The Prince of Travelers

The Boy Who Closes His Heart

Crescent moon drowsiness in space. The light was dim and gloomy as cold as this silent night. The stars are scattered, sparkling beautifully decorate the sky. The star children run. Its tail shines like a bright rain of kirana.

“Finally you wake up,” a soft sound flows into Li An's ear. The boy also gasped. He got up from his sleep and sat down with a blanket. In the wide open window of her room, an ayu girl in a light blue dress was sitting quietly.

The dim moonlight doused the girl's face faintly. He smiled at Li An and approached her slowly. His standing figure looked terrifying. The black shadow covered his entire body. He looked like a long-haired night ghost who would kidnap children if they were not quick to sleep.

Li An immediately covered her face with a blanket and made a stand. His body is terrified. This was his first time being haunted by such a ghost. His eyes were closed tightly, but he could not fall asleep immediately. His heart is racing. His hands continued to tremble incoherently. So great, the vibration was visible even though his body was covered in a blanket.

A cold hand touched Li An's head. He stroked her slowly while whispering softly with an attentive rhythm, “Cup .. cup ..., my little sister. I'm here to accompany you. Don't cry, don't cry. The moon and stars will be sad. Cup ... cup ..., my sweet sister.”

The chanting did not stop either. His gradually warming touch also continued to gently stroke. When Li An's self began to calm down, he also ventured to look at the figure who was now sitting next to his complaint.

A candle lit so that the face of the girl looked clearer. The sweet smile on her lips greeted Li An who was still in shock and bewilderment. There was a distinctive aura in that smile. It felt like it could pull Li An into the past.

Li An went back to shivering. He could not believe what he saw. The smile belonged to his mother. The smile she missed all along. The poor prince went back to crying. She hugged the girl and cried on her lap.

The ayu girl was surprised until her smile faded for a moment when Li An suddenly hugged her. However, he reviewed the smile again and returned Li An's embrace. The boy's head was warmly smeared. He also patted his back gently to let Li An calm down and stop crying.

Li An's room was instantly open. Li Fengying appeared from behind the door leaf. There was a hue of anxiety on Prince Zhizhene's face. He was obviously worried when he heard the cry of his nephew who had exploded earlier. He saw Li An had calmed down in the lap of a girl.

The girl stuck her index finger in her lips while still patting Li An's back slowly. Its sharp and generous smile radiates shade. In silence, he asked Li Fengying to come back and leave Li An's matter to him. Prince Zhizheel obediently closed the room and left quietly.

Li An fell asleep again so tired of crying. Her tiny fingers that had been tightly gripping the girl's dress in her room had been squeezed. He was also moved back to his bed. His face was still murky by the grazing. When he woke up, he was aware of his loneliness. No one accompanied him here. Maybe last night it was just a dream. Is there really a chance for him to meet Consort Ai again?

“An’er!” li Mei's exclamation made Li An flinch, “You're awake yet?”

“Already,” Li An replied softly, but it can still be heard by Li Mei. The girl opened the door to her cousin's room. He came in with a breakfast tray. The tray was stuck on Li An's wooden table.

“Quick eating! Don't let you get sick,” rent Li Mei, “You make me anxious to know? Coming sick. He said you cry all day. Last night too. Hedeh, give a headache.”

Li Mei patted Li An on the head, then went back chattering, “Capurely healed! Later Li Chen will chase you if you are lazy like this. You are a boy who wants to be a scholar. You must grow healthy.”

Li An was stunned. There was a warmth flowing from Li Mei's speech and mouthfuls. He was very amused by the girl's plain speech. In fact, he usually feels annoyed with the babble. He remembered the kindness of the Prince Zhizhene's family who cared for him. Only now did he realize that they loved him as much as Consort Ai who loved him very much.

“Why are you laughing?” li Mei exclaimed as Li An suddenly chuckled without cause. The girl thought that Li An was mocking her. He raised his hand high, then patted Li An's head to stop. So hard, Li An almost pulled his feelings earlier.

“Why did Sister Mei hit me instead? I'm just happy again,” Li An pretended to sulk again. Her grieving pretentious face was easily guessed by Li Mei. Both of his cheeks were pinched so he begged, “Ampun, Sis. I was just kidding. I was just kidding.”

“Hmph! Watch out if you fuss over me again,” Li Mei threw away her face, completely sulking. His hands were held together to the chest, hinting that he was the right one. Li An could only laugh blandly at her brother's emotional demeanor.

“Now, you really wake up yes, An’er,” ayu girl comes following Li Mei. The girl was still wearing a beautiful white garnished red latus flower dress. He had come to visit Li An after being content to rest all morning.

Li An was very surprised. The little prince stopped chewing his food. He thought last night was just a dream. Dreams that are too real until impossible to realize. In fact, the dream of meeting Consort Ai was indeed mortal. The girl standing before him right now was the Third Princess of the Tang Empire as well as her half-brother, Princess Li Huanran.

“Kakak Huanran, An’er is still tired. Don't be bothered yet,” expel Li Mei smooth.

“Hais, even though I just want to visit my sweet sister. Why did Mei’er just kick me out?” li Huanran replied with a questioning smile. His narrow eyes that almost closed make him look sneaky. When viewed from a bad point of view, that smile must have a hidden purpose that is not good. In fact, it's not necessarily so.

“An’er really needs a break. Let's go out first let's not bother her,” Li Mei tugged at Li Huanran's white dress. His height was only the shoulder of the Third Princess. His age was only four years apart.

“You go first, Mei’er. I want to have a chat with my sister,” Li Huanran rubbed Li Mei's hair. That made Prince Zhizhene's eldest daughter unable to dwell. He can only puff up his cheeks, then say firmly, “An’er my sister!”

Li Mei also left with a stale face. He stomped his feet to the floor as soon as he was outside. His voice was so loud that it sounded to Li An's room. Li Huanran chuckled at the adorable little girl's behavior. He wondered if he was so selfish when he was a child.

“Who?” li An's cold voice shook the silence since Li Mei left. He looked at the Third Princess watchfully, not believing in the slightest with the ayu girl. His extreme vigilance left him without many friends even at the Khilafah Embassy, where he studied daily.

“Sadness ... how does my sweet sister not know her brother?” Li Huanran covered half of the face with the sleeves of her dress, concealing an anxious smile that would probably offend Li An. His narrowed eyes returned the sharp gaze of the brat who resembled that wild black cat. He did not hesitate in the slightest to look at his opponent.

“Who?” li An asked in a colder tone. The eyes of the eagle continued to clash with Li Huanran. His hands were tightly clutching the car that he was carrying. The tension made the boy unable to let go of his guard in the slightest.

“Cold ... You can ask more gently, right? Hais, even though your face is so beautiful,” Li Huanran's words make Li An creeps. The Eighth Prince immediately exclaimed, “I'm a boy!”

“Ah! Also true. My handsome and sweet sister, try to ask more gently dong,” Li Huanran has approached Li An somehow since when. Her delicate hand touched Li An's cheek as she said that last sentence. His pretentious attitude made Li An surprised and immediately kicked him out, “Go! Whoareyou? Go now!”

Li Huanran then took off his hand and covered half his face, hiding his surprised expression. I don't know why he always does that. It may have been a habit since childhood.

“Hah .. when I just want to make you more relaxed. It turns out that you are really wary of excessive gini,” Li Huanran moaned pity. He thought for a while, then said, “Sorry brother, yes. Brother didn't mean to take you. Just kidding. I'm Third Princess, Li Huanran. Your name is Li An, right? I call you An’er, huh? You can call me Ayunda Huanran or Ayunda An is also okay. We are the same name.”

Li An was silent. His face did not change in the least. Only the shields are calmer even though they remain vigilant. He assesses the situation and conditions. According to his assessment, there is no way out of this thorny problem unless there is outside intervention.

“An’er, you why?” Li Mei smashed down the door hard to the point of making Li An and Li Huanran shocked. There was Li Chen, Li Roulan, and Li Xiulan behind him. They were very anxious when Li An suddenly shouted earlier.

“Nothing really. We are just new acquaintances,” Li Huanran who replied casually. He smiled coldly at Li Mei and her sister. That smile was more like a grin now. He planned to throw them out again.

However, before the Third Princess did that, Li An had already gotten out of bed first and ran towards Li Mei. He hid behind his cousins without saying a word. He did not even look at Li Huanran anymore. This morning's disturbance was enough for him. He just wanted to finish his breakfast immediately and go to the Small Archive Pagoda.

“Kakak Huanran! Brother apain An’er?” snapped Li Mei. The girl stood with steady horses. Although he was a child, he was not a child who could be underestimated his martial skills and sword arts. Therefore, no child would dare to harass him other than Li Roulan at the Prince Zhizhheel Palace.

“It turns out I've gone too far, huh?” Li Huanran asked back. Obviously, that question doesn't need an answer. The smile on the face of the ayu girl had faded away ever since Li An passed by her. He failed to exchange greetings with his little brother. If this was the case, it was better for him to let Li An calm down first. Who would have thought that the trauma of the boy was worse than expected?

“Kakak is really sorry, An’er. Later, Brother comes again, yes,” Li Huanran said to the Eighth Prince who was behind him. There was no reply from the apology. The Third Princess also re-embroidered her smile and left the hallway of Li An's room.

“An’er, are you okay?” Li Xiulan preceded Li Mei asking as the eldest daughter of Prince Zhizhe was still focusing on observing Li Huanran's rants. His tiny hands stroked Li An's back. He took the Eighth Prince to the park to restore his condition.

It was just then that Li Fengying and Madam Lu came. They were very surprised to see the hue of Li An's face that was not good. Li Fengying tried to ask for an explanation, but Li An did not reply at all. Finally, Li Xiulan mentioned the name Li Huanran in place of his cousin.

“I'll talk to Huan’er first. Bring An’er to calm down,” said Mrs Lu took the initiative. The children followed Li Fengying, while Lady Lu alone followed Li Huanran away. The direction was to go to the Peach Garden in the North Complex of Prince Zhizhene's Palace.

“As Auntie said, she's an unapproachable child,” welcome Li Huanran as soon as Madam Lu arrives. The girl sat alone in the gazebo in the middle of the park. His hands caress the beautiful flowers that bloom in the morning. The smile on his face remained embroidered as usual, but there was a shadow of sadness there.

“That's a temperament coming down from her biological mother. My sister couldn't change it except for a little,” replied Lady Lu who then sat in front of Li Huanran, “If only she wasn't dragged into the careless case, then, an’er condition will not be like this.”

“I'm sorry for the disaster, Auntie. Emperor Yung Wei also entrusted the most sincere apologies,” said Li Huanran with a face as clear as rain. He was serious about delivering his father's message.

“Already! You've said that many times since yesterday. I can forgive his carelessness, but it won't be easy to forget,” Lady Lu slightly threw away face. Sadness is reflected on his face. With a soft voice, he continued, “Moreover the boy. She loved Consort Ai so much like a child who loved her own birth mother. If you feel guilty, then comfort him with sincere affection.”

“Aibi's advice will always be remembered,” Li Huanran showed his respect. He chatted and asked Lady Lu for advice regarding Li An. The conversation flowed until the sun almost sat hovering over the crown. As soon as she spoke, Madam Lu went to look for her children and let Li Huanran pensive alone.

Charcoal is only ashes. What is lost will never come back. Only the remains fly through the earth. The Third Princess never thought that the mission from her father would be this difficult, let alone that she had vowed not to return until she could complete her task. If he could not take the heart of his poor little brother, he would not be able to go home. While gazing at the clear sky in solitude, Li Huanran muttered to himself, “Well, this is not bad either. I can be free from the intrigue of the Eternal Palace of Happiness for a while.”