Chapter 17 The Token Of...Love?!

Darkness finally descended the world, the moon hung brightly in the skies as shadows in the dark made their move.

A plain carriage stopped by the "Lianhua Inn's" backdoor. A person in a black cloak descended the carriage, the unknown person was then escorted to a hidden passage and was brought to a hidden room.

"Who?" One of the man in the room asked.

"Ande Wang, I only left for a day and you no longer remember me anymore. Is your memory bad?" The unknown person then revealed their face, under the black cloak was an ethereal beauty who was smiling at them.

"Sister-in-law, your back!" Gao Yanzong said happily.

"Xiao Yun." Gao Changgong nod at Huan Mingyun, he is also happy to see her.

"How is Brother Guan? I heard that he had already gained consciousness this afternoon, how is he?" Huan Mingyun walked closer to the bed where Guan Yu is resting, Gao Changgong step back a little to let Huan Mingyun through.

"Sister-in-law...." Guan Yu said in a weak voice, his face look really haggard but it had a little glow compared to the last time she saw him.

"Brother Guan, how are you feeling?" Huan Mingyun sat beside him as she help him properly put the sheets back in place to cover him.

"I'm already feeling better thanks to sister-in-law, I heard from 5th Lord that sister-in-law covered the whole medicine expenses and it was quite expensive. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience sister-in-law, I'll definitely pay you back when I get well." Guan Yu coughed as he felt his throat dry.

"Brother Guan, the medicine is not that expensive at all no need to worry about it. Not expensive at all!" Huan Mingyun tried to reassure Guan Yu as she then stared at Gao Yanzong who avoided her eyes.

Gao Yanzong was really guilty, because of his blabber mouth he accidentally slip with his words and even said in an exaggerated manner how expensive the medicine was. It was "suuuupppppeerr expensive"!

"But still, I should repay sister-in-law for this favor. Sister-in-law had already done so much for us at least let me return the favor." Guan Yu insisted despite having a heard time speaking.

"Well, I do have something in mind." Huan Mingyun smiled as she thought of something. "I really want to eat Brother Guan's cooking again. When brother Guan is well again, will brother Guan cook delicious foods for me again?"

Hearing her innocent request, the trio inside the room could not help but smile. 'What a simple woman.'

"I promise. When I get well I'll be sure to cook sister-in-law a feast!"

"Hmm... I'll be looking forward to it!" Huan Mingyun beamed happily.

"Xiao Su, I already prepared the horses for you and Ande Wang. Are you really going back to Qi tonight?"

Huan Mingyun along with Gao Changgong and Gao Yanzong sat in the round table as they discuss the matter of going back to Qi, Gao Changgong and his subordinates had been gone for a long while now and must immediately go back before their enemies made another move.

"En. We will leave tonight." Gao Changgong said to confirm what she said. "We had been away for too long, we must go back quickly. News had already spread far that we are here in Zhou, it will be hard to keep this from the Emperor of Qi. At least, if we go back before the palace envoy then we might still have a chance to avoid more casualties. By now, the news must have already reach the palace."

"A General abandoning his post in the army is punishable by death but as long as we come back in time, we can still salvage the situation and we can deny all the accusations that Lanling King never set foot in Zhou but it was only a subordinate who was under his order to pretend as him and save Guan Yu. Right now, 4th brother's body double is in camp taking his place but if the envoy were to arrive earlier than us then.... Let's just hope that never happens." Gao Yanzong said.

"How troublesome really. This... I can only hope that you arrive more earlier than the envoy."

"4th Lord, I have brought you trouble. This one is really incompetent, I vowed to protect you yet I'm just causing you and sister-in-law trouble." Guan Yu who was listening to the conversation between the three burst out as he cried bitterly.

"Guan Yu, never had I thought of you as trouble and you were never incompetent. Your a capable man that fought with all you've got despite everything, I should be the one apologizing for what happened to you because it is partly my fault. That day, if you did not lead the enemies away then you would have not suffer so much. I wronged you." Gao Changgong said.

"Its not 4th Lord's fault at all! It's me! It's my fault for being weak and falling to those devious Zhou peoples trap! " Guan Yu cried as he did not acknowledge what Gao Changgong said.

"...." Huan Mingyun <- Devious Zhou's people.

After the tears of blood and somebody's heart got broken, it was already time to set off.

"Miss, the horses are here." Xihuan Shui was holding two horses by their reigns as he walk towards them.

"Thank you, Uncle." Huan Mingyun said. "Xiao Su, don't worry about Brother Guan I will definitely take good care of him."

"Thank you Xiao Yun for letting him stay here as he recovers back to health, I apologize if we were imposing on you too much." Gao Changgong said as he took out something from his sleeves. "I'll give this back to you, I seemed to have no need for this after all."

Huan Mingyun stared at the lotus pearl bracelet and then back to Gao Changgong, she frowned.

"Why are you returning it back to me? I already gave it you, what I give I never take back." Huan Mingyun snatch the bracelet and personally put it on Gao Changgong's left wrist. "Keep it, that's no ordinary bracelet you know. It's the token of our friendship and who knows what might happen in the future, you might need it."

Seeing how unhappy Huan Mingyun look when he returned the bracelet, Gao Changgong no longer thought of giving back the bracelet and just thought of it as a "token of friendship".

"We shall part here, Xiao Yun. See you again." Gao Changgong bid farewell before riding his horse and setting off.

"Goodbye, sister-in-law!" Gao Yanzong quickly said his farewell before quickly going after Gao Changgong.

"Miss, why did you gave the Xieye Lianhua to Lanling King? Could it be, you fell in love with him?!" Xihuan Shui's eyes turned as wide as he could not believe the conclusion that he came up with.

'It makes sense. Miss, was always helping those three even at the risk of her life. She even gave the golden ginseng for free so she could cure Lanling King's dying subordinate, just base on this facts Miss might really have fallen for that man! Miss even gave him the "Xieye Lianhua" that represents as a token of love of the Du Hua Master to its partner. The Xieye Lianhua Pearl is only one in this world and its a pair of pearls in a shape of a flower. A Du Hua Master would only give the pair of the pearl to their chosen partner to protect them, only 2 such times were recorded in History when the Du Hua Master gives the pair of their pearls to others. It was only the founder of the organization and Huan Mingyun's parents were the only one who gave up their pearls because the rest of the Masters chose to be cold hearted or their true love had long ago died.' Thinking about this, Xihuan Shui finally understood why his miss kept on helping those three. It was because of Lanling King all along!

But sad to say that the conclusion that Xihuan Shui reached is wrong. Yes, Du Hua Masters only give the Xieye Lianhua to their partner but Huan Mingyun who was just educated did not know this piece of information and just casually toss the piece of pearl away as a "token of friendship". The sad truth!

"In love my a**!" Hearing what Xihuan Shui said almost made her smack the old man in the head out of anger, her other personality got out because of what he said. "What are you still standing there for? Quickly follow them, aren't you the one leading them out why are you still standing here?!"

"Y-Yes, miss!" Xihuan Shui quickly scrambled unto his feet as he gave chase to the other two who were long gone. 'Was I wrong about it?'

"Tsk. In love? Me? Uncle must be joking, Xiao Su and I are only friends and will continue to be like that in the future. Gao Changgong will marry "his" Zheng Fei and will only have her as the love of his life and if that were to happen, even if I had to eat all my gold bars I will never marry a man who already had a wife. I'm a possessive modern woman and can't bear to share my husband to others, I'd rather not marry than to share what's mine." Huan Mingyun thought as she turned back to leave but then turned back again to look at the direction where Gao Changgong left.

A dangerous smile then laced her lips as her sadist self came to light as she thought of the interesting future ahead.

"Love? He is only interesting in my eyes."