His Rui

Two Hours Ago

"Mother, Xi Ling wants to go outside and see the Imperial City."

Xi Ling pleaded with his innocent eyes in front of her mother.

There was hesitation in Li Rui's eyes when she heard Xi Ling's request.

"This…Xiao Ling Mother will take you to see the City after your Father comes back, okay?"

Xi Ling pouted and said in an aggrieved voice. His face looked as if he was about to cry.

"Mother promised Xi Ling that she will complete Xi Ling's wish."

Xi Ling saw that her mother still didn't look ready to go and continued

"Father will not take Xi Ling outside. Father always says but never took Xi Ling to see the Imperial City."

Li Rui frowned when she heard this and asked her son.

"He never took you outside."

Xi Ling shook his small head.

Li Rui knew what her son was feeling right now.

Being kept inside a manor was a very harsh thing to the children no matter how large and beautiful that manor was. She has experienced this.

In her childhood, her father would not let her go anywhere but she wished to see the whole world with her eyes.

The world that the books mentioned.

So she would sneak outside the manor.

However, all the wishes just ended as time passed.

She came out of her trance when Xi Ling pulled her sleeve.

"Mother…"

Seeing his aggrieved face and tear-filled eyes, how could her motherly heart bear to refuse her. So she nodded her head with a smile.

Xi Ling was very happy and jumped here and there inside the courtyard as Li Rui made the arrangement to go outside and see the Imperial City.

He told every servant that his mother was taking him to see the City.

"An Shing."

Inside the living room, Li Rui called the shadow guard given to her by Minister Xi.

She didn't have many hopes from the shadow guard about completing her commands. However, she believed that he would not disappoint her with Xi Ling's safety.

"An Shing greets Wangfeii."

Li Rui acknowledged his greeting and said

"I and Xi Ling are going to see the Imperial Lady. You will accompany us."

"Yes, My Lady."

An Shing replied as respectfully as he could. This was the first time Lady Li had called him since his master had left.

He didn't want to disappoint her in any way.

"You can leave now."

With this, An Shing disappeared from there.

.

.

.

Li Rui asked Shui Cao to ready only one carriage, that too, without Xi name on it.

The steward was confused but obeyed her.

Fifteen minutes later, one carriage departed from Xi Manor.

An Shing walked outside the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Xi Ling glanced outside with big and bright eyes.

"Mother, what is that?"

"Mother, what are they doing?"

He asked Li Rui many things and she explained everything to him very patiently.

Her eyes stared at Xi Ling with adoration. She could see her past self inside her son.

"Xi Ling thanks Mother for taking him out."

Xi Ling thanked her mother with a bright smile and even kissed her cheek.

"Xi Ling mother loves more."

Li Rui just shook her head at her son's flattery and thought.

Did her Father also catch her lies when she sugar-coated her words in her childhood?

"Mother, Xi Ling wants to eat that?"

Li Rui glanced where Xi Ling was pointing. Her smile disappeared when she saw the familiar stall of tanghulu. Seeing the familiar stall, so many bitter memories rushed into her mind.

"Mother…"

Xi Ling really wanted to taste it. The boys he used to play with had told him that this red-colored thing was very sweet and tasty.

Li Rui looked down at Xi Ling and forced a smile.

"Mother will ask someone to buy it for you."

"Stop the carriage."

Just as she was about to call An Shing, Xi Ling caught her sleeve.

"Mother, let's go outside and buy it."

"Outside…"

Li Rui frowned. She doesn't want to go outside especially when Xi Ling was with her. After the last attack, she knew that she have to be careful.

"Mother, please."

Helpless Li Rui looked outside and saw the crowd of people.

'Who would dare to do anything in between so many people?'

Xi Ling's pleading and this thought made her step out of the carriage.

An Shing saw both of them getting out and stepped forward immediately.

"Does My Lady need anything?"

Li Rui shook her head and said

"Xi Ling wants to eat something. We will be back soon."

An Shing frowned but when he saw the Young master's happy face, his heart softened. He followed Li Rui and Xi Ling without saying anything.

"Mother, this is so delicious."

Xi Ling said as he ate the tanghulu.

Li Rui rubbed Xi Ling's head and smiled softly.

"Mother, taste it."

The small boy tried to stretch his body and forward the stick in front of Li Rui but his small height didn't allow him to do that.

Li Rui chuckled at his vain attempts and kneeled down.

But just as put her knee on the ground, she heard something passing above her head with a great speed.

With that, followed An Shing's scream.

"My Lady."

Just in front, Li Rui saw the arrow stuck in an elder woman's chest.

Her whole body froze as she stared when the woman fell down on the ground lifeless.

The arrow was meant for her.

The thought seemed to have woken her up and pushed Xi Ling to An Shing who was coming towards them to take both of them away.

"Ah… Mother"

The tanghulu stick in Xi Ling's hand fell down on the ground when he was suddenly shoved away to An Shing.

"Take Xi Ling back to the Xi Manor instantly."

Li Rui said to An Shing without any emotion on her face.

"My Lady…"

An Shing muttered as he stared at Li Rui with wide eyes.

"I am ordering you to leave, An Shing."

This time Li Rui's eyes and voice were very cold.

An Shing could only step back and fly away with Xi Ling but not before telling Li Rui that he will come back to take her.

Li Rui breathed a sigh of relief when he finally left from there. She knew if she had gone with them then they would follow her and it could put Xi Ling in danger.

Looking around as the people ran mindlessly, she took out the dagger hidden inside her sleeve.

Then she went and hid inside the shop.