The Dragon's Flower

XH 17

It was not even night time, yet there was a young girl hiding in the bed. Xiao Hua was currently feeling miserable with her optimistic side collapsed, unable to control her mind from imagining terrible scenarios.

An Jing had not forced her to accept the Third Prince’s choices and fight for him, but what she said was just for Xiao Hua to broaden her view and tried to encourage her to support the Third Prince. For An Jing to do this way to get Xiao Hua to stand on the Third Prince’s side could be taken in a way that she genuinely wanted Xiao Hua to help the Third Prince without resorting to blackmail or force but pure free will.

But could servants have free will to choose their own master?

Actually, reader Le XiaoTing truly pitied the Third Prince. The Third Prince possessed good looks that bewitched both males and females alike, and have a delicate and gentle character. It was a miracle that he had survived until now. The Empress had done well to protect her son and still capable of letting him remain untainted by cruelty, for usually, those with royal bloodline were swimming deep in it.

The author had described his beauty, praising him to be the most beautiful in Guilin country, but being bias by praising the hero and heroine to heaven.  However, Xiao Hua had truly been star struck by the Third Prince’s looks. If he looked this awesome, could the hero and heroine look even more breathtaking?!

Speaking of the Third Prince’s face, Xiao Hua still could not get used to it. Le XiaoTing’s boss looked eerily just like the Third Prince, except that the prince was more feminine!

Remembering her boss make Le XiaoTing remembered just how she transmigrated here in the first place! Her anger towards her boss tripled as it was partly his fault that she died and ended up possessing Xiao Hua’s body! She supposed that she was pretty lucky that she did not encounter Xiao Hua’s spirit or else they would be fighting over this body.

That would be terrifying if her soul was chewed by original Xiao Hua until there would not be enough for her to reincarnate!

Le XiaoTing’s guilty pleasure was reading Chinese romance novels during her free time... and work hours. Despite not able to read Chinese characters, she could still use Google translate to read! There were also plenty of translators that translated them into English for readers such as her to enjoy!

On the day of the incident, it was actually the same day that the author had posted the epilogue of this novel and the comment page was filled with dozens of comments. Le XiaoTing was not a busybody, but she felt that the ending was unsatisfying and more than lacking in substance so she decided to read through the comments to see if other readers had caught some interpretation behind the character’s actions in the novel that she had missed out.

It so happens to be during work hours so she used her office laptop to indulge her guilty pleasure while acting as if she was enthusiastically doing her job. She was so absorbed in reading the increasing interesting comments that she had not noticed her boss was calling for her. It was when he suddenly rapped her desk sharply did she jerked back to reality.

Her first, unconscious reaction was to click on the close button of the window page, not wanting to be caught doing something unrelated to work. However, at the same time, her other hand tried to push down her laptop screen in reflex, a habit she had assumed she had it broken years ago. She had developed that habit during her university days when she wanted to hide her screen from her busybody friends. 

Unfortunately, Le XiaoTing had forgotten the existence of a cup filled with hot chocolate that was placed right beside her laptop, the important instrument that aid to her downfall. Thanks to her clumsy hand, she had unbalanced the cup and the content splashed all over her laptop and cables.

When she saw the stained cables, Le XiaoTing got panicked and grabbed the cable, stupidly thinking to unplug them without switching the power off. Predictably, she got electrocuted. In her mind, she cursed the tech department for ignoring her request to hide her wires from plain view on her desk!

When she finally wakes up, she felt embarrassed and ashamed. But those feelings were not needed when she found herself in a totally different place with a totally different body.

Her face was spotted with this expression (ʘ ʖ̯ ʘ) for a long time before turning to  。゜゜(´Ｏ`) ゜゜。expression.

Xiao Hua let out a loud sigh, not afraid that it would be heard by anyone. She was alone in the room, sprawled over the soft bed accompanied by her misery. The pillow was surprisingly comfortable, unlike those hard pillows used for props in a movie. The bedding to cover the hard bed underneath was unexpectedly thick and soft. A thin and smooth blanket came along with it in a matching design and it was remarkably warm enough to keep the cold wind away.

Perhaps if she tried to get a thunder to strike her, she can go back? But the fearful Xiao Hua would never attempt it even if there might be a possibility that it might work. 

Could she escape death if she chooses to help the hero and heroine? In the novel, the author had written that the heroine helped her people, but if they have thoughts that they should not have, they will be discarded in a terrible way.

Xiao Hua could not accept that reasoning, even if it works extremely well in making sure no one dared to betray her.

But she was not willing to jump into their ship mainly because of the hero! The Second Prince was the perfect example of handsome, powerful and arrogant! Most novels’ male lead was just like him!

He would not hesitate to sacrifice his servants if it could save himself or his beloved waifu! Even the two maids that the hero had brought to protect the heroine were told to sacrifice themselves so that the heroine can escape from danger!

Xiao Hua had no choice but to give up on seeking a safe haven from the hero and heroine. Now, she can only stay with the weak Third Prince. Maybe she can encourage the Third Prince to get stronger and run far away from Guilin Country?

Xiao Hua sighed yet again, feeling it was a hopeless and difficult task. All she wanted was to go home, why was it so difficult ah?!

“What is this prince’s maid worried about?”

Xiao Hua bolted upright from her worm posture and spotted the Third Prince sitting at the end of the bed, looking gorgeous as ever. The sun was setting down, casting shadows into the room from her window. There was a tall but thin tree right outside the window, and its shadow danced on the Third Prince’s frame, forming beautiful scenery to be admired.

Wait, what am I thinking? Xiao Hua mentally slapped her ‘Love Beautiful Things’ side away and focused on the main issue.

“Third Prince, what orders do you have for this servant?” Xiao Hua quickly composed herself.

“There’s no order. This prince is here to see if you are doing well. But you look as if something troubles you.”

“Nothing troubles this servant!” Her chin was grabbed and forced to tilt upward to look at the Third Prince.

The Third Prince was frowning as if he had seen something that he disapproved. “You are about to cry.”

Had you ever experience the time when you were depressed and then someone asked if you are crying even when you were fighting to hold back your tears? Then you feel something inside you gotten freed and you started to cry?

That was what occurred to Xiao Hua now. She tried to hold it in, but she failed as the body wanted to vent her frustration.

How embarrassing! (*/▽＼*)

 

“Prince, please let go of me!” Xiao Hua tried to turn her face away to hide her crying face but the grip on her chin was unyielding but strangely the grip was not painful at all.

She stopped struggling when the Third Prince suddenly used his thumb to wipe her tears. His touch was gentle as he patiently wiped her tears away without recoiling from the dirtiness. Even her tears got obedient and stopped leaking.

“Now, tell this prince what bothers you.”

This young lady almost forgets her problems because of you!

“Why does Your Highness wish to know? I am only a servant, someone that a prince does not need to concern with.”

“You are my personal servant. Your concerns will affect me when your attention should only be on me.”

Dear Ikemen, do you know your words make this lady’s heart beating like crazy?! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

“My worries will not affect my duty to you, Your Highness.”

This beautiful prince, can you move your head away?! You are too close!

Xiao Hua could see the Third Prince’s face clearly from such a close distance. A man, with such a beautiful face, along with smooth and glowing skin was almost unfair. What did he eat and wash his face to have this beautiful skin?

“You don’t trust this prince?” His voice was surprisingly soft and calming yet it gave off a dangerous feeling that makes Xiao Hua cautious.

“T-This servant don’t dare.”

“Then tell this prince your troubles.” The Third Prince let out a peal of alluring laughter. “You are pretty daring, to make this prince begs you.”

“No! I-I mean-”

“Speak,” the Third Prince cut her off with a demanding tone.

“I’m just worried about you!” The stark surprise on his face helped her to realize she just said something inappropriate.

Oh dear, why did she say it that way?! It’s open to many interpretations! Σ(°ロ°)