GAMBLING 3

Hu Nayin and Deng Linping had managed to sneak out of the house. Nobody had realized that they had run away. In just a few moments, they had been at the frontier meadow as the connector which would take her back to Kaifeng.

"You want to accompany me to Kaifeng? You're so kind..." Hu Nayin said as she was touched by Deng Linping. They told no one about this, not even Wu Qi. They believed that everyone would disagree with this mad decision, and they could not blame them. Because both of them were unwilling to argue, they decided to sneak out at night. They waited until everyone fell asleep. And about one o'clock in the dawn, when they were sure everyone had fallen asleep, they went away. They raced the horse very fast, an hour later they had reached the meadow. They just slowed down their horse's speed there.

"You're not afraid, if His Highness really hates me and punishes me, then you will also get into trouble?" Hu Nayin asked, her fingers clenched in her outer coat to prevent her from the cold meadow wind.

"To be honest, Wang Fei... I want to accompany you because, I am very grateful to you. You have awakened some belief within my mind," Deng Linping said seriously.

"Really? What's that?"

"Hu Wang Fei!!!"

Hu Nayin felt as if her heart had jumped out of her chest. Automatically, she turned around.

Wu Qi, Xu Gechang, Ma Ya, Bao Mei, Wei Han, and Mrs. Deng spurred their horses towards them.

"My God..." Deng Linping whispered in fury. "How can they find out?..."

When they arrived in front of Hu Nayin and Deng Linping, Mrs. Deng went straight to Deng Linping. Then slapped him.

"Mommy?!?" Holding his reddened cheek, Deng Linping exclaimed in surprise. "Why do you slap me?!"

"I thought they are lying!" Mrs. Deng shouted no less loudly than her son. "I thought you mustn't be so stupid, go to Kaifeng Palace to help Wang Fei meet Zhou Wang! I'm sure my son won't be that stupid! I never thought... you are really... really stupid!"

"Who said that we are going to Kaifeng Palace?!"

"Don't make any excuses, Linping. Your voice when talking to Wang Fei was very loud. You must be too excited and unaware of it, but the four of us have heard everything you said from behind the door," Xu Gechang said.

Deng Linping let out a harsh breath. He was only focused on avoiding his mother. He totally forgot that he had other guests who were very proficient in martial arts, including scouting.

"Go home!" Mrs. Deng grabbed Deng Linping's arm. Which was immediately brushed off roughly by the boy.

"I refuse!" He said harshly.

"Wh... what?!?" Mrs. Deng's face turned purplish white. "How... can you be so insane?!"

"I'm not insane. I am treating Wang Fei!"

"Zhou Wang hates her so much and even intends to kill her, why do you instead take her to the den of death?! And stating that you are treating her?!" It was Wu Qi's turn to shout in anger.

Deng Linping threw an angry look at Wu Qi. "Who really knows whether Zhou Wang is angry with Wang Fei, or not?! It's you who immediately took Wang Fei away! Whereas, as a Commander who swears allegiance to the Fan Wang, you ought to return Wang Fei to Zhou Wang, and not snatching her!"

This time, Deng Linping's exclamation was like an arrow that stabbed straight into Wu Qi's heart. His chest ached at once, stricken with the pain of guilty. Deng Linping had spoken the truth. The truth that he always covered with lies, that Zhu Su hated Hu Nayin and wanted to kill her, that he was trying to save Hu Nayin's life from Zhu Su's intent to kill... It was all lies. People said, the lies would be exposed in the end. No matter how clever we hid the lies, it would be revealed in one day. Like this time.

Wu Qi bowed down, could no longer say anything.

"But why do you have to accompany Wang Fei to the palace?! And sacrifice your own life?!" Mrs. Deng was hysteric. "I pass through all hardships to move from Yingtian to here and change our surnames, all I do is to save your life. Why I forbid you to study medicine, to avoid the government, is for your sake! But now you fool away all my efforts, you fool away your mother's sacrifice, only for your crazy childish desires?!?"

"I'm not crazy! Mommy just doesn't understand my feeling! Mommy doesn't understand, how painful we are when we can't meet someone we love!"

"What the hell?! Why do you talk about love?! Do you.... fall in love?!"

Wu Qi was shocked. Can it be... this kid is also in love with Wang Fei?!?

"Do you fall in love with Wang Fei, Linping?" It was Xu Gechang who expressed the guessing.

Deng Linping laughed. "Geez, oh my! How narrow your definition of love is! If I mention love, then we must fall in love with humans?"

"Linping! What do you mean?!" Mrs. Deng began to worry that her son might be insane.

"I am touched by Wang Fei, because she convinces me to pursue what we love. I become excited to pursue what I love... that is, medical science!"

Deng Linping ignored their dumbfounded faces, he went on, "So far, Mommy always avoids me from studying medical science. I understand with your reason, because you don't want me to suffer from the same fate as Daddy suffered. However, my passion for medical science is so unstoppable. Every time I see the ancient medical books, I seem to go crazy. My brain is uncontrollable. I desire so much to devour all those books. Every time I smell the boiling concoction, every time I see the acupuncture session... I can't control myself. And even, the more Mommy forbids me, the bigger my enthusiasm to learn medicine grows. But all this time I just become a loser. Afraid of this, afraid of that. Afraid of the government. Afraid of getting patients who instead humiliate us. Afraid of failure. I thus don't dare to try. My passion is just hidden within, and because it can't be exposed, I often go crazy over it. It is Wang Fei's appearance that paves the way for my passion. Seeing Wang Fei becomes so obsessed with Zhou Wang to the extent that she has light trauma, seeing Wang Fei's determination to pursue her dreams and love... I... can feel my passion surging! I can't lose to Wang Fei! I have to fulfill my passion!... That's why I really want to help her, all because of this passion for medicine!"

Wu Qi spoke unconsciously. "So, you want to help Wang Fei, because you feel indebted to her?..."

Deng Linping nodded. "Exactly. You have understood, Commander. So let us leave."

"I don't let you!" Mrs. Deng was gripping Deng Linping's shoulders, shaking him. "If you really want to study medicine, okay!... I allow it!... But you can't accompany her to Kaifeng!"

"I don't want to be half-hearted in my treatment. Hu Wang Fei will only be cured when she meets Zhou Wang, so I want to finish the therapy of my first patient."

"Boy! Don't you feel sorry for your mother?! I've lost your father, and now I must lose you?!"

"Mrs. Deng is right. Wang Fei, Linping, please stop this. If you insist on going back to Kaifeng, it means that you are sacrificing yourselves. And you don't appreciate our efforts and sacrifices," Xu Gechang shared his opinion.

Hu Nayin bit her lip. She looked at Deng Linping, who also started to hesitate.

All of them had given her so much help. Including Mrs. Deng. She was unwilling to see the mother and son quarreled with each other because of her selfishness.

"Alright, Brother Deng... Brother Xu is right, I should no longer bother you..." Hu Nayin turned around, said grimly. "Come on, let's go home..."

"Nayin..."