Mei Gongqing

Though the smile on his face was light, it was openly happy and joyful... Chen Rong had made her appearance in order to thwart the aristocratic girls. At the same time, she was being different from her usual distant self. She wasn’t being biting or sarcastic, but cunning, confident, and even capricious like when they had first met.

Faced with Wang Hong’s outstretched hand, it was now Chen Rong’s turn to be flustered... She cast her eyes down and then at length stretched her fair slender hand and placed it onto his.

When their hands joined, Wang Hong’s fingers trembled despite himself. Joy glinted in his eyes... Has she finally stopped being stubborn?

Their carriages pulled to a simultaneous stop.

He held her hand and drew her to his carriage.

He pulled her into his arms as soon as she got in. Chen Rong could hardly breathe from his hug. She did not struggle, however. She quietly lay in his arms and let his strong hug surround her.

Wang Hong bowed his head and nudged his face against her neck, his voice slightly flustered: “Ah Rong, today I’m really...” He swallowed the rest of his unspoken words, simply kissed her nape and happily said, “Ah Rong, I’m really happy right now.”

Because Wang Hong was a reserved and reticent person, the word “happy” almost sounded as if it uncontrollably escaped from his mouth.

Her gaze remained downcast. Seemingly unaware of his excitement and happiness, she merely asked, “I’m a nun. Is it all right for me to sit in your carriage like this?”

Wang Hong stilled.

She slowly pulled open his arms wanting to leave his hold.

Wang Hong did not loosen his arms. He softly pleaded, “Ah Rong, let me hold you a while longer.”

He hugged her, closed his eyes and softly pressed his lips on her neck murmuring: “Ah Rong, give me some time to think... there has to be a way to make His Majesty forget you, so that you can free yourself from this Daoist identity.”

Chen Rong turned around to look at him and softly shook her head.

“You don’t have to, I’m doing fine. Life and death is not up to the individual to decide. Why must you dwell on this, Qilang? Why must you insist I be with you?”

She glanced sideways at him and smiled. “Aren’t things good now? I’ll keep on being a nun my whole life, and just the same you go marry your wife and take in your concubines... is that still not good enough?” He’ll have everything he wants, is that still not good enough?

Wang Hong watched Chen Rong.

His embrace stiffened. His mouth suddenly felt bitter and he could not bring himself to laugh.

They heard horse hooves at this time.

Soon after, a high-pitched voice sounded outside: “Is Priestess Hong Yunzi here?”

This was the voice belonging to the young eunuch who had welcomed her into the palace. “Aye,” Chen Rong hurriedly replied.

The eunuch dabbed his sweat and smilingly said, “How fortunate, His Majesty says he had discovered an interesting game and would like you to come back to the palace to play with him.” He paused before adding, “His Majesty also said that if Wang Qi won’t stop clinging onto the priestess then he may also come along. His Majesty said that though Wang Qi is foolish, he promises not to tell anyone.”

His shrill voice resonated such that passersby stopped and strangely looked at them... And yet he said the Emperor promises not to tell?

Once again, Wang Hong fell quiet.

Bitterness spread in his mouth.

By this time, more and more passersby had gathered. They whispered among themselves and eagerly looked in Wang Hong’s direction.

From time to time a voice or two was heard: “This is Lang’ya Wang Qi’s carriage.”

“His Majesty says that he’s foolish, I wonder in what way?”

“There’s a secret in the carriage. Wait and see.”

“Qilang Qilang, let us see you.”

Throughout the commotion, Wang Hong’s hand was kept firmly on Chen Rong’s waist.

He looked down at her.

She had an amused look on her face. She was nestled in his arms like a baby chick, in her eyes was the tender longing he had always wished to see from her...The problem was that the timing was very wrong.

They had only left the palace, yet he was holding a nun in his carriage, whispering sweet nothings in the eyes of the public...

As he looked at her, it suddenly dawned on him that only a few hours had passed since Chen Rong was called to the palace, yet things had changed too quickly for him to react... More importantly, the emperor’s wiles and Chen Rong’s words, together, were looking more like two pranksters who were shamming him.

Wang Hong quietly looked down at Chen Rong.

In his arms was the purest of softness and warmth.

His hug suddenly tightened around her.

He rested his chin on her hair, closed his eyes and asked, “Is this another one of your tricks, Ah Rong?”

His lips brushed across her earlobe, tickling her with a warm breath: “You thought that Lang’ya Wang Qi as the heir of the Wang House would care about his reputation... so that the world does not prove his foolishness, Lang’ya Wang Qi will restrain himself from approaching Ah Rong. Did His Majesty or someone from my family promise you that as long as you did this, even if Wang Qi leaves you, even if Wang Qi no longer protects you, they would, in Wang Qi’s place, guarantee your well-being?”

Even if the contemporary scholars did view the unconventional as beauty and the contrary as fashionable, to liaise with a woman he had once forsaken and a nun no less was ultimately not brilliant but absurd.

Such an affair would be detrimental to his reputation.

He quietly watched Chen Rong, his fingers combing through her hair.

He was waiting for an answer.

Chen Rong softly shook her head. “It’s not entirely like that.”

“I...” She was afraid. She was afraid of his kindness. She was afraid she would not be able to conceal her feelings. It was fear.

She feared she would be moved one day, that time would soften her resolve and erase the painful lesson she had learned... If one simple method could alienate him and give her the protection and peace she wanted, then she felt it was worthwhile to try.

She didn’t expect him to detect her trick before the show even began.

At this time the shouts and laughter outside had grown much rowdier. Young girls were crowding around the carriage and reaching for its curtain.

Wang Hong impatiently frowned to hear the noises. He raised his voice and coldly bade, “Get rid of them.”

Taken aback, it took a few moments for the guards to respond. They rode to the front and began shouting at the crowd.

When had the gentlemanly Wang Qilang ever treated them this way? The young girls couldn’t believe their ears. While the guards drove them away, one hurriedly called out, “Qilang, Qilang, is it you? Did you really say that?”

Amid her cries, several others broke into tears.

Wang Hong simply did not care. He bowed his head and paid only Chen Rong his attention.

His elegant hand swept across her hair, giving a tug when his fingers reached her bun.

Her Daoist headdress fell off and allowed her dark hair to cascade down her shoulders.

He gently captured her chin and lifted it.

As they were looking into each other’s eyes, Wang Hong lowered his head to Chen Rong’s lips and murmured, “You’re wrong Ah Rong.”

Wrong?

Chen Rong blinked quizzically.

His lips moved back to her eyes, kissing her long lashes as he whispered, “Do you think I care about this reputation?”

He chuckled, exhaling warmth onto her face. “I do a little if I were to be completely honest... But I’d rather be ridiculed by the world if it means having you in my arms.”

As soon as he said this, he raised his right hand and pulled on the curtain.

The people outside turned to look.

They were stunned to see Wang Hong passionately kissing a nun.

The eunuch who came on the order of the emperor was also in for a shock.

All sounds were sucked into a deafening silence.

Wang Hong was still clasping Chen Rong in this silence. He held her face and, ignoring the crowd’s scrutiny, bit the tip of her nose while capriciously saying: “Look, darling, you’re mine again.”

Having said this, he wrapped his arms around Chen Rong in front of everyone and then looked up at the eunuch. He slightly cocked his head, flashed a smile and politely said, “Please report back to His Majesty that my lady doesn’t have time to play with him right now. Perhaps another day.”

He then knitted his brow and graciously asked, “What is delaying you?”

The young eunuch was at a complete loss for words. He wanted to retort but Wang Hong had said that Priestess Hong Yunzi was his. If Wang Hong said she was his in front of everyone, how would a eunuch like him possibly force them to go?

He gave Wang Hong a bow and then rode away.

The people from the palace had left in the midst of clopping hooves, but the aristocrats and commoners alike were still standing around to watch...