※ Chapter 31 ※

Meihua's POV »☆●

"Greetings, travelers."

Don't get me wrong, since the beginning of the social seasons, Yangyang's practiced greeting along with the polite smile plastered on his face is a familiar sight and probably the most expected thing about him. But when he's hanging on a net trap all the way up on a tree? Now, that's a situation when I'd expect this consistency of him to break.

Exchanging glances amongst us, we make our way near the tree and continue the odd formalities, "Greetings, Lord Yangyang. It occurs to me nobles don't normally grow on trees, but no wonder you're an expert at making exceptions."

Yangyang smiles, trying to bow but unable to move inside the strings of the net, "As much as I appreciate that compliment, Lady Meihua, helping us out of this predicament would be most appreciated."

"l don't need help. I happen to think the view is charming from here," my eyes fall on Gabrielle next to him, whose scowling face fails to express any joy from observing scenic beauty of nature.

Yangyang turns his head slightly towards her, frowning, "That's not what your screeching implied five minutes ago."

"I'm allowed to change my mind! This is your fault anyway," she rolls her eyes, trying to look anywhere but at us.

Rosy giggles, "We'll help you down. But you owe us."

"If I must," Yangyang says.

We team up to help them down. Rosy and I cut the ropes as Se and Luhan lowers Yangyang and Gabrielle safely to the ground. They both begin to brush the front and back of their hanfu, brushing off the leaves.

Yangyang takes a step towards us and dips in a bow, "I'm honored to encounter another with integrity. Accept my gratitude, I'm in your debt."

Gabrielle crosses her arms, "l don't owe anyone anything. I'm leaving! This ordeal has already done enough damage to my complexion."

Yangyang nods, "Understandable, have a good day."

Groaning at Yangyang, Gabrielle strolls out of the place in a fast pace. Yangyang smiles at us as he bids farewell and takes off in the opposite direction from Gabrielle.

As they both get out of sight, Rosy grins playfully, "Part of me wishes we left them up there, just to see Gabrielle's indignant face."

"Is this how you always view potential allies?" Se mutters as his eyes bore into her.

"Only the annoying ones," Rosy chuckles and mounts her horse. Soon, we're following the bear's trail once again.

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Down the trail, we spot fresh claw marks outside a hollowed-out tree concealed by some bush. This must be the bear's den.

We peer inside the log tree, but it's empty. I walk inside, looking for signs of the bear. As I step on a pile of leaves, I hear a metal snap beneath my feet.

I jump back and find something graze my leg. Looking down, I see a rusted metal claw trap, its teeth locked centimetres away from where my leg was. A chipped rusted screw falls out of the trigger mechanism and the claws collapse to the ground.

"Angel, you okay?" Se rushes next to me along with Luhan and Rosy.

I glance at him and nod, then point towards the leaves, "Something was concealed beneath the leaves."

Luhan examines the mechanism, "A trap from the previous trip. You're lucky it malfunctioned."

I nod in agreement because I like both my legs.

"Gongzhu's fortune aside, we have an empty den and no tracks," Rosy reminds.

"Let's fan out and search the surroundings. It must be hiding somewhere nearby," Se commands.

Rosy nods, suddenly holding Luhan's wrist, "We'll go left, you go right," she blurts out and hurriedly takes off to the left, dragging Luhan with her. And for one second, I wonder, did she deliberately do it?

"Guess it's you and me," Se mutters, "Let's be off."

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I ride alongside Se into a dense thicket that soon gives a way to a clearing with a pond, with nothing but a faint trail to guide us. As we pass by the lush bank, the head of a bullfrog lifts briefly near a patch of duckweed, eying us curiously before dropping back down into the murk. Neither of us know what to say, but we both know that being here among the tall cedars and rustling poplar trees, away from the crowd, just made every moment heavier and silent.

I sigh deeply, gazing into the leaves floating on the motionless water. I clear my thoughts. There's no reason for this uneasiness to settle permanently between us. He means alot to me and I won't let some royal politics ruin that.

Shaking the tension off, I tilt my head towards him and smile, "You know, if I were a beast, this is where I'd spend all my time."

He nods, "Technically, I'm a beast. So I understand that sentiment."

"You hunt every day. I thought you'll be sick of it by now," I say.

He shrugs, "l hunt deep within the jungles where wild beasts reside. Hunting in places like this, is one of the royal rituals I've adjusted to since I became High Chancellor."

"Adjusted to? You sound surprised to be chosen," I ask.

"Honestly, I was. And I didn't want to take it at first," he responds as his horse hops over knobby roots underfoot.

My lips part in silent bewilderment, "You almost turned down the most powerful position in the Kingdom?"

He frowns, "It seemed like a lot of responsibility. My interest at that time involved less prudence."

"You mean cheap ale and burned meat?" I giggle.

"You remember?" he gawks at me.

I nod, "If you're referring to Qingming? Of course, I remember. That's the first time I disguised myself as a peasant girl."

"Disguise?" he rolls his eyes, "You did a terrible job. I recognized you right away."

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A few years ago..

Sehun is walking past the festival booths and bonfires outside the castle walls when he spots a familiar figure in a cloak. He sneaks up and grabs her arm.

"Boo!" he yells, suddenly sneaking behind her. Without seeing him, the girl in cloak instinctively tries to elbow him in the side but he dodges.

"Oh, Se.." she sighs in relief, "It's only you."

"Only me indeed. You sure know how to make a boy feel appreciated," he chuckles.

"Very funny," she rolls her eyes, "l meant I thought one of the castle guards had rooted me out."

"Oh right. What's Wu Yao Gongzhu doing out here without an escort?" he steps up in front of her.

"It's Qingming. I wanted to spend some time away from the castle and..and.." she sighs deeply, her eyes narrowing, "Well, it's silly.."

"Go on, try me," he implores.

"l wanted to pretend to be a normal kid, just for a few hours," she blurts out finally. An idea suddenly strikes her mind. She looks up at him, "Do you think you can help me?"

"Are you kidding? Of course! I'm dying to see your normal kid impression!" he laughs heartily.

She punches his arm, "What shall we do first?"

"The first thing you need is something cheap and tasty," he turns to the food vendor, "Merchant, I'll take two charred pork chops."

The merchant hands each of them a pork chop. She examines the burned meat with distaste, "This is black as soot. Are you sure it's edible?"

"Trust me, eat up!" he shoves the pork piece in her mouth before she can resist. And immediately, a mix of the smoky flavors, deep caramelization and a pleasant bitterness hits her taste buds.

"This.." her eyes widen in surprise, "is actually delicious."

He chuckles, messily chewing a mouthful of meat, "Hurry up! We're gonna have ale next."

"Ale?" her jaw falls open.

He sighs in disappointment, "Don't tell me you've never had ale."

"Kids don't drink alcohol!" she announces.

"Bad kids do. Like me!" he hands her a tankard of ale, "Go on, take a sip."

She cautiously brings the tankard close to her lip, taking a tiny sip, and immediately spits it out, coughing, "That's.."

"Strong?" he grins mischievously.

She nods, "Yes, that's one word for it."

He gulps down the whole tankard of ale and smiles at her, "You said you wanted a taste of being a normal kid."

"That I did," she mutters.

"Oh, I see now. Wu Yao Gongzhu is too weak to handle ale," his lips curve into a teasing smile.

She crosses her arms, snarling at him, "Not true! I only wanted to go to the festival. I wasn't planning to-"

"No, I see it all now," he jumps in glee, spinning and pointing at her, "You're a weakling! Weakling, weakling, weakling!"

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We break in laughter, reminiscing the memory.

"Looking at you now, nobody would guess you had a past like that," I comment, "l hope your adjustment to royal life has been as pleasant. Nobody can say they've gone from drinking cheap ale and hunting wild beasts to a King-regent."

"It's been a transition, to put it lightly. But being an Alpha son helped. I'm already used to people following me around and bowing if they fall under my gaze. Still, human royalty is much different than being a leader to a pack," he states.

I nod, "Normally, it takes time to grasp the gravity of this position, myself included. But you learned quickly."

"l don't have time to figure things out later. My pack and all my father's hard work could be undone," he sighs deeply, his breath blending silently in the buzz and hum of crickets.

I glance at him, reassuringly, "l know you're fighting for your family and pack, and there's alot at stake. But believe me, you'll win."

"Angel.." he gazes into my eyes for a moment before something steals it away.

He points to the ground behind me, "Look, more tracks."

I look behind me, squinting, "These look fresh."

We both dismount to inspect the tracks. I study the paw print, reaching out to test the soil.

"The tracks lead to the field over there. It's better to just walk from here," he informs, "l know that place well."

"l trust your expertise," I smile looking up at him as he takes my hand and helps me up. We follow the tracks to an open field of flowers.

My eyes are instantly captivated by the vibrant display of flowers covering the field. Bold purple, soft pink and light lavender flowers sit right in front of me. There's a faint sound of busy bees rushing around to collect their pollen.

"Remember how you longed to see nature back in childhood? Always envying my freedom?" he asks as a wind whistles around trunk, disturbing his hair.

I nod, "Wuluan had an impressive garden but it's not a place where I could run freely."

"l could always leave the city when I wanted to. I can't imagine what it must be like to be cooped up for so long," he says, closing his eyes as the warm sun embraces his fair complexion.

"It's not all bad. I had some reliable friends. When we used to play together, the call of the wild fell on deaf ears," I smile.

He opens his eyes, glancing at me, "I still think you've been missing out."

"How so?" I ask tentatively.

"Take a deep breath with me," he suggests, closing his eyes. I follow him and close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

The sweet smell of blossomed flowers, pine & spruce trees mixed with the earthy smell of grass, algae, stagnant water and decaying leaves create an ethereal sensation.

"Feel that? That's the scent of flowers carried on a cool summer breeze," he says, "Each summer, my father would bring Rosy and I to the palace in hope that we'd earn King Ming's favour."

"How exciting!" I exclaim.

"If it were, perhaps Rosy and I wouldn't have fled here, to these fields so often, hunting for ways to entertain ourselves, raising each other while the adults were occupied," he mutters, looking blankly inscrutable, "Want to sit down for a bit?"

I nod, "We could take a break. The tracks aren't going anywhere."

He plops down to the ground, not caring about the dirt smearing his clothes. I sit next to him, overlooking the flower field.

"What was it like growing up with Uncle Mark for a father?" I ask, "My father spoke well of him. I've grown up seeing him. Yet, I feel like I know nothing of him."

"He's cold but fair, stern and single minded. I wish I could tell more but honestly, he simply wasn't present for much of my life. Around, yes, but not present. The legacy of our pack is more important to him than anything, including people within the pack, including his own children," he says. I try to read through his expressions but he stays blank as a sheet.

"Sounds like it was difficult for you," I mutter.

He shakes his head, "Actually, I'm grateful. Dad is a difficult man, yes. But without his influence, I was left to find myself by myself. It's made me the man that I am today."

"And Rosy?" I raise an eyebrow.

"She was born embarrassing. I've had my indiscretions, yes, but nothing compared to Rosy. Mom used to chase her around with this fat ivory hair brush," he looks to the sky and laughs gently, "But she was always a step ahead. More than one step. I had to handle most family responsibilities."

"It sounds like Rosy was a handful," I comment.

He nods, "She still can be. But life catches up with everyone. After I was chosen as heir, Rosy was married off for an alliance, yanked by a new life. Duty and destiny follow close behind all of us."

"If there's one thing I've learned about Rosy, it's that she has a knock for making the best of everything," I smile.

He nods, "That she does. Family can be your saving grace, regardless of how embarrassing they are. I must admit, I wouldn't have came this far without dad, mom, Rosy and Luhan."

I smile weakly. That must feel beautiful, wouldn't it? I wouldn't know. I never got to know my mother since childhood. I don't know any of my siblings. Growing up, my family and my whole world was my father. And I had to lose him too. I feel a huge lump on my throat. Why did I have to lose him too? Am I that undeserving of a saving grace?

"Angel.." he whispers, scooting closer to me carefully.

"Hmm?" I look up meeting his gaze, there was remorse and sadness in his eyes.

"l wanted to apologize for.." his eyes narrow as his lips press to a thin line, "l didn't mean to yell at you. I was just worried about-"

"I know," I wrap my hand around his hand, "You wanted me to be safe. You shouldn't apologize for caring about me."

A breeze winnows through trees and reeds and silky grass, filling the air with an exotic language of rustles, ticks and creaks. I rest my head on his shoulder, his hands softly rub my back, but it does nothing to soothe the pain I've buried inside me. Why couldn't it be me who died that day? Why did that father have to die? I couldn't even apologize for all the trouble I've caused him.

Se brushes back my hair and affixes over my ear, "Promise me, you won't blame yourself for King Wu's death. You're not undeserving of a saving grace. You're not undeserving of anything. None of this is your fault."

My eyes squeeze shut. I fight my need to breakdown, but the devastation running through me is too strong.

My heart stopped when I realize what he said.

Undeserving of a saving grace..

My father's death..

I didn't speak about these aloud. I was thinking by myself. I tear myself away and look at him.

How did he know what I was thinking about?

To Be Continued »☆●