-to-be is the infamous ghost doctor, a prodigy whom everyone was desperate to have! Another reason for his men to be honored.

Because of that, he laughed heartily to mock the ignorant lady who just barged into their nightly affair. He had forgotten his anxiety from earlier and was clouded with thoughts about Yu Xuan Xuan. "Because my Xuaner is magnanimous and this prince finds it agreeable, Wei Xia RI, this is the last time that I will let you go! Disappear before my eyes now!"

'How irritable!' Thankfully, the shade of the night covered half of Wei Xia Ri's frown. She scoffed and shrugged her shoulders after hearing the shameless cheater bark his nonsense.

" I was going to extend my wedding invitation to the two of you for being part of my memories, good or bad, yet now, you made me change my mind! HMMF!"

According to the original's memories, there was a time when the bastard prince actually was a loving man towards her. They went to many places and enjoyed the festivals together. But when Wei Xia Ri became a general of her own 10000 men, their affections gradually dissipated.

Though it was in the past and that her groom has yet to be found in a few hours, Wei Xia Ri tested his feelings if there was some left. Inviting the cheater, would it be fun or just something of regret?

'Ah stupid!'

She squinted her eyes as if to enhance her night vision. A pair of sharp and cold black pools looked at her with a hesitant gaze just before he snapped with a blink. He shifted his gaze to Yu Xuan Xuan before pulling her waist to his side. Without words, he successfully conveyed his choice.

If the original was in possession right now, probably a pathetic fight with her head possibly sliding off her neck would happen. Fortunately the new Wei Xia RI could care less. This is good for her!

"Hmm, alright."

"..."

Hearing no response, she spun on her heels and blended back into the curtains of darkness.