Chapter 28: Tricked

"Was it really your favourite teacup?" She asked. While her hand was still in his, he met her eyes and nodded.

"I apologise,"

"High God Guan Yu made it for me," He said.

That made her eyes wide, the god of war made it himself. She looks at the piece in her other hand but who painted the lily this bad? as far as she knew High God Guan Yu was highly skilled in four arts.

"Really?" She asked, frowning.

He nodded letting go of her hand observing her as she clutches her wrist to the chest as she felt the cold seep in her veins in the absence of his touch.

"Is your important meeting is ended now?" She asked with a quick reflex getting her senses back and step back a little form him looking at him accusing.

He turns away from her hearing that to enter back his study.

"First Lord, you have to give me back my hairpin! I know you took it," She said running after him.

He stopped just by the divan without warning and she runs into his back. She rubbed her nose taking a step back at the impact, getting her balance back.

"You broke my teacup,"

Hong Liu took a forced breath to restrain her from doing something rash like punching him.

"I get it, they were special but that hairpin is special too!" She insists.

"Ho?"

"Yes, it was a gift form High Goddess Yi Tai and it took me eight hours to find the stars for it under the lake in the Eternal Garden of Creation!" She blurted out without thinking and she faces away from him as he turns to look at her with a slight surprise. She hit her lips as she realizes what she just said.

Her grandfather had warned her,

'Hong Liu just because you can go to the Eternal Garden of Creation and can pass the four vicious monster that guards it the ability of yours should be kept secret, nobody can to do that. Do you understand me little Liu? Promise me you would never tell anybody?'

'Xiao Liu understand. I promise, Grandfather,'

The conversation with her grandfather echoed in her mind and she grimaces in remorse.

"Lake in the Eternal Garden of creation?" He said with mild interest. Hong Liu gave him an apprehensive look and swollen nervously.

"What? No! I didn't say that! Don't you know? Nobody can go there, Eternal Garden of Creation? Nonsense!" She ridicules and turns trying to escape. Before she could even reach the door, it got shut off by magic. She turns back to him in surprise and he just gave her an indifferent look.

"I never said you went there then what are you trying to deny?" He raised his one definitive dark eyebrow and sat on the Divan, resting his elbow on the armrest.

Crap! She thought.

"Nothing, that's it! There is nothing to deny," She held her ground, it was not like she had any choice. He had trapped her in with no room to escape.

"You are right, I may have heard it wrong,"

"Of course, you had," She agreed with him earnestly, signing in relief internally. Thank the Supreme Lord, he didn't actually catch on it.

"Now since this is clear...may I go?" She pointed to the door.

"I went there once you know? In the eternal Garden of creation a long time ago before that four monster was appointed there as a guard," He said, materializing a scroll of Buddhist sutra and started reading it.

Hong Liu thought he was making a causal statement, She wasn't surprised after all Ren and her grandfather as well have seen it. Of course, he had but that doesn't mean she will break the promise with her grandfather and without those monsters going there is quite simple. It was just before the death of the Heavenly Father, he put those monsters to guard it. There are things there that can't get in the hands of the wrong person. Hong Liu thought it was better to just try and sneak away, she knew the place is not of danger from him but a promise is a promise and it must be kept no matter what.

"The winged red lizard is quite vicious at the first sight," He stated off handly as she turns to getaway.

"It's white and it's not a lizard its a lion," She corrected then bit the tip of the tongue. He tricked her! Bai Hong Liu! Bai Hong Liu can't you keep your mouth shut! She squeezes her eyes shut

Dong Hai smirks getting up.

"Huang Ling said a very interesting thing before he left today," He stated.

Hong Liu just turns to walk away to avoid the line of questioning but he grabbed her wrist before she could escape and is the impact of being pulled to him, she turns of over she crashed to his hard chest. She looks up at him in a gasp, finding herself to close to him to consider appropriate.

"First Lord," She gapped at him.

"Why you are scared of going back to the Green Forest without a proper strategy?" He asked like he was asking why she prefers herbal tea over ginger tea? His cool voice and a warm hand on her hand pressed against his chest relaxed her nerves without her permission. She tries not to breathe him in as the sandalwood scent reached her nose. She flushed thinking what he is doing?

"What do you mean?" She asked looking away from him trying to get out of his hold she leaned away.

She notices his thumb reaching her pulse point.

"Whatever you did outside just don't!" She warned.

He raised his other hand to touch the tip of her nose but she grabbed his hand before she could to that.

"Or any spells!" She said thinking of the sleeping spell he put on her.

He held off his amused smile at her adorable irritation. He stepped forwards, she instantly steps back. Hong Liu's ears were red as he comes closer and her mouth went dry, she tries to find her equilibrium but all she can feel is her small hands pressed against his chest, the warmth of his surrounding her and all she can breath is that exquisite scent of sandalwood. His face was neutral as ever, it was his stone eyes that held something that she was unable to understand and she gave a startl gasp as her back hit the door.

"Little Red, do you really think I will do something that will hurt you?"

Hong Liu eyes widen in a daze as she heard his deep warm voice sink in her being that made her toes curl against the cold hard marble ground. He was so tall as he leans towards, her small body was covered against his. Hong Liu stopped breathing and she can't help but blurred out.