Chapter 15 Over Dramatic Second Cousin

Night had finally fallen in the city, a time for rest and some festive activities of certain individuals.

Huan Mingyun who was finally back to her Princess Manor after a lot of coaxing from her old man breath in the cold breeze as she savor the feeling of the cold air touching her body, she was wearing nothing except her night gown as she got ready to sleep.

"Miss, the air is cold at night. You might catch a cold if you don't wear a coat." A servant in blue said as she covered Huan Mingyun with a furred cloak, it was the exact furred cloak that she had stolen from Gao Changgong.

"Yinyue, I'm fine. I'm already used to it." Huan Mingyun gently smiled at her as she spent another minute outside before going inside her quarters.

"Miss should have it easy this days, I heard from Chie-- Steward Xihuan that miss got injured when you went missing. Yinyue, is only worried for miss sake." Yinyue explained as she prepare the bed for her.

Yinyue was Huan Mingyun's personal female bodyguard under the guise of her personal maid as to make her safe, she was highly skilled in martial arts and could defeat 3 highly skilled men in hand to hand combat and 300 average men. But this was not all the reason there is as to why she was put by Huan Mingyun's side, Yinyue was also skilled in the art of poison. She can kill anyone without being noticed with just a single needle, this is one of reason why she was chosen to guard Huan Mingyun. It was to ensure her safety to anyone who tried to use poison to kill her but not only that, it was also because of her utmost loyalty to the Huan Mingyun that was why she was chosen for the position if not for that then no matter how skilled she is Xihuan Shui won't put her by Huan Mingyun's side to endanger her.

Yinyue was once saved by the little Huan Mingyun when they were young, she was just a homeless beggar who was on the brink of death when Huan Mingyun arrived and saved her. She was then brought back to the Princess Manor and had a new home, she was treated fairly in that home and felt the warmth of having a family. When she learned of Huan Mingyun's tragic story, she swore then and there that she will protect her young miss from every danger even at the risk of her life that is why Xihuan Shui trained her so she would be then useful in the future for Huan Mingyun. She then became the most skillful poison "apprentice" under the tutelage of Xihuan Shui.

"I understand." Huan Mingyun took of her furred cloak and handed it to Yinyue, she then laid on her bed and covered herself with the sheets.

"Goodnight, miss." Yinyue then blew the candle off, she closed the door as she left.

"En. Goodnight." Huan Mingyun fluttered her eyes open as she look at a certain direction before closing her eyes again to sleep.

"Ming'er. Ming'er!"

Early in the morning, a ruckus was already happening in the Princess Manor as a certain individual yelled himself hoarse as he look for Huan Mingyun who was currently having her breakfast.

"Ming'er!" The doors to her courtyard burst open as a handsome man made his way towards her, he gave Huan Mingyun quite the tight hug.

"Ouch. Second cousin, I know that you miss me but you hugging me this tightly. Do you wish to kill me?" Huan Mingyun could not help but say as she felt the life draining out of her from the suffocating hug, she also hissed in pain as her wound was being pressed by the said man.

"I'm sorry Ming'er, your handsome cousin did not mean to hurt you." Yuwen Yong immediately released her the very moment he heard her hiss in pain, he look at this cousin of his with a guilty expression.

"Second cousin, your still as shameless as ever. You did not change from the last time I saw you." Huan Mingyun giggled as she playfully knock on Yuwen Yong's head.

"Ming'er, your hurting my feelings with how indifferent you are to my good looks. Say, aren't I the handsomest man you had ever laid your eyes on?" Yuwen Yong shamelessly boasted as he whip back his golden hair back and blink his pair of golden eyes at her.

"Yeah, right. Shamelessly handsome." Huan Mingyun rolled her eyes at him.

"Ming'er...." Yuwen Yong childishly pouted as he held Huan Mingyun's uninjured arm like a little kid.

Seeing this "Old man" acting like a child, Huan Mingyun suddenly burst out laughing as she did not expect that the "supreme" Emperor who united China would look like just like an abandoned puppy in front of her.

"What are you laughing at?" Yuwen Yong shoved Huan Mingyun's arms as he mocked anger.

"Haha... Nothing at all, its just that cousin looked like an abandoned puppy to me." Huan Mingyun explained as she wipe the tears on the corner of her eyes.

"You! How could you say that to your superbly handsome cousin look like a puppy?! You really have no taste!" Yuwen Yong burst.

"Oh. Didn't second cousin know that I really have a good taste?" Huan Mingyun teased. "Enough of that, if second cousin has something to say to me then no need to beat around the bush anymore and just tell me directly."

Yuwen Yong's smile drop when Huan Mingyun went directly to the point, his happy face immediately sagged as he drop to his knees and prostrated in front of Huan Mingyun.

"Ming'er, please accept this incompetent cousin's bow. I had terribly wronged you, if only I did not insisted on going out of the Capital to hunt then I would have not put you in such danger! I made you suffer, Ming'er! I have no face left to face you!" Yuwen Yong said full of grief and self blame as he knock his head on the floor, he blamed himself for what happened.

If he only did not bring Huan Mingyun that day outside the Capital and just went alone then she would have not gone missing and suffer some unspeakable sufferings when she went missing.

He could not sleep for days ever since she had gone missing, his brother even blamed him for it and threatened to personally kill him if he were unable to find her. The heavens know just how much he did just to look for her, he had searched heaven and hell for her but he was always disappointed each time.

He did not even get some sleep this pass few days just to look for her, he could barely eat because every time he did something he will always thinks of her and worry that she might not be living well and eating well so he persisted and did not stop looking for her even for just a second.

He had already fainted from both tiredness and hunger during the journey but thinking about her he persisted because he needed to find her, save his precious little sister!

He believed that Heaven bless those who persisted and surely heaven did, he received news that his cousin was already found and was back to the Capital. Receiving this piece of news, he could not help but shed tears of happiness as he held the piece of paper containing the letter that only had this few words "Princess Hua is back".

It was only four words but it brought him immense happiness, he then quickly rode his horse back to the Capital to see his Ming'er but not before taking a bath and changing his clothes before going to the Princess Manor.

He might be tired and was lacking sleep for many days already, just to see his precious cousin, he drag his tired body to her Manor to see with his own eyes that she was safe and sound.

Huan Mingyun almost jumped up from her seat when Yuwen Yong the future "supreme" Emperor prostrating in front of her and even knocking his head on the floor, she quickly assisted him to stand up but the man was too stubborn.

"Second cousin, what are you doing? Quickly get up, what if someone sees you?" Huan Mingyun said as she once again pulled him up but the man did not even budge an inch.

"I don't care whoever sees me like this, I won't get up as long as Ming'er does not forgive me. I won't get up as long as you don't forgive me!" Yuwen Yong stubbornly said.

'Hey, you asking forgiveness or threatening me?'

Huan Mingyun sighed helplessly seeing the man being stubborn, she knew that he will never get up as long as he does not hear her forgiveness.

"Sigh. Get up. You don't need to prostrate in front of me, no matter what I don't blame you for what happened. Both of us did not know that assassins would be waiting for us there, its not your fault." Huan Mingyun sighed as she help him up.

"But still, it was my fault. If I did not insisted on bringing you out of the Capital then none of this would have happened." Yuwen Yong said.

"No, its not your fault so do not blame yourself anymore. Second cousin, its not your fault." Huan Mingyun said as she held his eyes with her.

Yuwen Yong finally let out all the frustration's that he was feeling for the pass days, he kept blaming himself for not being able to protect her but she, all this time never even blamed him for his mistakes.

He tightly hugged her as he poured out all the emotions that had been piling up inside of him for the last few days in front of her, Huan Mingyun seeing him like this could only comfort him and pat his back comfortingly until he stopped crying.

He was afraid, really afraid that he was going to lose her. If that were to happen then he does not know what to do, without his "precious" cousin in his life then life might look bleak for him.

"I'm really glad. I'm really glad that your safe, Ming'er."