Stealing The Token

Xiao was experiencing a brain freeze moment as the pleasant face slowly zoomed in and in until she almost couldn't breathe. It took her a moment to register the words. "Were you looking for this?" 'Ahhh.. This doesn't seem exactly like the one that Riwansa told me about. Even though there is a slight resemblance. The shape is circular but the animal printed on it is not a rabbit but rather a dragon. Maybe she made a mistake in hurry.' Xiao was lost in her inner monologue as she eyed the token in his hand.

The earlier coldness in Ziran's eyes started to slowly fade. Unknown to him a sense of interest and amusement took over him. His lips started to curve upwards noticing the petite girl a head shorter than him scrutinize the token while immersed deeply in her own thoughts.

"Do you want this token?" He asked again. This time more patiently.

Xi Xiao finally took her eyes off from the token and tilted her head slightly to look at his face that was trying very hard to suppress a laugh looking at her dumb expression.

A shade of red tinged her cheeks as her eyes lowered only to notice he was clad in nothing but a bathrobe that perfectly glorified his chest muscles. This time Ziran couldn't help anymore and burst out laughing. It was the second time that he laughed so happily without a care after he had grown up.

'Why is he laughing? Could it be he has seen through my thoughts? Why is his laugh so evil? It reminds me of those villains of action films.' Xiao shuddered feeling as if she was an innocent tiny bunny trapped by a big bad starving lion.

At the same time the big bad lion was still having a hard time controlling his laughter without having any idea how someone was comparing him with a villain.

"Or are you looking for this one?" He took out another token from the bed side drawer. This one resembled the one that Riwansa described just perfectly.

XiXi was about to say yes but changed her mind at the last moment. She steeled her heart and took a few seconds to arrange everything in her mind that she was about to say.

She knelt down and bowed. "Your highness, can you please choose someone else as your dance partner. I beg you to reconsider it. I really know almost nothing about royal ettiqute or any kind of ballet performance." XiXi couldn't believe she had enough courage to blurt out all these but she did.

"So Riwansa told you?" Ziran simply wanted to go to Steven and tell him to handle his woman well. She isn't supposed to ruin his budding romance life.

He cursed in his mind looking at Xi Xiao who was still resolutely kneeling reminding him of a pitiful kitten. XiXi's felt her heart sinking to bottom of her stomach. The last thing she wanted to happen would be implicating Riwansa.

"Huh? My apologies, but I am unable to understand what you are talking about." Xi Xiao's voice was calm and normal in contrast to the anxiety inside her mind.

Ziran extended his palm towards XiXi. "Eh?" XiXi looked at his hand with a questioning gaze.

Ziran felt guilty for a moment facing her pure eyes. "Ahem…Rise please, no need for such courtesy."

"Oh…Ok." Just when XiXi was going to rise she couldn't feel her legs anymore, they were numb. Without any more choice she held over Ziran's extended hand for support and stood up.

"Please take a seat. Don't worry I mean no harm. But we need to have a chat. I will be back in a while. Okay?" Ziran really couldn't bear to let go of the soft feeling in his hands but he didn't want to scare her away. Reluctantly he released her hands and turned away from her and entered the side room to get dressed. "A well-dressed man impresses women, right?" He thought internally.

"We need to have a chat? Isn't that something people say when they are about to break up? But that's not the situation over here though. I just want to go back home. Must it be this difficult?" Frustrated, XiXi bit on her lips.

"I don't even know her identity. She may very well be a hidden danger. But she looks so innocent just like a rabbit." Ziran was surprised to notice the visible smile in the mirror. Thinking back to it indeed he has been smiling a lot lately. He got dressed while humming. Something completely unexpected from a royal.

He entered the room only to find the rabbit gone along with the rabbit token. "I should have known it." He let out a sigh and muttered, "never mind."

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"Did you get the token?" Riwansa approached XiXi who entered the room as if she has committed some huge crime.

"Yeah…but he was saying he had something to tell me. I was afraid and ran away." XiXi was currently desperate for a reassurance from Riwansa that she won't be charged of commiting some crime.

"Just chill dear. Ziran is a good guy, he won't come after you. Relax and prepare for the party." Riwansa visibly relaxed after taking the rabbit token from XiXi.

'If he really was as harmless as you described why would you even urge me to steal this token.' Xiao grumbled internally.

"Let's go to the seamstress. We need to note down your measurements." Riwansa said while hiding the token in a small golden box.

"By the way what are you going to do with the token?" Xiao asked curiously.

"Well he can't ask you to be his partner without it, I will return it to him later on." Riwansa explained patiently after covering the box with some sparkle paper crumbs.

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"Hello, Cordellia, you free for a moment?" Riwansa smiled politely at the blonde designer who was seated before her wooden sewing machine. An ebony silk cape was placed on the desk which was currently being examined by the sophisticated woman.