A Grand Celebration(V)

Ling Xi's POV

As the time passby,i am starting to get bored. I look at my sister's plump cheeks and pinch it for the x times. This boredom is getting in my nerves. I am already full from all the eating earlier and the Crown Prince never leave my side by then. We are chatting here and then even if it looks like a one sided conversation by how barely he talks but i know he is trying.

Crown Prince is soooo kind to me.

From time to time he'll ask me if i have something in mind,food wanna eat,do i need to drink,how's the celebration, and such. Its nice of him but i am really bored right now. I wish he is my brother ah~ but the boredom is eating me.

Then i remember that Grammy is also here.

"Yi Ge,can we go to Grandma?"

He looks at me with an indecisive face and did not immediately speak.

"Pleaseeee~?"i look up to him using my watering eyes. Hope this one works.

"Okay." he stand up and slowly guide me. We left Xiao Mei to sister Ruo and gone to the hall.

....

Her servant look at her master's departing back then look at Ling Mei.

"Wanna hear a song?"

"Bet you do." she then started her "very" melancholic singing in the effort of making her fell sleep coupled with swinging of her arms where the baby is caged in.

The surrounding people cover their ears and go as far as can do from the nasty voice while Ling Mei started crying. They can't blame the baby for its wailing.

'Even if its me i'll definitely cry.'

Ling Mei is left behind only to have her ears damaged by Bai Ruo's singing.

Only when there's no supervision of the Manor's masters did she dare to sing out loud since no one really appreciate it. But now that a baby is under her care,she can have someone to sing to.

Ling Mei can only cry for her demise.

'Where's my cute sister? Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!'¬(°^°)¬

....

The former mother of the nation is busy talking with an official when she caught a glimpse of the walking 2 figures.

"Oh,excuse me for a second,Left Minister."the revered lady then turned her head and walk elegantly to the two person coming her way.

Her smile radiated a positive energy around the whole place and some of the guests stop midway of what are they doing and look at their direction.

She is clearly in a not-so-good mood earlier and now she is beaming. What a mood swings~~

Ling Xi on the contrary is slowly walking to her side with her head bowed down. Even if she is a young miss who always attends this kind of gathering almost all the time,she still can't get used to all the eyes on her. She likes it better in the room with the youngsters since she feel less intimidated to them than the serious and much powerful aura around her now.

Her gut feeling can also feel something dangerous from a not so far corner of the room. She wander her eyes looking for the invisible force,only to found nothing at all. Ling Xi scoot over to the teenager beside her and walk closely in his side. She even fight her impulse to grab the Crown Prince's arms to feel safer.

Scary ah¬¬{>3<}¬¬

"Xiao Xi,did you miss grandma?" the smiling face of Empress Dowager greet me after raised my head.

This dispelled my earlier fear.

Wahhhhhhhh~~i miss grammyyyyyyyy!

Ling Xi then pounced to the elderly surprising further the people around.

"Eh? Is that the adopted child of Empress Dowager? She just jumped to her highness' arms."

"Who does she think she is?"

"Isn't she just adopted?"

"Did the Minister's manor not thought her the proper etiquette? She dare pounce at a royalty in public.Tch"

"What are you saying? She is definitely a baby,how come she'll be thought by those boring etiquette already?"

"Right,she looks like a 2-3 year old cutie."

"But still,this is a royal gathering and she's like that."

"What are you angry about? Are you envious of her? Just because she can stay close to the Crown Prince earlier."

'Yuoxi, is envious of that child? Oh come on."

"Isn't it you who is envious of Yuoxi since she has a better chance marrying in the royalty?"

"You-!"

"That baby can't even walk straight properly and still wet behind her ears. Calm down."

Her parents ears perked from all the gossips and caught a glimpse of her. They are about to rush and apologize, only to be dismissed by Empress Dowager by a wave of her hand. The crowd turned silent and somewhat stupefied by the dismissal of the couple. This clearly means that the other doesn't mind.

The pair of grandma and grandchild then encaged each other in the other's embrace. This shocked the guest and royals more,not only the adopted granddaughter just throw aside etiquette but the revered Empress Dowager doesn't reprimand her for that and even dotes on her better than she does to her legitimate grandchildren. Even the Crown Prince doesn't receive the same treatment. The crowd feels astonishment by the development of events. The gathering from the previous years are not this eventful aside from some quarrels and competitions of royalties and nobles,there's nothing much.

But now, the guests are quiet not because someone is fighting but because of a pair that is hugging while servants of the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince just shrugged their shoulders.

'This is what to be expected. They didn't even see how the Crown Prince dotes to her earlier,' their mind is already prepared for this so their inner monologue is not as chaotic as the others.

Their expressions remain neutral.

.....

The Empress Dowager in contrast, is busy with her adopted granddaughter. Since the day they haven't seen each other,Ling Xi even grows cuter in her eyes. Something about this kid change and she keeps looking for what it is.

Ling Xi eyes seems to sparkles even brighter,her skin somewhat more fair,and her aura feels a little strange. But thinking about it,its not bad change so she just let it be. My baby is being much adorable so what i can ask for????

She pinch her cheeks and fed her more. Ling Xi is not bothered by the looks the elder is giving her and continue eating and talking animatedly of how she miss her grammy. She even tells her what she does while they are away from each other.

The Empress Dowager doesn't seem bored even once. This surprised her even more. Just what makes this cutie pie different from the steam buns the palace is producing?

Having her near seems refreshing feeling like she's been meditating.

'This Xiao Bao is definitely unique.'

The nobles can only look in envy.

....

"Seems like her relationship with some royalties is good. Some more will suck up at her after this. What do you think?"the youth chuckles then pat the shoulder of the teenager beside him.

"Who cares? I still have a trump card against them. Do you really think of me as a paper tiger?"Zhang Yi Qing replied nonchalantly and halfway sneered while taking a sip at the refreshment in their table.

The youth beside him is the grandchild of the Sect Elder in the sect he is in. Both of them are genius in their generation surpassing the others by many notch permitting him to be friends to the youth.

They are merely hiding their cultivation stages to avoid unnecessary stir of attentions. Even just standing there wearing the logo of their sect give them headaches from all the guests licking their boots.Sects after all is a respected organization even in front of the royalties since their favors equals for another strong backer. Even small sect counts for something. Some are merely hides their strength like crouching tigers and sleeping dragons.

Offending them is never an option.

Earlier in the event when they just land using their flying swords instead of carriage to attend,many are already eyeing them. The elders and the selected disciples then pocketed it in their storage rings. Storage rings is not like a cabbage given to just anyone unless you can afford one but all of them have one. This shows how abundant their resources is, garnering the envy looks of the others.

If only he knows that this will happen,he will order his subordinates to bring a carriage and endure the slow ride but since what's done is done,he can only endure. Shi Feng only shakes his head at his friend.

Isn't it good to have the ladies look at them curiously? Some openly wants to throw themselves at us,isn't that just convenient? I don't have to pursue them.

What a good life~.

Looking at Shi Feng's lewd expression,Zhang Yi Qing look away in disgust. Who wants a leech as a partner?

Not me.

If my puppy grow naughty in the future,then what do i do?

Hmmmm?

....

"Qing Ge,where are we going? I haven't say my goodbyes to grammy yet." Ling Xi pouted and looks at their intertwined hands.

She is being fed and pampered by her grammy while catching up asking how is she and what have she is busy with not even visiting. Her pout even deepens.

Zhang Yi Qing can't endure the looks from the others anymore as well as the boredom and thinks about sneaking out. He dismiss the idea of bringing Shi Feng with him since he thinks that the brat will be annoying as ever. He always think about ladies and getting under their dress.

When he notice the disappearance of Feng Yi in the first minutes and then Empress Dowager after sometime in Ling Xi's side maybe socializing or have something important to do,he grab his chance and take her away. They may be just be gone for just a few minutes so he can't let the opportunity slip.

He blended in the crowd and abduct the little girl under other's nose appearing again near the door. This is not anticipated by guards nearly attacking them since the guests are few near where they are at. They then bowed apologetically and let them out. But this doesn't left unnoticed by other strong cultivators,this includes the Crown Prince making him frown. He frowns deeply and immediately but politely excuse himself from the elders of the sect he will soon be tested which is very important. But Ling Xi's disappearance is much important to him.

He followed them hurriedly. He doesn't bother hide his strong and powerful aura from others. His mind is racing with possibilities.

'Just what the heck that one is planning?!'

'Even tries to sneak out with her. He has the guts,huh?'

.....

Looking at the departing back of the prince,everyone is stunned. He clearly have an unsteady emotion and thundering steps.

'Since when does the First Prince show such strong emotion?'

'Who dares to offend the Ice Prince?'

'And where does his highness plans to go?'

'Don't even think of taking her away. You can go anywhere far.'

After departing from the hall,he throws a strip of paper to nowhere. A hand from the shadows swiftly catch and burned it after reading the contents.

"Seems like its going to be bloody,eh?,"the shadow's eyebrows rose.

'Time to do another mission,' it then disappeared in the darkness once again.