Chapter 68 - Another Morning (1)
’...hik...hik...’
’...who?... who is crying?’
In a dark, TanTan wandering around. Clearly, this is some kind of dream, but she could not resist to find out who sounds so miserable, then she sees a figure, a beautiful woman who she recognizes as Li ShuiXian, HuaMuTan’s mother, sitting and crying so miserable.
In TanTan’s mind, she doesn’t know how to call her but LiShuiXian just notices her presence. She stares sadly to TanTan
and although her lips don’t seem moving, TanTan can hear her voice in a sad tone.
"...My daughter.... my pity daughter...."
Being miscalled as HuaMuTan, TanTan immediately corrects it,
"I...am sorry...I am not your daughter... I am LangTanTan...although it seems I am in your daughter’s body at the present..." TanTan feels really trouble to explain it, LiShuiXian reminds TanTan of her own mother...that’s why she doesn’t want to lie to her and her heart feels the pain to see her crying like that.
LiShuiXian just silent, TanTan can’t guess either this woman really understand what she said just now, she just feels weird to meet HuaMuTan’s Mother in a dream like this.
"...Tan Er.... please...help her..."
"..How I can help her?"
And suddenly another figure appears, running passing through TanTan’s body makes her surprises, for she doesn’t realize that her presence seems like a ghost in this dream. At that moment, TanTan realizes that Lady Li didn’t beg to her, but to the one who passed through her just now.
The figure is a little boy, his cloth looks like a little prince with a face who is familiar for TanTan but she can’t figure it out yet. The little boy approaches LiShuiXian, pats her hands gently to calm her.
"...Please don’t cry, Aunty Li"
"...Poor Taner,...she doesn’t have anyone besides her...I can’t be with her to protect her..." LiShuiXian cries again,
Before TanTan can respond, the little boy eagerly cheers her up,
"Don’t worry, Aunty... She still has me... I will always protect her... I won’t let her alone....I’ll promise that I’ll always be with her no matter what happens...!!"
Hearing such answer, LiShuiXian smiles in sadness...
"...Thank you...Little Prince..." and then this time she is really looking at TanTan directly, smiling sadly...
"...TanEr...my daughter...no matter what or when you are always my beloved daughter...I love you...be strong" A warmth and belonging feeling are filling TanTan’s heart, tears come out from her eyes...and she couldn’t stop her mouth to call her in sadness,
"Mom..."
And then her eyes be opened, she wakes up from the dream. But although she has back to reality, the belonging feeling seems still to stay in her heart. The way LiShuiXian said, ’No matter what or ’when’?...makes TanTan feels that Lady Li has recognized her not only as her daughter HuaMuTan but also as the real TanTan... A weird thought sudden occurs in her mind, ’Is it possible that she is also really her daughter? Through the time...maybe...she and HuaMuTan are really one reincarnation of soul?’
"No way, It’s impossible!" She speaks her mind.
"What is impossible?!"
Thinking so deep makes her ignores who is beside her, watching and asking her coldly.
TanTan turns and shocks to see Prince Li is sitting on the table which in front of her.
"Its...nothing...!" TanTan tries to stay calm. Now as she is fully awake, TanTan notices that she is in her own room in Li Mansion, and there are no other people in the room except both of them.
"...Eng...What time is it?" The last thing she remembers that she fainted at the seashore.
"Its almost morning... you got fever last night but thankfully, it’s not too serious..." Prince Li explains but still in a cold tone.
From the explanation, TanTan concludes that Prince Li had brought her back to Li Mansion and that means, did he stay beside her till now, all night?
TanTan suddenly notices something else. Now she realizes why the little prince in the dream looks familiar, it is the child version of Prince Li.
’What is it? Why I saw the little him in my dream...?’ TanTan can feel that dream wasn’t just a common dream because the feeling is too strong....so is it just because of his presence at her room? or maybe the dream is actually a piece of memory between Prince Li and Lady LiShuiXian? Or all of these just her imaginary so far...??? Besides all of those just a dream!
"..."
Seeing TanTan suddenly be silent, and seems drawn deeply into her own thought, Prince Li puts his hand on TanTan’s forehead, checking her temperature, it makes TanTan back to reality.
"Seems you are okay now..."
"I am ...fine..." TanTan sudden feels shy, she doesn’t expect a gentle treatment from Prince Li.
But Prince Li doesn’t look happy,
"You’re really looking fine after you met your lost brother, huh??!!" There is a sarcastic cold tone in his voice,
"Lost brother?" For a moment TanTan forgets that she used that reason in the ship before when they were disguised in masks. "Ah...!" She remembers after the next second.
Surely, the reason is rubbish for Prince Li who know better about HuaMuTan’s family background, there is no other lost brother... TanTan can see that Prince Li is already angry, not only because of her being in that ship last night.
"I...don’t know what are you talking about..." TanTan tries to ignore him and wakes up from the bed but by not answering the question, it makes Prince Li feels more upset, he walks close to TanTan and not letting her escape at all by blocking her way to wake up from the bed. And he scolds her loudly.
"Stop pretending, HuaMuTan!!! How dare you against my order and sneaking into that ship. Don’t you aware of any dangers!! Or you are so eagerly want to meet your masked boyfriend!! Who is he!!! What is your plan with him!!! Tell me now!!!"
TanTan opens her eyes widely, she has prepared at once he mentioned about ’the lost brother, to be scolded for her reckless actions to be in the shop but now she feels a little bit odd with the way Prince Li angry to her... he is more angry about the masked man than about she is being in the ship...its almost feels like he is being jealous too... no way! Either way, TanTan still doesn’t know how to explain.
"I...dodododododon’t know him..."
Prince Li cuts her words, grabs her hand tightly,
"Don’t lie! He helped you last time in the wood and now this! Tell me the ))))))) he your subordinate to help you doing your evil plan??!!"
"Auch, you...hurt my hand!" TanTan feels pain for Prince Li seems unconsciously grabs her hand too tight, he then loses it, but still being cold to TanTan. He stands, turning his back to TanTan, trying to settle his emotion back.
Now TanTan who feels pissed off, for unjustly be accused, but she still tries to make sense with Prince Li,
"I am telling the truth, I don’t know who he is or why he helped me twice... but one thing for sure, I don’t have any evil plan to do!! Didn’t I help you in that ship too, to save that poor girl from slavery!!"
Before when Prince Li believed that the woman in front of him might not be the real HuaMuTan, he would easily take her words but as Prince Li saw the birthmark of HuaMuTan last night, he felt be deceived once again. It’s also one reason why he became so cold and accused her again. And yet he is considering TanTan’s words.
’Yes, she did help...and it seems she doesn’t involve with the Crown Prince otherwise she won’t help him to make troubles in the auction before...’
Prince Li sighs, he lowered his voice but still in cold tone,
"Then, tell me why did you come into that ship? What is your real plan?"
TanTan feels relieved when he asked but also mixed with confusion for how to explain it,
"I..."
Prince Li looks straight at her, he is hoping to hear any explanation from TanTan’s mouth so he can consider his next action toward her.
"So you really can’t speak the truth...How can you know about the auction or the black market if you don’t have any relationship with the Crown Prince!"
Feeling disgusting to be suspected having a relationship with that pervert-brutally jerk, TanTan decides to tell the truth.
"I don’t!!! QingQing helped me with the connection...oh well, why I should hide it from you at this moment... I am looking for clues about my killers...That silver masked man we met...He knows something about them...that’s why I am looking for him!"
’Finding her killers?’ Prince Li tries to absorb what TanTan says. He stares to TanTan’s eyes and sighs. ’This woman either having other agenda or too stubborn...’
Prince Li looks straight to TanTan,
"Why do you insist to find them? What can you do when you find them? Have revenge on them?"
TanTan is being silent, she knows nothing wrong in Prince Li’s words, they aren’t intending to mock her, but she can see the concern in the words. It’s just she can’t stop, because...if she stops, then what will be the purpose of her presence right now? Beside since little, she gets used to solving her own problem.
"Then should I just wait for them come and kill me instead? Don’t worry, this is my own problem...you don’t need to concern about it..." TanTan turns her face, don’t feel want to look at Prince Li’s staring anymore.
"HUA MU TAN!" shouts Prince Li, it surprises TanTan, he even grabs TanTan’s wrist.
"LISTEN! YOU ARE MY WIFE! SO YOUR PROBLEM IS ALSO MY PROBLEM! I FIND THE KILLERS SO YOU BETTER DON’T DO ANYTHING FOOL AGAIN AND JUST STAY NICELY IN YOUR ROOM!"
TanTan’s eyes are widened, she doesn’t expect the response and either Prince Li himself, so they both become silent, just staring to each other’s eyes...asking themselves,
"What is he talking about?!"
"What am I talking about?!"