Ming Hui Past: Concealment

The emperor agrees with pleads from the doctor to let Ming Hui go for recuperating. He hardly remembers this sickly girl because he would hear that she is recuperating again, again, and again. If not the news about Yan making trouble, he would hear the excuse of her cannot attend some party because of her health.

He had already sent several famous doctors to check on her, but they would always said that she was born with weak constitution and thus unable to do heavy exercise. Because of them, he already memorized countless excuses they would give about this daughter.

He feels an extreme headache when facing with this daughter of his. He always thought that this sickly daughter of his is truly annoying. All she did every day is only staying on her chamber. Even after reaching 16, she is still not married. The emperor cannot possibly pick any random man because her body is weak and all.

Hearing that he had agreed, Ming Hui told the servants to prepare without any delay and she got into the carriage with Fan Lanying.

"Has your family agreed with this?" Ming Hui asked.

Fan Lanying nodded. "They said that they are planning to move from the capital too, so I will meet them again in the town."

"I see, sorry for dragging you into this."

Fan Lanying smiled. "It's alright. I'm fine with this."

She was happy all this time spending time with Ming Hui and learns things she never knew before. Although her role is a guard, she is more like a friend in front of Ming Hui and it makes her happy. There are times when she hopes that Ming Hui is not a girl, so she can spend her life with her, but those thought only pass for a moment.

"What is it?"

"Ah, I'm just thinking, how good it would be if you were a guy. I could spend every day with you," Fan Lanying said honestly. But if he is truly a guy, she would make sure to beat him up for deceiving her all this time first.

Ming Hui blanked for a moment then laughed. He waved his hands and instructed them to make sure that no one can hear them. The guards all moved and maintain their distances.

"I can make your wish come true," Ming Hui pulled Fan Lanying to her embrace.

"What?"

"I'm a man."

Fan Lanying feels her head short-circuited for a moment. Her mouth is opened wide as she stared at the man behind her.

"WHAT?"

"Shh, don't be so loud," Ming Hui laughed a bit. He found that her shocked reaction to be really cute. He had already imagined what her reaction would be in his mind, but the truth shook him again for good.

"You!" Fan Lanying face flushed red in embarrassment. She still remembers the day she spent with him by her side and many things they do together. With the other party face and gesture, she never suspected that he is a man… wait, she did think about it for a few times, but ignore it because it was impossible.

Thinking about everything they had done together albeit they never get too close made Fan Lanying feeling extremely embarrassed. She glared at the man beside her. Her reddened eyes and flushed cheek would make Ming Hui thought of her as cute if only she wasn't angry at this time.

"Do you think I would let you go?"

Ming Hui gulped in worry, knowing that he will have to face the wrath of a strong and innocent girl. He sighed inside his heart as he knew full well that he's the one who bring this path towards himself.

In the end, he needs to explain a lot of things to the angry Fan Lanying. He suffered a few hits from her before managed to calm the girl down and told her about his past. His guards are all curious about the ruckus inside the carriage, but none of them dare to interrupt in fear they might become a nuisance.

…

8 years before

"Doctor, have you finished today examination?" Ming Hui's mother asks softly.

The doctor nodded his head, "There is nothing wrong. However, how much longer do you plan to hide his gender? If the one being summoned here is not me, you will be found out."

Ming Hui's mother looks towards the little boy on the side who's playing with the brush. She had raised her son as a girl from young age.

"You just have to make sure that you're the one being summoned here," Ming Hui's mother said, "You should know that I don't want him to contend for the throne, right?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulder. He knows what this woman meant, after all, the contest for the throne is always dangerous and all. If her son gets into the middle of the battle and start to fight, he won't survive for even a day.

"Hiding him here and tell everyone that he's a girl won't solve the problem. Even if you don't have any favor from the emperor, they would still target you because of him."

Ming Hui's mother shows a smile, a sad and melancholic smile, "Because he's known as a girl, they won't target him much. If they come, I will let them target me instead of him."

The doctor rubbed his forehead. The thoughts of a mother who loved their children are something he could never comprehend. Still, he knows that the treatment this woman in front of him gets in the palace is terrible. With the women competing for the emperor favor and her partially getting it because of her son, they won't back down.

He cleaned up his equipment as he passed her a bottle, "This is what you ask. Let me remind you, don't use it unless it's really necessary."

Ming Hui's mother takes the bottle carefully. She smiled at the sight of the bottle, "You would never know just how long I have waited for this."

"Don't go away that quick. The little boy still needs you."

Ming Hui's mother eyes flashed for a second. She didn't agree with the doctor right away as she put the bottle away with utmost care.

"If something were to happen to me, please take care of Ming Hui."

The doctor frowned. Given his knowledge about this woman, he knows that she is not one to surrender at the word of fate. If there is something she doesn't want, she will surely do her utmost to make sure that she won't get it.

Knowing that he won't be able to convince the woman, he sighed and left, not knowing that he would hear a terrible news the next day.