The Phoenix Reborn Book II

Chapter 30 The Phoenix and the Dragon

The fragrance of paper is consumed as fast as age in a small room decorated with bright light. Round balls that produce a tiny sun bath light hang from several sides of the ceiling of the room. The sound of friction of a blunt object that was slightly wet on the paper could be heard, it was accompanied by the sound of a paper page being turned over, indicating someone was writing something on a book.

The figure of a girl shimmered in the middle of the room, making herself similar to the balls of light that were on the ceiling of the room. The girl seemed to be writing something seriously, ignoring some of her wavy brown hair that had fallen to her face, framing her tired-looking face.

Before long, the sound of the door squeaking could be heard. A red-eyed man entered the room. However, the girl was not seen to be aware of the man's arrival. He just kept writing without paying attention to it.

“Lan’er,” call the man. Not getting a reply, the man scrunched his face and realized that the forehead of the girl in front of him was covered with sweat. “Lan’er!” The man clutched the girl's hand, forcing her to stop writing.

Lan’er gasped at the man's actions, but her gaze seemed to exude an emotion of gratitude. “L-Lu Si ...” He looked at the man before him. “A-I mastered again?” ask him in disbelief.

Lu Si loosened his grip on Lan’er's wrist, then pulled off a tube-shaped object with a blunt tip lubricated with black liquid from the girl's hand. “This development is already out of direction. I told you, returning one is enough, but you insist on giving two back! Not only that, you let that one guy control the information. No wonder you got out of control and started to get mastered!”

A sigh sounded from Lan’er. This made Lu Si stop his scolding and circle the table to sit by the girl's side. Without needing to say anything, Lan’er leaned his head on Lu Si's shoulders as if knowing the man's intention to support himself.

“The Fenix's destiny with the Dragon is back together. As before, their lives are tied.” Lan’er's eyes closed, showing her condition of being so weak. “Tragedy is inevitable. However, at the very least I have to provide a decent ending for everything.” The girl's eyelids were half open, showing a wistful look. “I'll make sure ... The same mistake will not happen again.”

Lu Si's eyebrows wrinkled. “Even if ...your life bets?” The man's hands clenched, the aura surrounding him turning grim.

Lan’er noticed Lu Si's change. The girl turned her head to look at the red-eyed man, then she smiled. “Am I someone willing to sacrifice my own life? I'm not an angel, Lu Si.” His hand clasped Lu Si's hand, making the man stretch his fist.

Lu Si's temples twitched hearing Lan’er's words. “Seeing from the attitude of the Phoenix, I will not be surprised if you do that,” replied the man with a slightly satirical tone interspersed with a grin on his face. Then, his expression turned serious. “How much longer time do you have?”

Lan’er's gaze turned on the book above his desk, his expression looking troubled. “One year.” His fingers were closely related to the fingers of the man by his side. “If it doesn't work, then everything will be destroyed.” A faint smile was etched on his lips. “I believe the Dragon will protect the Phoenix this time.”

Lu Si tightened his grip on Lan’er's hand. ‘Then, who will protect you?’ His eyes were closed, his expression bitter. Then, the radiance of the two red beads was coated in a determination. ‘I have to meet him.’

***

In front of the window of his room, Wang Chengliu stood staring at the moon, partly hiding behind the clouds, creating a sad atmosphere. A sprig of Orchid flowers that was sandwiched between the thumb and index finger of the man swirled around as if dancing. The man's gaze looked bright, filled with confidence in all the calculations flowing in his brain.

Gently twisting on the floor of his terrace made Wang Chengliu glance at the door of his room for a moment. “Your Majesty,” call a voice that is none other than Chenxiao's voice.

Wang Chengliu's eyes turned back to look at the moon. He hummed a little, gesturing for his subordinate to explain the purpose of coming in late at night like this.

“Said after we left, a carriage came to the residence of Princess Wu,” Chenxiao continued. The guard frowned. “Prince, you obviously knew Mingwei Junzhu and Young Master Liang were at the residence of Princess Wu at that time, why didn't you deal with them straight away?” tanyakanya. “Isn't that what you want? Involving Mingwei Junzhu with the problem?”

“Come in,” Wang Chengliu's orders in an ice-cold tone, making his subordinates shiver in horror.

Although he was worried that he had said the wrong thing, Chenxiao could only obey his master's orders. He pushed open the door and entered the room to kneel in the Sixth Prince's living room.

Wang Chengliu shifted his gaze from the moon, then looked at the figure of his escort bodyguard who looked so strong and fragile at the same time. “Do you think when they are together .. I can drop them?” ask him in a mocking tone. “I do want the downfall of the Huang family, and indeed it can be started by involving the marriage of Junzhu and the Young Master Liang with a problem.” Wang Chengliu brought the Orchid flower closer to his face, inhaling its so intoxicating fragrance. “However, it will make Princess Wu hate me even more.”

Again, Chenxiao did not understand. “Didn't you say Princess Wu should be interested in you after your attempt to show ‘differences’?” He clearly remembered the words of his master who looked so excited this afternoon.

Wang Chengliu turned his gaze from the Orchid flower in his hand to Chenxiao. The expression on his face seemed to indicate that he thought his subordinates had lost their intelligence.

“After your confirmation of Huang Miaoling and Liang Fenghong's whereabouts at Princess Wu's residence, do you think Princess Wu will still be consumed by my game?” w.a.n.g Chengliu asked with a raised right eyebrow.

Wang Chengliu snorted. “The First Miss Huang hates me, I know clearly about it. He won't easily let my plan go smoothly.” The man threw the Orchid flower stalk in his hand before Chenxiao. “He will obviously brainwash Princess Wu,”. “Because it can not do it in a soft way, then it can only use a rough way.”

Chenxiao raised his head, staring at his master with a flurry of bewildered eyes. ‘Again First Miss Huang.’

Ever since the First Miss Huang set foot in the palace, Chenxiao felt the entire palace was starting to change. There was a current created by the girl, a current capable of controlling the flow of power within the kingdom.

How could that girl do that?

Putting everyone aside, Chenxiao only wanted to know how the two most unambiguous and conspicuous people within the palace turned into the two people who attracted the most attention? Who else would Chenxiao be talking about if not Wang Chengliu and Wang Junsi?

Really, Chenxiao did not understand. Ever since Wang Chengliu and Wang Junsi met Huang Miaoling, the two men had changed. Slowly but surely, not only did power begin to be obtained by the two princes, but there was also a spark of ambition.

Long ago, Wang Junsi kept trying to distract people from her by pretending to be a dud. After years of hiding all his abilities and prowess, the man ended up teaming up with Huang Miaoling and Liang Fenghong to save Wang Zhengyi from Li Hongxia's stratagem. Not stopping there, the Fourth Prince was willing to work with the sixth brother he least trusted and away from his fifth brother—his best friend—for the first miss Huang.

On the other hand, there was Wang Chengliu who was originally so devoted to his first brother, Wang Zhengyi. For no apparent reason, the man turned out to have his own ambitions and instead turned around using his eldest brother. He who usually only stayed in the corner of the room when the party even raised a tactic that drew attention to himself in order to save Huang Miaoling. Now, Wang Chengliu said he wanted to attract Wu Meilan's attention and destroy Huang Miaoling's marriage.

Were it not for Chenxiao growing up with his master, he could not have seen through Wang Chengliu's hidden intentions. According to him, the Sixth Prince's main goal of destroying Huang Miaoling's marriage was not to bring down the girl and disrupt the Huang family's cooperation with the Liang family. However, his main goal was to make sure the girl was not married to Liang Fenghong.

Yes, that was the reason, Chenxiao was sure of it. Otherwise, what was the reason Wang Chengliu helped Wang Junsi bring Huang Miaoling back to Shi kingdom? Why not let that girl die in Wu kingdom?

Wang Chengliu glanced at Chenxiao, aware that his subordinate was guessing at his thoughts. He knew Chenxiao's way of thinking was so simple, and therefore too, he knew that Chenxiao would never understand his way of thinking now.

Wang Chengliu knitted his brows. “What is there anything else?”

Chenxiao gasped from his daydream. He quickly racked his brain and replied, “Ya.” He continued, “Investigator Rong wants to meet.”

Hearing the name, Wang Chengliu's brows raised slightly. “She's outside?” Chenxiao nodded his head. “Call him.”

The permission given by her employer made Chenxiao immediately stand up from his place and lead to the door. He opened the door and looked at the kneeling man with one foot in the middle of Wang Chengliu's courtyard. The uniform of the investigation department enveloped his body which looked more like to a student than a warrior.

“Investigator Rong, Sixth Prince let you in.”

The man raised his head, not surprised by Chenxiao's words. Then, he saluted. “Rong Gui thanks Sixth Prince.”

___

Note:

The Mandarin language of Orchids is ⁇ (read: lan hua). So, do you know why Wang Chengliu was playing with Orchids?

In addition, before anyone complains why Lan'er can call 'angels' when there are no 'angels' in Chinese mythology, remember that he once said that he was not from the Eastern Plains.

Anywho, Lan'er meant by one year what, huh?