Chapter 43 - Obviously Jealous

Seeing Pan Qiyi losing her past glory, Dong Ling was pleased!

“Cool!” thought she.

It had been long since she last worked off her anger. She gave a mysterious smile.

Wu Jitian noticed every move she made. He looked as calm as a lake while no one could tell what he was thinking about.

When Dong Ling regained consciousness, she looked into his blazing eyes. Oh, she looked away immediately.

“Doomed!” Dong Ling thought, “He saw how I punched that girl! Would he think I’m a cruel girl with a bad temper?”

“Uh… I’m going back to my room.” said Dong Ling after she finished. But Wu Jitian’s voice stopped her.

“You never hurt a girl. What did Pan Qiyi do?” asked Wu Jitian in a low, but attractive voice. Dong Ling wondered how to reply.

As far as he knew Dong Ling, she wouldn’t have punched Pan Qiyi if the latter only teased her.

“She…” Dong Ling tried to explain for herself. But she didn’t know what the hell to say and she just paused.

Pan Qiyi said something to satirize Dong Ling. What her maid said pulled the trigger!

According to women’s intuition, they two hated each other long ago!

Wu Jitian was to blame. He was charming and girls fell in love with him whenever he showed up. What was worse, he ignored them.

Dong Ling was the only one who worried.

She was obviously jealous! But she thought she was helping Wu Jitian to get rid of noisy girls.

Wu Jitian could tell that she punched Pan Qiyi for him and it really pleased him. He took up Dong Ling’s hand and brought her back to his mansion.

It wasn’t the first time that they held hands. But Dong Ling still felt her hand burning. Her heart raced uncontrollably. When she was trying to get rid of his hand, Wu Jitian held her more tightly.

“Do you want me to be laughed at in front of my own mansion?” asked Wu Jitian in confusion as he looked back.

Dong Ling came back to herself then. She looked at those onlookers who still stood in front of the main door and she let him take her back to his mansion submissively.

Getting inside the room, Wu Jitian didn’t mean to let go of her. Instead, he took up her hand and checked it carefully. He said with great concern, “Sorry.”

Dong Ling was shocked. What a surprise that Wu Jitian apologized to her! And she didn’t know why.

“I’ve been too busy to take care of you! I’m sorry!” Wu Jitian apologized seriously when he turned to look into her eyes.

“I…” Dong Ling tried to say something. But before she could, tears rolled down her face. She choked with sobs and felt the pain in her throat. She didn’t know why she cried. All she could feel was the grievance out of no reason.

Her sudden tears panicked Wu Jitian. He wanted to wipe off her tears. Just as he was going to touch her face, he paused because he thought it wasn’t proper to touch a girl like that. He then used his sleeve to dry up her tears.

It was the first time that Dong Ling cried in front of Wu Jitian. Right at this moment, she was no longer a strong girl who was good at marital arts, but a weak one.

“I’m sorry!” Dong Ling apologized, “I shouldn’t have punched her in front of your mansion. I was too angry to hold back my anger.”

As she spoke, she sobbed. And she sounded pitiful.

Wu Jitian’s heart was softened. He wanted to hug her, but it was impolite. He had no choice, but to comfort her with words, “It’s okay. I don’t care for reputation stuff. You’re the only one that I care for.”

With tears in her eyes, Dong Ling calmed down a lot. She wiped her tears hard with her sleeve and it got wet immediately.

“As long as you want it, you can rebuild your reputation.” said Dong Ling after she calmed herself down.

Wu Jitian understood her. She meant he could rebuild his reputation by achieving new military exploit.

“Dong Ling.” Wu Jitian replied after a long silence, “The border is in a turbulent state, even worse than it was when I was there.”

“Bandits or Xiongnu?” asked Dong Ling in a low voice. Wu Jitian was talking seriously, which made her nervous, too.

“Xiongnu. Their prince is an evil guy. He has colluded with bandits. He promised them high position and wealth so that they could attack us together someday.”

As Wu Jitian explained, he walked to the window and looked up at the starry sky. He looked restless with anxiety.

Xiongnu were tall and strong. But they were easy to deal with, because they had bottom lines for their own country. Bandits, on the contrary, were demons. They enjoyed nothing, but the fun of killing people and burning things!

If they worked together, it would be harder to defend the border!

“The crown prince is now taking care of the border stuff, isn’t he? How is he dealing with them?” asked Dong Ling. She always asked Lin Zang for some political news. So, she knew something.

“Wu Jiming has never fought a war.” Wu Jitian explained to her, “What can he help with empty talk only? And his subordinate generals… They’re gluttonous and lazy losers! Lin Zang could defeat a hundred of them! We can’t depend on them to fight Xiongnu or bandits, unless in our dreams!”

Suddenly, he felt something soft touching his back. He looked back and it was Dong Ling’s hand. She put her hand on his back, as if she were supporting him silently.

“What’s your plan then?” she asked, “Fight back?”

“Now, my father misunderstands me less. But unfortunately, many ministers fix their eyes on me in the court. I’m not allowed to go back to the border.”

Wu Jitian replied and shook his head. The feeling of helplessness welled up.

He used to be a free guy. Under no circumstance had he ever expected himself to be stuck in political problem!

“It’s okay. It all defends on our effort. As long as you want it, I’ll fight with you.” said Dong Ling when she looked firmly into his eyes.

Her heart ached for him.

Dong Ling paused and then continued, “May I ask for something?”

“What is it?” Wu Jitian wondered.

“I want to move out and find an official job by myself.” Dong Ling explained.

Wu Jitian looked at her. Her eyes were shining. He knew it was her initial dream!

When she knew he failed to help with that, she compromised and planned to get what she wanted by herself.

“Fine. Do what you want to.” Wu Jitian replied squarely.

They looked at each other and smiled.

A couple of days later, Lin Zang found a small house for Dong Ling at Lotus Alley in the south of the capital. Small though it was, it looked nice.

“Wow, it’s a big garden.” Dong Ling said, “I can practice martial arts here.”

Lin Zang had everything arranged before he showed Dong Ling and Wu Jitian around the house.

“I like this place. Thank you, Lin Zang!”

Saying that, Dong Ling was about to extend her gratitude to Lin Zang with a bow, but he hastily stopped her.

After all Lin Zang had followed Wu Jitian for so long, so he felt himself to know about his highness well. It was the first time that Wu Jitian had had so much patience with and care for a girl. His consideration for Miss Dong was so apparent that everyone could know.

“How about dinning here tonight? My treat, ok?” Wu Jitian looked at Dong Ling gently.

“Ok, we all eat here.”

“Great. I’ll prepare now.”

The mood of the three were light; so was the atmosphere.…

The Imperial Palace.

“Your Majesty. According to maids of the Dong family, Miss Dong Ling greatly changed after an accident. She got smarter, but more irascible as well.”

“Okay. I see.” replied the emperor Wu Long.

Since Wu Jitian took away Dong Ling that day, her back view had been imprinted in Wu Long’s heart.