Chapter 217 - The Scuffle

Lei Xing frowned at the Emperor, but he did not even look her way and simply waited for her to make her choice. She glanced at the people behind them and then at the guards, they were all averting their eyes, pretending not to hear or see anything. 

She pulled at the Emperor's arm again and tried to negotiate, "Could you at least take off like ten?... Hm?" The Emperor cast her a side glance and promptly looked away. This was non-negotiable. Lei Xing let out a breath.

{...Well, I can at least order guards to wait...But I can't order you around so...I guess I'm stuck parading around with a mini army, fun -_-)'...}

"Fine...I'll take them." Lei Xing said with a disgruntled pout.

The Emperor pursed his lips but then said, "That's good then." It seems she was dead set on leaving him behind. While he did innocently arrange these guards for her, believing it all necessary for her protection. Since she complained, he thought she would have preferred his presence then but apparently not. The Emperor sighed. It was also understandable that she wanted personal time with her family. 

The Emperor took her hand and walked over to the carriage, but before helping her into it, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead, then smiled at her and quietly reminded, "Don't be late."

Lei Xing nodded, still with a disgruntled pout. The Emperor was not at all bothered by it, it was better for her to be dissatisfied than in danger. After Lei Xing entered the carriage, the Emperor turned his attention to Bi Lo and Bi Lu and narrowed his eyes at them, warning them to be careful with her. The twins promptly gave him a reassuring bow and then got on their horses and flanked each side of the carriage, virtually boxing her in a protective bubble.

And off she went.

Once the carriage left the vicinity of the palace gates, Lei Xing stopped the group and then told Ah Jin to direct them to Doctor Lou's pharmacy. As Ah Jin was giving the directions, Bi Lo knit his brows at Bi Lu over the carriage, asking if they should say something, this stop was not in the itinerary. He had learned his lesson from their last mistake and was very ready to intercede this time. 

Bi Lu immediately frowned and shook his head before his brother could complicate their assignment on their first day of duty. They could not interfere with where she wanted to go as long they went with along her.

When they arrived at Doctor Lou's pharmacy, Lei Xing was happy to see the doors open. She got down with Ah Jin's assistance and told all of them to wait here and then proceeded to go inside. Bi Lu and Bi Lo promptly followed behind her and Lei Xing stopped them raised an eyebrow at them and reiterated, "I said to wait here."

Bi Lo jumped to explain, "Your highness, the Emperor instructed us to follow you, so follow you we shall." He finished with a smile and a curt bow.

Lei Xing slightly knit her eyebrows.

{...This guy looks like he's going to be a problem -_-)'...}

Bi Lu glared at his brother and cupped his hand and politely explained, "I apologize Your highness, but your safety is our priority. There could be unforeseen dangers in the building. It is not safe for you to enter alone."

Lei Xing knit her brows.

{...This one also looks stubborn -_-)...}

Lei Xing let out a breath, "Fine, Ah Jin, you come with me."

Bi Lu quickly interjected, "I'm sorry Your highness, but a maid is not enough for your protection." 

Lei Xing blankly stared at him in annoyance.

{...That Doctor might not want to talk if they're people roaming around! Also, this conversation is as weird as it gets!...What are they being so difficult for? I am not a child, so I can judge what's safe or unsafe for myself! No, it's not them, it's that Emperor treating me like a child  -_-)...I know it's out of concern b- Oh, here's an idea!...}

Lei Xing let out a breath and then explained, "It's not that I'm trying to be difficult here, but the old man is shy and is not used to people coming around. It would make him uncomfortable."

"In that case, then just one of us should be fine..." Bi Lo immediately jumped in with a knowing smile. She was trying to escape and they were not going to let her.

Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

{...With these two here, I might as well have just brought the Emperor with me -_-)'...}

Lei Xing knit her brows and then quietly and shyly said, "It is an inquiry of a...private nature..." 

Bi Lo cleared his throat and started coughing as a blush crept on his face. Bi Lu covertly glared at his brother and was unperturbed and with a straight face, he said, "Your highness, consider us as flies on the wall. We hear and see nothing and so know nothing. So set your mind at ease. Your safety is our only concern. Please allow us to do our duty. " Bi Lu finished bowing lower.

It was the truth, the Emperor no longer required them to report her actions to him, so they would not be sharing her information with anyone. Although, if the Emperor did ask, they would be obliged to tell...but that was not relevant at the moment.

Lei Xing pursed her lips, this was very annoying.

{...You want to be a fly on the wall? How about I make you a squashed fly on the wall then?! Irritating!... Would it be better if I just explode on them? But this guy seems so stubborn, I doubt it'll work...Also, no. That would be hella suspicious and crazy...and I don't have crazy in me, no that kind anyway -_-)...}

Lei Xing let out a breath but before she could speak, Bi Lo quickly added with an anxiety-filled voice, "Your highness, if even a hair on your head is misplaced the Emperor will have our heads! Please spare us!" Then he bowed his head lower like his brother, hiding a small smile.

{...We have her hooked now...Well, unless she wants to be unreasonable but then she did say it's a "private nature" conversation, won't the Emperor be offended if we hear it - No, no it doesn't matter. He said to follow, so follow we shall!...}

Lei Xing stared at the top of their heads for a bit and then relented, she sighed and then said, "Just one of you then."

The two rose up and Bi Lo smiled and went, "Great decision." The smile quickly disappeared and he lowered his head when Lei Xing narrowed her at him, she was not amused at all. She then moved her eyes to Bi Lu and said, "You then. Which one are you?"

"Bi Lu, Your highness. At your service." He responded with a light bow.

"Great, you can stand in the doorway." Lei Xing flatly said and then turned to go in. Bi Lu seemed like the more reliable of the two to her, stubborn but reliable. She planned to get Doctor Lou to go the house with her and then have Bi Lu stand in the doorway of the storage entrance. He could "ensure" her safety with that distance, but hear nothing. Getting Doctor Lou to cooperate with her was the main problem here. He could refuse and she would have no choice but to understand.

Lei Xing knit her brows as she went in.

{...I need to talk to him about this when I get back. It's one thing for them to follow me about on the street, but it's another to deny me privacy. I'm not a prisoner -_-)'...}

To her surprise, she did not find Doctor Lou snoozing in his usual position. The store was empty. She assumed that he was in the storage at the back and so she called out to him, "Doctor Lou...Doctor Lou?" But she received no response. She then thought that he was in the house and wanted to go find him, but then she hesitated. She was not keen on intruding in someone's space without permission.

{...I mean, I've been there before...And he seems to like me enough...What if he's sleeping? It's one thing to wake a man in his office and another to wake him in his bed. Well then, he should have closed down the store -_-)...It should be fine...I think...He definitely won't be an-...}

"The wine at home is finished?! Where we robbed?!" Doctor Lou's loud shout suddenly rang out from the back. Lei Xing jumped and then she glanced at Bi Lu who was standing still at the entrance as instructed. Then she glanced at the door to the back and slowly crept towards it.

{...He has guests now? That could be a problem for me...Honestly, he really could just be talking to himself...Yeah, I definitely can see that -_-)'...Either way, he's awake so we're going!...}

Lei Xing opened the curtain and went into the storeroom and of course, Bi Lu quietly followed behind her, remaining in the doorway as per her order.

"You- You drank all my wine?! You UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT!" Lei Xing heard Doctor Lou bark and then she heard what sounded like a scuffle as she approached the door leading to the courtyard.

{...Guess he's not alone then...}

"I said I'll replace them! Ow, that hurts! - Aren't you overreacting?! Ow! Ow!"

"Do you know how much I have been looking forward to enjoying t- DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN CAREFULLY SAVING THEM?!"

Lei Xing snorted as she heard Doctor Lou's ramble. And then went to open the door with an amused smile, curious to know the story unfolding behind it. And then she froze and her mouth hung open as she stared at the scuffling duo. 

"How can you treat me like this because of wine?! Wine is replaceable, a ch-" Tung Mei's words caught in her throat when she saw Lei Xing standing there and she froze.

"MY WINE IS IRREPLACEABLE!" Doctor Lou raged on and brought down the stool in his hand towards Tung Mei's head, but then stopped short of her head when she did not move out of the way. He blinked at her in confusion with a scowl on his face, confused as to why she stopped dodging. He followed her line of sight and then raised his eyebrows when he saw Lei Xing standing there and then frowned when he noticed Bi Lu standing behind her in the storage room.

Lei Xing blinked at the two, who also seemed frozen in place in quite the odd position. Tung Mei bending her knees, with her hands up in a defensive stance, shielding her head and Doctor Lou leaning towards her holding a stool hovering above her head.

Lei Xing knit her brows, still in shock and went, "You two know each other?"