-||chapter twenty four - strange feelings||-

"The Crown Prince could not move his eyes away from the little family in front of him. The concern that the Emperor and the Empress had for the First Princess was touching and heartwarming. At that time, the Crown Prince felt envious, he wanted to feel such familial love as well. But maybe that's not possible for him in this life.

Even though he was envious, the Crown Prince was relieved that the First Princess had people around her who truly cared for her and loved her. It helped ease his worries about whatever his King was planning. The First Princess's parents would not let anything happen to their darling daughter.

After that incident, the Crown Prince began to experience strange feelings. Feelings that were familiar to him yet they were so unfamiliar as well. Feelings that he had no name for."

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Zhang Yi Chen moved to stand at a little distance from the Lu family as Mr. and Mrs. Lu hugged their daughter, checked her body for injuries and kept on asking her if she was in pain or if she needed anything. They were soon joined in by Lu Ying who looked frazzled and close to tears. With a loud, "Zhi Zhi!" she too joined her parents in hugging her sister.

Yi Chen couldn't control that sweet smile that stretched across his lips. The sight in front of him was so adorable and just so heartwarming. A chuckle escaped his lips when he noticed Lu Zhi's face as she was being smothered by her family's love. He was happy that she had such a loving family.

He rubbed his hand on his chest, above his heart, to ease the jab of pain that struck his heart. It was the result of jealousy, the contradictory emotion that he felt. He was jealous and upset because he didn't have that kind of family and never experienced such familial love.

Of-course, Ming Ze's family loved him like his own but he is not with them everyday and is not truly a part of their family. He is like their son but he is not their son.

Nothing would change the fact that his parents do not care about him, that they don't love him. He is nothing but a useless mistake for them. When he was a kid he would often feel sad wondering as to why his parents do not love him like other parents loved their kids. As he grew up he stopped questioning it, stopped feeling sad about it because no matter who he asked, what he asked, he would never get an answer.

He became best friends with Ming Ze and his family gave him enough love to ease his pain but his wounds were never healed. And now, Yi Chen believes that he would spend the rest of his life like that. There's nothing that could be changed now.

Yi Chen was brought out of his thoughts when Lu Zhi's father placed a hand on his shoulder and called out his name, "Yi Chen, thank you so much for saving my daughter."

It was only then that Lu Ying noticed Yi Chen's presence in the ward. She looked at Lu Zhi with questioning her who gestured at her in a way that said 'I will explain it to you later.'

Bai Yan went over to stand beside her husband before pulling Yi Chen in her arms for a hug, "Thank you, son. This is the second time that you have saved her. I can't describe how thankful I am in mere words." she patted his back lightly before breaking the hug.

Yi Chen felt warmth spread across his chest, causing all the negative emotions to vanish. "You don't have to thank me, Mrs. Lu. Anybody would have done the same if they were in that situation."

Bai Yan smiled and patted Yi Chen's cheek affectionately before going back to her daughter's side. Lu Feng thanked him once again before he left to talk to the doctor.

Now that Lu Zhi was with her family, Yi Chen had no reason to stay there for any longer. He bade them goodbye and left for his office.

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Zhang Dong played with the paperweight at his desk as his assistant informed me about all that happened with and between Yi Chen and Lu Zhi. The assistant told Zhang Dong about the accident that the two had encountered and how Yi Chen had been in the hospital taking care of Lu Zhi until the latter's parents arrived.

Once the assistant finished reporting, Zhang Dong leaned back on his chair as smirked, "Even the luck is on my side." he knew about how Yi Chen had been trying to avoid Lu Zhi and was about to do something to bring them closer but it seems he didn't need to do that now.

"Everything will happen just as I want it to." he chuckled darkly while slamming the paperweight over his desk.

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Once in his office, Yi Chen went to the attached washroom to clean himself up and change his clothes. He had a meeting in 15 minutes so he needed to hurry. He was glad that his father hadn't noticed his absence yet.

It was when Yi Chen was unbuttoning his shirt that he noticed a faint but visible lipstick mark. He recognized the color, it was what Lu Zhi was wearing today. Dragging his fingertips lightly over the mark, Yi Chen recalled when he must have gotten the lip print on his shirt.

It was during the ride to the hospital when Lu Zhi had snuggled into his chest. The image of Lu Zhi curled up beside him on the car seat popped inside his mind making his heart start beating a little faster. At that time, he was extremely worried about Lu Zhi's safety so he didn't pay much attention to how it felt having her in his arms.

But now he did.

And to say that it shocked him, it would be an understatement.

After that incident years ago, Yi Chen would often feel repulsed whenever in close contact with women. Over the year he had been successful in masking the sickening chill that he always felt when a woman touched him. As his father would often say, a man has no weakness and in case he does, he never shows it.

That's why Yi Chen tried hard to control the nausea he would feel at being touched in an intimate way by a woman. A handshake, a formal hug, that didn't effect him much but the way he had been with Lu Zhi, the way he himself touched her and let her lean onto him, hug him, snuggle up-to him, that was a first for him.

It's been like that since the day he met Lu Zhi. Her touch never made him feel uncomfortable. In fact, with her things have been quite different lately. Yi Chen didn't have much time to ponder over it so he finished unbuttoning his shirt and threw it in the laundry basket.

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"What was Yi Chen doing there?" Lu Ying asked the question that she had been dying to ask since the moment she saw Zhang Yi Chen in Lu Zhi's ward at the hospital.

Lu Zhi rolled her eyes and laid down on the bed.

As she wasn't severely injured and didn't need to stay at the hospital, Lu Zhi was discharged about half an hour later after Yi Chen had left. Her family forbade her to go back to the estate and took her back to home.

After being hand fed a few pieces of fruit by her mother, Lu Zhi was now told to rest on bed for the whole day.

"Ying Ying, did you forget that I am working on designing a wedding gown for his mother. We met because Yi Chen wanted me to make another formal gown for her as a gift from him." told Lu Zhi. 

She had to lie as there's no way she could tell Lu Ying that she went to meet her could be future husband today. Her sister would murder her right there and then.

Lu Ying narrowed her eyes and kept on staring at Lu Zhi as if she was a police officer interrogating a hard core criminal. She knew how easy it is to for Lu Zhi to lie and get away with it. It was one of Lu Zhi's best skills. Her lies sound even truer than the truth and Lu Ying was very well aware of it.

"Why didn't he come meet you at the estate then? Why at the restaurant?" asked Lu Ying.

Again, Lu Zhi was quick to respond, "It was my treat. Remember I tore my dress at the gala? Well, Yi Chen helped me cover up and saved me for humiliation that night. I just wanted to thank him. That's all."

"Hhhmm." even though there was no reason for Lu Ying to doubt Lu Zhi but she had this nagging feeling that her sister was lying to her.

"Fine!" Lu Ying relented and didn't take it any further. She was just worried for Lu Zhi especially after what happened the last time she and Yi Chen were together. Lu Ying didn't want another set of crazy rumors to start making headlines again.

Lu Ying wrapped her arms around her sister and laid beside her on the bed, "Don't you have to be at office?"

"I am the boss, I can take a day off whenever I want. Nobody is going to question me." replied Lu Ying as she closed her eyes, "Now, sleep."

"I am not sleepy. I have already slept enough." said Lu Zhi but her statement ended with a yawn.

"Yeah, I can see that. But I am feeling sleepy today, so let's just sleep." commented Lu Ying.

"I am not -" suddenly Lu Zhi started feeling a little tired and drowsy.

"Yeah, yeah." muttered Lu Ying. It was all that Lu Zhi heard before she fell asleep.

Lu Feng and Bai Yan were watching the two sisters from the door. They have been like this since they were babies. They knew what the other wanted and needed and would do whatever they can to help the other.

The parents smiled seeing their daughters sleeping. They were safe and sound and that was enough for the parents. They wished that their daughters would remain like that for the rest of their lives.

Closing the door, Bai Yan and Lu Feng went away, letting their daughters rest.