Chapter 829: Chapter 827: Return

The next day, Tuanzi returned from the camp.

The young man on horseback, clad in majestic martial attire, held a long spear in his hand.

Upon seeing the young girl in the distance, he immediately clenched the reins tightly, whipped the horse, and forcefully spurred the horse’s belly to rush towards the girl’s position.

He moved as swiftly as an arrow, as if afraid of being a second too late.

Then, he dismounted fluidly and tried to approach Xia Ningxing, but after taking a few steps forward, he stopped in his tracks.

A feeling of becoming timid upon approaching home rose within.

Xia Tuanzi’s eyes glistened with moisture, and without a word, he stared eagerly at her.

Anyone could sense the longing and excitement deep in his heart.

“Tuanzi…” Xia Ningxing lifted her tear-filled eyes and observed the young man before her who seemed both familiar yet slightly foreign.

After enduring many hardships over the past half-year, Xia Tuanzi had lost much of his youthful naivety and grown taller.

Xia Ningxing measured him and found that he was now almost a head taller than herself.

Muscular and dashing.

She cried out in sheer joy, “Tuanzi, you’ve finally come back!”

“Sister!” Xia Tuanzi couldn’t hold back any longer, just as he was about to rush over and embrace Xia Ningxing, a strong hand pulled him back from behind.

Xia Tuanzi frowned and, feeling annoyed, turned his head to see which little rascal was stopping him.

Turning his head, he saw Lu Tingli staring emotionlessly at him, with sharp eyes: “Even though you are Ningxing’s own younger brother, you must not overstep your bounds.”

His tone was extremely domineering, as though Xia Ningxing was his personal property, completely unreasonable!

“What’s it to you!” Xia Tuanzi shook off his hand, raised his eyebrows, and reminded him with a slightly nasty and challenging tone, “Prince, oh, now referred to as the Crown Prince, Your Highness, now that you have secured the major affairs, isn’t it time to keep the promise you made at that time?”

He had once personally assured them, as siblings, that as soon as he ascended to the throne, he would allow them to leave.

Lu Tingli glanced over at him indifferently, without responding to his words but instead looked downward at Xia Ningxing, “Ningxing, tell your little brother quickly, do you want to leave me?”

While speaking, he was also holding her delicate and smooth hands, arrogantly hooking the back of her hand with his fingertips.

This was a provocation!

A blatant provocation!

Sorry, I couldn’t help it!

“Lu, Ting, Li!” Xia Tuanzi was furiously enraged, the flames of anger burning vehemently in his heart, and he roared in fury: “I order you to let go of my sister immediately, or I’ll kill you!”

A girl’s reputation is so important; his sister had to remarry in the future, how could he allow such humiliation!

Just as he was about to step forward and forcefully swat away Lu Tingli’s hand, he saw his sister Xia Ningxing blocking in front of Lu Tingli, assuming a protective stance.

“Sister?” The whip in Xia Tuanzi’s hand stopped midair, as he incredulously stared at her.

Why is she protecting this scoundrel?

Could it be…

Xia Tuanzi didn’t know what he thought of, but the look in his eyes towards her was filled with shock and disbelief, mixed with a touch of disappointment and sadness.

Being stared at with such a gaze was like being tormented with knives; Xia Ningxing could hardly bear to meet his eyes and hung her head low, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

They had agreed that after everything was settled, she would take him away and they would both be free.

But now…

Xia Ningxing’s heart was filled with guilt as she began to explain, “Tuanzi, I’m sorry, I’ve fallen for Lu Tingli.”

Even though he had already guessed it, when he heard her say it with her own lips, Xia Tuanzi couldn’t help but shudder.

“Sis, tell me it’s Lu Tingli, that jerk, who forced you into this, right?” Xia Tuanzi still held onto a sliver of hope.

It must be so, otherwise how could his sister fancy such a despicable wretch!

Xia Ningxing shook her head with difficulty: “It’s not.”

Those two words finally sent Xia Tuanzi’s heart plummeting into the abyss.

He stared at her dazed, as if struck by lightning.

His sister had actually fallen for such a person?

How could he be worthy of his sister!

Even if he is now the future Crown Prince!

Xia Ningxing could see Tuanzi’s misunderstanding about Lu Tingli, she stepped forward and began to elucidate his virtues: “Tuanzi, Lu Tingli is not as bad as you think, he’s actually a very good man, he…”

Xia Ningxing went on to describe how meticulously he had taken care of her these past few days.

Her cheeks were suffused with the tender warmth of love, causing waves of sourness to gush forth in Xia Tuanzi’s chest.

In the past, he was the one his sister cherished most, but now there was another vying for her affection.

“…Stop talking!” Finally, Xia Tuanzi couldn’t listen any longer, his complexion dark as ink, his fingers clenched tight, followed by a punch against the wall, venting the melancholy in his heart.

Blood instantly spread down from the crevices of his fingers, the metallic scent filling the air.

Xia Ningxing screamed, tears rolling down in an instant, trying to stop his self-harming behavior: “What are you doing, if you are angry at me, why hurt yourself?”

More and more tears slid down, sparkling and translucent, like a string of scattered beads.

“Sis! Sis, please stop crying! I won’t dare to do it again! I am wrong!” Xia Tuanzi couldn’t stand her tears and hurriedly tried to raise his uninjured hands to wipe them away.

But before he could reach out, someone beat him to it.

Lu Tingli was already wiping Xia Ningxing’s tears, while casting a weighty glare at him: “It was you who made your sister cry, are you satisfied now?”

Tuanzi felt a mix of pain, urgency, and guilt: “I didn’t mean to… I just don’t feel relieved to entrust my sister to you!”

The young man’s voice broke, his eyes reddening, the pupils filled with deep concern.

“You’re already the Crown Prince now, and once you ascend the throne, you won’t lack for women in the seven palaces and six courtyards. I’m afraid my sister will suffer with you!”

Xia Tuanzi’s voice was choked, and if not for the worry of letting Lu Tingli see him as a joke, he would have already cried.

There is an old saying that entering the palace gates is like diving into an ocean, and the harem is like a den of wolves and tigers. He truly feared his sister would suffer an irredeemable fate if she was not careful, her body lost without trace.

That’s why he was reluctant for his sister to marry him.

If possible, he would rather his sister marry a common man.

He may not have an extraordinary appearance, vast wealth, or vast knowledge, but he must have a heart that loves and cherishes his sister.

A man who will only be with her for life, never taking another wife.

Living a simple, peaceful and tender life would be perfect.

And he could always be by their side, constantly overseeing his brother-in-law to make sure he never dared to bully his sister, or he would teach him a lesson right away.

But if that man were to be Lu Tingli, not to mention that he couldn’t be by their side at all times, even if he wanted to teach him a lesson later on, it would be as hard as scaling the heavens.

To strike the Emperor is a crime of great treason!