Xiao Qi and The Crown Prince pt1

"Master!" Xiao Qi wined as she looked up at the Crown Prince. Zhao Xing didn't know whether she was seeing things, but she felt Xiao Qi was acting a bit…spoiled?

Zhang Zhengyang had a small smile on his face, if one looked closer they could see the satisfaction in his eyes as he watched Xiao Qi kneel.

Xiao Chen who was standing behind his master, also smiled at the scene.

Zhao Xing watched them in confusion, feeling out of place, she decided to stand behind Zhang Zhengyang and watched what was about to unfold. Was Zhang Zhengyang really planning on selling Xiao Qi?

"Why don't you get up first?" Said the Crown Prince, but Xiao Qi didn't budge, and Brother Mo, who was like her little faithful follower also remained kneeling.

The Crown Prince shook his head helplessly. "Though I like it when you act submissive like this, I also don't want to receive your submission in vain." He sighed as he looked up ahead, "I only plan on borrowing you to someone for a while, to help me look after them. Don't think too much, among my people, aren't you one of the best skilled? How could I send you away? I'm not giving you to anyone."

Zhao Xing looked at Zhang Zhengyang. He seemed like a gentle master. Here she was thinking he'd be mad and probably go as far as killing people. He didn't seem like those cruel male leads in the stories she used to read. Well he was planning to harm his father so…she couldn't say for sure.

Anyway, he wasn't a character in a story, neither was she in a book, a comic or a drama. It's be good if she was though. It'd be even better if she was some place where she had seen before, so she could at least know the plot, but no, she didn't know where in the universe she was! Or if she was even in the universe in the first place.

Hearing this Xiao Qi's eyes widened, and she quickly got on her feet, Brother Mo following suite. "Master really isn't sending me away, then why all the rumors?"

Zhang Zhengyang didn't answer her and walked away.

"Master, wait ah." Xiao Qi quickly followed him.

Zhao Xing shook her head, "tut, tut, if I didn't know, I'd think Xiao Qi was the Crown Prince's childhood sweetheart. Look at him, look at the way he's smiling." She mumbled to herself.

"Sister Qi is back, the peaceful days in the manor are coming to an end."

"Indeed."

"Everyone is mostly on the Grand Tutor's side, if she knows would bully us?"

"I don't think so…I mean she wouldn't, right?"

"…"

But, Big sister Qi has really changed during the past years, look at her, it' just as the Master had once said, she's indeed turned into a beauty."

"Master said that?"

"Buddy, it seems you're new and don't know…"

Zhao Xing overheard the guards gossiping, and was suddenly interested. She had also thought it was weird. So it turns out that Zhang Zhengyang had actually called a girl beautiful!

She couldn't imagine it. Yes, he looked like a gentleman at first glance, but one would get this sinister feeling coming from him whenever he smiled. He was like a snake, or crocodile, always smiling but plotting evil underneath. So she couldn't imagine him actually being gentle, or sincerely praise someone, not to mention a woman!

With so much curiosity in her, she couldn't help but approach the guards to hear more, it sounded interesting but she had her own questions to ask, so she shamelessly walked up to them.

"Noble Princess." They greeted looking somewhat alert as if they had been caught doing something bad, these days they changed the way they addressed her, from 'Grand Tutor' to 'Noble Princess'.

She didn't have the time for formalities and went straight to the point.

"Eh, you said the Crown Prince actually called Sister Qi pretty?"

When they heard the question, they were stunned, they knew she was shameless, it was the only face she showed them during her stay at the manor, always doing one silly thing or the other, but it always surprised them whenever she did. Now she actually wanted to join them as they gossiped about their master and Sister Qi. Wasn't this young lady terrifying in her own way? Walking up to a group of men and acting so freely.

"…" they were a bit speechless at first, the relationship between the Master and the Grand Tutor was still unclear. Somehow many already took her as the madam in the mansion, and would listen to her and do what she asked. Now that their Sister Qi who was once the pampered lady in the house, was back, they didn't really know who to side with. But who were they to make the decision. Right now the person that was most favored was she, the Grand Tutor. And it seemed even if her looks where ordinary, their master was still unmoved, and even threatened to send her away.

They felt sad for their Sister Qi who had now lost favor.

If Zhao Xing knew what all the people in the manor thought of her, she would surely puke blood, and accuse Zhang Zhengyang of framing her once more, and causing such a huge misunderstanding.

"Y...yes…Master had indeed said so, but that was a long time ago, I don't think Master has the same thoughts now." One of them replied.

"Oh…" Zhao Xing thought something was wrong with the way they answered but didn't care too much and continued asking.

"So that means that Sister Qi…and the Crown Prince, their relationship…" Zhao Xing pried further.

"No, no, no, absolutely not…" The guards felt they were extremely unlucky today to run into this ancestor as they gossiped. In the future they would have to really check their surroundings before they say a word. If the Grand Tutor doubted their words and went to cause trouble with the Crown Prince, it would be finished for them all!

Zhao Xing nodded, and lost interest. She thanked them before walking away with creased brows. She felt the guards were acting weird today. She only asked such a small question, yet they seemed as if their lives were on the line.

'Maybe, they're suffering from trauma due to the battles they've been through in the past?' She thought. She heard about soldiers being like that back in her world. She shook her head, feeling they were indeed pitiful.

Unfortunately she didn't think they'd be any doctor that could help them in this world.

When she arrived her place, Nuo Nuo and Lan'er where waiting for her.

"Grand Tutor."

They greeted and she nodded at them, she was exhausted and wanted to sleep. The thing about Xiao Qi, and brother Mo, it was fine if they weren't going to be sold out or punished so she could put her mind at ease.

"You two, I'm going to sleep, let no one disturb me, not even that Master of yours."

The two maids were used to her vulgar way of talking and didn't say anything about it, they bowed in acknowledgement and helped her get ready for bed. It was around three o'clock in the afternoon, though the weather was indeed getting cold, on afternoons like these the sun was still high, and it would still be a bit hot, in addition, she had eaten too much, 'sleep' was the only thing in her mind at that moment. Anyone who dared disturb her was dead meat.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qi had followed her Master along with Brother Mo and Xiao Chen to the study.

She didn't know who her master was going to 'borrow' her to. That time she was on a mission, but then word came to her that her master had asked for her to return to the capital, but who knew that on her way back she'd hear a lot of rumors among the Crown Prince's people about him giving her away to other people. She didn't ask any questions, whatever it was she would have to hear it from the Master himself.

"Master…"

"Um?"

Xiao Qi took a deep breath, "Then the person Master wants to borrow me to..?"

Zhang Zhengyang smiled mischievously, "Someone you're very familiar with."

Xiao Qi became serious, and thought back on the many people the Master had sent her to in the paste, including those she had to investigate, she was completely oblivious to what her Master had in mind.

"Then does the Master require me to disguise myself?" She was used to her master not being straight whenever he was ordering people to do something. It would require them sometimes to probe further to get a clear understanding of their mission. Sometimes if they were lucky he'd go straight to the point, other times he would reply them coldly, and they would have to use their brains.

"Um." He replied plainly, then continued. "In a few days Zhao Xing would be leaving to her Noble Princess manor."

Xiao Qi looked a little confused at the sudden change of subject. "Master..?"

"You'll be following her, she's the one I'm borrowing you to, you'll treat her as if she was your Master."

'What?'