Chapter 211 - Advent of the Grouch

Lei Xing sighed as she stood up and walked over to the painting which the servants had just finished hanging it up. As she looked over the scene before her and she sighed again.

{...It is a really beautiful scene, and he obviously spent a lot of time into it...If I just throw it into storage, even if he doesn't say anything, it would hurt him...That's why...And I honestly like it, it's an amazing piece. It's just...unnerving, you know...}

{...*Hmmm...Your frozen heart has truly thawed, mostly~ *sniff* You know at some point I was starting to thinking that it was impossible for you, but my brilliant self had hope and found th-...}

{...Hey, the lake is still on the table -_-)...}

{...*Hehehe~ Relax, I'm just joking...But now you have a reason that explains your knowledge of these paintings thanks to me~ Be grateful! ^_^)...}

{...I guess "the connection" thing does explain it. I did get that idea before...BUT why didn't you tell me about this when I mentioned this to you before? ≖_≖ )...}

In the past, during one of their random conversations, Lei Xing had mentioned the uncanny paintings and she had even asked if it could explain this occurrence to her. But then it just brushed her off instead of responding.

{...*Well, that was a long time ago. We learn through experience and you are a lot more receptive now~...}

{...So still the "You wouldn't have understood then" excuse? -_-)...}

{...*Hehe~ It is a great one ^_^)...}

Lei Xing took a deep breath and rolled her eyes and continued admiring the scene before her. 

{...Still, it's odd...}

{...*Life is full of oddities, we just have to lea-...}

The bracelet broke off as Lei Xing felt arms wrap around her waist and a warm body come up behind hers. There was only one person who would ever do that to her and Lei Xing instinctively turned in his direction with a smile. The Emperor nuzzled into her neck and sent a quiver running down to her toes as he kissed her neck and whispered, "I've missed you." 

Lei Xing was on the verge of responding with a 'me too' but caught her tongue before the words left her mouth. She faced forward as she turned red and knit her eyebrows. Perhaps it was because of this new knowledge of a soulmate kind of connection between them that made her feel like she had not seen him in a long while, but she actually felt like she missed him.

{...It's only been a few hours...*sigh* It's just been too long of a day -_-)...}

"I'm glad that you like it." The Emperor said. He was happy when he came in to find that she had hung up his painting and even happier to find her so absorbed in it she did not notice his entry.

The Emperor moved to stand at her side with one arm still around her. Lei Xing glanced behind and was relieved to find the room empty. 

The Emperor raised an eyebrow at her and then held her face and turned it back to him, still smiling at her. Lei Xing returned his smile and brought a hand up and took his hand in hers and brought it down. The Emperor's eyes immediately fixed on her wrist as her sleeve re-covered it. He raised her hand back up and her sleeve eased to reveal her wrist and the bracelet and then he knit his brows and asked, "You're wearing it again?" 

"Ah, I've decided to keep it." She dismissively said and then remembered the bracelet's request and immediately retrieved her hand from his and went to remove the bracelet. And it easily slipped off and she smiled as she watched it slip off her wrist. She glanced at the Emperor's arm holding her and then let out a happy sigh.

{...Can't believe it's always been this easy (￣▽￣ ')...}

Lei Xing dropped the bracelet on the bookshelf closest to her to spare it the annoyance of their "connection". Then she smiled at the Emperor, whose eyes remained trained on the bracelet on the shelf, trying to make sense of what her issue was with this bracelet.

Lei Xing followed his eyes and went and kissed his cheek and that was enough to shift his attention back to her. He smiled at her and was about to lean down to kiss her when Lei Xing turned back to the painting and asked, "Why did you gift this to me? It meant a lot to you, didn't it? You even changed the name..."

"Changed the name?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You called it the...goodluck something - I'm sorry, my memory is quite bad sometimes." Lei Xing said looking down, embarrassed.

{...Actually I have a great memory, it's just that was a shocking encounter for me so not my fault! T_T)...}

The Emperor smiled and pat her head, "Harbinger of good luck?"

"Yes, that!" Lei Xing said perking up. 

The Emperor's smile brightened and he explained, "Well, that wasn't the name. It was just..." He turned to the painting and then sighed, "...the sentiment that I felt whenever I looked at it..."

Then he turned back to Lei Xing and brought a hand up to caress her cheek, "But yesterday when I looked at it after you left the royal study, the sentiment became a new beginning. So I decided then that it was to be yours, ours..." He corrected with a warm smile as he stroked her face.

Lei Xing glanced at the painting and thought over his words.

{...A new beginning...Soulmates, energies...I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around that but-...}

The Emperor turned Lei Xing's face back towards him and leaned down to kiss her. Lei Xing raised her head up towards him as she smiled to herself.

{... I guess it's not too bad of a thing, as impossible as it may be...}

Lei Xing happily dived into the kiss, happily indulging in the warmth. The two were busy enjoying each other's warm embrace when an unexpected guest popped in.

{...*Hey...Hey -_-)...Hey! HEY! ANSWER ME! >_

The Emperor suddenly yanked back from Lei Xing with a frown with the Voice's shout in his head. Lei Xing blinked up at him in surprise and confusion and then she asked, "What's wrong?"

{...*Are you going to ignore me too? -_-)...}

{...Too? -...}

{...*None of your business! ( ￣^￣ )...}

The Emperor let out a breath in irritation, he was not keen on anyone getting in the way of his time his Xing er', which was why all the servants cleared out the moment he entered and were pretty much outside guarding the door against intruders. The Emperor closed his eyes and sighed.

{...But I guess I can't guard my mind...}

"Are you okay?" Lei Xing worriedly asked touching the Emperor's face to get his attention. It was then that he realized that he had still not answered her question just now. He grabbed her hand, smiled and responded, "I'm fine."

{...*Are you annoyed with me? Oh, am I in the way? -_-)'...}

{...Of course not...What's wrong?...}

{...*Nothing...Must something be wrong for me to talk to you now? Huh? Not too long ago you used to search for me -_-)...}

The Emperor's face twitched and he knit his brows, but still, he held back his ire.

{...I guess not...}

{...*Good, you still know to respect your elders ~ ^_^)...Unlike a certain someone ( ￣^￣ )...}

{...And who would that be?...}

{...*None of your business! >_

"Are you sure?" Lei Xing inquired after the Emperor again. He really did not seem okay and his expression at the moment was very weird. He was smiling but the smile seemed to have morphed into something between a glare and a grin. She was also confused as to why his mood suddenly became weird.

The Emperor quickly corrected his expression to a proper smile and pulled her to go sit down.

{...So?...What is it?...}

{...*...}

{...Are you there?...}

{...*...}

{...Hello?...}

The Voice no longer responded and the Emperor knit his brows in annoyance as he wondered why the Voice would just pop up to ruin the mood for them.

It was odd.

They sat down and then Lei Xing frowned at the distracted Emperor and was about to inquire after his welfare again, worried that he might be feeling ill or something. But the Emperor noticed her frown and smiled at her. 

Since the mood was ruined, he decided to get down to the "reason" he used as an excuse to leave his work and seek her out, "I came to inform you that your cousin was sent off to Fenli temple this morning. It is a temple in the Northern region, farthest from the capital as per your request. I also sent the two maids who testified against you along with her..."

Lei Xing slightly pursed her lips and he noticed, but before she could speak, he added, "...Regardless of whatever the truth was, it was not their place to interfere or stir up trouble, therefore they need to be punished. But as per your request, they will be employed as temple staff and their families will receive their pay. Moreover, they will only be required to serve there for four years. That should alleviate whatever guilt you might feel towards them..." The Emperor said stroking her face and then added, "But your cousin's sentence is indefinite..."

Lei Xing nodded, it sounded reasonable enough and then she knit her brows and asked, "What about Chun Hua?"

"Ah, her..." The Emperor smiled, "She should be resting in a chamber somewhere. She wants to meet you~" 

"Me? Why?" Lei Xing exclaimed. The Emperor snorted, "It is quite obvious..."

Lei Xing knit her brows and then thought that the girl must want to apologize to her about the whole incident or something.

"Will you meet her? You might as well..." The Emperor offhandedly said. Lei Xing thought for a bit and then sighed, "I guess." 

"Great. Let's go." The Emperor said as he stood up, pulling her with him and started to walk forward, but Lei Xing seemed rooted to the spot and did not budge and pulled his hand back, stopping him in his tracks. The Emperor turned to her to see her looking at him with a pout and a suspicious glare, "Why do you sound so excited?"

{...You never sound excited...Well, maybe not never...but still (≖_≖ )...}

The Emperor raised his eyebrows at her and then a slow smirk formed on his face as he took a step closer to her and narrowed his eyes, "Jealous?"

Lei Xing's mouth fell open and then closed, she blinked a few times and then flung his hand as she went, "Hah! Of course not..." And looked off to the side, fl.u.s.tered.

{...What do I care if you're hampering after a maid or two? I'll just leave -_-)'...}

The Emperor snorted and then burst out into laughter as he grabbed her face and kissed her, their lips had barely even touched when the Voice came back.

{...*Ahem!...Hey! HEY! >_

{...What?!...}

The Emperor exasperatedly thought in his head as he cut the kiss short AGAIN! 

{...What is it?!...}

{...*Wouldn't you like to know, Hmph!...}

This time he controlled his expression better, ignored the Voice's odd tone and statement and pat Lei Xing's cheeks and sweetly said, "I like you getting jealous but you never need to be jealous, I'm all yours." He squished her soft cheeks and she glared at him, annoyed that he was treating her like a child.

He smiled and kissed her again, this time he kept it very brief since the Voice, for some reason was not letting them have their moment in peace. Then the Emperor held her hand and pulled the flushed and appeased Lei Xing out of the room with him, while he tried to get to the bottom of the Voice's interruption.

{...Do you have something to say? Why the interruptions?...}

{...*It's daylight ( ￣^￣ )...}

The Emperor raised an irritated eyebrow.

{...And so?...}

{...*That's it...}

{...Are you seriously going to dictate what I can or can't do with her now?...} 

{...*No... ( ¬_¬ )...}

{...Good...}

{...*Is it fun being interrupted? (≖_≖ )...}

{...No, it's honestly Very Annoying...}

{...*It's good that you are aware. Be careful next time! That is all (￣︿￣) ...}

{...Next time? Did I do something?...}

{...*None of your business. Goodbye!...}

The Emperor let out an exasperated breath as he tried hard to refrain himself from thinking bad thoughts about the Voice for interrupting their romantic moments for such a nonsensical conversation.

He glanced at Lei Xing who was cutely patting her reddened cheeks with her free hand, probably in an attempt to cool them down and he smiled, feeling better already. She was going to be his Empress, nothing could ruin his great mood.

Lei Xing glanced at him and his smile widened. Instead of smiling, she narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are we going to her instead of sending for her? And why are you even going there?"

"You are going to her to show your sincerity...and I am going to support MY Empress." The Emperor responded with a smug expression and a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt.

{..."My Empress"...That's definitely going to take some time to get used to (≧ω≦)...}

Lei Xing glanced off to the side to hide her reddening face and to calm her jumping heart. Then she turned back to the Emperor and observed him as they went along

{...It's still suspicious...Show support? It's not like I'm going to war -_-)...}