LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS
Chapter 76: One’s Nightmare is the Other’s Sweet Dream

Chapter 76: One’s Nightmare is the Other’s Sweet Dream

Xing held his hands and cupped it in her hands and blowed on it to warm it up. She could see how distressed he is.

"Don’t worry, I won’t die that easily", She said and kissed his palm, "Especially not when I’m not entirely yours", she mumbled to herself so that he doesn’t hear but Shengli, the wolf he is heard every word clearly.

"Not entirely mine...?",he smirked and looked at her surprised face that had become flushed by now.

" Nasty wolf!", Xing said and tried to turn her face to the side but his coarse, warm hand held her chin and made her unable to turn.

"Xing", his serious eyes shining in the gentle light in the room all the while his hand was gently caressing her neck, " Let’s have a rehearsal of our wedding night", his hands slided down her neck and found its way under her clothes down her collar bones making Xing shudder and she held his hand from moving any lower.

Shengli could feel her body warming up in his hand and he gave an evil smirk, "What do you say? Then you’ll be entirely mine! "

Xing who had been teased a lot by him for the past days decided not to be too shy anymore and stand up for herself. She pushed his hands and sat up, "Marry me first, you shameless fox! How can you take advantage of a maiden like me?", she pinched his nose really hard making him grunt in pain, "Xing... ! Why my nose?... Always..."

Xing laughed hard seeing him writhe in pain.

"Serves you right, you rascal Prince! Your shamelessness has no bounds lately!"

Shengli tried to catch her and she feigned fainting and he caught her and placed her on the bed. Xing was still closing her eyes and he gently traced his index finger on her lips making her flinch," Xing! I won’t touch you again", he whispered near her ears.

"Say that without touching me, rascal Prince", She hit him laughing and he laughed along with her.

" Xing, eat properly from now on. Promise me!", he said resting his forehead on her shoulders. He really didn’t want something like today happen again. If that was not a training match but an actual attack, won’t she be in great danger?

"Hmm", he sighed, "It must be because you recently started losing blood unnecessarily", he muttered.

" How is it unnecessary?", she pushed him with her cheeks puffed and he looked at her shocked. Aren’t I worried about you? Why are you looking like I stole your gold?

"Well, who wants children anyway", he said casually. He really cannot imagine himself as a father. He never had a good role model for a father and also by how much his kitten loves children, won’t he be abandoned once she has children?

"I do", she declared, "Four of them and only daughters"

"Four?", Shengli asked shocked. Isn’t that a lot?

"Yes, four girls. Just like you since you are the pretty one", she touched his nose, "With your nose too. It’s adorable"

"Ha ha", Shengli laughed dryly rubbing his nose. What is she planning? Won’t more beings like him become an eyesore?

"Do you even know how to raise children?", he asked.

Xing looked at him perplexed, ’What is he saying? Won’t they grow up by themselves if you feed them and play with them?’

Shengli looked at her who was squinting her nose and looking adorable, ’Four girls? I don’t mind if they take after this beautiful kitten!’

"Don’t worry!", Shengli said suddenly having an idea, "Let’s have as many children as we want and let your father raise them. Your father still owes you the debt of raising you, right? Let him pay it by raising our children!" his eyes were wide and he was happy he came up with a plan that satisfied both of them. She can have children and he won’t have anyone to disturb his time with her! Brilliant! He patted himself.

Xing sighed! Who gives birth to children to just let them raised by others? Childbirth is not an easy and fun thing to do just for the sake of it, right? Won’t you want to have your children close to you after you go through that tedious process?

So those two people who had slightly different opinion about how their future should be were carelessly chatting in the room filled with the gentle light of the setting sun and a serene fragrance made their mind elated and the sweet chirping sound of the sparrow spilling through the windows reflected the happy chatting of the youths with their whole future unknown to them.

Just then,

"Where is she?", an angry voice followed by the sound of the door slamming was heard. The owner of the voice, was none other than the one who supposedly owe the debt of raising Xing!

Shengli who was happily laughing was sent out... No.. Pushed out through the window by the one who he thinks loves him. What an unfair world it is for him being pushed out by his woman for her father? Shengli sulked and waited outside the window.

"Mingxia, my only daughter! What happened to you? Who did this to you? Are you hurt? Let’s leave this wretched place that made you sick... How dare he blames me when he’s the one clearly to be blamed? You were fine until you were with father.....", her father rambled on until Xing actually felt dizzy.

Lord Zhong didn’t keep quiet and he refuted him resulting in the verbal war between those two.

Lady Zhong pushed them out of the room to fight and closed the door as if it does not matter if they kill each other. Xing, who had never seen Lord Zhong being equally silly like her father asked Lady Zhong if it is fine and she smiled, They are men and let them deal with it.

Some time later Rijun came in panicked and only after seeing her did his face regained his colour. Xu mama also came with Rijun and Lady Zhong asked about her dietary habits and after patiently hearing it she shot a glare at Xing which made Xing shudder. Why do people fear the Oldman when the actual grizzly is his wife? She thought. This elegant looking lady has layers!

Xing expected another lecture from Lady Zhong which she can go through any time as she was used to it but she went out and brought in the two fighting men outside by pulling them by the sleeves.

She is not just a grizzly! She is grandfather to the grizzly! Xing thought seeing her father and the Oldman becoming silent within a second.

Lady Zhong made Xu mama repeat what she said previously and spoke on a firm tone, "Xiao Tian, you heard Xu mama... Sweet buns and milk are snacks, not food! Your daughter needs to eat food! With her mother passing away and no one to replace her in your home, she needs to learn to take care of herself. Even though Xu mama cares for her to some extent, she cannot cross the line of a servant. I will teach Mingxia to take care of herself. So if you care for your stupid daughter, just leave her here for a week", she let out a deep breath and AoTian froze.

Xing was about to say something but was silenced by the glare of Lady Zhong. In fact Xing was not a big fan of eating but she always had dinner with her mother and she always made sure she had a balanced diet and ate everything on her bowl whether she liked it or not. But after she came to the city, she ate whatever she wants whenever she wanted because she was the pampered young miss of the Huang family. So being pampered had it’s side effects too, Xing thought but Lady Zhong is right, I need to learn to take care of myself! I don’t like feeling weak at all!

AoTian could accept the rationality in Lady Zhong’s words but he was still reluctant to let his daughter stay away from him.

"I’ll hire someone to...", he started but was interjected by Lady Zhong,

"Xu mama who have known you from the day you were born took your daughters side. So do you think anyone new can handle your daughter?"

Xing who was hearing everything wondered why she does not have a say in where she wants to stay but could not do anything against those old people who really care for her wellbeing. Rijun just gave a dejected look, ’I have a lot of work to finish today! I thought I’ll get your help!’, he whispered, ’But rest well!’. He meant what he said.

So AoTian reluctantly agreed for his daughter’s stay in the Zhong Manor for three days but was still angry at Lord Zhong for getting his wish. Rijun, AoTian and Xu mama left after dinner and Xing told Shengli to bring the fruit that God gave that she left in the drawer to her. He must have realised she is sick and that’s why he gave that fruit to her. I should have ate that fruit without caring too much for dignity, Xing raved in her heart.

That night Xing slept in Lady Zhong’s room when she heard Lady Zhong and the Oldman happily chatting outside.

"How did you think that she might be pregnant? I thought you had no knowledge about these things"

"I remember you writing me that you fainted when you were with our second son and that brat accused him too "

"You remember something I wrote eighteen years ago?"

"I remember everything you wrote to me... Ruoling! Was I a good husband to you? Seeing that boy just rushed in to get to that brat, I realised I had done nothing for you. In the past twenty five years of our marriage, I only hurt you by saying I loved another woman and even brought her son to be raised in our Manor. Aren’t you angry at me for treating you badly? "

There was silence for sometime and Xing who was shamelessly overhearing the conversation of the old couple realised the rumour about her grandmother and Lord Zhong were true. But clearly the Oldman didn’t actually loved or fell out of love with her grandmother and is in love with Lady Zhong for a long time. Xing was sure because if that Oldman was still in love with her grandmother he would have recognised her voice as her Uncle Zedong is pretty sure of it. And no one tells all the secrets even about the kingdom to his wife whom he does not love and trust. As per Xing’s knowledge, Lady Zhong pretty much is privy to all the secrets Lord Zhong has. If that’s not love, what is?

"Dear", Lady Zhong’s shaky voice was heard, " You gave this one from a lowly family the status of the Lady of the noblest family in the kingdom. You never wronged me and laid every truth before me. You never were like those frivolous men who brings concubines each year and you treasured only me, gave me everything I need and more. What more can I ask for in a husband? As for the issue of the Princess, I never felt wronged as no one could compete with a dead person and I never felt not loved by you and Xiao Tian, I never felt like he was not my son. So you should know that I had all the luck work out for me to get you as my husband this life time and would wish for you in the next lives too and hopefully in those lives I wish to meet you first so that I would be your first love"

Xing who was hearing all this wondered how it would be like for her and her prince to be able to grow old together and what they might be talking in their old age when they had finished all their duties and leisurely talking.

It must be nice to be together until out hair colours match, Xing thought, My Prince! Won’t it be a good picture as both of our hairs had greyed and we still hold each other and watch the sunset together?

That night Xing had dreams that they had four daughters with his silver hair and they were happily playing with weapons and also good in literature too. One of her daughter was even good in embroidery like Xing’s mother. Her Prince was by her side sipping tea and they watched their children grow together. Xing slept peacefully with her lips curved upwards.

While Xing was having good dreams, Shengli was having nightmares that there were four devilish boys standing around Xing with swords in their hands. Two of them looked like AoTian and two of them looked like his Imperial father. They gave an evil laugh and told him to beat them to be able to look at their mother. His moon was nowhere to be seen but only her voice saying that she was disappointed by him was heard. Shengli woke up in cold sweats and drank some water. Only after he imagined little kittens that looked like Xing was he able to fall asleep.

...

Many years later in a pavilions over a cliff facing the sea, Xing whose hair had greyed by now was sipping tea leaning his head over her prince’s shoulder. The gentle sea breeze ruffled their now matching hair and their hair danced together in that breeze intertwining with each other just like their fingers were.

"My Prince, after everything we’ve gone through, do you think it is worth it?"

The man who had never lost his charm in her eyes sipped the tea from her cup, a habit he had for years now, smiled the same smile that she saw when she first met him,

"My moon! It definitely is! I will go through it a hundred times if it would lead us here", he kissed her head.

Both of them with the golden rays of the sun making their hair glow like amber watched the sun setting in the sea and snuggled up to each other as all they had ever wanted in their life is to be together like this and that was not easily attained too. Only when you get a thing after great struggles would you realise it’s worth and even small pleasures will make you ecstatic only if you’d known the depth of exasperation.