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In the pleasant weather, Li Hua cladded in a white hanfu with pink peonies on it was walking on the cobblestone path with a bamboo basket in her hand.

This was the third time in the year when she came out of the Xu Residence with her attendant Zhi Hui and a few servants accompanied by a few soldiers to the famous uphill of the Xinshui Town. Her birthday was approaching. It was after two days and after many requests her father, Xu Guang Li let her go to the Xinshui uphill without her brothers’ presence.

Li Hua had picked some flowers and filled the basket with them. She wanted to learn soap making and collected the flowers with good essence.

Because she had told Zhi Hui not to come behind her, she walked ahead where her father always used to tell her not to go. Whenever she asked, he used to say only one thing, “A deep forest lies ahead with dangerous animals. It is said a beast lives in the forest. But he doesn’t come out. However, if you go around it, you feel like going inside.”

Li Hua was curious to find out if her father told the truth or not. Because she once asked about it her elder brother, who had refused to know anything about it.

Lifting the edges of her gown, she continued to walk ahead and realized that the place looked prettier. There was a huge freshwater lake and its water was so clear that one could see his reflection in it. She went closer to it and looked at her face and smiled.

“After two days, I will turn 18, then I will prepare myself to propose to Feng Lao,” she mumbled and brought her palms together in excitement. She smiled and found butterflies had started to dance in her stomach.

At that moment, the burbles from the lakewater fell into the ears of this young maiden, who widened her eyes. Did the beast appear? It was the first thought in her mind. ‘But Father said that he never comes out,’ she thought. Li Hua was too scared to even look at her right or left.

.....

However, when the sound got prominent, she realized that someone was drowning in the water. She looked at her right, far and wide, but saw nothing. Later, she looked to her left and a few plum blossom trees along the lake bank prevented her from seeing more.

Li Hua walked ahead with slow steps and, to her surprise, she saw a man’s body lying on the surface of the water.

The bamboo basket from her hands fell and the different flowers that she plucked earlier, spread on the stone pathway.

Li Hua looked around for help but finding no one around, she jumped into the water.

The huge splash of water startled the young man and he gradually opened his eyes. To his surprise, a petite, young maiden approached him and grasped his arm.

The young man immediately closed his eyes, acting as if he fainted. Li Hua with much struggle took him out of the lake and started to take deep breaths.

“Hey! Wake up!” She patted his cheeks and then checked his pulse. “Why is his body cold? Is he dead?” she wondered and it panicked her. Wiping the water from her face from the back of her palm, she lowered her face and rested her ear on the middle of his chest.

The young man opened his eyes again and wondered what the young maiden was doing. But whatever it was, he was curious to know, so he closed his eyes again.

She heard the faint heartbeats of the young man. Quickly, she brought her face above his and pressed his nose between her soft fingers. With her other hand, she opened his mouth and gave him mouth-to-mouth respiration.

The young man opened his eyes wide. The young maiden then pressed her soft palms to the middle of his chest.

“Please, wake up!” Her soft voice fell into his ears.

She again cupped his face when their eyes met. “What are you doing?” The deep voice of Lóng Wei fell into the ears of Li Hua and she widened her eyes. The young man was the Sixth Prince.

“Why... you...” she stuttered when Lóng Wei sat up.

Li Hua was on her knees, wiping her lips while Lóng Wei was noticing her facial features. He chuckled upon recalling her act.

“Who are you?” Lóng Wei squinted his eyes.

“Weren’t you dead?... I mean, weren’t you drowning?” Instead of replying, she asked him.

They both asked each other at the same time.

“Others have to die before wishing for my death,” Lóng Wei affirmed and it intimidated Li Hua. “I thought about swimming and lying on the water surface for a while,” he asserted.

She said, “you can not swim in the lake water whenever you please. And what’s wrong with you?” She covered her eyes with her palm and continued, “you cannot roam around naked in such a holy place when the weather is cold. Where are your manners? If anyone sees you, then you’ll be punished.”

Lóng Wei was amused to hear the words of this young maiden. He lifted his hand and grasped her other hand.

“Ahh,” Li Hua screamed and found herself on the top of Lóng Wei. Her right hand was resting on his shoulder while her face was inches away from his. She stopped blinking for a few seconds.

For the first time, she found someone more handsome than Feng Lao. Her heart indeed skipped a beat to see him from this proximity. His features were divine to be called a beast. Those sharp eyebrows, pointed nose, shiny hair which were parted from the left and reached his shoulders, the sharp jawline, and the thin lips, were breathtaking for any woman.

“Who are you?” His deep voice again fell into her ears and she came out of her thoughts.

“Why should I tell you?” Li Hua retorted at him and pushed him away, before getting up. She lifted her gown a little and ran away after picking up the bamboo basket.

~~~~~

Li Hua recalled her first meeting with Lóng Wei in Xinshui. Indeed, she was the one who kissed him first, but how did he find out her name. She didn’t tell him her name.

She looked at herself in the mirror as her hair was tied into a high bun supported with a headgear. However, at her request, the majority of the hair was left open. The golden buyao decorated her hair. The danglings hung loose down her hair. She put on the long and thin earrings, with pearls hanging at the ends, which Lóng Wei had bought for her.

After a long time, she got to wear the dress which only nobles and royals could use. Golden was only restricted to royals, so it was her first time wearing this color.

Her yellow thin sleeve blouse had a low-cut neckline, with a broad golden band on the edges of the blouse. A beautiful red silk knot was made, just below the center of her chest, and the wide bands of the knots were hanging long.

The golden high waist skirt was embroidered with an exquisite, fine design that perfectly matched her blouse.

She stood up and outstretched her arms. A golden overcoat moved up along her sleeves and covered her bare shoulders.

“The Sixth Prince is waiting for the Princess outside,” Court Lady Hong informed Li Hua, who wore the shoes and walked out of the chamber, followed by her handmaidens.