His Rui

Xi Ying's lips parted a little he heard the shadow guard's words. In front of his eyes, flashed the images of the deserted Plum Courtyard and the barely eatable porridge by the animals.

A moment later, he asked in a hurry

"Have you found her?"

His eyes were filled with hopefulness and his fists were clenched because of the anticipation that he himself didn't notice.

But when the shadow guard silently shook his head, Xi Ying's eyes were immediately filled with disappointment.

"No, Master."

"Then what is it that you want to talk about?"

Xi Ying asked his shadow guard coldly.

"Master, the incident from four years ago…where Master was drugged, it was not Lady Li who drugged Master."

Xi Ying's deep black eyes went wide when he registered the shadow guard's words in his mind. The shadow guard continued

"It was Princess Wenling who had drugged Master. An San lied to master four years ago. Lady Li never bought any such drug from the brothel. She herself was …"

The shadow guard seemed to have said many things but Xi Ying couldn't hear them anymore.

Step by step, he stepped backward. His eyes were wide as the shadow guard's words buzzed again and again in his ears.

'It was not Lady Li who drugged Master…'

Xi Ying suddenly seemed to feel a weight leaving from his chest. His heart and mind suddenly felt very free. However, he couldn't focus his attention on this strange feeling.

Very soon, a very strong gloominess spread over his heart as he remembered the image of deserted Plum Courtyard.

His back suddenly collided with the wall and he finally stopped there.

His shadow guard looked at each other unable to decide what they should do.

'Father …Mother looked so beautiful…so beautiful that she doesn't look like that she can even hate someone.' His son's deep words suddenly rang in his ears.

"Drag An San here."

Xi Ying said suddenly and his shadow guard immediately did that.

Just a few moments later, a very badly beaten An San was kneeling in front of Xi Ying.

Xi Ying's eyes were blank but cold.

A kind of ruthless aura surrounded his body that made An San tremble fiercely.

Xi Ying suddenly bent down in front of An San. He grabbed the back of An San head and made him look in his eyes.

"An San, tell me is there anything else you are hiding?"

Xi Ying asked coldly as his other hand caressed the sheath of the sword on his waist.

An San immediately shook his head. Although his eyes were closing, again and again, he could see the blurry image of his beaten brother in the corner.

Hot tears streamed down An San's cheek as he whispered

"Master, punish me but leave my brother. It is my fault. My Brother didn't know anything. Princess…also she didn't force me to do anything."

Kneeling in the corner, An Ping sighed helplessly when he heard his brother's last words. He closed his eyes in pain as he knew what will be the consequences of his brother's actions.

Sure enough, Xi Ying's immediately kicked An San very fiercely and asked again.

"Say…did she ever come to meet Xi Ling?... otherwise you will see your princess beside you in sometime in the same state"

Xi Ying's fists were clenched as he asked this question to An San.

He would be happier if An San answered said 'no' because if he said 'yes' then…

"She came…she came many times but I sent her back saying that Master doesn't want her to meet Young Master. She even came when Young Master was screaming with pain a month ago but I didn't let her meet Young Master. I have told everything…let go of my brother and don't do anything to Princess, Master."

An San pleaded in front of his master.

However, his master was too far away from where he could hear An San's pleadings.

Xi Ying couldn't even breathe after knowing everything.

Li Rui didn't drug him.

Li Rui also came to meet Xi Ling.

Li Rui never abandoned their son.

"Ugha…"

Xi Ying suddenly coughed out red blood.

"Master…"

The shadow guards shouted as they saw Xi Ying suddenly sliding down to the floor.

Xi Ying could see their hovering figures over his body but he still felt very alone.

He was alone.

"Rui"

A whisper escaped from his lips before he lost his consciousness.

---------

"Ha …"

Xi Ying panted as he felt dizzy from everything he had just seen in front of his eyes.

His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth was parted slightly as he tried to breathe through it. There seemed to be something very heavy placed on his chest …so heavy that he found it very suffocating to even breathe.

"Rui"

He heard a whisper and immediately raised his head to look at the source of that voice.

It was the other 'him' kneeling in front of the grave who now was looking towards the figure walking towards the grave.

Xi Ying blinked his eyes vigorously because he couldn't see the figure clearly.

It was blurry …very blurry.

He rubbed his eyes with his fist and was surprised to feel the moisture on his knuckles.

But he didn't get the time to ponder over his surprise very much. His attention was immediately attracted by the figure that he could now see clearly.

However, the suffocation inside his heart only increased when he carefully saw the small figure walking towards the grave with very slow and heavy steps.

"Xiao Ling"

Xi Ying saw a whisper escaping from her dry lips as a tear fell out from her eyes at the same time. Her eyes were wide with shock as she suddenly kneeled down in front of the grave.

One of her hands went forward to touch the grave but it was trembling very fiercely and in the end, she could never touch the grave.

Xi Ying wanted to step forward and embrace that small and fragile figure in his arms, however, before he could do so another figure appeared by Li Rui's side.

"Ssshhh Rui...it will be alright. We need to leave. You can't come out."

Xi Ying's eyes moved that figure and his eyes went cold when he recognized the man kneeling beside his wife.